You don’t have to live like this, you know.

If you’re anything like me, you usually have some time between classes to grab a quick bite. Sometimes those breaks last only an hour, sometimes more. And if you’re anything like me, you grab something from the cafeteria that you think will hold you over and taste delicious. The issue here is that if you’re anything like me, you think the food there sucks.

The expectation for cafeteria food is not foie gras and caviar by any means, but something genuinely palatable and some resemblance of a selection. Every time I walk into that cafe, I can’t help but be disappointed at the selection, the quality, and equally as important—the price. The rotating menus feel less like options and more like summer camp meals, each day representing some kind of concoction du jour. Most times, what is on the menu makes Burger King look like Five Guys in comparison, and I hate Burger King. The portions are tiny, and the quality is simply not where it should be, especially not for a $10 price tag. And the pizza? It’s a crime!

What if I told you that you’re a free shuttle ride and a 5 minute walk from greatness? What if I told you there was a land where the subs were as big as your forearm and the pizza slices were as big as your face? Where the menu is like a dartboard, and no matter where you throw the dart you hit a bull’s eye? That place? Pantry Pizza.

Let’s get personal—I’m from New York, and whether you deem that a blessing or a curse, that unequivocally means one thing: I know pizza. My hometown is the land of the dollar slice that is so large it’s a meal in and of itself, the thin hand tossed center with a thick and crunchy but chewy crust. I’m talking Brooklyn style.

Pantry Pizza is the closest thing I have found to the taste back home, and they have slices coming out all day (this place is so popular that they go fast, so they’re always fresh). I am here at least two to three times a week, and I haven’t ordered anything I didn’t genuinely enjoy. Here’s the best part: it’s cheap! You can get a whole 12 inch cheese pizza for under $10, and during the day, if you order any one of the subs on the menu that are all under eight dollars a pop, they throw in a can of soda and a bag of chips. It’s literally all that and a bag of chips.

Please don’t subject yourself to cafeteria roulette and spend the extra 15 minutes to sink your teeth into some great food. Your palette and your wallet will thank you.
Stay hungry.