January 17,2006
FEATURESEating on a college student’s budget
Tired of the greasy hamburgers, got the value menu blues? Fortunately there are a wide variety of other restaurants near the campus ranging in price from two to six dollars for a complete lunch for students to choose from.
If quantity is the goal to the lunch goers experience one can not go wrong with the Super China Buffet or Panchos Mexican Buffet.
Super China Buffet is located directly north of MCC main campus and offers a little of everything for the hungry student, according to Sumei Psai, owner.
At this popular lunch spot there are over 80 items on the line.
This includes favorites such as Salt and pepper shrimp, seafood delight, mushroom chicken, honey chicken, beef and broccoli and beef stir fry.
The lunch buffet runs from 11 a.m to 4 p.m. and cost $5.99 and a drink cost an extra 99 cents.
The restaurant does offer a 10 percent discount to all students and also runs a card program in which 10 punches gets a free meal, according to Psai.
If Chinese food is not ones cup of socki then Panchos on southern and longmore just might be.
Panchos has been a valley favorite for years and one visit and it’s easy to tell why.
Upon entering the restaurant one will see a multitude of tables with flags sitting a top them.
The first step is to go through the buffet line.
Here one can choose from favorites such as pork or beef tamales, rice, beans, green or red stew, ground beef chimichangas, five different types of enchiladas and four different types of salsas.
However the food does not stop there.
Around the corner there is a taco bar where one can build their own tacos, tostadas and burritos.
Have room for salad and desert because both come with the meal also.
Panchos offers two types of salad, cucumber and tossed, and four types of desert, flan, ice cream, churros and cinnamon crisps, according to Oscar Salgado, Manager.
The lunch buffet is open from 11 to four and cost $5.69 and a drink will set customers back another $1.59.
“The unique thing about the buffet at Panchos is that customers only go through the line once. To get more food after that they just raise the flag on the table and more food is brought out to them,” Salgado said.
Wither it is Mexican or Chinese food for the luch hour stop one clear advantages these places have it that the food is already prepared so it does not take long to get food, eat the food and get out, according to Salgado.
Don’t have the room for the buffet or not in a mood for the noisy atmosphere these next two selections also provide high quality affordable food.
The first is Pizza Town.
This restaurant is located on the south east corner of McClintock and Southern but is worth the drive.
The restaurant has been in the same location and ran by the same family since 1981.
However that is not the only thing that remains the same.
The restaurant offers the same special now as the first day the doors opened.
That special is two pieces of cheese pizza and a drink for $2.05, according to Paul, the owner who refused to give his last name.
Extra toppings range in price from 40 cents to a $1.20 and one can up grade their drink from a simple soda to a 12 ounce Budweiser for only a 1.75 more.
The special runs Monday through Thursday from 2 to 9 p.m.
Not in the mood for a slice of pie then chow down on a luch special from Szechuan Express.
Szechuan is located on the North West corner of Dobson and southern and offers a wide variety of lunch specials.
The first special is called “over rice” and consists of a 22 ounce bowl of rice covered with one choice of 25 items. This special cost a mere $3.95.
Next is the “Luncheon” this special includes an egg roll, wontons, steamed vegetables, fried rice and a choice of one of 25 main dishes all for $4.95.
These specials are good from 11 a.m to 10 p.m.
Volume 43, Issue 8. Today is
Photo by Amanda Smith