We’re in college, we’re broke and we’re hungry. The dining hall is not always satisfying, the food court can become monotonous, and eating off campus is either expensive or drenched in oil.
But Miami does have a few healthy, cheap and quick restaurants tucked away. Check out the best places to grab a quick, clean bite.
Pasha’s
Pasha’s touts a full menu of cheap Mediterranean plates. Try chicken yani ($6.99), a hearty bowl of seasoned chicken and vegetables, served with white rice. Substitute the rice for bulgar (50 cents) for an amazing combination that will fill you up. If you’re looking for something lighter, try a bowl of the piping hot lentil soup ($3.99), a vegetarian soup blended until creamy. Then pair it with a side of soft pita (50 cents) for a solid meal.
Pasha’s pides, Mediterranean-style pizza made with pita dough, are more than enough for a meal. Order the mushroom pide ($8.99) for a buttery, rich, melt-in-your mouth experience.
If you’re not feeling a whole meal, grab some pita and hummus ($3.49). Just be sure to finish before the pita gets cold.
There are seven locations in South Florida, but the closest to campus is at 130 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables.
Daily Bread
Hidden right off US-1, Daily Bread serves unforgettable Middle-Eastern food on cheap disposable plates.
Order the Kibbeh plate ($7.50), a fried pastry stuffed with ground beef, pine nuts, onions and spices. All plates come with hummus, tabouli (a parsley salad), pita bread, and salad with lemon-mint dressing. Or grab some stuffed grape leaves ($6.50), packed with rice, veggies and meat (if you want it).
For dessert, eat pistachio or walnut baklava, a Greek dessert made with thin layers of philo dough, nuts and drenched in honey. If honey isn’t your thing, grab some mamoul ($1.50), which are little Lebanese cookies filled with dates, pistachios or walnuts.
There are multiple locations around Miami, but the closest is located at 2400 SW 27 St., Miami.
Go-Go Fresh Food Cafe
Nestled on the west end of South Beach is Go-Go Fresh Food Cafe. This place has some of the best food in all of Miami Beach, and it won’t put a dent in your wallet.
Its main attraction is made up of the restaurant’s namesake Go-Go pies ($2.25). The pies (which are basically empanadas) come in 18 flavors, including three dessert pies (Nutella and bananas, anyone?). On the savory side, the shrimp scampi pie melts in your mouth, and eggplant Parmesan beats the dish it’s modeled after.
Go-Go also sells regular and mini salads too ($4.05-$9.45), like the egg mini salad made with perfect hard-boiled eggs and crisp, green lettuce.
Homemade soups ($2.25-$5.25) change every day, but Go-Go’s black bean soup is always delicious.
Go-Go Fresh Food Cafe is located at 926 Alton Road, Miami Beach.
Evos
Evos is the “junkiest” food on this list because everyone loves a good burger.
This joint gives you the same food you can find at McDonald’s with half of the grease. Its Airfries ($1.79) are french fries baked in an oven with a small amount of oil, rather than deep fried. Hamburgers and turkey burgers ($5.19) are made from hormone- and antibiotic-free meat, and the chicken strips ($3.99-$4.99) are airbaked too.
For dessert, grab a shake ($3.49-$3.99). If you want something creamy, choose an organic vanilla milkshake. Or, for something fruitier, try the mango guava smoothie, made with real chunks of mango.
There are multiple locations around Miami, but the closest Evos is located at 9537 S. Dixie Highway, Miami.