Over the past few years, I like to think that I’ve become pretty familiar with the best places to eat and drink around Boca. Even though Boca isn’t your typical college town, there are actually tons of places that can cater to college students and their budgets. So, to stop you guys from spending too much money at some of the less-than-stellar eateries around town here’s our guide to all things delicious in and around Boca.
1. When you’re sick of Starbucks: The Seed
Photo courtesy of @theseedboca on Instagram
Located only minutes from campus, The Seed is the perfect stop when Starbucks or Dunkin’ just won’t cut it. Serving locally roasted specialty coffee blends and in-house pressed juices, This quiet little shop is the perfect place to crank out the last few pages of that paper while sipping on some seriously high-quality drinks.
What to Order: Because they use such high-quality fresh beans, I would definitely recommend a standard Latte or Cortado so that you can actually taste and appreciate the quality difference in the coffee without drowning it in sugar or flavors.
Location: 199 West Palmetto Park Road, Suite E, Boca Raton, FL 33432 (8 minutes from campus)
2. When you’re craving sushi: Yokohama
Photo Courtesy of Yokohama Sushi on Facebook
Most of the time you should be weary of cheap sushi, but Yokohama is definitely the exception. I’ve been eating there fairly regularly for almost five years, and I’ve never had a problem or even heard of anyone having a problem with Yokohama’s fish, which definitely can’t be said for some of the other sushi joints in the area. The best sushi you can get at 2am, guaranteed. Free Spoon swag to anyone who can find ya girl on the wall **insert sunglasses emoji here**
What to Order: My all-time favorite is the J.B. Tempura roll, with the Volcano roll coming in at a close second. Bonus points if you manage to get in during their happy hour (which changes times almost constantly) and get both for $7.
Location: 60 N. Federal Hwy, Boca Raton, FL 33432 (8 minutes from campus)
3. When you’re craving greasy food: Fran’s Chicken Heaven
Photo courtesy of @franschicken1964 on Instagram
Now in its 52nd year of operation, Fran’s is one of the last remaining “old school” hole-in-the-wall style restaurants left in Boca. It’s so old, in fact, that they’re the only business in Boca Raton that is permitted to have a neon sign because their sign predates the city ordinance prohibiting such unsightly signage. From chicken and waffles to fried Oreos and pop tarts, you really can’t go wrong with Fran’s original recipes. As they proudly proclaim “if the colonel had (their) recipe, he’d have been a general.”
#Spoontip: Follow them on insta @franschicken1964 for a FREE fried Oreo on your next visit.
What to order: You can never go wrong with chicken and waffles, and Fran’s is no exception. If you’re looking for something a little easier to eat quickly, the chicken tenders are fantastic as well. And don’t forget to grab an Oreo (or six) on your way out.
Location: 1925 N Federal Hwy, Boca Raton, FL 33432 (8 minutes from campus)
4. When you’re trying to be healthy: Farmer’s table
Photo by Morgan Nielsen
This place is so good, we held a Spoon meet up there. From the herb garden out front to their promise that ALL meat and seafood served has never ever been given any antibiotics, steroids, or hormones, Farmer’s Table is the ultimate farm-to-table experience in Boca.
What to order: The mushroom and goat cheese flatbread (seen above) is fantastic, but when everything is so fresh and full of flavor without any of the grease or guilt, you can’t go wrong.
Location: 1901 N Military Trl, Boca Raton, FL 33431 (9 minutes from campus)
5. When you want to check out some live music: DADA
Courtesy of @dadadelray on Instagram
Based out of a historic home in Delray Beach, Dada is decidedly out of the ordinary. In their own words, they allow their employees the “artistic license to explore beyond the normal convention,” and that’s definitely easy to see in their wonderfully chaotic decor and eclectic menu choices. You can also find local bands playing almost every Friday and Saturday night, so if live music is your jam this is definitely a great place for a few drinks out on the town.
What to order: I might be biased because of my deep, passionate love for brie cheese, but the grilled brie appetizer is absolutely fantastic. Served with toasted ciabatta bread, fresh fruit and honey garlic butter, it’s literally the stuff of dreams.
Location: 52 N Swinton Ave, Delray Beach, FL 33444 (17 minutes from campus but sooo worth it)
6. When you or your friends don’t eat meat: Yard House
Photo courtesy of @yardhouse on Instagram
While many of the places in this list are also super vegetarian-friendly, Yard House really stands out because it offers not only a fairly wide range of meat-free dishes but also an entire selection of Gardein (a soy-based meat substitute) based entreés.
What to order: I recommend the Gardein [Mac & Cheese]². With Gardein chicken, wild mushrooms, cheddar, Parmesan and truffle oil, this Mac and cheese is the definition of classy (and animal-friendly) comfort food.
Location: 201 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432 (10 minutes from campus)
7. When you’re craving a slice: Tomasso’s Pizza & Subs
Photo courtesy of @tomassospizza on Instagram
Tomasso’s is a classic no-frills pizza joint with great pizza. They also deliver to campus and areas around FAU, and you can even buy balls of fresh pizza dough if you’re feeling adventurous enough to try to make a pie at home.
What to order: Named for our very own mascot (hoot hoot), the Owl Ball is a classic Italian meatball, wrapped in warm, buttery garlic bread. Talk about
the best of both worlds, amirite?
Location: 1229 W. Palmetto Park Rd, Boca Raton, FL 33486 (8 minutes from campus)
8. When you’re “doing it for the insta”: Raw Juce
Photo by Angela Pizzimenti
Located just down the street from campus, Raw Juce has the most insta-worthy smoothie bowls around. Serving freshly cold-pressed juices as well as açai bowls and oatmeal, this is the perfect place to get a healthy snack between classes.
What to order: My personal favorite is the Power Bowl- Banana, mango, açai, almond mylk, protein powder and almond butter blended and topped with
banana, flax seed granola, hemp seeds, almonds and raw honey. Yum!
Location: 2200 Glades Rd, Suite 403, Boca Raton, FL 33431 (9 minutes from campus)
9. When you’re craving something sweet: Sloan’s Ice Cream
Photo courtesy of @sloans_southflorida on Instagram
This ice cream shop was designed to be a whimsical “ice cream utopia for the young and the young at heart,” and they definitely don’t disappoint. With colorful candy and toys of every kind lining the walls and a small train running its track around the counter, this shop feels like a scene out of Willy Wonka.
What to order: If you’ve got a few friends willing to pitch in, #treatyoself to Tracy’s Kitchen Sink. For around $60, you can get 12 scoops of ice cream covered with every topping offered and tons of whipped cream and cherries. Served in an actual sink, this sundae really is everything AND the kitchen sink. Plus, for only $5 a scoop with all of the toppings, it’s really not THAT bad of a deal.
Location: Mizner Park, 329 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432
10. When you turn 21: El Camino
Photo by Morgan Nielsen
With TWO different happy hours every day (4-7pm and midnight-2am), El Camino is the place to go for all things tequila. Although a little pricey during the non-happy hour times, the $5 margaritas (classic and a random assortment of 2-3 of the currently offered flavors one) and great deals on tacos and guac during happy hour more than make up for it. Pair that with Margarita Monday ($3 classic margaritas) or Taco Tuesday ($2 tacos) and you’ve got yourself the perfect deal.
What to order: The strawberry basil margarita (seen above) is my all-time favorite. This margarita has a fantastic fresh flavor and a touch of sweetness that helps it goes down almost too easily.
Location: 15 NE 2nd Ave, Delray Beach, FL 33444 (17 minutes from campus)
11. When you’re trying to watch the game: Miller’s Ale House
Photo courtesy of @millersalehouse on Instagram
Ale House is your pretty standard sports bar/restaurant. With tons of TVs and a huge outdoor patio as well as a pretty awesome menu full of greasy and delicious seafood and “bar” food, this is the perfect place to knock a few back while watching your favorite game.
What to order: The Zinger Mountain Melt. While it’s probably at least 1,200 calories (I’m honestly afraid to ask for the exact number), this combination of garlic Zingers (signature breaded chicken tenders) piled on top of a mountain of french fries and drenched in Monterey Jack, cheddar cheese and your choice of bleu cheese or ranch dressing and topped with bacon and green onions. It’s practically the definition of a heart attack on a plate, but I can’t think of a better way to die tbh.
Location: 1200 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431 (10 minutes from campus)
12. When you need to grab lunch for under $10 between classes: Moe’s Southwest Grill
Photo courtesy of @moessouthwestgrill on Instagram
A photo posted by Moe’s Southwest Grill (@moessouthwestgrill) on Aug 8, 2016 at 1:53pm PDT
Moe’s serves Fresh tex-mex in a quick and easy (and delicious) to-go fashion. Chips and salsa, guac, some dank queso, burritos, tacos, quesadillas, you name it. Affordable, fast, and delicious, Moe’s is an awesome go-to stop for a quick lunch between classes.
What to order: Even though everyone knows that Moe’s knows burritos, the stacks are the way to go. Built exactly like a crunch wrap from Taco Bell (ingredients stuffed between flat corn tortillas, all wrapped in a flour tortilla and grilled), the stack is an awesome and portable lunch on the go.
Location: 2200 W. Glades Rd, Boca Raton, FL 33431 (9 minutes from campus)