Freshman 15. Anyone would be lying if they said they didn't know what it means. If you're a college student, chances are you've been faced with the stress that comes with it. The infamous term is defined by Urban Dictionary as a time where freshmen appear to have gained about 15 pounds from eating too much with not enough adequate exercise. #relatable. So here I pose a question: to make gaining your 15 pounds worthwhile, why not do it through some of college town's top 8 favorite eateries?
There's a good chance that the places listed below aren't what you'll find on "The 50 Best Things to Eat in NYC Before You Die". If you're a #brokecollegestudent, you're most likely looking for food to satisfy your late-night cravings and on-the-go meal times. So what infamous college town eateries should Bing bring to campus?
Topper's Pizza
Native to Wisconsin, Topper's Pizza easily gives Dominos, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's a run for their money. With affordable prices for a college-student budget, Bearcats could pick from a span of food including Topper's infamous cheesy and delicious Topperstix. Offering late night deliveries every day of the week, Topper's would be the perfect way to satisfy your late night cravings.
Gumby's Pizza
Gumby's Pizza is home to the original Pokey Stix, and for good reason too—they're absolutely delicious. What may seem like just a standard pizza cut into 8 slices is actually many greasy and delicious Stix. From personal experience, this is the kind of food that you say you'll have only one of, and then end up eating 8. The Stix are made with tossed pizza dough coated in seasoning, mozzarella cheese, and a delicious garlic butter sauce. To top off the final product, a layer of parmesan cheese is added to the mouth-watering dough after its done baking. As if the Stix couldn't get any better, students are urged to try dipping sauces ranging from ranch and marinara to garlic butter.
Jamba Juice
We all remember our first time seeing Jamba Juice's logo in the hands of our favorite celebs from Kim K to Nick Jonas and we don't blame them—it's both flavorful and healthy. Whether you're rushing to your last lecture or just finishing a 2 hour discussion, Jamba Juice will be there to satisfy your sweet tooth. The drink bar offers smoothies of all kind from fruit and veggie to protein and almond milk. Not a big fan? The smoothie place brings juices, juice shots, Tasty Bites, and Boosts to the table along with their infamous Energy Bowls. Jamba Juice makes sure to keep it real with their wholesome ingredients and real whole fruit and veggies to bring a little dose of reality to all college students that need it (and trust me, sometimes we all do).
Chick-fil-A
NYU is the only University in all of New York to have access to Chick-fil-A's tasty chicken sandwiches and mouth-watering waffle fries. So what better school than Bing to bring this fast-food chain to next? Chick-fil-A easily beats out their top competitors, including both McDonalds and Burger King, by offering their customers chicken nuggets made from whole meat and perfectly seasoned boneless chicken made entirely from unprocessed meat. To top it off, the company has an abundance of different flavored milkshakes and ice cream to satisfy every college student's sweet tooth.
Pinkberry
With over 260 stores in 20 countries, what does a girl have to do to get this frozen yogurt franchise to Bing? Serving as one of the world's leading frozen yogurt retailers, Pinkberry strives to provide their costumers the highest quality products. Pinkberry's flavors range from a creamy chocolate and tangy coconut to a rich hazelnut and fresh tart—all handcrafted from nonfat ingredients and real ingredients. Pinkberry prides themselves of their toppings- all high fructose corn syrup-free to ensure their customers their getting what they deserve.
Panda Express
Chinese food is my personal go-to, and after taste-testing food from hundreds of Asian takeout places, Panda Express is without a doubt the bane of my existence. The fast casual Chinese restaurant serves food guaranteed made without MSG and other nasty preservatives, and offers a wide range of healthy options to give their customers the best possible takeout experience. The delicious food-chain would bring Bing students Panda Express' infamous crispy orange chicken, tasty vegetarian spring rolls, and much more. With 8 stores throughout NYC, Panda Express should be brought upstate, ASAP.
Shake Shack
Since its opening in New York's Madison Square Park in 2004, Shake Shack has had its customers absolutely obsessed with their burgers, cheese fries, hand spun shakes and unique kind of hospitality. Like any other New York Native, I will always be 100% certain that Shake Shack boasts the best burgers—easily, especially against its biggest rival, In-N-Out. Shake Shack would be a perfect addition to BU's campus, featuring their ShackBurger, 'Shroom Burger, Crinkle Cut Fries, Frozen Custard and many more options for Bearcats.
Melt Shop
The Melt Shop is the ultimate go-to for a delicious and affordable grilled cheese of any kind to suit any college student's cravings. Ever thought about what aged cheddar and maple glazed bacon sandwiched between two toasty white pieces of bread would taste like? With the Maple Bacon grilled cheese from The Melt Shop, you're in luck. The sandwich shop also features the Truffle Melt with muenster, truffle oil and olive oil all between sourdough bread. Not a big fan of these exotic flavors? No problem, The Melt Shop has you covered with their Classic sandwich of cheddar and american on white bread. As if the grilled cheese wasn't enough, the cheese shop haven offers side dishes from tater tots smothered in melted cheese to homemade tomato soup. Not a sandwich enthusiast? Grab a fresh salad or chicken club as your main course and be on your way to your next class.
In closing, Bing is an absolutely amazing school with even more amazing people. The diversity is impeccable and has defined our food scene to be one of the best there is.
I don't think any Bearcat would complain about a few more healthy and delicious food chains around campus, whether it be a gooey grilled cheese sandwich from The Melt Shop to a Pink Starburst smoothie from Jamba Juice.