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Northern Illinois University
- Off-Campus Dining

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Northern Illinois University - Off-Campus Dining - Off-Campus Dining - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.08

Off-Campus Dining

B-
Where does this grade come from?View all Off-Campus Dining rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Off-Campus Dining Grades:

Quick Stats

Student Favorites
  • Chipotle
  • Johnny's Charhouse
  • The Junction
  • Portillo's
  • Ruby Tuesday
  • Shelley's
24-Hour Dining White Castle
Best Asian
  • China House Restaurant
  • Great Wall
  • Yen Ching
Best Breakfast The Junction
Best Healthy Pita Pete's
Best Pizza Pizza Villa
Best Wings Fatty's Bar & Grill
Best Place to Take Your Parents
  • Johnny's Charhouse
  • Ruby Tuesday

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

A few years ago, the popular Midwestern fast food franchise Portillo’s moved into nearby Sycamore, and both locals and homesick students from Chicago flocked to it like it was the Second Coming. That’s how desperate the off-campus dining situation is at NIU—students will drive 20 minutes for a hot dog. Forget good sushi or fresh seafood; you’ll discover neither in DeKalb. What you will find is a lengthy stretch of chain restaurants like the popular Ruby Tuesday and Applebee’s. Their atmospheres are relaxed, their entrees affordable, and their food edible, but distinctiveness and class are not served regularly. Johnny’s Charhouse is deservedly regarded as the best restaurant in DeKalb, and while the prices are steep, the food is fantastic. If you’re looking to impress a date, you can’t do better in the area. Eduardo’s also does a credible job presenting authentic Mexican cuisine at decent prices, and the Junction is the ultimate late-night eatery for hipsters, intellectuals, insomniacs, and people sobering up. Off-campus dining is certainly more appealing than dorm food, but it’s also a more expensive option, especially if you are already committing more than $50 a week to a meal plan. The quantity of eateries in DeKalb doesn’t compensate for the lack of quality and diversity in most menus, but nearly all students end up finding a few places that satisfy their tastes.

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Northern Illinois Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Off-Campus Dining at Northern Illinois University

thewalk

Education '14

3.8
B+

Jimmy Johns

The off campus dining at northern is wonderful. There is a resturant for any appetite. My personal favorite is Jimmy Johns. It is very reasonable and they offer daily specials. It is worth the trip

Apr 04, 2012

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Off-Campus Dining at Northern Illinois University

cjackson23

Political Science and Government '15

5.0
A+

Thai Pavillion

I go there almost every weekend - it has great food, good service, good prices and we get discount coupons that save a lot of money.

Mar 15, 2012

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Off-Campus Dining at Northern Illinois University

mbritton1991

Psychology '13

5.0
A+

Off Campus Eating

The off campus dining options at Northern are very good. There is a large variety of types of food as well as a variety of costs, so there is something for everyone. Several restaurants also have deals specifically for NIU students, like Papa John's, or Domino's. My favorite place to go is China House Buffet because you get a lot of food and they have a good variety.

Mar 06, 2012

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Page 1 of 11
User rating for Northern Illinois University - Off-Campus Dining is 3.5 out of 5 based on 33 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?

Facts

Did You Know?
  • Unofficially, Johnny's Charhouse probably holds the DeKalb record for most wedding proposals in an eatery. The upscale establishment has proven to be a very popular place to pop the question.
  • The popular Midwestern chain Portillo's opened a new location in nearby Sycamore in 2005 and promptly ended up serving more than 1,250 people in its first four hours of operation.
  • That Jared guy would love it here. There are four Subways in a five-mile radius of each other.

Grocery StoresWhat's This?

Jewel
1320 Sycamore Rd., DeKalb
(815) 758-5478

Schnucks
975 S. Annie Glidden Rd.
(815) 748-6200

Wal-Mart Supercenter
2300 Sycamore Rd., DeKalb
(815) 758-6225

Restaurant ListingsWhat's This?

Applebee's
Food: American
2411 Sycamore Rd.
(815) 748-3222
www.applebees.com
Price: $10-$15

Burritoville
Food: Mexican
1026 W. Hillcrest Dr.
(815) 756-8848
Price: $5-$15

China House
Food: Chinese
1900 Sycamore Rd.
(815) 748-0032
Price: $5-$15

Chipotle
Food: Burritos, Mexican
1013 A Lincoln Hwy.
(815) 756-3715

Domino's Pizza
Food: Pizza
901 Lucinda Ave.
(815) 756-3626
www.dominos.com
Price: $8-$15

Eduardo's
Food: Mexican
214 E. Lincoln Hwy.
(815) 758-2677
Price: $8-$15

El Burrito Loco
Food: Mexican
185 W. Lincoln Hwy.
(815) 756-6060
Price: $5-$15

Fatty's Bar & Grill
Food: American
1312 W. Lincoln Hwy.
(815) 758-7737
Price: $5-$10

Fushi Yami Sushi & Hibachi
Food: Japanese
822 W. Lincoln Hwy.
(815) 748-8868

Great Wall
Food: Chinese
901 Lucinda Ave.
(815) 758-0051
Price: $5-$10

Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches
Food: Sandwiches
1011 W. Hillcrest Dr.
(815) 756-6004
www.jimmyjohns.com
Price: $5-$10

Johnny's Charhouse
Food: Seafood, grill
1950 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore
(815) 756-1155
Price: $10-$20

The Junction
Food: American
816 W. Lincoln Hwy.
(815) 758-5441
Price: $5-$15

Lukulos
Food: American, Italian
1101 W. Lincoln Hwy.
(815) 758-2452
Price: $5-$10

Panera Bread
Food: Bakery, deli
2476 Sycamore Rd.
(815) 748-2135
www.panerabread.com
Price: $5-$15

Pita Pete's
Food: Pitas
901 Lucinda Ave.
(815) 758-3012
Price: $3-$7

Pizza Hut
Food: Pizza
701 W. Lincoln Hwy.
(815) 758-6601
www.pizzahut.com
Price: $10-$15

Pizza Pro's
Food: Pizza, wings
1205 W. Lincoln Hwy.
(815) 758-4776

Pizza Villa
Food: Pizza
824 W. Lincoln Hwy.
(815) 758-8116
Price: $8-$15

Portillo's
Food: American, hot dogs
1780 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore
(815) 895-0100
Price: $5-$10

Ruby Tuesday
Food: American
2370 Sycamore Rd.
(815) 748-7900
www.rubytuesday.com
Price: $10-$15

Shelley's
Food: American
901 Lucinda Ave.
(815) 787-9823
Price: $5-$10

Subway
Food: Subs
901 Lucinda Ave.
(815) 758-6481
www.subway.com
Price: $5-$10

Tom & Jerry's
Food: American
215 W. Lincoln Hwy.
(815) 758-1675
Price: $5-$10

White Castle
Food: Burgers, fast food
1602 Sycamore Rd.
(815) 756-3400

Yen Ching
Food: Chinese
810 W. Lincoln Hwy.
(815) 758-2007

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.