Thao's College Food Blog Section

This blog is put together by five 1101 English students at Georgia Tech. As a group project for this semester, our teacher grouped us according to common interests so we can write on a common topic. We agreed on food shortly after we found out cars, politics, anime, foreign movies, and "no preference" don't quite fit as a common interest.
Like my other partners say, we planned to give comments and insights about possible dining places other students might want to check out. I'm all for cheap prices and good food. The service and setting only weigh in a little (unless they're disastrously horrible). By good food I mean something you will enjoy savoring not not just something you eat to get full. By cheap, I mean prices that are affordable to be spent on a daily basis without draining our resources. A $7.00 meal seems little but it adds up.
Because this project had only started a few weeks ago, the database is not very comprehensive. However, I do enjoy this project and I might continue it like Jignesh might. Happy dining!

Rarely do I ever go to Technology's Square. On Thursday last week, my friend needed to buy a "Dreamweaver for Dummies" for her project so I went with her. Since we were already there, we stopped by Tin Drum for lunch. The contemporary Asian setting is actually pleasing. Random flies buzzing around are a down note for the place. Of course being an Asian eating at numerous Oriental restaurents before, this becomes quite normal. To my understanding, they're attracted to certain spices and flavorings in the dishes. But setting the flies aside, the food is pretty alright. We ordered Tofu fried rice just because my friend claims she is addicted to it. The first half of the bowl tasted good; I just couldn't swallow anything after that, mainly because I was full, and partly because I was tired of the soy sauce taste... yep, that quick. I really wished I had tried something other than rice since I eat it everyday. However, being Vietnamese, we refused to try the Vietnamese noodle soup there. It just wouldn't be authentic! There was not enough soup base and they lack the green leaves that must go along with the soup. Of course my friend also has a way of talking me into trying her favorite dish so I miss out on the others.
Service is great. Servers are polite and friendly. We had a pleasant lunch.
Rating: 8/10

The student center is where most students go to in between classes for food and fun. On the first floor is a Pizza Hut. Of course their mini pizzas are overcharged, but anything under $5 is going to sound fair to most consumers. I have a habit of putting salt and pepper over my pizza, but these pizzas tend to already be salty. The breadsticks, on the other hand, is very good. They're great for a snack after class, and if your appetite is small like mine, they can actually be lunch. The Student Center is crowded most of the time so the setting will be noisy. Of course when you are with friends, that won't be so bad since you're contributing to the volume level.
On second floor is the food court. There are many varieties of food one can choose from. Common fast food stores like Chik-fil-A and Burger King are found here. There are also a salad bar and other counters with sushi, soups, and some main courses. For some reasons I always spend ten minutes walking back and forth pondering over what I can get. After the ten minutes are over, my tray is still empty and I ended up going back to Pizza Hut. Chik-fil-A's chickens are dry and their biscuits aren't as good as they are in off-campus stores. Burger King is alright for a quick bite. I don't like sushi. Period. So I cannot comment on them. Soup is my top choice; maybe because you really can't go wrong with soups. Overall, I would rather go back to Woody's then stopping by the food court.
Rating: 6/10

In the mood for sandwiches? Come to Quizno's by State's Village. The large variety of sandwiches will sure to fit anyone's taste. You can have your choice of anything, from bread to relishes. Like Subway, Quizno's also makes your sandwich right in front of your eyes. It's a bit more assuring, but it's only a psychological thing since you don't know where the food has been before it got behind the glass-shielded counter. I care, but when I dine out, I gave up the expectation and only keep the hope that the place is sanitized.

There are three sizes for the sandwiches ranging from around $4.00 to $9.00. The server will ask which kind of bread you prefer. S(he) then will prepare it whichever way you ask for and then the sandwich goes right into a toaster oven to make the bread warm and crisp. Overall, the turkey sandwich tastes really good. Maybe it's just me and my craze for mayonaise, but I really do like the taste. Winter is here, so a bowl of soup does sound very soothing to the stomach. They won't fill you up though, I'm afraid. I tried the clam chowder one for the first time. I don't know if it is supposed to be that way, but the soup was a little thin. And yikes, it was burning hot too. Sipping a little at a time while waiting for it to cool down took forever. Ordering soup along with your sandwich will also increase the price on the receipt, so skip the soup if you can.

The place is relatively small. On busy days, waiting in line might be long, but it's worth the wait. Eating here is nice when you go out with your friends because it's a friendly setting. Highly recommended.

*Discount is also given if you are a student at Tech or State.

Rating 8/10

Tech's campus currently has two dining halls. Brittain is located on the east side whereas Woodruff is located on the west side. I spent my dining hour today at Brittain to have an experience of the east-residence-hall dining.

Expect a high-school cafeteria setting when you enter Brittain, noisy and crowded. For those who have a meal-plan, settling for dining-hall food is good enough since it fills you up pretty decently. Brittain is set up as an all-you-can-eat buffet, where if you do not have a meal plan, you will be expected to pay around $8 per meal (dinner). This price is reasonable for a buffet, but it might not suit those who eat more modestly like myself.

Tonight's menu included regulars such as pizza, hamburger, fries, rice, veggies, refried beans (did not try due to the name), baked potatoes, and other specialties that depends on the night such as pasta, beef ravioli, deep fried chicken, etc. The Pizza, burgers, and fries were okay; they bring back high-school memories, and not good ones either. The deep fried chicken was better than some of the others. I did not try the ravioli because the chef was not there and I really did not want to have a bite of each since that will ruin the taste buds at the time. All these food are mediocre; meant for quick chews and certainly not for savoring.

So what about breakfast and lunch, you ask? Since I was not there for these meals, I asked a friend instead. Prices for breakfast is $5.30 while lunch is around $7.00. Omelets are served your way, meaning you can choose your own toppings. That's always a plus when things are made fresh to start your day.

The consensus: 5/10 eat when you must, consider ramen noodles at other times [learn to make it your staple dietary item while at Tech =) ]
(This blog is moved from the main group blog page. Original date was Tue Nov 04, 06:18:43 PM)

This week, breakfast is served at Junior's Grill. Junior's is located near Bursar's Office. I don't know if Bursar's has been here since Junior's or not, but on days you have to come to pay your dues, you certainly will not be in the mood for any food. On other days, however, enjoy great biscuits to celebrate the fact that you are in Junior's in stead of Bursar's.
Beside my strange brother, everyone at Tech should at least have eaten at Junior's once. Their biscuits are awesome, and they disappear pretty fast too. I came twice already after my Physics class in the morning and there was none left. I particularly like my biscuits with gravy (which costs a mere 60 cents); there are also chicken biscuits, egg and sausage biscuits, etc. Beside the biscuits, Junior's is also popular for its French toasts. The French toast specialty which includes two French toasts, a choice of bacon or sausage, egg done your way, and a drink costs $3.55. Prices for breakfast, as you can see are very cheap.
After noon, you might not want to come to Junior's for food. Their wings and other dishes are charged at a higher price than they should be. Their burgers are certainly better than Burger King's burgers at the Student Center since they are made fresh, but for a college student, price might matter more. Wings aren't to die for; in fact, they come no where near Cafe J's wings and they cost too darn much for their mediocre taste.
The place is set like any regular diner. It's been around very long, so Junior's is one of Tech's traditions. It's nice to see your food being made in the kitchen right behind the serving line. "Real food that doesn't come from a freezer or a box!" your stomach screams excitedly (well, not really, but you get my point). Service is great when Tommy gets your orders. He's always in a good mood even when you aren't. The cashier is nice and friendly too. I did have an unpleasant service from another server, but overall his attitude doesn't take much away from the place.
I definately recommend Junior's Grill as a place to start your morning. Order your food to go so that you can stay awake in your 8:00 A.M. Calculus class.
*Discount is given if you use your Buzzcard.
Rating: 7/10