Best On-Campus Food
A close up of the vegan options at GRAZERS, including dipping veggies with a homemade, traditional hummus (back) and a rice bowl with vegan cheese and a homemade cilantro-lime hummus.
April 17, 2019
Best of Kent 2019
Winner: GRAZERS
GRAZERS took the win as a fan favorite among students this year.
Known for its array of healthy choices, GRAZERS opened its first restaurant in downtown Kent in 2015. With much success, it opened a second location in the HUB in 2017.
When it comes to ingredients, GRAZERS values its consumers and wants them to know what ingredients are being put into their food.
The eatery’s motto is, “fresh, identifiable ingredients,” said Stacey Lasher, co-owner of GRAZERS.
After the meal plan change for the 2018-19 school year, Lasher was shocked after hearing the news that GRAZERS won first place for best on-campus food.
“The fact that they’re (students and staff) spending their real money with us when they don’t have the declining balance, it shows how important eating healthy and being able to know what’s in your food,” she said.
Lasher said the menu at GRAZERS is 93% vegetarian, 75% vegan, 73% gluten-free and 100% peanut-free, making the eatery a great place for people with all kinds of dietary restrictions.
Second: Quaker Steak & Lube and Fresco (TIE)
Located on the lower level of the Student Center, Quaker Steak & Lube is the prime location for students to get wings, burgers and appetizers on campus.
Since its opening in 2012, Quaker Steak & Lube has become a popular place for students to recharge and refuel as the closest thing campus has to a sit-down restaurant.
The eatery has a wide array of menu items, ranging from the “Kentucky Bourbon Burger” to “Loaded Manga Fries,” to the “Amazing Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie.”
Students can even participate in the chain’s “Triple Atomic Wing Challenge.”
The food isn’t the only reason students quickly fill Quaker. It offers a social atmosphere where students can come together and offers entertainment, like karaoke on Fridays.
Fresco, a local downtown favorite, brought the fresh taste of Mexican cuisine to campus in 2017.
Located in the HUB, Fresco sets itself apart by offering fresh, made-to-order burritos, tacos, salads and quesadillas.
With each meal, customers can choose from a wide variety of salsa to spice up their meal. Each menu item can be customized to be vegetarian or vegan.
Fresco offers popular menu items, such as the “Water St. Burrito,” the “Santa Fe Taco” and the “Cheese Please Burrito.”
Although the line for Fresco may be longer than preferred, “Get ready for some of the best Mexican food this side of Texas,” the website says.
