UW-Madison: Five $5 Lunches Near Campus

Madison, Wisconsin has more restaurants per capita than any other city in the United States. While the huge variety of eateries means that you can always find someplace new and interesting to try out, sometimes all one wants is to find a quick, reasonably nutritious, cheap lunch. As a student, I especially appreciate the "cheap" part. During my six years at the UW-Madison (four as an undergraduate, and two as a graduate student) I've had plenty of chances to scope out the dozens of delis, restaurants, and cafes on and near campus. Finding lunch on campus for $5 is no problem for students who reside in on-campus dorms and eat in the University Housing run dining halls, but for those of us who live off campus (and have to pay a 60% premium on dining hall food!), acquiring a $5 lunch takes a bit more searching. So, for students who (like myself) live off campus and need to find affordable food during the school day (and for residence hall students who want to escape the dining halls for an afternoon), here are five places on or near the UW-Madison campus where you can find a cheap lunch.

The Daily Deli Deal at University Delis
This is one of the best lunch deals you'll find in the campus area, and I highly recommend it. For $4.75 plus tax, you can pick up a sandwich (but only the ones marked with stars on the label; the deal doesn't include their gourmet/specialty sandwiches) and three sides. Sides include beverages (milk, a can of soda, or a 12 oz. coffee), chips, two gourmet cookies, celery or carrot sticks, a piece of fruit, and dessert bars (my favorite happens to be the mint and raspberry frosted brownies, but the lemon bars are pretty tasty too). The Daily Deli Deal is offered at seven campus delis, including Ingraham, the Daily Scoop at Memorial Union, and the ICU Deli at the Medical Sciences building.

The Red Oak Grill at Union South
Monday through Friday, from 10am to 2:30pm, the Red Oak Grill offers a $5 lunch special. There's a different special for each weekday, and the menu is changed once a semester or so. The lunch special includes a sandwich or entree of some sort (previous favorites of mine have included the meatball sandwich, the tuna melt, and the pizza wrap), a side of potato chips, a pickle, and a beverage (coffee, soda, or tea). As an added bonus, the Red Oak Grill offers stamp cards for the specials; eat enough of them, and you'll get one for free!

The Mediterranean Cafe
Located at 625 State Street, the popular Mediterranean Cafe offers affordable Mediterranean cuisine. The menu includes a number of vegetarian items, and portions are generous. Entrees run $5-$7 or so, but for less than $5 you can pick up a sandwich and a fountain drink. Sandwiches consist of meat and vegetables wrapped in pita bread. My personal favorite is the lamb & beef shwarma. The small restaurant is typically packed during weekday lunch hours, so you might want to get your meal to go. Also, make sure you bring cash or checks, as the cafe doesn't accept credit cards.

Library Mall Food Carts
From early spring through late fall, the pavement between the University Book Store and Memorial Library is the turf of half a dozen or so food carts. Meals at most of the carts run $6-$8, but at least three carts offer meals for about $5, including China Cottage, and Silky's, which has a brat meal deal that includes a drink and cookie for $4. My personal favorite is the Vietnamese cart I'm Here. It's also worth scoping out lunch deals at the other carts.

McDonald's
Okay, so McDonald's is probably really not the best place to eat in terms of nutrition, but once in a while I get a craving for one of their cheeseburgers or chicken sandwiches and I head to the McDonald's at the intersection of Regent and Mills. Plus, their dollar menu makes it easy to get a sandwich, two sides and a drink for $4 and tax.