Carnegie Mellon University
- Off-Campus Dining

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Carnegie Mellon University - Off-Campus Dining - Off-Campus Dining - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.85

Off-Campus Dining

Quick Stats

Student Favorites
  • Fuel & Fuddle
  • LuLu's Noodle Shop
  • Taste of India
24-Hour Dining Eat'n Park
Best Asian
  • Bangkok Balcony
  • Lulu's Noodles
Best Breakfast Pamela's
Best Coffee Coffee Tree Roasters
Best Dessert
  • The Cheesecake Factory
  • Crepes Parisiennes
  • Razzy Fresh
Best Healthy Whole Foods Market
Best Late-Night
  • South Aiken Bar & Grille
  • Vocelli Pizza
Best Mexican Mad Mex
Best Pizza South Aiken Bar & Grille
Best Wings
  • Buffalo Blues
  • William Penn Tavern
Best Place to Take a Date
  • Girasole
  • Silk Elephant
  • Spoon
Best Place to Take Your Parents
  • Casbah
  • Monterey Bay Fish Grotto
  • Ruth's Chris Steak House
Other Places to Check Out
  • Aladdin's Eatery
  • Chaya Japanese Cuisine
  • Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • Dave & Andy's Homemade Ice Cream
  • Domino's Pizza
  • Dozen Bake Shop
  • Eat Unique
  • Elbow Room
  • Five Guys Burgers & Fries
  • Gullifty's
  • Hemingway's Café
  • Hokkaido Seafood Buffet
  • How Lee Chinese Restaurant
  • Jitters Café & Ice Cream
  • Kiku Japanese Restaurant
  • Kiva Han
  • Klavon's 28th Street Ice Cream Parlor
  • La Prima Espresso Co.
  • Little Asia
  • Maximum Flavor Pizza Shop
  • Noodles & Company
  • Oh Yeah! Ice Cream & Coffee
  • Oishii Bento
  • Orient Express
  • The Original Hot Dog Shop ("The O")
  • P.F. Chang's China Bistro
  • Panera Bread
  • Pi Coal Fired Pizza
  • Pizza Bellagio
  • Qdoba Mexican Grill
  • Quaker Steak & Lube
  • Ritter's Diner
  • Rose Tea Café
  • Sakura Teppanyaki & Sushi
  • Spice Island Tea House
  • Starbucks
  • Subway
  • Szechuan Express
  • Tamarind Flavor of India
  • Umi Restaurant
  • Uncle Sam's Submarines
  • Waffallonia
  • Walnut Grill

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Most students find the local dining in the city of Pittsburgh to be a welcome relief from the monotony of Carnegie Mellon dining options. The variety of cultures present in each neighborhood makes for dozens of restaurants that are bound to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. For example, Polish Hill, the Strip District, and Bloomfield (the "Little Italy" of Pittsburgh) are all abound with restaurants, specialty shops, and close-knit eateries that students rave about. While these areas outside of the main neighborhoods surrounding CMU are definitely home to the culinary arts of Pittsburgh, most students tend to stick to the immediate surroundings.

Even in the nearby areas of Oakland, Shadyside, and Squirrel Hill, students can find affordable and satisfying Thai, Chinese, Indian, American, and Italian restaurants. In Oakland, students frequent "The O" for their cheap and famous hot dogs and fries, and Primanti Bros., where it becomes a contest to see who can finish one of the enormous sandwiches! A quick bus ride up to Squirrel Hill and the Thai restaurants Bangkok Balcony and Silk Elephant are unrivaled in popularity—although it might be best to reserve these slightly pricier places for special occasions. If students don't want to walk too far, they will usually visit Sushi Too and Walnut Grill in Shadyside. These two places make it easy to celebrate with a large group of friends or to wander in to eat during a spur-of-the-moment shopping trip. CMU students might disagree on their favorites, as there are so many from which to choose. What they won't disagree on? The welcome relief from the same old meals on campus.

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Carnegie Mellon Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Off-Campus Dining at Carnegie Mellon University

jwalsh172

Engineering '15

3.5
B

Oakland

If you want to eat off campus, you most likely want to head into Oakland. It's five minutes max by bus and there are numerous quality places to eat.

May 22, 2012

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Off-Campus Dining at Carnegie Mellon University

dominate

Logic '15

3.5
B

Closing Hours Not Optimal for CMU Students' Studying :(

Much of Pittsburgh closes after 10 PM which is aggravating since so many students study well into the night and are left without food (unless you opt for greasy pizza).

However, the variety of food is acceptable. There are Thai, Sushi, Italian, Mediterranean, Indian, Chinese, Mexican, and so on all within close proximity, located in either Squirrel Hill or Oakland.

Rose Tea has the best bubble tea in the CMU area, but is not necessarily spectacular. Aladdins has delicious Middle Eastern food -- which means flavorful lamb. Cool Ice Taipei has an interesting Japanese dessert -- shaved ice -- which though delicious, are rather expensive at $7.

There is also Chipotle a bus ride away.

May 05, 2012

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Off-Campus Dining at Carnegie Mellon University

kshark

Mechanical Engineering '15

4.2
A-

Good Places If You Look

Depending on where you go, the local food is either really good or really bad. You have to try places to find the good ones, but there are quite a lot! And there is still plenty of fast food, too, if you're in a binge mood.

Apr 03, 2012

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User rating for Carnegie Mellon University - Off-Campus Dining is 4.6 out of 5 based on 42 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the off-campus restaurants on the following topics

How would you rate the diversity of off-campus dining options?

Grocery StoresWhat's This?

Giant Eagle
1901 Murray Ave.
(412) 421-8161
www.gianteagle.com
Daily 6 a.m.–1 a.m.

Giant Eagle Market District
5550 Centre Ave.
(412) 681-1500
www.marketdistrict.com
Daily 6 a.m.–12 a.m.

Whole Foods Market
5880 Centre Ave.
(412) 441-7960
www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Daily 8 a.m.–10 p.m.

Restaurant ListingsWhat's This?

Bangkok Balcony
Food: Thai
5846 Forbes Ave.
(412) 521-0728
bangkokbalconypgh.com
Price: $8–$15

BRGR
Food: Gourmet burgers
5997 Penn Circle S., East Side
(412) 362-2333
www.brgrpgh.com
Price: $8–$15

Buffalo Blues
Food: American, barbecue
216 S. Highland Ave.
(412) 362-5837
www.buffalobluespittsburgh.com
Price: $5–$15
Cool Features: Two floors, sports bar

Casbah
Food: Italian, Mediterranean
229 S. Highland Ave.
(412) 661-5656
www.bigburrito.com/casbah
Price: $10–$25
Cool Features: Extensive wine list

The Cheesecake Factory
Food: American
415 S. 27th St.
(412) 431-7800
www.thecheesecakefactory.com
Price: $10–$20

China Palace
Food: Chinese
5440 Walnut St.
(412) 687-7423
www.pittsburghchinapalace.com
Price: $5–$15
Cool Features: Bar

Coffee Tree Roasters
Food: Coffee, tea
5524 Walnut St.
(412) 621-6880
www.coffeetree.com
Price: $3–$8

Crepes Parisiennes
Food: French
207 S. Craig St.
(412) 683-1912
Price: $5–$10

Eat'n Park
Food: American
1816 Murray Ave.
(412) 422-7203
www.eatnpark.com
Price: $8–$15
Cool Features: Smiley face cookies, open 24 hours

Fuel & Fuddle
Food: American
212 Oakland Ave.
(412) 682-3473
www.fuelandfuddle.com
Price: $8–$15
Cool Features: Live music, poetry readings, extensive beer selection

Girasole
Food: Italian
733 Copeland Ave.
(412) 682-2130
www.733copeland.com
Price: $10–$20

India Garden
Food: Indian
328 Atwood St.
(412) 682-3000
www.indiagarden.net
Price: $8–$15

Joe Mama's
Food: Italian
3716 Forbes Ave.
(412) 621-7282
www.joemamas.com
Price: $8–$15

Lulu's Noodles
Food: Asian
400 S. Craig St.
(412) 681-7777
Price: $5–$10

Mad Mex
Food: Mexican
370 Atwood St.
(412) 681-5656
www.madmex.com
Price: $8–$15
Cool Features: Huge margaritas

Monterey Bay Fish Grotto
Food: American, seafood
1411 Grandview Ave.
(412) 481-4414
www.montereybayfishgrotto.com
Price: $20–$40

Pamela's
Food: Breakfast
3703 Forbes Ave.
(412) 683-4066
www.pamelasdiner.com
Price: $5–$10

Pino's Pizzeria
Food: Italian
6738 Reynolds St.
(412) 661-3651
www.chefpino.com
Price: $5–$15

Pittsburgh Deli Company
Food: Sandwiches
728 Copeland St.
(412) 682-3354
www.pghdeli.com
Price: $5–$10
Cool Features: Half-off menu Sunday–Thursday 10 p.m.–12 a.m.

Primanti Bros.
Food: American
3803 Forbes Ave.
(412) 621-4444
www.primantibros.com
Price: $5–$10

Razzy Fresh
Food: Frozen yogurt
300 S. Craig St.
(412) 681-0515
www.razzyfresh.com
Price: $3–$8

Ruth's Chris Steak House
Food: American, steakhouse
Six PPG Place
(412) 391-4800
www.ruthschris.com
Price: $20–$40

Silk Elephant
Food: Thai
1712 Murray Ave.
(412) 421-8801
www.silkelephant.net
Price: $10–$20

South Aiken Bar & Grill
Food: American
815 S. Aiken Ave.
(412) 682-6878
saikenbar.com
Price: $8–$15

Spoon
Food: American
134 S. Highland Ave.
(412) 362-6001
www.spoonpgh.com
Price: $20–$40

Sushi Too
Food: Japanese
5432 Walnut St.
(412) 687-8744
www.sushitoo.net
Price: $5–$15
Cool Features: Traditional Japanese atmosphere

Taste of India
Food: Indian
4320 Penn Ave.
(412) 681-7700
www.tasteofindiapittsburgh.com
Price: $8–$15

Thai Place Restaurant
Food: Thai
5528 Walnut St.
(412) 687-8586
www.thaiplacepgh.com
Price: $5–$15

Union Grill
Food: American
413 S. Craig St.
(412) 681-8620
Price: $5–$15
Cool Features: Outdoor dining, good happy hour specials

Vocelli Pizza
Food: Pizza
4740 Baum Blvd.
(412) 246-0367
www.vocellipizza.com
Price: $10–$20

William Penn Tavern
Food: American
739 Bellefonte St.
(412) 621-1000
www.williampenntavern.net
Price: $5–$15

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Name
Raina Bradford-Jennings
Hometown
Brookfield, CT
Major
Professional Writing
Grad Year
2014

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