Budget Bites
story by Blake Kjellesvik, photos by Orion Phillips, design by Alex Littman
It’s college. Everybody's broke, it’s okay to admit it. But when it comes down to it, everybody also needs to eat. Finding affordable food options can be difficult, especially when it feels like every time you enter the grocery store, it’s almost impossible to get out of there without spending at least 50 bucks. Every once in a while, it’s nice to eat out, but once again, it feels like you can’t get a good meal anywhere nowadays without spending $20 to $30 minimum. It’s absurd! Is there any way around this?
PULSE has you covered. Not every Ellensburg restaurant has the same high prices. This little college town has a lot to offer, so even a college kid can enjoy a real, tasty meal from time to time without having to break the bank.
Here is a map of 11 local restaurants, some suggested by fellow CWU students.
Pop Pot and Bowl - $5-$16
(Ordered Taiwan Spicy Beef Pot - $15.99)
Pop Pot & Bowl offers Asian cuisine at a low price, specializing in boiled hot pot, where you can customize your own pot with a selection of meats, vegetables, and dipping sauces.
Island Fusion - $5-$20
(Ordered student meal - Chicken - $9.99)
Island Fusion Owner and CWU alum Karla Secka says, “We keep [our prices] low because we love the community, and we want to be inclusive to everyone to try different types of foods from different cultures.” Island Fusion offers African, Jamaican and Hawaiian food as well as some Mexican desserts and drinks. They also offer the use of Wildcat bucks for those of you on student meal plans, a student special for $9.99 and eventually plan on having student discounts.
Good Mood Food Truck - $5-$12
(Ordered Chicken Donuts - $9)
Good Mood Food Truck is a food truck that offers American comfort food such as burgers and fries with Asian accents. They also offer some Asian foods, and something called chicken donuts, which are basically shredded chicken shaped into a donut and deep fried (PICTURED).
Snack’D - $5-$15
(Ordered mini pancakes w/ strawberries, blueberries, and syrup - $10)
A small shop located underneath Maximus gym that offers snack-like foods with a Mexican twist.
Daily Bread & Mercantile - $5-$16
(Ordered Half & Half combo. Comes with half a sandwich of choice (I chose simple way on sweet brown bread) and a bowl soup of choice (I chose chicken gnocchi soup) - $9.53)
Daily Bread & Mercantile is a family owned Christian business that offers fresh baked goods, specialty bulk foods, deli meats and cheeses, and a healthy option for lunch with sandwiches, soups and salads.
El Loco Food Truck - $3-$13
(Ordered Quesatacos - $5)
El Loco Food Truck is a Mexican food truck that offers tacos, quesadillas, massive burritos and more!
CWU Food Pantry - Free for all CWU students
The Wildcat Pantry, located on the first floor in the James E. Brookes library on campus, is a free resource available to all CWU students. Wildcat Pantry Coordinator Charles Johnson says, “We provide students with a multitude of different options for food, even down to cultural items that are specific to specific foods that they eat within their culture.” Along with food, they offer hygiene and household items that students might need for everyday life. All one needs is a valid student I.D. and they will receive 25 points to use each week. Johnson wants students to know that “when you don't need us: great. And when you do need us, we're here.”
Wing Central - $7-$17 — Wings ranging from $17 for 12 to $35 for 24
Wing Central offers, well you guessed it, chicken wings! They have 14 different wing sauces, as well as burgers, salads and deep-fried starters.
The Tav - $5-$17
The Tav is a 21+ bar that offers American pub food consisting of burgers, sandwiches, chicken, salads and more alongside many drink options from tap beers to cocktails.
Campus U-Tote-Em - $5-$18
Campus U-Tote-Em offers a classic drive-in experience with burgers, fries and shakes.
The Early Bird - $9-$19
The Early Bird is a breakfast eatery that offers a wide range of breakfast and lunch options. However, this isn’t your normal breakfast restaurant. Some of their options include: monkey bread, breakfast poutine, smoked salmon toast or churro flavored waffles.
(Maybe a sidebar with quotes from students about why they Feel Affordable Food is Important)
Some people have it easy and can afford to get meals on the expensive side every night. Those people usually aren’t college students. That’s why it’s so important to have affordable options in a college town. First-Year Musical Theater Major, Kaylee Christensen says, “I think it's really important, especially for students, to have affordable food because… it's kind of hard to find a job here.”
But it isn’t just because the majority of us are broke. Kilah Leadingham, a third-year biology major says, “I think it's just a basic human right that everybody has affordable food, that they can eat, and they have access to healthy, good quality food most important of all.” Amen to that.
For Markell Carter, a business admin major with a second human resources business major and a minor in child psychology who’s graduating in 2027, it’s more about making sure he can stay successful. He says, “We need those nutrients…. It gives you the energy you need to succeed through college…. When I'm hungry and I'm having stomach aches or heartburn… I would rather stay at home than go to class, but you know, you cannot miss a day… because you miss a day, it's like missing a whole week.”
