Entering junior year, the most important question on my mind wasn’t about which extracurriculars I should join or the minimum hours of sleep I can get without dozing off during class. Rather, it was “Where am I gonna go for lunch?”
One of the biggest perks of being an upperclassman is the ability to go off campus for lunch. Getting your driver’s license when you turn 16 opens you up to a world of new opportunities. It’s your first taste of freedom, breaking away from sometimes monotonous school lunch options and choosing what you eat. As an avid food lover, I recommend these go-to picks.
H-mart
Overall Grade: A
Location: Saratoga Sunnyvale Plaza (8 min -drive)
Cost: $$ (average cost runs $11)
Culinary Quality: A-
If you’re craving Asian food, this is the place to go. With a variety of staple Asian meals and drinks, H-mart offers Asian flavors at a relatively cheap price. Personally, I would recommend getting the tonkatsu (pork cutlet) bento for $12.99 in the hot foods section, which is a steal considering how much tonkatsu you get. The food is also freshly made before lunch, so you don’t have to worry about eating cold and stale food. Just make sure you’re watching the time as you eat because it’s around 8 minutes from school.
Popeyes
Overall Grade: B-
Location: Trader Joe’s Plaza on Saratoga Sunnyvale (13 min -drive)
Cost: $$$ (average cost runs $15)
Culinary Quality: B+
Popeyes sits at the top for fast food chains in the area, but if you want it for lunch, you have to leave as quickly as possible. I recommend going to the Cupertino location 10 minutes away. Though it charges extra for sauces, the chicken at the Cupertino location is far crispier and juicier than the chicken by Westgate.
Popeyes is decently pricey compared to the other fast food chains, but the large amount of food you get makes up for it. Many times, when getting the five-piece tenders, I’ll open my box to a few extra tenders, which is always a pleasant surprise.
Chipotle
Overall Grade: B-
Location: Saratoga Sunnyvale Plaza (13 min -drive)
Cost: $$ (average cost runs $11)
Culinary Quality: B
Chipotle is a close second after Popeyes in the fast food realm. Similar to Popeyes, making it to Chipotle requires you to leave as soon as the bell rings. With a variety of meats, rice, beans and veggies, Chipotle offers a delicious and nutritious meal. Note that it is relatively a bit more expensive, with a single meat bowl coming out to $15. There are two locations for Chipotle and both of them have similar food quality and are around 10 minutes from school. If you’re one of the first ones in the lunch rush, they will bless you with a generous amount of rice and meat.
Saratoga Bagels
Overall Grade: A
Location: Plaza just beyond safeway (3 min -drive)
Cost: $$ (average cost runs $11)
Culinary Quality: A+
Nestled in a little plaza just past Safeway, this gem of a shop has mind-boggling bagels and smoothies. Although it’s just three minutes away, you need to get there fast because it fills up pretty quickly with other students looking for a fulfilling lunch.
The first time my friends told me we were going to Saratoga Bagels in junior year, I didn’t have high expectations. How could I just eat a bagel for lunch? But when I took that first bite, a plethora of glorious flavors filled my mouth. I never knew a BLT on a cheddar bagel could taste so good.
Safeway
Overall Grade: C+
Location: Argonaut Plaza (3 min -drive)
Cost: $ (average cost runs $8)
Culinary Quality: C
Safeway, only five minutes away, is the fastest option but not the most memorable. With many options like sushi and fried chicken, you’ll probably find what you’re craving. In my opinion, the $9 combo is the best option, with 1 choice of meat and 2 sides. Though Safeway chicken is sometimes dry, the most consistently good option is the spicy bone-in wings. Paired with mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, this combo makes for a delicious, filling meal.
If you want to avoid splurging too much on lunch every week, Safeway also does a promotion on friday called 5-dollar-Fridays, where some sushi rolls sell for $5. The next time you can’t decide where to eat on Fridays, Safeway is a safe choice.
These options can sustain you for most of the school year — but at the end of the day, nothing beats the convenience of a free school lunch. It will keep more money in your pocket so that you can have some money to spend at night or on the weekend — when not being tardy to period 5 or 6 isn’t a concern.
