All About the Food
Food is a major part of campus life, wherever you go. I remember that when my brother was moving in to Tufts his freshman year, I made him a list of the surrounding restaurants with the highest ratings and told him to try them all. Unfortunately, what I didn’t realize was that Tufts students have their own favorites that deviate from my list, so I don’t think he ever tried any of them. Now that I have been here for a few years, I am compiling a new list, which I hope you will find useful!
Here is a guide to the top eateries around campus that every Tufts student should know:
1) Picanté- Located on Boston Avenue, this locally-owned, Chipotle-style, Tex-Mex restaurant is a campus favorite. In normal years, the small number of tables are always crowded with Tufts students. The food is cheap and different from what you can get on campus, and the best part is, they take Jumbocash. All you have to do is swipe your ID card and it takes money from your Tufts account, no cash needed!
2) Espresso Pizza- Also located on Boston Avenue, Espresso is a late-night go-to for many students. While it is a little price-y, and you need cash for anything under $10, many students convene here at night because it is the only restaurant that is open until 4 a.m. Whether you want pizza, apps, or Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Espresso has you covered.
3) Goldilock’s- Tufts students love their bagels, and not gonna lie, while I love Tufts dining food, the bagels on campus aren’t great; however, Goldilock’s, a small storefront by the Mystic Valley River, sells fantastic bagels with all different kinds of toppings and spreads. The line is always out the door, but the wait is worth it.
4) Danish Pastry House (DPH)- Many students consider DPH to be the best pastry shop in the area. While I haven’t been there since we toured with my brother eight years ago, I can still remember how tasty my pain au chocolat was, and I definitely plan to go back!
5) J.P. Licks- You won’t make it through your first week here without hitting up J.P. Licks, our nearest ice cream parlor. It’s probably the most overpriced ice cream you’ll ever find, but its proximity to Tufts (it’s just in Davis, a 10-15 minute walk) and its unique flavors make it an absolute staple of a Tufts student’s diet.
No worries, we have more than five places to eat around campus, but these are some of the favorites that you should know about before coming to Tufts. My Emma’s Advice today is to check out the food options around the schools you are considering! I didn’t strongly consider dining when applying to schools, but now that I’ve been here for almost two years, I think it is a really important part of the college experience. While Tufts dining rocks, I’m glad that there are other places we can go when we want to get off-campus for a night, and if that’s something that matters to you, you may want to take that into account when looking at the areas surrounding the schools you are considering. After all, it’s all about the food (and the academics, of course)!