Food Wars: CCNY Edition
Fatima Hashem
Good food places are essential for campus life. They matter not only because you don't want to go to class hungry, but also because good food makes the best breaks with friends, full of jokes and laughter. Thankfully, CCNY has plenty of food options for whatever you are craving. But do you ever get decision fatigue about where to eat at CCNY? Well, look no further because, as a self-proclaimed food connoisseur, I have all of the details and my rankings ready just to make your food-loving life easier!
Photograph: Daniel Ramos Arias/The Campus
Tajeen Halal Truck:
Halal food is quintessential to NYC and NYC’s food culture. And thankfully, CCNY has not one but two halal food trucks right on campus! Tajeen Halal Truck, a.k.a. the famous purple food truck, is known for long lines and its convenient location right outside our very own Shepherd Hall. On its menu, you can find your standard halal food truck cuisine, including platters (Chicken over Rice, Lamb over Rice, Falafel over Rice, etc.), sandwiches (Cheeseburger, Chicken Gyro, Lamb Gyro, etc.), sides (French Fries, Curly Fries, etc.), and some more unique items such as Philly Cheesesteak and Mozzarella Sticks. Not surprisingly, the Chicken over Rice is the most popular and sought-after item from the student body, and for $10.00, who could blame them? Tajeen Halal Truck boasts great food, fast service, and affordable prices, with most items at $10.00 or less, competitive with many halal food trucks in the city. Plus, the portion sizes are amazing for the price, and you may not need an extra snack to get you through class.
Photograph: Janiya Cummings/The Campus
Two Guys Halal Truck:
Our other halal food truck on campus, which is right across from the CUNY School of Medicine, is Two Guys Halal Truck. The line is just as long as Tajeen Halal Truck, and the prices are even lower! The platters, which include similar menu items to Tajeen (such as Chicken over Rice, Lamb over Rice, etc.), sell for $7.00 while the gyros (Chicken Gyro, Lamb Gyro, etc.) sell for $6.00. They also include salads (Chicken Salad, Falafel Salad, and Lamb Salad) for $7.00, which you will not see on the Tajeen Halal Truck menu. Similarly, Two Guys' top-selling item is Chicken over Rice. Overall, compared to Tajeen Halal Truck, the Two Guys Halal Truck is most definitely more affordable! However, in my experience, Two Guys Halal Truck has smaller portions that don't feel worth the price.
Photograph: Paola Ventura/The Campus
Burger & Shake Co.:
Burger & Shake Co. boasts one of the largest menus of all the places we looked at, with burgers, French fries, chicken sandwiches, Korean corn dogs, and ice cream! Just the burgers alone add up to 18 choices. According to the staff, while the burgers are popular, especially the Sweet Onion Mushroom Swiss Burger and the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger, the corn dogs are really the fan favorite. With 5 flavors to choose from, plus the option to make it half sausage and half mozzarella or all mozzarella, the corn dogs are an easy snack to pair with fries or another side for a great meal. Not feeling regular fries? No worries, you can choose velveeta cheese fries, sweet potato fries, parmesan truffle fries, and more. Don’t want fries at all? Then you can have mozzarella sticks, fried zucchini, or onion rings. Burger & Shake Co. also offers a student lunch special: a grilled cheese sandwich, fries, and a drink of your choice (excluding milkshakes) for $7.95. In terms of affordability, Burger & Shake Co. is comparable to many fast-food burger chains, with most burgers under $10.00. Their famous corn dogs are $4.00 or less (no substitutions), and overall they offer many affordable menu items.
Photograph: Paola Ventura/The Campus
Cafe One:
Right next to Burger & Shake Co. is Cafe One, a student favorite for coffee and more, with a line literally out the door. Cafe One is a great spot for breakfast or lunch and offers a variety of menu items. For breakfast, Cafe One has many breakfast sandwiches, such as Egg and Cheddar Cheese and Egg with your choice of sausage, Ham, or bacon, though breakfast sandwiches are only available until 3 PM. They also offer bagel spreads, quiche, and omelets (until 12 PM). For lunch, they offer hot and cold sandwiches, served with salad or chips. They also offer wraps and a few vegetarian options. Some sandwich options include the Chicken Pesto Panini, Pulled Pork, and more. As a cafe, Cafe One also offers a variety of desserts and drink choices! They offer a wide variety of macarons, muffins, cakes, and other flavors. On their drink menu, you will find your standard hot drinks such as Espresso, Cappuccino, Mocha Latte, Matcha Latte, etc. On the cooler side, you will find Iced Lattes, Iced Americano, Cold Brew, etc. They also have smoothies, frappuccinos, iced tea, and both hot and frozen Hot Chocolate. Cafe One’s drinks are a little pricey but standard for cafe prices, with most drinks under $6.00 and sandwiches around $11.00. Wondering what to buy there? The Iced Matcha Latte is a crowd-pleaser, and the Black Bean Burger is widely praised for its deliciousness, even as a vegetarian option.
Photograph: Daniel Ramos Arias/The Campus
Tealicious Inc.:
Have you explored the NAC Cafeteria yet? If you have a sweet tooth, Tealicious Inc. serves amazing bubble tea and desserts with flavors you may have never seen before. Tealicious Inc. is a halal Desi-fusion bubble tea shop with a menu featuring bubble tea, crepes, milkshakes, and ice cream, with many flavors inspired by Desi cuisine. Their menu is similar to what you'd find at another bubble tea shop, including Milk Tea and Taro Milk Tea, but also unique flavors like Pistachio Kulfi Milk Tea and Falooda Milk Tea. While their milk teas are great, their crepes really steal the show; they are absolutely delicious and come in a variety of flavors. If you like chocolate, try the Nutella Crepe or the Oreo Crepe. If not, then the Fruity Pebbles Crepe may be your choice. They also have a variety of milkshake flavors, such as Ferrero and Kinder, and you can get them as regular ice cream too. If you don’t want milk tea or milkshakes, they also have unique matcha lattes, including White Chocolate Matcha and Mango Matcha. Prices are on the pricier side, but their drinks and crepes are comparable to many chain bubble tea shops across NYC. Their crepes are definitely the stunner on the menu: perfectly delectable, almost nauseatingly sweet, and definitely shareable!
Ranking:
Hopefully this tour of the amazing food places near CCNY helps you choose your next place to try. As for me, I based this ranking on my own preferences. I considered prices, the number of choices, and my personal food tastes.
Burger & Shake Co.! Their menu is extensive, their prices are great for what they offer, and they are the only place on this list with a student lunch special. My personal favorites are the Potato Corn Dog and the Velveeta Cheese Fries.
Tajeen Halal Truck! You can’t go wrong with halal food, especially from this truck, since the prices match the portions. The Chicken over Rice is the best menu item overall, and I’m not the only student who thinks so.
Cafe One! Their Matcha Latte is amazing, and their breakfast sandwiches are delicious for the price. The macarons, however, are probably my favorite. Next time you go, try the strawberry macaron! Even though the line stretches out the door, sometimes the wait is worth it.
Two Guys Halal Truck! Even though their prices are lower than Tajeen Halal Truck, I still don’t think their Chicken over Rice is worth it, because the portion is small. Usually, I need a snack afterward, which isn’t worth it to me.
Tealicious Inc.! Their drinks and crepes are great, don’t get me wrong, but they do not have actual food and are more of a dessert place. I guess I will have to treat myself to bubble tea and a crepe after I eat from one of the other food places on this list!
