Whether you are a visiting family or a new student, you need to know where to eat when you visit Carnegie Mellon University. As a Carnegie Mellon alumnus, I can say with honesty that the food on campus is sufficient, but not really the food that great visits are made of. If you want to eat well on your trip to Pittsburgh, or if you just need to grab a bite to eat on your way to class that doesn’t taste like cafeteria food, there are a few options you have that always satisfy.
On Campus
On campus, there are only a few places I would recommend. One is the cafeteria in the University Center second floor. While it is only open for some meals, typically breakfasts, it is actually some of the best food on campus. Called the Schatz Dining Room, it is an all-you-can-eat buffet of great food, and it is typically operating within capacity so you don’t have an enormous line to worry about. Quick and delicious, this is a good breakfast spot.
Also on campus, the meal trucks are a great spot for a fast, cheap lunch. They are lined up on the East side of campus by the sororities, and they have a nice mix of ethnic cuisines for the pickiest of eaters. Aside from that, I would avoid campus food when possible, since there will be plenty of times when you have no choice.
Craig Street
Sometimes you just can’t eat on the Carnegie Mellon Campus. For those times, Craig Street is a banquet of good food. Only a block off of campus, you can eat at any number of locations here and be very happy with it. They have restaurants for all tastes and price ranges. You should know that on family weekends, the place is packed! This can make it awkward to get a table, so be ready to travel a bit further if you want to be seated immediately.
Zarra’s, just up Bigelow Boulevard from Oakland, is one of my favorite family spots. Since I didn’t have the budget to go there often, I would go there whenever I knew my parents were paying the bill. It is a little pricey, but they work hard to make you feel comfortable when you are there and the food is universally excellent.
Also a bit further away is the Church Brew Works, which is one of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh. It is only about 15 minutes in a car, so if you are looking to get off of the Carnegie Mellon University campus in a car, this is one of the spots I recommend. You can get a meal cheaply here, or pay for quite the day, depending on how you order, but the menu is excellent here as well.
Conclusion
Carnegie Mellon University is known for many things, but the fine dining on campus isn’t one of them. If you are a visitor or a student, break up the day with a trip only a bit off of campus to enjoy excellent food at decent price points.
