Best Places to Eat at UNH
What is the dining hall food at UNH like? What dining and meal options are there outside of the dining hall?
Welcome to our My Favorite Meals blog series, where current UNH students share with you the meals and dining locations they enjoy the most. Today, Paige Hornbeck '25, a civil engineering major, talks about her seven favorite things to eat on and near the UNH campus, from the on-campus pie truck located near STEM classrooms and labs to the best place to grab pizza off campus.
General Gau's chicken from Philbrook Dining Hall
1. General Gau's Chicken from Philbrook Dining Hall (Philly)
Don’t knock the dining halls … even in your senior year! My favorite dish is General Gau's chicken, which I get with fried rice or beef noodles. This is a fan favorite among my friends in the civil engineering department, and we all get very excited to use our meal swipes on this one! We’ll often check the weekly menu online (available for both Holloway Commons and Philbrook Dining Halls) and see if they are serving our favorites. On the days of my favorite meal, my favorite dessert is also served, so I’ll often grab a cookie cheesecake bar for the road.
Northeast Pie Company truck on the UNH campus
2. Peanut Butter Bar from Northeast Pie Company
The Northeast Pie Company truck is located in the small quad right behind DeMeritt Hall. They’re known for their variety of small pies, as well as grab-and-go snacks and drinks. The pie truck is right along the walking path to class for most STEM students; heading from the physics department in DeMeritt, past the biological science labs in Rudman and Spaulding, to the astronomy classes in Morse and across to the high-tech engineering machinery in Kingsbury. It’s a perfect stop on the way to your next class or after a long lab. I almost always run into friends at this spot, as this quad is a heavily trafficked area throughout the day.
The Works Café in Durham
3. BBQ Chicken Panini from The Works Café
The Works is a cozy café located in downtown Durham, just a 10-minute walk from the farthest residence hall. It’s a cute and small, yet bustling spot in town for coffee with friends, lunch with family or even a cranking study session. I often meet up with friends here for breakfast or lunch on the weekends. They have the best breakfast sandwiches and bowls, but for lunch my favorite is their BBQ chicken panini. The Works is unique because the café uses thoughtfully sourced, organic ingredients, all local to New England. There’s also a location in downtown Portsmouth, just a short 20-minute drive or Wildcat Transit bus ride away! They have lots of outdoor seating where I love hanging out with friends in the warmer months.
Acai bowl from The Spot in Durham
4. Acai Bowl from The Spot
The Spot is a little hidden gem located right in downtown Durham next to Revolution Retro, a fun thrift store. The Spot just recently opened their in-person store, so you can order ahead and grab at the pick-up window or order in the store. They have a wide variety of customizable acai bowls and smoothies, but I love treating myself to a classic “OG” plus peanut butter! Fruit bowls are such a refreshing pick-me-up, especially when the warmer weather comes around, and they have been a long-time favorite of my friends and I since freshman year!
Ramon's Food & Coffee Cart on campus
5. Mocha Java with a Turkey Sausage Egg & Cheese on a Croissant from Ramon’s
Ramon’s food truck, located across the street from Parsons and sandwiched between the Paul Creative Arts Center and the Horton Social Science Center, is my favorite way to start the morning. I’m always greeted by a smiling Ramon, who makes my fresh coffee and warm breakfast sandwich. I love meeting up with friends here, as it is another popular foodie hot-spot on campus (sometimes with extra-long lines between classes — Wildcats love Ramon!). There’s a nice table under a tree to lounge in the warmer months, but the snow has had me popping into McConnell or Horton Hall to enjoy my meal while catching up on some work in the big study spaces in the lobbies.
Bonus! Off-Campus Favorites
6. BBQ Chicken Pizza from Flatbread Company (Portsmouth, N.H.)
Though there’s lots of great places to grab a slice on campus, like Durham House of Pizza (DHOP), Village Pizza, Domino's, Wildcat Pizza and even the dining halls, whenever I am off campus, Flatbread Company is one of my all-time favorites! They have a wide variety of customizable single or sharable pizzas and are a fan-favorite for my gluten-free friends as well. It’s the perfect place for a friends night out, or to take your family after a football game. It's a great, cozy environment, with even better food!
7. Girl Scout Cookie Mocha Latte from Crackskull’s Coffee & Books (Newmarket, N.H.)
Crackskull’s is just a 10-minute drive from campus, in Newmarket’s cute downtown area. Surrounded by bookshelves, card games and local art prints, this cafe is a perfect space to study or meet up with friends. They have a wide variety of specialty lattes, with my favorites being the Girl Scout Cookie Mocha, Nutella or Sugar Cookie latte (I have a big sweet tooth)! They also have teas, kombucha and even a small pastry section for those longer study sessions.
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