While many students choose to meal-prep for the week, weekends often topple the best-laid plans of mice and men. We’ve all had the experience of arriving on campus Monday morning with an empty lunch box and a growling stomach. What are the best options to satiate your mid-day cravings on a budget? The Tribune took a walk around the neighbourhood to find meal deals within a 10-minute radius.
Free option: Midnight Kitchen
The Midnight Kitchen is a non-profit worker- and volunteer-run collective that serves free lunches in the University Centre, typically at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Their food is vegan and always includes a dessert, often made with produce grown in their community garden. You have to bring your own container and utensils if you want to pick up a meal, and remember to get there early as the services are limited.
$0-$5 CAD options: The Yellow Door, Japote, and McGill metro finds
The Yellow Door (3625 Aylmer Ave) is a non-profit whose mission is to reduce social isolation of vulnerable groups in downtown Montreal. They run the Rabbit Hole Lunch, offering vegan meals for under $5 CAD every Friday at 12:00 p.m.. Their mains typically cost $3 CAD, and $1 CAD for dessert. You are encouraged to bring your own containers, but can also use their plates and utensils (which you have to wash afterwards). The service is cash-only, and you can dine in their basement.
Japote is a family-owned fast food restaurant located on the concourse level of 1000 Rue Sherbrooke O. You can grab a homestyle curry there for the small price of $6 CAD. Remember to bring lunch money, because it’s cash only, and to prepare for a wait.
Along the same line, Lee N Kim (located inside of the McGill metro station) and Marché Eden (3575 Parc Ave) both sell onigiri at around $4 CAD a piece. These balls of rice wrapped in seaweed are filling snacks, sure to keep you going through a long day. Also located inside the McGill metro is Pizza Soleil, where you can get a beef patty and a drink for under $5 CAD.
$5-$10 CAD eats: Vinh’s Café, McGill Pizza, Opiano, G-Store
Vinh’s Café (Genome Building and Strathcona Music Building) offers Vietnamese food, with their classic bánh mì for about $8 CAD.
McGill Pizza (625 Rue Milton) is permanently part of the McGill gastronomic canon. Don’t let their expensive main plates fool you—their two-slice combo of pizza goes for $8.75 CAD, perfect for a light lunch. Or, you can get one slice with a side of fries, for $8.50 CAD.
Opiano (1115 Rue Sherbrooke O) is located where the famous Super Sandwich used to be. This Korean spot offers kimbap from $6.50-$8 CAD, depending on whether you choose a tuna, beef, or regular roll. They also sell eight fried dumplings for $9 CAD. If you’re more in the $10-$15 CAD range, their curry plates are a good bang for your buck, typically including two pieces of fried meat, rice, salad, and a miso soup.
If you’re looking for a quick bite without leaving campus, G Store in McConnell is your spot for lunch on the go. They sell wraps for $6 CAD, though these can sell out during the day if you don’t buy one early. The wraps are from Ô Four, a Lebanese restaurant and bakery located on Avenue du Parc.
A satiating meal for $10-$15 CAD: Nouilles Zhonghua
Nouilles Zhonghua (908 Rue Sherbrooke O) is an excellent spot for a filling bowl of noodles. A small bowl of their beef special is $14.99 CAD, though you can grab their small combos such as their cold noodles with a Chinese hamburger for around $12 CAD (or, you can just get a Chinese hamburger for about $7 CAD).
Next time you’re feeling snackish, just remember that there are many options around! Lunch on campus does not have to cost you $20 CAD—it doesn’t even have to cost you $5. Just remember to bring cash wherever you go, and support these local spots to ensure students have accessible eats in the future.
