By Matthew Accosta, September 5, 2023
If you are a student at Cal Poly Pomona, a time will come when you get a little tired of your everyday food options on campus and need something new to spark your taste buds.
There are tons of local and cheap options in the area for a college student just looking to get a quick bite to eat somewhere off campus, whether you are with friends or just need a place to grab a drink and study.
Jinza Teriyaki has been a CPP staple for myself and generations of Broncos. Its Japanese menu offers a variety of teriyaki bowls to choose from with a protein choice of chicken, beef or pork along with a choice of the bowl with vegetables or just rice. The menu also includes yakisoba and udon which gives customers an array of options to choose from.
Walking into the restaurant, a mom and pop-shop vibe is easily felt. Everyone seems to know one another and a multitude of CPP memorabilia from various students, clubs and other Greek life organizations are displayed throughout the restaurant. It was a unique time capsule of sorts.
The pork and rice bowl, house white sauce and a drink to $14 which is a little pricey; however, I was completely full after leaving. The pork was tender and mixing in the white sauce created a perfect balance of a savory and an ever so slight sweetness.
If you are not looking for meat to eat, a great place I have found during my time at CPP is Borreguitas, which serves vegan Mexican cuisine.
Though this is a sit-down restaurant, its pick-up orders have always been very accessible and user-friendly on their website.
I understand the stereotype vegan cuisine carries with the food being distinct from the food it is trying to replicate or just super expensive. However, I can safely say that this is one of my favorite Mexican food spots despite it being vegan.
The soy meat was the closest thing to actual meat I have ever eaten with the food being seasoned perfectly and the soy being cooked well and not gummy.
I ordered one of each type of street tacos they offered which included soy asada, soy el pastor, potato and potato with soy chorizo.
The use of mango with al pastor, sweet and savory, balanced perfectly in each bite.
If you like spice, the potato taco is definitely the option for you with fresh salsa added as well as the potatoes cooked perfectly with a little bite on the outside and softness in the middle.
Being so close to campus makes this a great pick-up place if you have a gap between classes. This is definitely a must-try.
Borregitas is only 11 minutes from campus and costs just over $7. This eatery is one of the best bang-for-your-buck restaurants near CPP.
Guanyin Tea House is the next stop on the off-campus eateries list with only a 15-minute drive from the university along with a soothing environment with many seats and lounge chairs.This place is a great study spot whenever you need it.
This Chinese tea house has a board of customers’ favorite boba teas that rotates periodically. This week, the top flavor was Golden Fruit Tea with boba.
The fruit in the drink was refreshing along with the honey boba which delivered a variety of different flavors and textures in every sip.
This is one of my favorite boba places to go to, especially if you go with two other friends since the shop is currently having a buy two get one free deal — which as a college student I can always appreciate.
These are just some of the many hidden gems located around the Pomona area, and I hope that you all are able to try at least one of these locations. If not these, I encourage you all to try out a new off-campus spot soon.
Images courtesy of Matthew Accosta
