Every student has experienced it. You’re hungry, but only have a short break between classes to grab some food. The only problem is you’re low on money and are tired of going to Cafe Camino and McDonald’s.
So what’s an El Camino student to do to shake things up for lunch?
In addition to the fast food chains, there are restaurants nearby campus that serve affordable dishes perfect for a quick lunch and are within a 10 minute walking distance of EC. These are the five best places to go for a quick, cheap lunch in between classes:
1. Supreme Burger Grill – Junior Cheeseburger, Small Chili Cheese Fries and Drink $6
If you ask a lot of people around campus, they will tell you that one of the best places in the area for a hamburger is Supreme Burger Grill, located on the other side of Crenshaw Boulevard across the street from the campus. The small restaurant has three lunch specials everyday, but the best and most price efficient is the third combo of the junior cheeseburger, small chili cheese fries and medium drink. The burger is built exactly the way an old-fashioned cheeseburger should, the chili cheese fries are delicious and do keep well if you take the food to go and the drink is nice with the combo.
2. Chicken Maison – Six Spicy Chicken Legs with Two Sides $7.95
Chicken Maison is one of the more healthier food choices nearby campus, and their spicy chicken leg special is one of its best combos. The amount of chicken legs and the size of them help to make them enough food for lunch alone, but with two sides as well, it makes for a filling lunch to give students enough energy to get through the rest of the school day. Chicken Maison is located on the other side of Crenshaw Boulevard across the street from EC in the same plaza as Supreme Burger Grill, located on the far north end of the plaza.
3. Pastor Chef – Honey Fried Chicken with Potato Salad and Corn on the Cob $7.50
Pastor Chef is a quaint-little restaurant located on the corner of Crenshaw and Redondo Beach Boulevard and is run by an assistant pastor from the Foursquare Church in Norwalk. The Filipino-American blend restaurant’s best dish for lunch time is the honey fried chicken with potato salad and corn on the cob. Personally, substituting the rice for the potato salad goes much better with the chicken and corn on the cob. Being that Pastor Chef is more of a sit-down restaurant, customers should also leave a tip for the employees.
4. Golden Bowl – Medium Teriyaki Chicken Bowl $5.50
Golden Bowl is a Japanese fast-food restaurant located on the corner of Crenshaw and Manhattan Beach Boulevard. The restaurant is a popular location with students and the best and most affordable dish is the medium teriyaki chicken bowl. It’s a cheap dish and provides a good-sized portion of teriyaki chicken and rice.
Students can also try the small teriyaki chicken bowl and a medium drink for $6.
5. Wasabi Sushiya – Chicken Katsu Lunch $8.26
The Japanese restaurant Wasabi Sushiya offers students the rare option of getting sushi and other Japanese dishes in between classes. However, the best of the menu for a quick lunch is the chicken katsu lunch, which offers a good amount of chicken katsu pieces, a small salad, four sushi rolls and a bed of rice. The price may seem a tad high, but the portion size is worth it, and the location is perfect for students to run from the EC campus to the restaurant and back, located across Crenshaw Boulevard next to Bonello’s Pizza.
