When dining hall food just isn’t enough or mid-afternoon hunger strikes, a whole world of food is just a brief walk away.
The half mile of Court Street that’s generally referred to as Uptown offers myriad options for any hungry college student, from burritos to gyros and everything in between. Some restaurants are new, some old, but each has its own unique style and menu.
Since 1993, Bagel Street Deli, 27 S. Court St., has been whipping up “bagelwiches” for Ohio University and Athens residents. Today, more than 74 sandwiches occupy the chalkboard menu at BSD, and customers can also customize their own sandwiches from 10 different types of bagels and more than 50 toppings.
With such a wide variety of options, BSD manger Lori Lianevers admitted that it is difficult to recommend just one sandwich on the menu.
“Normally, when people ask me that question, I say, ‘Tell me what you like,’ ” Lianevers said. “Veggies? Turkey? Roast Beef? Corned Beef? Ham? Then we’ll go from there.”
Another wallet-friendly option is only a short stroll away at Peking Express, 5 N. Court St. This Chinese restaurant charges $4.75 for a meal with rice or noodles and three menu items of your choice. Favorites such as General Tso’s chicken, egg rolls and sesame chicken are on the docket, as well as vegetarian options such as tofu and veggies.
Other Uptown staples include the hole-in-the-wall Big Mamma’s Burritos, 10 S. Court St.,which continues to hold its own with a Chipotle just down the street. GoodFella’s — with two locations, one on Court and one on Union — offers a quick slice of pizza, and the infamous O’Betty’s Red Hot, 15 W. State St., has hot dogs like none you’ve ever seen before. With toppings such as chili sauce, cole slaw and jalapenos, you — and your stomach — will walk away content.
Along with the classic Court Street staples, a wave of new restaurants has taken over Athens’ most famous stretch of road during the past few years. Habibi’s American & Mediterranean Cuisine, 19 S. Court St., and Ginger Hibachi Kitchen and Yogurt, 28 S. Court St., opened their doors during Spring Semester 2013.
At Ginger, you can delight in the Hibachi-style fare, or head downstairs for sushi or frozen yogurt. TJ Wellman, a manager at Ginger, said he knew the new Japanese-style Hibachi restaurant would prosper in a college environment.
“Our goal has been to bring fine dining into a casual environment so that college students can enjoy our food,” Wellman said. “We want to expand people’s horizons to food itself.”
Danny Mercurio, owner of Habibi’s, said his new Mediterranean restaurant can offer a change of pace to students.
“Students have variety now; it’s not the same kind of food all the time,” Mercurio said. “We are going to focus on what (our customers) like.”
The restaurant offers Mediterranean grub such as gyros and shawarma, as well as some American favorites.
For those nights when getting off of the couch can be a struggle, several places will bring the food to you. DP Dough delivers its fresh calzones until 3 a.m. Monday through Wednesday and until 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Be sure to save the menu to keep up with the $5 Zone of the Day, not to mention Wednesday’s two for $10 deal.
Avalanche Pizza, 329 E. State St., will also cater to your hunger until 3 a.m. Monday through Saturday.
For those with sweet a tooth, Insomnia Cookies, 27 N. Court St., also delivers until 2:45 a.m.
And all of these options don’t even touch on the food buggies of Athens. Ali Baba’s, with one truck parked on Union and one on State, serves up Mediterranean favorites. The Burrito Buggy, which also parks on Union, has become an Athens icon. Adam’s Rib, on the other hand, is a fairly new addition to Union Street, rubbing elbows with the old-time pros.
This is hardly a comprehensive look at the Athens food world, and it doesn’t even dive into the sit-down stops such as Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery, Sol or Casa Nueva.
So get Uptown and feed that appetite.
bf051111@ohiou.edu
