A frugal student’s guide to downtown C-Springs dining

Sooner or later every UCCS student ends up downtown and hungry. Although the Westside has come to the cutting edge of entrepreneurial restaurants, downtown is still home to most art and music: So budget-minded college connoisseurs who get hungry have to be careful.

Since $10 seems to be the agreed-upon lowest price for most downtown food vendors, a little guidance and, most of all, good timing are necessary when looking to fill up in the heart of the city. Many restaurants downtown are owned by the same people – interconnected LLC's, actually – so what is served at one place is eerily similar to the others; unfortunately, so are the prices.

UCCS students are likely to be downtown for lunch, during happy hour and late at night, all times for potential thrift. Otherwise, there are a few secret options under $5 and there is always hope when somebody else is paying!

Less than $5 – Boulder Street Coffee House remains the OG of downtown dollar deals. The change-filling-your-pocket student can choose from a cup-o-noodles filled with hot water, a bowl of cereal with milk, and – hold on to something – a cup of coffee, all for $1. The Little Market, just east of Tejon on Willamette, has cold sandwiches, burgers, spicy polish sausages and runzas (German beef and cabbage pocket), all for around $3.

Lunch – Lunch is always the best deal. Buffets are sometimes suspect, but both Everest Nepal (Indian) and Rumi's Kabab (Afghani) have freshly made and maintained spreads. Alice's Restaurant in the alley behind Josh and John's and the almost impossible to find Vallejo's (111 South Corona) have the best Mexican, now that the Mexico Way has gone the way of the buffalo. Wooglin's Deli, Poor Richard's, Saigon Café and Hunan Springs are staples, and Taste of Jerusalem and Arabica Café are viable alternatives to the poor service, but great food at the Mediterranean Café.

Happy Hour – Panino's may be the best kept secret downtown. Daily drink and food specials, expert service and a part-of-the-family feeling make Panino's sacred space. An afternoon with the Triple Nickel's jukebox and an avocado pork burrito at El Taco Rey next-door is exquisite. Taco Tuesday at Jose Muldoon's (75 cents each), two-for-one Tapas Tuesdays at MacKenzie's Chophouse, and happy hour at Sonterra Grill, Judge Baldwin's or Phantom Canyon all offer affordable access to their usually overpriced fun.

When somebody else is paying – If the sky is the limit, go to the Famous. Share everything, but order only one of each course as a guideline. Available only at lunch, the burgers here could turn a vegetarian.

Late Night – Tony's burgers, nightly specials and garlic butter fries make it the best option for before last call. The King's Chef Diner is gracious enough to put up with after-bar customers, and what better thing to add to a stomach full of liquor than The Thing or The Grump?

My favorite late night snacks are Taco Star's grilled chicken tacos or the Colorado burrito with steak and potatoes.

RESTAUNTS MENTIONED:

Tejon Street

Boulder Street Coffee

Poor Richard's

Arabica Café

MacKenzie's Chop House

Sonterra Grill

Wooglin's Deli

Jose Muldoon's

The Famous

Bijou Street

Everest Nepal

Rumi's Kabab

Taste of Jerusalem

Kiowa Street

Hunan Springs

Mediterranean Café

Pikes Peak Ave.

Alice's Restaurant

Phantom Canyon

Colorado Ave.

Saigon's Café

El Taco Rey

Other

The Little Market

749 E. Willame e Ave.

Vallejo's Restaurant

111 S. Corona Street

Panino's

1721 S. 8th Street

Triple Nickle

26 S. Wahsatch Ave.

Judge Baldwin's

4 S. Cascade Ave.

The King's Chef Diner

110 E. Costilla

Taco Star

605 N. Circle Drive