To Elon students, the Burlington area can sometimes seem pretty….dull. It’s an area dominated by chain restaurants, fast-food joints, strip malls, and department stores. However, as a junior with a car, who appreciates a charming atmosphere and just loves food in general, I’ve been able to scope out the area for great eats over the past couple years and have accumulated a list of true gems.
Morazi’s Pizza and Italian Restaurant
I start with Morazi’s because I’m not only obsessed with the food, but also the people who run the place. THEY are the gems! Morazi’s is a small, local pizza and Italian joint located off Highway 87 in an area close to Elon, but rarely explored by students. The best way to explain what it’s near is…nothing. It’s literally out in the boonies. But this short 10-minute trek is worth it! All their food is made from scratch with the freshest ingredients, the prices are inexpensive, and the owners (an adorable married couple named Max and Terry) are probably two of the greatest and most accommodating people you will ever meet. To give you an idea, their motto is to make everyone who drops in feel like family.
2085 N NC Highway 87, Elon College NC 27244 (336) 585-0050
University Grille
The fact that this local spot out in the middle of no-where’s-ville Burlington was featured on Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible should be reason enough to pay a visit. The show totally revamped the place by transforming it into a cozy restaurant characterized by good vibes and great service that even features a little bar. It’s also definitely the place to go if you’re looking to get some bang for your buck. The portions have been known to be on the huge side for reasonably priced and ridiculously yummy choices such as shrimp and grits, the greek burger, and the chocolate chess pie. NOM.
2437 W Webb Ave Burlington, NC 27217 (336) 584-1444
The Co-Op
An all–time fav and I could quite possibly do dinner here every night of the week. The Co-op’s a faaaabulous organic grocery store in Alamance and the place to go if you’re a real junkie for local produce, healthy eats, and environmentally friendly grocery products. What’s so awesome about this place is how they’ve set up their store in making grocery shopping an experience, not just an errand. Offering a hot buffet with an assortment of organic, healthy meals like Roasted Root Vegetables, Tempeh Fried Rice, Turkey Mac and Cheese, Indian Marinated Chicken, and Cinnamon Bread Pudding. Right next to the hot bar sits a decadent salad bar containing any and every topping you could ever want. You can grab and go or they have an indoor/outdoor seating area if you’re in the mood to hang out, eat, and even listen to live music on Friday nights. It’s a place that radiates happy and healthy, and in my book that’s perfection.
268 East Front Street Burlington, North Carolina 27215 (336) 223-0390
da Vinci’s Table
My mom and I stumbled across this gem freshman year and it’s been an all-time Burlington favorite ever since. The first time eating here we honestly could not believe how amazing and high quality the food was for the price. What they call a small size is really an overwhelming sized portion of Chicken Parmigiana, salad and cheesy garlic bread, all for a 9 bucks. Sounds like a pretty smart and delicious investment if you ask me. But it’s not only the food that kept this restaurant high on the list. The atmosphere and service is also great. The ambiance is rustic Italian with cozy seating and dim lighting. Sounds pretty romantic….but I promise from personal experience, it’s the perfect place for a date night with your girlfriends too.
2260 S Church St. Burlington, NC 2715 (336) 270-6503
Next time you’re itching to get off-campus and grab food somewhere off the beaten path refer to this list! Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.