Written by Colin Piacentine
Not too many students complain about the price of dining around Saint Leo. Directly across the street from the university's entrance is the Saint Leo Abbey Tavern and Golf Course. Here many enjoy gourmet food as well as cheap drinks. Outside of that, the best places to get food are San Antonio, Wesley Chapel, Dade City, and Zephyrhills. Each of which will require a car as a means of ways to get to any restaurant. But given the low prices of the majority of venues, gas should not be an issue.
For quick, cheap meals and drinks, the best place is San Antonio Liquors and Lounge, better known as Ralph's to the locals and college students. Ralph's will be your go-to place for a quick bite or cold beer while listening to some live southern bluegrass jams. Be sure to try the gator tail at when it's in season. Also within the same distance from the university are two great deli options: San Antonio Market and The Jiffy. Both boast great deli sandwiches. The market is the more expensive of the two but has some delightful daily soup. The Jiffy is famous for its out-of-this-world honey pecan chicken salad.
Staying local to Dade City gives you the option of all your normal fast-food joints as well as some quaint privately owned restaurants. These are good for lunch or even an early dinner. If it's a night out for a date or good times with some friends, then you may want to take a drive to Zephyrhills or Wesley Chapel. Both towns offer well-known chains like Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, Outback Steakhouse, and Applebee's.
The late-night options are mainly Denny's and Waffle House. Waffle House is cheap and a very interesting experience to say the least at 2 a.m. or later. Denny's is a bit better quality and slightly more expensive. The best breakfast in town goes to the Village Inn of Dade City or Cracker Barrel.