The not-so-starving artist: meals for less than $10 [Back-to-School]
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Most students run low on two things: sleep and money. There really isn’t a remedy for the sleep-deprivation (you get used to it), but it’s always better to have a spending disorder than an eating disorder. And if you plan on staying up to finish that Drawing I final, you are going to need the energy.
Parker’s Urban Gourmet (Fancy Parker’s) —
If you are new to Savannah, you’ll soon learn that this place is near and dear to students. While it may be a gas station, you can’t judge it by its exterior and you certainly cannot call their food “gas station food.” Keep in mind that this place isn’t the most inexpensive, but there are ways to walk in with a $10 bill and leave with a full meal. The easiest way would be to buy a chicken or tuna salad sandwich, get a drink and call it quits. The chicken strips aren’t bad either.
Leopold’s Ice Cream —
No, we are not suggesting that you substitute a meal for ice cream. Leopold’s also has some tasty sandwiches. The most expensive is a shrimp salad sandwich for $8.50, the cheapest is a good old-fashioned PB&J for $4.25. They also have a soup du jour that you can get in a cup for $4.25 or a bowl for $5.50. Another plus is that this place is kind of adorable in its own right and located across the street from Jen Library. And let’s face it, it sucks when you have to study on an empty stomach.
Sammy Greens —
Sammy Greens has some stellar sammies served on New York hoagies. The 6’’ are $5 (as are their burgers) and the 12’’ sammies are $6. The BLT can come with fried or grilled chicken, fish, or as is, and their falafel is pretty good. The coolest part though: any of the sammies can be made with tofu. They also have $2 sides (fries, spinach, couscous and a mac ‘n’ cheese terrine). They also have homemade ginger ale which, in a perfect world, would be sold by the gallon.
Taco Abajo —
This underground restaurant rocks, but don’t go in expecting traditional Mexican food. This is Mexican food with a modern twist. The menu is simple; you can order what you want as either a taco, burrito or salad. The Modelo battered fish is so delicious and so is their pollo asado, no matter how you order them. The normal burritos cost $5.50 (the bean ‘n’ cheese is only $4.50) and the seafood burritos are $6.50 ($7.50 for the garlic shrimp).
Panera Bread —
If you’re borderline broke, a fan of elevator music and have a mother nagging you not to starve to death, Panera’s got the You Pick Two deal that lets you get your choice of a cup of soup, half a café sandwich or half a café salad. It’ll cost you $7, maybe more if you go for Signature options. But you have to spoil yourself sometimes.
Sushi Zen —
Yeah, sushi less than $10. Of course there are your fancier, classier rolls that come right up to the edge of a $10 bill, but not all of them. The calamari roll is $5.95 and the dynamite roll is $5.50. And if you combine those with nigiri or any another cheap roll, you’ll be right at the $10 mark. While it is definitely easy to go over that mark, you’d be hard pressed to find sushi that’s more affordable and still delicious.
Gallery Espresso —
One of the two artsy coffee dives, Gallery serves salads and sammiches for lunch along with some damn good coffee. They have the basics: ham and cheese and PB&J, chicken salad and a B.L.T. They also have a pocket pita and a Sunday quiche (served only on Sundays). Their ginger chicken salad is pretty stellar for $7.75. This is also a good place to study as it’s super comfortable and laidback.
Barnes BBQ Express —
Barnes has some scrumptious lunch baskets that come with a side and your choice of toast or a large hushpuppy. You can get chicken fingers and grouper fingers with either three, four or five pieces, all of which are cheaper than $10. They also have fried chicken, of course, that comes in two, three or four pieces and can be either dark meat or mixed. Barbeque isn’t always easy to do and Barnes does it well for a good price. Not a bad choice for a hearty lunch.
The Distillery —
The Distillery is this little restaurant/pub on Liberty Street that just so happens to serve up some cheap and delicious food. The menu has a section called The Quick & The Cheap where you can get sammiches and even craft beer bratwurst for less than $5. And if you are over 21 and eating off the cheap menu, you could probably use an ice cold PBR for another dollar. But if you are seriously low on cash, they have grilled cheese and PB&J sammiches for $2.95.
The Sentient Bean —
The other of the two well-known artsy coffee shops in downtown Savannah, The Sentient Bean serves breakfast all day long (which every place should) and also lunch and dinner. The most expensive thing they’ve got is a tofu veggie parmesean for $7.50. But they also have their own style of trendy tacos, salads, paninis, and did I mention their breakfast menu has a frittata? Not too shabby for coffeehouse food. Even if you aren’t hungry, The Bean is a good place to be and a popular student hangout.
