Housing Guide: Dining out offers 'change in taste'
Published Feb. 20, 2007
When you don't live on campus or the idea of another slice of Rollins Pizza To Go literally makes your stomach turn, it seems hard to find somewhere to eat that's both inexpensive and close to campus. But really, there are countless options for students looking for a quick fix at any time of the day. It just depends on what you're in the mood for. Staff Writer Juana Summers sampled three Columbia restaurants and learned that whether you're interested in a Columbia historical institution, a taste of the East or a throwback to the 1950s, you can always get what you want and what you need — a good meal.
Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant:
MU students who eat at Hong Kong probably have not seen the building or even know where it is, but they are familiar with the restaurant's phone number and the men who deliver Chinese food to their residence halls, apartments or Greek houses.
Patrons who want to eat at Hong Kong's or in the comfort of own their homes, also do not have to pay much, which is part of the appeal to many college students. It's reasonably priced for heaping portions of fried rice, General Tso's Chicken or Beef and Broccoli. Lunch and dinner specials are reasonably priced and include soup and fried rice.
Customers are sure to end the night with a full stomach, especially if the delivery box contains the packs of cookies sometimes sent with large orders. On some occasions, the staff adds to the dining experience with cans of Pepsi.
Myths abound about the so-called sketchiness of Chinese restaurants and their quality of food, but students keep going back to Hong Kong, or rather, having Hong Kong come to them, so it must be on the safe side.
Ernie's Café and Steak House:
You won't find students crowded into Ernie's Café and Steak House late at night. In fact, the restaurant closes at 3 p.m. daily, well before dinnertime for most college students.
On a Sunday morning visit to Ernie's, it is standing room only. Customers squeeze onto long benches or colorful barstools in the style of a 1950s diner. Ernie's is no imitation. It's the real deal and has been serving patrons in Columbia since 1934. But if you're not looking for the small, locally owned restaurant, you might miss it. The restaurant can be lost between other more industrial buildings on Walnut Street.
Aside from getting a fresh cup of coffee refilled regularly by staff members, you can have breakfast served fresh any time of the day. Are pancakes at noon not your thing? Ernie's also serves steaks and salads.
Steak n Shake:
Occasionally, corporate America does something right. It's rare that chain restaurants are student-friendly and have staff members that don't get irritated by impromptu late-night study sessions or drunken mobs of students that stop them from being able to leave right at closing time. But at Steak n Shake, there's no closing time to be heard of.
The restaurant is small, clean and in the style of a modernized 1950s diner. Steak n Shake is exactly that and offers more than just the name to feed hungry guests any time during the day. Whether you're looking for a tall, thick milkshake or one of the restaurant's combo "platters," which include two side dishes and a main course, there's something for everyone. It's likely to be fast, cheap and easy - three things that make it great for a college student.