Need a good place to eat?

You’re new to Mt. Hood and need to know where to get some quality food. Don’t worry, I’ve got your back: Here are some suggestions on where to score some good eats between classes.

Various snacks and refreshments can be found in the campus Bookstore and the Library, but I recommend taking a pass. Everything is really overpriced, especially in the Bookstore cafe. I never went back last year after I paid three dollars for what seemed like a shot of hot chocolate (no marshmallows).

The St. Helens Bistro is a good option if you happen to be near the 1700s classroom area. It has hot or cold drinks, cheap sandwiches, salads and other cold meals. While they aren’t the best, customers get what they pay for.

For those of you who need a Starbucks fix, a few good options exist. The St. Helens Bistro serves Starbucks coffee, and there is an Albertsons right by the college (corner of 257the /Kane Drive and Stark Street) with a Starbucks (among other things).

If you want to go the fast food route, you have various self-esteem lowering decisions. There are Burger King, Long John Silver’s, Taco Bell, Burgerville, Jack In The Box and a few other outlets found right outside the college. If you have to do fast food, I say go to Jack In the Box. It’s within reasonable walking distance, just across 257th/Kane Drive, and you won’t lose your parking spot.

I know what you’re thinking: Is there anywhere good on campus to eat? The cafeteria, duh. Joking aside, there is some good quality, tasty food to be found at the MHCC version, commonly known as the Vista Dining Center. The prices aren’t bad. either. There are always combo deals for around five dollars. The Vista is south of the Bookstore, on the upper level that hangs above the Student Union. I recommend going straight to the grill and wrap station.

At the grill you can order burgers, fries, chicken strips and grilled cheese sandwiches, all freshly made. Everything the Vista staff makes is reasonably sized and much better than other nearby fast food offerings. The fries are especially thick and crispy.

At the wrap station, you can choose a variety of wraps, taco salads, burritos and tacos. The choices of ingredients aren’t exhaustive, but what’s available is of good quantity, quality and taste. You can add bacon to anything, and really, that’s all you need to know. One more plus is that the service is always top-notch.

Hopefully, I was able to enlighten you on how to get some good food around campus. If you know of any more hidden spots or cheap eats here, tweet us about it @mhccadvocate.