101 Feature
Cheap Eats
You must eat. You must not spend a lot of money. We can help
Jefferson Jackson Steele
Towson University
Jefferson Jackson Steele
Loyola University Maryland
Jefferson Jackson Steele
Morgan State University
Jefferson Jackson Steele
University of Baltimore
Published: August 29, 2011
Even though students generally don’t have much cash to spare, there are a bunch of you, which means that if you go to one of the area’s larger schools in a bustling urban area, you’re probably close to all sorts of affordable dining options (see: Johns Hopkins). If you go to a smaller school that’s maybe a little off the main commercial drags, you might not have a lot of non-chain options worth noting (see: Coppin). But there are lots of great places to eat for cheap somewhere near most campuses, and a few requiring a little travel that almost any student in the Baltimore area should make a point of trying at least once.
Near Johns Hopkins University
3120 St. Paul St., (410) 243-5200, carmascafe.com
A sweet little basement coffee spot with light breakfast and lunch stuff too, just steps from campus.
3107 St. Paul St., (410) 243-1611, cvptowson.com
An institution, but not the ivy-covered, marble-bust kind. More the generations-of-drinkers-bent-an-elbow-and-maybe-had-some-nachos-here kind. CVP serves up decent pub grub along with the beer and bar games and “atmosphere.”
3811 Canterbury Road, (410) 366-0095, chocolateacafe.com
Located in the ground floor of one of those Tuscany-Canterbury apartment buildings, the kinda style-y Chocolatea offers the intriguing combo of coffee, tea, and breakfast-y baked goods alongside Asian lunch specials (dumplings, teriyaki, and ramen- and udon-based dishes). Go figure.
300 W. 30th St., (443) 869-5864, thedizzbaltimore.com
An awesome neighborhood bar and grill with plenty of home-away-from-home atmosphere and great burgers, sandwiches, and other pub-y stuff. Nobody beats the Dizz.
102 E. 25th St., (410) 235-7685, mandjsoulfood.com
This carryout spot with a small group of tables serves up some serious soul food: ribs, fried chicken, and killer sides. Not saying this is a good idea, but if you were only gonna eat once a day, you’d more than meet your daily requirements of everything at M&J, most especially calories and, uh, flavor.
138 W. 25th St., (410) 235-5100
An old-school diner with old-school diner fare, including hot turkey sandwiches and so on. Excellent not-quite-this-century atmosphere.
100 W. University Parkway, (410) 235-5777, one-world-cafe.com
JHU vegans and vegetarians are lucky to have One World close at hand, for three meals’ (plus brunch) worth of great, basic meat-free eats.
227 W. 29th St., (410) 889-4444, papermoondiner24.com
Sure, it probably makes all kinds of sense, business-wise, that the Papermoon isn’t open 24 hours anymore, but we’re not quite ready to let it go. When it is open (till midnight during the week, until 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays), it serves up solid diner fare in a conspicuously quirky space.
3130 Greenmount Ave., (410) 467-7698
Short-order breakfast and lunch served up fast, good, and cheap while you watch from your seat at the counter (the only seating in the place). The lines can get long on the weekends, and there’s a reason for that.
123 W. 27th St., (410) 464-7211, glutenfreedesserts.com
If gluten is a problem (as in, an allergy, as opposed to prepping for bikini season), Sweet Sin ensures that your sweet tooth doesn’t have to go wanting with its gluten-free baked goods (there are soy- and dairy-free options too).
3201-G St. Paul St., (410) 366-6630
It may not sound promising, coming from a place with “mini mart” in the name, but the falafel and hummus here rule. And it’s open 24 hours.
Near University of Baltimore/Maryland Institute College of Art
Aloha Sushi and Aloha Hibachi Grill
1218 N. Charles St., (443) 759-8531, alohasushimd.com
Sushi. Cheap and good and nearby. If you like sushi, how much more do we need to say?
1100 Maryland Ave., (410) 385-0318, dukemrestaurant.com
> Email Lee Gardner
To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.
Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.
