New to Northeastern? Been at Northeastern for a while and need a new plan of where and what to eat on campus? Have no idea what’s even available to you on campus? Look no further, because we’re here to cover everything you need to know about food on Northeastern’s Boston campus and uncover some hidden gems you might want to check out the next time your stomach rumbles for some grub.
As a current Northeastern first-year, the amount of dining options was overwhelming. With only a meal plan and my husky card, I didn’t know where to start when it came to navigating the dining halls, using my husky dollars, or even my meal exchanges. So I called upon some upperclassmen for help.
Dining Halls:
With options such as Stetson East, Stetson West and International Village, or IV, you may think your options are limited, but there is plenty to indulge in within each dining hall. For information about what each hall serves, including restaurants within and around campus that accept husky dollars, I recommend downloading the Dine On Campus app. You can see when each dining hall is open, how busy they are and what the menu for the day is.
I use this app for almost every meal so I can avoid arriving at a dining hall and wasting a meal swipe because there’s nothing being served that I’m in the mood to eat. This information can also be found on the NU Dining Website. You can navigate through where to eat, menus, hours of operation, wellness resources and plenty more.
But what dining hall do students prefer?
“I’ve always preferred Stetson East because their chicken is usually cooked better than IV, but IV has more options,” said Alex Kilmon, a fourth-year chemical engineering major.
Nikolai Germatsky, a second-year mechanical engineering and design combined major, also agrees that International Village has the best dining hall food.
“It has the most variety,” he said. “But also a very stable chicken and burger section where you can build your own [sandwich].”
While Germatsky’s statement about the chicken at IV versus Stetson East contrasts Kilmon’s, you can try the two when you get the chance and decide which is better yourself.
Husky Dollars:
With each meal plan, students receive a certain amount of money to spend using their husky card at accepting businesses. Where are the best places to spend this money and what’s worth it?
Tim Leclerc, a fourth-year business administration major, shares his thoughts on getting Mexican food. Two main spots on campus that serve this cuisine are El Jefe’s and Mamacita’s.
“El Jefe’s is better than Mamacita’s,” Leclerc said. “The portions are bigger, the quality of the meat is better, and the experience is unlike what you’d get at Mamacita’s.”
Speaking of portions, Kilmon said that “Boston Shawarma is great for portion size.”
Germatsky offers a different perspective.
“I prefer to go to Wollaston’s and buy a sandwich or buy ingredients to make food in my dorm, as I have a kitchen,” he said. If he didn’t have a kitchen, he’d most likely be spending those dollars in the Curry Student Center at Popeyes.
In Leclerc’s opinion, Popeye’s isn’t the healthiest option for him. He recommends Kigo Kitchen as a relatively healthier and tastier option.
“Popeyes is too much for my intestines,” he joked.
Need a meal late at night? El Jefe’s and Wings Over Boston have you covered and are open until 2 a.m. and midnight, respectively.
As a college student, I’m always looking out for discounts, especially on food. These upperclassmen offer some tips on how and where you can find those.
“A lot of people have no idea they can spend their [husky dollars] at Star Market,” Leclerc said. He also shared that Dominos used to have a 50% off coupon code for Northeastern students, but it’s been invalid for about a year now. Leclerc added that you can get a free coffee at Dunkin’ if you make friends with a Northeastern police officer.
A typical question I had early on was why wouldn’t I just use my credit card? Since you’re given a certain amount of money each semester specifically for these restaurants on and off campus, it’s better to use husky dollars than your own money.
“It’s kind of like a budgeting tool,” Leclerc said. “You can choose the spots you want to go to but manage the amount you have to spend. It helps you make the most of those free dollars over the course of the semester.”
Meal Exchanges:
Meal exchanges are a great way to get a meal on campus without spending husky dollars. However, they do come with limitations as you can’t get all you can eat for one meal. To find out what locations accept meal exchanges, visit the Northeastern Dining Locations page and look for “Meal Plan Exchange Locations.” I also recommend downloading the Grubhub app and using the Northeastern Boston location to view which locations on and around campus accept Grubhub delivery and pickup. You can also see the meal exchange menus in those accepted locations in the app.
Where do students choose to use their meal exchanges at?
Leclerc gets the cubano at Churchill’s often with a meal exchange.
While Kilmon claims he hasn’t used many meal exchanges while on the school’s meal plan, when he does, he uses them at Burger 373. Students can choose from three burgers that each come with a side of fries and a fountain drink.
Germastky proposed another helpful idea. “Depending on how many meals you have, meal exchanges can also be used to buy ingredients and pre-made meals at Outtakes, aka Stetson West.”
My roommates and I have gone to Outtakes plenty of times because it’s so convenient. Located where the dining hall is below the first floor of Stetson West, it’s a grab-and-go market with prepared food, snacks, fruit, salads and drinks. Certain items are worth a certain amount of points and each meal swipe you use is worth ten points. You can only use three meal swipes a day but that already gets you plenty of food. It’s the perfect spot to get meals to keep in your dorm for a couple days if you don’t have time to go out and sit down for a meal or continuously get takeout.
Restaurants around campus:
If you’re looking to go out with some friends or splurge a little yourself, here are some recommended spots in and around campus that you might enjoy.
Leclerc recommends The Yard House in Copley Place as they have half off select appetizers during happy hour on weekdays.
Kilmon mentioned that Dumpling Palace on Massachusetts Avenue is a great spot and is open until 2 a.m. Cappy’s Pizza & Subs is also a classic spot for pizza, and I’ve heard their chicken tender dinner is amazing.
“South End Buttery is a good breakfast place [and a] 20-minute walk from campus,” Kilmon said.
Fajitas and Ritas, a Tex-Mex restaurant on West Street, can be easily commutable on the green line T route, which Kilmon says is worth it.
There are plenty of great spots on Huntington Avenue that Germansky recommends too, like Poke Station. However, he recommends students “avoid going to places outside of campus unless you have a lot of your own money to spend since the prices aren’t cheap.” So stick to those husky dollar-accepted restaurants if you’re not looking to spend your hard-earned money.
The thought of having to navigate so many food options was overwhelming for sure, but asking the help of experienced upperclassmen made it all the more comforting, and we hope it helped you too!