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09/04/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/05/2026 06:22

Where to Eat When You’re Hungry at BU

Where to Eat When You're Hungry at BU

Students

Terrier Starter Kit | Part Four: Where to Eat When You're Hungry at BU

Whether you need coffee before class, dinner with friends, or a late-night bite, BU has plenty of food options on campus and along Comm Ave.

September 4, 2026
Where to Eat When You're Hungry at BU

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Welcome to the Terrier Starter Kit, your one-stop shop for everything you need to know about jump-starting your Boston University experience. Learn where to eat, the perks of your BUID, hacks for navigating campus, and more! Welcome to BU, first-year Terriers. We're happy you're here.

Whether you're looking for a quick coffee before class, a late-night burrito, or somewhere to actually sit down for dinner with friends, BU students have no shortage of options. From dining halls and food courts to restaurants scattered along Commonwealth Avenue, there's a lot more to BU dining than your freshman-year dining hall. Here's your guide to some of the best places to grab a bite, both on campus and just a short walk away.

Dining Halls

The Fenway Dining Hall

Located on BU's Fenway Campus, this dining hall serves classic favorites from the pizza oven, deli, salad bar, and burrito specials. The Fenway Dining Hall makes their own fresh hand-cut French fries and hand-pressed hamburgers using fresh ground beef, and also showcases local and global ingredients at our daily entree and action stations for a taste of something new every day! Their recipes are designed for both vegetarians and meat-eaters, with plant-based options always available to order off of the action station.

The George Sherman Union (GSU)

When you don't want a traditional dining-hall meal, head to the George Sherman Union. The GSU brings several different food options together under one roof, making it an easy place to meet friends who can never agree on what to eat. Food options include Panda Express, Rhett's, Basho, Dipped!, and much more! It's arguably the biggest social hub on campus, making it easy to meet up between classes, grab a quick bite, or go to study.

Granby Commons

If you're looking for plant-based menus, kosher meals, and locally sourced products, Granby Commons is the dining room for you! The kosher-supervised dining room maintains two kitchens, one for kosher and the other for vegan dining. The menu features two kosher and two vegan entrées at lunch and dinner each day. No meal would be complete without a daily vegan soup and dessert options. Don't forget that our create-your-own salad bar is open for every meal. At Fresh Fuel, you'll find one-of-a-kind vegan recipes not featured anywhere else on campus. A smaller, intimate dining room with amazing views of the Charles River and a friendly staff eager to create a meal just for you.

Marciano

If you're looking for the classic BU dining-hall experience, Marciano Commons is the place to start. Located at 100 Bay State Road, Marciano is one of BU's all-you-care-to-eat residence dining rooms, with options ranging from pizza and pasta to international dishes, sandwiches, stir-fry, and more.

There's also a full vegan station, making it an easy option when you're eating with a group that has different dietary preferences.

Warren Towers

Located in the heart of Central Campus, Warren Towers' dining hall is another go-to for a full meal. Expect a rotating selection of international dishes, stir-fry, omelets, and more.

If you live near Warren, it's one of the easiest places to grab a meal without going too far out of your way.

West Campus Dining Hall

West Campus residents don't have to travel far for dinner. This dining hall serves buffet-style meals with comfort food, pizza, themed dishes, grilled options, and a full vegan station. It's also designed as a place to hang out and study, making it convenient when you want to eat without leaving the area.

Coffee, Breakfast, and Quick Bites

Sometimes you don't need a full meal; you just need caffeine, a snack, or both.

Starbucks

BU has several Starbucks locations around campus, including locations at 700 Comm Ave, Questrom, and the GSU. They're especially useful when you need a familiar coffee order and don't have time to venture off campus.

Dunkin'

For the quintessential Boston coffee run, there's Dunkin' at Buick Street Market. It's a convenient option for coffee, breakfast, snacks, and those mornings when you need caffeine immediately.

Einstein Bros. Bagels

Need breakfast before an early class? Located on the basement floor of the College of Arts and Sciences, Einstein Bros. Bagels offers bagels, breakfast sandwiches, coffee, and other quick options.

Fuller's BU Pub

Located within the Dahod Family Alumni Center (BU Castle), Fuller's BU Pub is a good option when you want to turn lunch or dinner into more of a sit-down experience. BU Dining describes it as a spot for full meals and late-night bites, with sandwiches, salads, comfort food, and drinks. Many professors also go there with students or teams.

Note: Terriers must have a valid BU ID and be 21+ to enter.

Off-Campus Spots

One of the best parts about going to BU is that you can walk "off campus" and immediately find restaurants, cafés, and takeout spots along Commonwealth Avenue and beyond.

Pavement Coffeehouse

Pavement Coffeehouse on Commonwealth Avenue is a popular campus-adjacent stop for specialty coffee, bagels, breakfast sandwiches, and lunch. It's located right across from Marsh Chapel, making it an easy stop between classes.

Nud Pob Thai Cuisine

Located at 738 Commonwealth Ave., Nud Pob is an easy walk from campus and a longtime option for Thai food. Its menu includes noodles, curries, stir-fries, and other Thai favorites.

Brown Sugar Cafe

At 1033 Commonwealth Ave., Brown Sugar Cafe offers a large Thai menu, from noodles and fried rice to curries, seafood, duck, soups, and vegetarian dishes.

With plenty of options, it's a good choice when your group can't agree on what kind of Thai food they want.

Sunset Cantina

Right across from FitRec, Sunset Cantina is a longtime BU-area favorite for Mexican food in a lively atmosphere. The menu includes tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and other Mexican-inspired dishes.

El Jefe's Taqueria (West Campus and Kenmore)

When it's late at night, the dining hall is closed, and you suddenly realize you're starving, El Jefe's can be the answer. The BU location on Commonwealth Avenue serves tacos, burritos, bowls, and other Mexican fast-casual favorites, and is open extremely late (3 am). There is also a location in Kenmore Square.

Life Alive

Just down Commonwealth Avenue, Life Alive is a great option when you want something fresh. The menu focuses on plant-forward bowls, salads, smoothies, juices, and other lighter options.

Pho Viet's

For Vietnamese food, Pho Viet's on Commonwealth Avenue offers pho, bánh mì, and other Vietnamese favorites. It's a particularly good option when Boston weather calls for a giant bowl of something warm.

T. Anthony's Pizzeria

No list of BU food spots would be complete without T. Anthony's. Located at 1016 Commonwealth Avenue, directly across from campus, this longtime neighborhood pizzeria has been serving BU students since 1976.

Students usually refer to the restaurant as "T's," and it serves thin-crust pizza alongside subs, sandwiches, pasta, salads, and other Italian-American favorites. And if you ask longtime BU students, the mozzarella stick pizza is one of the quintessential T's orders.

T. Anthony's is currently open daily until 2 a.m., making it a reliable option when the dining halls have closed, and you're suddenly very, very hungry.

Raising Cane's

Yes, BU has a Raising Cane's. Located near StuVi 2 and Paradise Rock Club, it's an easy answer when you're craving chicken fingers, fries, and Cane's Sauce.

It's also one of the campus options you can pay for with Dining Points.

Pro Tip

Before pulling out your credit card, check whether your BU Dining Points can cover the meal! For the 2026-27 academic year, Dining Points can be used at a variety of Comm Ave retail locations, including Raising Cane's, Starbucks, Basho, Breadwinners, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Saxbys, and the restaurants inside the GSU Food Hall.

That means your Dining Points can go beyond the dining hall. So before spending your own money, check whether your meal plan can cover it.

The best part about eating at BU is that you don't have to stick to one routine. You can grab a bagel before class, use Dining Points for lunch at the GSU, walk down Commonwealth Avenue for Thai food with friends, and end the night with a late-night burrito.

Whether you're looking for cheap eats, healthy food, coffee, late-night, or a place to go out with friends, there's definitely an option within walking distance.

Four years at BU is a long time, but somehow, it still might not be long enough to cover every restaurant around campus. You'll definitely never go hungry!

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Boston University published this content on September 04, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 05, 2026 at 12:23 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]