Written by Heather Priestley
While on-campus dining has lots to offer, students like to go off campus from time to time to experience a little variety. Blacksburg is a small town, but it has a good number of different restaurants to choose from. Indian, seafood, vegetarian, vegan, burgers, and pizza are all within walking distance of the campus. There are a dozen or so fast food places, but most of the restaurants in town are locally owned and priced to fit within a college student’s budget. Cabo, Moe’s, and El Rodeo’s are all great choices for some delicious Mexican food. Gillie’s is a popular vegetarian, vegan, and seafood restaurant known for its breakfasts on the weekends. Poor Billy’s also offers seafood, and Big Al’s Grille & Sports Bar sits above it, in case you’d like to follow dinner with a beer.
Being a campus town, there are all kinds of pizza options. Chain pizza places like Dominos, Papa John’s, and Pizza Hut are around, but students tend to gravitate more to the local pizza places—Backstreets Pizza, PK’s, and Anthony’s. Cheap but filling food can be found at Macado’s or Joe’s Diner. Joe’s is great for late-night eating, since it is open 24/7. Take a date or your family to Zeppoli’s, and enjoy some Italian food, or celebrate a good test grade with jumbo margaritas at El Rodeo’s. Other food favorites include Boudreaux’s, Mike’s, Sharkey’s, Five Guys, and the Homeplace.