The Ohio State University Food Guide
Being a recent OSU alumnus myself, I’ve made a list of my favorite food spots on or closest to campus.
As a disclaimer, I know for the first 2 years of college, most students are just eating whatever is available on their meal plan in between class and study sessions. Either way though, these are the spots you need to try before you graduate from THE Ohio State University.
Buckeye Donuts — A true buckeye staple, the most famous donut shop in town. Conveniently located on North High Street, this 24-hour small donut shop has been feeding the drunken stomachs of students since 1969. There is a wide variety of donuts including the most famous ‘buckeye donut’ which is a regular donut topped with chocolate and filled with peanut butter. In addition to donuts, the shop also has coffee, breakfast sandwiches, gyros, and deep-fried sides! This was my go-to spot in between early morning classes and for the late-night munchies.
Kung Fu Tea — Okay I know this is a chain but hear me out. The closest bubble tea spots to campus are Vivi, Cha time, and just recently Kung Fu Tea (not counting that one time Hagerty Hall’s cafe starting serving bubble tea and it was such a disgrace to the boba gods they finally removed it from the menu). During my senior year of college, I started to really get into bubble tea, and thus started my search for the best Boba in Columbus. I found Kung Fu Tea about a 15-minute drive away from campus in the Tensuke Market center and it changed my life for the better. I’ve included it in this article because as of last year Kung Fu Tea opened up a location on High Street and I’ve been just as pleased with the quality! It’s such a game-changer and a privilege I didn’t have in school so take advantage of it!
Adriatico’s Pizza — If you’re a buckeye (Ohio State Student) then you probably will never have to physically go to Adriatico's and buy a pizza because there will be so much free pizza at all the on-campus events. The go-to pizza spot is Adriatico’s and most OSU students are a big fan of it. They say they’re a New York-style pizza shop, but I have my doubts. Either way, the crust is thick, chewy, and crispy on the outside, with stretchy mozzarella cheese on top and just enough grease that you can still enjoy it.
The RPAC (Courtside Cafe)— I get this most slack for this as it is one of my most controversial opinions, but if you know you know. The RPAC is the huge on-campus gym and right at the entrance, there are two cafes. One of them is for smoothies, acai bowls, and snacks while the other is proper meals. The other is Courtside Cafe and it has by far the best food on campus. They’ve got tofu stir-fry, cheese tortellini, ramen, and lean proteins to top it all off. It’s a gym so the meals are really healthy and my go-to was always a pasta penne topped with cooked salmon. Often times my friends and I would plan to get dinner together here, that’s how good it is!
Sloopy’s (aka Sloops) — Sloopy’s is our on-campus diner and it really does feel like a fun 50’s diner. It’s really nice to sit in, but they also have carry-out options if you’re tight on time. It’s conveniently located in the Student Union on the first floor and you can even order ahead using the ‘Tapingo’ app. This is the best place to spend your ‘swipes’ (food block credits) because the portions are so big. They’ve got milkshakes, pancakes, hamburgers, pies, and more. My absolute favorite to get was the fried chicken sandwich topped with provolone cheese and barbecue sauce as well as a side of chips. I’d then lightly cover the chips in ketchup to let them soften up and then you can just eat them with a fork, it will have a nice blend of crunch and chew to it. Another great option is their Reuben sandwich as well as their famous Sloopy-style pancake (peanut butter and chocolate on top).
Scott Dining Hall — This is for the students on the unlimited meal plan since you can only enter the dining halls on the unlimited, I’ll let you know now that Scotts is the best one. Although I personally am biased towards Kennedy Commons (K-Comm) on South campus, I would be lying if I said I didn't sneak in Tupperware on Sundays into Scott to take more leftovers. They’ve got the most variety with all-day breakfast options as well as a Mongolian grill on the top floor. Everyone’s most famous words when they get off of their OSU dining plan is “Can you swipe me into Scott?”.
