This campus standout at East Commons has locations across the country at other colleges. It centers around New York-style Middle Eastern street food, offering build-your-own bowls or burritos made with naan bread topped with a choice of halal chicken, halal beef, falafel, or Impossible meat.

The campus outpost of this homegrown but-steadily-growing vegan fast-food chain does crowd-pleasing meatless versions of comfort food, such as the Big Zac with two burger patties and special sauce and a crispy faux chicken sandwich. The Snow Days dessert features oat milk soft-serve ice cream blended with candy and cookies.

Within walking distance of the Aztec Union, this popular chain restaurant is known for its creative burgers and a well-stocked bar, with lots of beer taps and an impressive selection of small-batch whiskey. With a daily 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. “hoppy hour,” it’s a popular spot for pre-gaming before a show at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre.

Señor Pancho’s is frequented for its drive-thru but Trujillo’s is probably the preferred taco shop close to campus. Open late most nights and until the wee hours on weekends, its extensive menu includes items named for fraternities and sororities, like the Alpha special and the Sigma Chi crunch wrap.

Get legit smoked meat close to campus at this restaurant that began as a farmer’s market vendor and still operates a bustling catering business. The dog and kid-friendly space serves burgers, sandwiches, and barbecue by the pound. Grab some friends and share the Beast Feast, which comes with tri-tip, sausage, pulled pork, chicken wings, pork ribs, garlic bread, potato salad, beans, mac and cheese, and slaw.

Local roaster Scrimshaw Coffee, which also runs a lovely all-day cafe nearby, has gifted the neighborhood with an excellent hangout by turning a longtime dive bar into a relaxed space where you can play pool and sip on natural wine with a smash burger in hand.

This is a relatively new addition to Rolando’s Campus Plaza Shopping Center, where it replaced another Indian restaurant. It’s earning good marks, especially for the $11 lunch special served from 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The menu includes entrees like saag paneer, aloo gobi, butter chicken, and chicken korma paired with rice and naan.

Located just a mile from SDSU, this longstanding Thai restaurant has been a fixture in the area for over three decades. Notable are its weekday lunch specials, when mains such as curry, fried rice, or noodles are served with a choice of soup, salad, or an egg roll.

Known for friendly service, this Lebanese restaurant and bakery was beloved by locals and students long before Guy Fieri dropped by. Its homemade flatbreads are super popular, from a zaatar-spiced version to the bestselling chicken tawook to the meat-topped lahm bajeen.