Why Hopkins: Admitted Student Blog

These are places that are on campus, convenient, and have become a staple of our lives here as freshmen (and sophomores, and juniors, and…). Each of these establishments participates in your freshman and sophomore meal plan in some way, whether you pay with dining dollars (money included in your meal plan that you can use at any of the dining establishments on campus) or meal swipes! You can also use J-Cash- which is like a debit card for Hopkins, cash, or credit here as well.

If you’re really hungry or you want a whole meal,

The FFC, or Fresh Food Café, is the dining hall right on the freshman quad.  Since the vast majority of students that eat there are freshmen, you’re bound to see some friends there at any given time. They also have a wide range of options from falafel to spaghetti to ice cream. Some of their main attractions are: their freshly baked cookies, their omelets (and the charismatic people that make them), their scrumptious pizza, and their action station where you can see your food prepared in front of you. The FFC also really caters to people’s dietary needs; they have a gluten-free section and an action station for vegetarians where they make delicious and nutritious meals (that even the omnivores eat). A few times a year, the FFC holds a Sterling Brunch, which is a dining experience you won’t want to miss! To add icing to the cake, they also are the proud owners of their own orange juice squeezer and smoothie bar. This location accepts meal swipes, dining dollars, J-Cash, credit, or cash.

Nolan’s on 33rd (known by simply “Nolans” to most Hopkids) is located in Charles Commons, one of the on-campus upperclassman dorms. There are several stations so you can pick what food you want.  If you like freshly tossed salads, made-to-order sandwiches, brick-oven pizzas, grilled favorites, personalized pasta, a home-style meal, or smoothies, you’ll definitely like Nolan’s. This location accepts sophomore meal swipes, dining dollars, J-Cash, credit, or cash.

Silk Road Express, located in the Mattin Center, specializes in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. They take J-Cash for a host of meals like sandwiches, salads, hummus, noodle dishes, stir-fry, bubble tea, dessert pies and cakes, sodas, and more. This location accepts J-Cash, cash, or credit.

Charles Street Market, or Char Mar, is a super convenient store beneath Wolman Hall.  Char Mar has all the groceries you’ll need and all the snacks you’d ever want. Char Mar also has a sub shop with lots of different types of sandwiches. The most popular sandwich is definitely the Southwest Chicken Sandwich; it has pepper jack cheese, chicken, chipotle southwest sauce, and bacon. If you’re more of a raw fish person, they have a great selection of sushi. The coolest part about the sushi is the sushi cam where you can watch the sushi being made. Char Mar’s new addition to its family is the Krispy Kreme stand. This location accepts dining dollars, J-Cash, credit, or cash.

Char Mar also boasts an Einstein Bros. Bagel shop, which is a great place to grab breakfast or a hot drink on your way to class in the morning (especially convenient if you’re living in Wolman). They also have great raspberry lemonade to sip on a warm spring day. This location accepts dining dollars, J-Cash, credit, or cash.

Are you in the mood for sushi? How about a hot cup of soup? Maybe some fries and a burger? How about a sub sandwich? Maybe some pizza? Levering Food Court has all this and more.

If you want a cup of coffee or a snack,

Pura Vida in Levering Hall is situated in a room full of cozy couches. You can grab a cup of fair-trade coffee, soup, a salad, a wrap or sandwich, or a pastry and sit with your coffee by the fireplaces on a cold day.

For a little more variety or a different coffee taste (trust us, you’ll have a favorite between these two), try Cafe Q. Named for its location on Q- (or “Quad”) level of the library, Café Q is an ideal place to grab a snack (or two) before heading downstairs to study. They have delicious sandwiches and yummy cookies. However, the coolest thing about Cafe Q is that they have a ton of syrups that you can put into your coffee to try a lot of new flavors. You can even make your own Italian soda.

Considered by many as the best coffee on campus is Alkimia. Alkimia has delicious coffee and hot chocolate. They also serve warm hot cider, lemonade with the perfect mix of sweetness and sourness. Alkimia also has a delicious cookies, yummy sandwiches and salads, and muffins. However, my favorite part of Alkimia is the delicious empanadas imported from Baltimore’s best Argentinian restaurant Max’s Empanadas. Yum!

You’ll learn in college that the best food in college is free. Check out nourish me for free, an app created by a Hopkins student, that finds all the opportunities for free food on campus that day!