Cheap Eats in EL
Hey everyone!
Before we dive in, a quick little PSA... Although I haven't been active on the website portion of my blog, I am very active on Instagram! Keep up with my Insta story vlogs, outfits of the day (ootd), random college recipes, photos dumps, reviews and more by following @liv.instyleee on Instagram :)
My Top 5 Cheap Eats in East Lansing
#1 OMI Sushi
210 M. A. C. Avenue, East Lansing, MI 48823
All of my MSU pals know my obsession for OMI is unmatched. But what really seals the deal is their lunch special. From 12 - 3PM OMI offers "Pick 2 for $10" or "Pick 3 for $13."
To the left is a photo of the OMI menu, and all of the options you can choose from for the lunch special.
To get the most bang for my buck I always choose the "Pick 3" and order a Crunch Crab roll, Tuna Avocado roll, and a small House Udon. The two sushi rolls and udon combo is super filling and amounts to a solid meal. However, if I'm feeling like a lighter lunch that day I like to swap out one of the sushi rolls for a House Ginger Salad.
You really can't go wrong with this lunch special, or OMI in general, which is why it's my #1 pick.
#2 Potbelly
233 E Grand River Rd, East Lansing, MI 48823
For less than $10 you can "pick-your-pair" at Potbelly!
Here are your options:
$8.59 sandwich and soup
$9.39 salad and soup
$9.99 sandwich and salad
The "pick-your-pair" special allows you to pick half of any sandwich, salad, or a small cup of any soup. I usually pick the options that include a salad because it is way more than half a portion. I absolutely love soup so my go-to is the soup and salad option. I pick the apple walnut salad with balsamic and a side of chicken pot pie soup. YUM!
What I love about this special too is that you can get the more expensive option, sandwich and salad, and save one of the items for later. Like I said the salad is pretty big so eating it for a meal, and saving the sandwich for a quick bite on the go is perfect.
#3 The Dining Hall
Choose your fav on campus!
I believe it is $7.75 to get into an MSU dining hall without having meal swipes. This is by far the best meal hack on campus. Freshman year, the dining hall was my favorite place to study. I would sit for hours getting work done with unlimited tea, coffee, and delicious food.
This year I am living off campus and don't have a meal plan. However every now and then I like to stop by my old stomping grounds and spend the day in Case Hall studying in the dining hall. For just one payment of $7.75 you can chill there essentially all day.
If you REALLY want to get the most out of that $7.75 I suggest getting there at 10AM right before breakfast is about to end and grabbing a plate of eggs and hash browns. Get cozy in a booth and get to work. At 10:30AM lunch starts and when you are hungry for lunch in a few hours all you have to do is take a stretch and scout out the options. By 6-7PM you've had enough of studying but before you leave grab some dinner! To conclude, you spent $7.75 on three meals and unlimited tea/coffee. Sounds like a hell of a deal to me.
#4 Cottage Inn Pizza
615 E Grand River Rd, East Lansing, MI 48823
A majority of MSU students know this deal, but in case you don't, I've got you covered.
When the clock strikes midnight pepperoni and cheese pizzas are just $5 at Cottage Inn on Grand River. Ending your night with Cottage Inn is a must at MSU. This deal is live between 12AM - 2AM when the restaurant closes.
The line is usually out the door and down the stairs so be ready for a bit of a wait - it's worth it. Aside from the yummy pizza, the Cottage Inn employees are so friendly. I'm not entirely sure if he is the owner, but George greets you at the cash register with a gigantic smile and a jolly presence. He is such a kind guy and keeps the restaurant open past 2AM to make sure everyone is taken care of. He once told me when I was checking out "it's my duty to make sure all these kids are fed."
#5 Asian Buffet
4920 Marsh Rd, Okemos, MI 48864
So I've never been here before, but I pass it every time I go to the Sally Beauty store (which is a lot). I was curious about their pricing and couldn't find anything online so I gave them a call, and here's what I found...
All access to buffet
$10.59 for lunch
$12.99 for dinner
*This does not include Hibachi
Photos online show that they offer unlimited sushi, other asian cuisine, and dessert for the flat rates shown above. So grab some friends and make sure your extra hungry because this sounds like quite the deal!