Where should one eat lunch during the school-day? What at first seems to be a relatively simple question has no shortage of answers, with a blend of necessity, personal preference, and research determining each individual’s answer.
Luckily, I’m here to make that easier for you. Rated below are 12 lunch options, their price, time (in distance and waiting), quality, and an overall verdict on whether or not they are a good choice, quantified as a rating out of 40. Each restaurant is placed in a tier from a to c at the end of the article. The requirements for consideration are as follows: the restaurant has to be: a) within five miles and b) have been checked by at least 20% of the respondents in a 120 person school-survey conducted by The Westwind. All photos are taken from Wikimedia Commons unless otherwise specified, while location data is provided by Google Maps.
After that, all’s fair game. Who’s hungry?
Chipotle
Price: 7/10
While on the more expensive end of this list, Chipotle is considered more ‘fast casual’ and therefore features higher prices. When adding chips and/or a drink, it can get a bit pricey.
Time (distance): 9/10
Under a five minute drive from A-West, leaving plenty of time to eat.
Time (waiting): 8/10
Chipotle features (relatively) longer lines but has quick food preparation.
Quality: 9/10
Fresh ingredients and good cooking techniques, especially compared to other fast food/fast casual restaurants. The only issue is that servers are occasionally sloppy with proportions (as opposed to Illegal Pete’s, which mixes the burrito ingredients especially well).
Overall rating (out of thirty): 33/40
As evidenced by more than 50% of students responding in the survey they had eaten at Chipotle during school, the Mexican grill restaurant is an excellent option. While a tad bit expensive, it provides quality and speed, a valuable blend almost as good as the food itself.
McDonald’s
Price: 10/10
With the return of five dollar meal deals this summer along with consistently cheap options, McDonald’s will rarely, if ever, be beat for price.
Time (distance): 8/10
The closest location is a six to seven minute drive, with other locations a bit farther away.
Time (waiting): 8/10
McDonald’s is usually very quick, but the popularity of the closest location lengthens lines and therefore slows down waiting times.
Quality: 5/10
Numerous studies, articles, and films have exposed the health consequences of consistently eating at McDonald’s, with arguably none more impactful than Super Size Me. While this is true for most fast food restaurants, McDonald’s is especially poor. Not much more to be said.
Overall rating: 31/40
The epitome of fast food, McDonald’s was checked the fourth most of any restaurant in the survey. While quick and cheap, it, along with many other fast food restaurants, can cause serious health problems.
Wendy’s
Price: 8/10
While slightly pricier than similar options at other restaurants, the race to create the cheapest combo meal has brought down prices across the industry.
Time (distance): 8/10
The closest location is a 6 minute drive, but can take two to three minutes longer depending on different factors.
Time (waiting): 8/10
Slightly slower than McDonald’s in terms of food preparation, but is usually not as crowded.
Quality: 6/10
While slightly better than McDonald’s, the business model for fast food restaurants does not provide for the highest quality food, with cheap prices and quick service taking precedence.
Overall rating: 30/40
Close to A-West and featuring fairly cheap prices and pretty good food, Wendy’s is a solid option when you are craving a burger.
Burger King
Price: 8/10
Like Wendy’s (and every other fast food burger chain) Burger King is beaten for price by McDonald’s, but is still a very cheap option.
Time (distance): 8/10
A five minute drive with other locations nearby, Burger King is well located for students in a hurry.
Time (waiting): 8/10
Burger King is slightly slower than Wendy’s and McDonald’s but usually has quicker lines.
Quality: 6/10
As with other fast food burger restaurants, Burger King focuses on prices and speed over quality, but has slightly better products than McDonalds, among others.
Overall rating: 30/40
If you are looking for an acceptable fast food burger at an acceptable price, look no further.
Panera Bread
Price: 6/10
More expensive than other fast food restaurants, especially if you are trying to get a full meal. But again, this comes with being a fast casual restaurant, as opposed to fast food.
Time (distance): 8/10
With a location five minutes away by car, Panera Bread is close to A-West but can take longer to get to due to traffic in the general area.
Time (waiting): 6/10
Panera Bread takes a while to order and receive food, but as a fast casual restaurant this is to be expected.
Quality: 9/10
Panera Bread provides a good variety of quality options, from warm soups to flavorful sandwiches.
Overall rating: 29/40
Panera Bread is definitely more of a sit down restaurant, meaning ordering take-out or delivery is not quite the same product. However, the chain makes up for it with a nearby location and a delicious span of lunch options.
Dairy Queen
Price: 9/10
With cheap burgers and chicken baskets, Dairy Queen is well priced. Enough said.
Time (distance): 10/10
Less than a five minute walk (and a one minute drive), Dairy Queen is as close as can be.
Time (waiting): 8/10
Dairy Queen is very close to the school and serves a large number of students, meaning it features longer lines, but the service is relatively quick and the drive-through is rarely packed.
Quality: 7/10
While primarily known for their desserts, as evidenced by their name, Dairy Queen provides acceptable burgers and chicken, with their blizzards and ice-creams quite satisfying.
Overall rating: 34/40
Dairy Queen’s close proximity to A-West makes it a great option, with their quality and price doing nothing more than to enhance their appeal.
Noodles and Company
Price: 7/10
When ordering just a Mac and Cheese, the prices are cheap, but add in any meat or diversify your order, and the cost quickly rises.
Time (distance): 8/10
A five minute car ride, with other locations requiring under a ten minute commute, Noodles and Company can be reached easily, but traffic on the route often slows down the process.
Time (waiting): 8/10
Noodles and Company is not nearly as quick as many fast food restaurants, but that comes with being a fast casual restaurant.
Quality: 9/10
Noodles and Company uses good ingredients and, as a fast casual restaurant, further prioritizes delicious food.
Overall rating: 32/40
Noodles and Company has mastered Mac and Cheese, with other options proving complementary. However, the meals can become rather expensive.
Subway
Price: 8/10
The new Meal of the Day at Subway lowers the price for a specific sandwich plus chips and a drink each day of the week, but the footlong sandwiches, especially when paired with chips/cookies and a drink, can get expensive.
Time (distance): 7/10
With the nearest location eight minutes away, Subway takes longer to get to than other fast food options.
Time (waiting): 8/10
Subway is a bit slower when compared to other fast food restaurants but still has a solid assembly-line service style that produces efficient results.
Quality: 8/10
On top of being one of the more nutritious fast food options, Subway features a wide selection of good ingredients.
Overall rating: 31/40
When looking for a slightly healthier, higher quality departure from the normal fast food selection, Subway is an excellent option. However, it can get pricey, especially as a fast food restaurant compared to fast casual.
Taco Bell
Price: 9/10
Taco Bell already had a value menu and relatively cheap options, but the addition of Luxe Boxes has pushed them over the top.
Time (distance): 9/10
A location within five minutes lands Taco Bell a 9/10 in this category.
Time (waiting): 8/10
Taco Bell has quick service, but can get backed up, especially during lunch.
Quality: 5/10
Taco Bell isn’t the standard bearer for good ingredients, and their lower prices lead to lower quality, as is customary.
Overall rating: 31/30
Taco Bell has significantly improved with the addition of Luxe Boxes, and their consistently low prices coupled with a variety of options make them an excellent choice.
MOD Pizza
Price: 7/10
Fairly expensive, with pizzas topping 10 dollars, but it is a full (albeit smaller-sized) pizza, after all.
Time (distance): 8/10
The closest location is around 7 minutes away, slightly longer than the preferred five minute drive.
Time (waiting): 7/10
The process of making a pizza is fairly slow, but MOD pizza has managed to speed this up a little bit.
Quality: 9/10
Made in front of you with your choice of toppings, MOD pizza has mastered everything that has to do with pizza customization.
Overall rating: 31/40
MOD Pizza becomes pricey if you eat there often, but if you are craving a pizza fast, it is an excellent choice.
Treasure Pot
Price: 7/10
The only restaurant on this list that can be qualified as purely casual dining, Treasure Pot features higher prices to go with better food. However, this can price out some students just looking for a quick, satisfactory meal.
Time (distance): 10/10
Even closer than Dairy Queen, Treasure Pot is across the street from A-West.
Time (waiting): 7/10
Sit-down, casual dining restaurants take longer to produce food, resulting in longer waits. However, lines are rarely long.
Quality: 9/10
As stated before, Treasure Pot is a casual dining restaurant, and therefore places additional emphasis on the quality of their food and ingredients.
Overall rating: 33/40
School lunch
Price: 10/10
Meals including up to a main option, side, fruit, and vegetable, with occasional bonus items, are completely free due to the continuation of Colorado’s Healthy School Meals for All program.
Time (distance): 10/10
Located in the building, A-West school lunch is the closest it could possibly be.
Time (waiting): 6/10
The drawback with free, accessible food is long lines. A-West especially struggles with this, as both lines take over ten minutes most days. The only solution is to get in line quickly, but finding a table is also a challenge and a balancing act between the two is required.
Quality: 4/10
While the food isn’t high quality, it is free, meaning there is no positive correlation between profits and the overall product.
Overall rating: 31/40
I know, I know, it’s school lunch. However, it’s free, it’s located in the building, and the quality of the food is acceptable. While especially appealing for freshmen and sophomores, this is a solid option for any student.
