by Jonas Hattman, Eva Buckner, and Madeline Brooks
The Pig
Pictured above
Food & Drink: 4.5/5 The Pig provides good old fashioned barbeque and Southern comfort food, and what it lacks in health it makes up for in flavor. The food is delicious and filling, and you can rest easy knowing all of the meat served at The Pig is sustainable and locally-sourced.
Efficiency: 5/5 With rapid and friendly service even on busy days, The Pig, just a 5-minute walk or a 1-minute drive from parking lot to parking lot, is just about the most time-conscious option for East students beside Family Fare. You even have time to sit down and eat for a few minutes!
Vibes: 5/5 The Pig’s warmth, cozy indoor seating, nostalgic music indoors and covered picnic tables out front provide many options for seating.
Price: $$$ The Pig serves quality food, and that doesn’t always come cheap. However, whatever you order will be sizable and filling, and certainly worth the cost.
Joe Van Gogh
Food & Drink: 4/5 The drinks are almost always delicious and made in front of your eyes by the barista. Joe Van Gogh is the best place to stop and grab a quick coffee before fifth period. The pastries are fine, but we would not recommend going to Joe to buy a real lunch.
Efficiency: 4/5 Joe is just a quick four-minute drive from East and serves quality drinks at a speedy pace. We’ve even left East at 1 p.m. for a Joe run and made it back in time for fifth!
Vibes: 4/5 Joe Van Gogh has a casual hipster feel and offers a nice, relaxing break from the hectic pace of East. It smells of great coffee, and there will usually be open spots to grab a seat.
Price: $$ The food at Joe is certainly overpriced; however, the drinks are quality and reasonably-priced.
Guglhupf
Food & Drink: 4/5 With a variety of pastries made locally, as well as the same basic cafe drink options you can expect anywhere, it’s a good coffee alternative to Joe Van Gogh. The pastries provide a filling snack for anyone looking to find a light lunch and a caffeine boost in one stop, and while the drinks are nothing to write home about, the delicious pastries make it worth the trip.
Efficiency: 3/5 Within a seven-minute drive of East, at Guglhupf you’ll find quick service and food or drink easy to consume on the go.
Vibes: 4/5 Right across Eastgate lot from Trader Joe’s, Guglhupf’s parking lot is busy, but once inside (or in the adorable outdoor seating area), you can de-stress in a quiet atmosphere. It’s a great place to reset your mind and body before returning to the chaos of school.
Price: $$ Provides a relatively cheap way to get good energy for the afternoon. It is less expensive than many other cafes and lunch spots in Chapel Hill.
Cook Out
Food & Drink: 3.5/5 Pretty typical fast food… definitely enjoyable but does not leave you feeling too great.
Efficiency: 1/5 It’s at least a 15-minute drive to Cook Out, and any traffic or slow line will make it even longer. It’s risky move, and only worthwhile if you have a free fourth or fifth period.
Vibes: 2/5 Full of people on lunch breaks, all in a rush to get their food and get out, no one’s at Cook Out during lunch to hang out. This creates a stressful environment, full of people all waiting impatiently for their food, rather than enjoying the experience. You’ll come back to class feeling stressed and sweaty, rather than reset and relaxed.
Price: $ For the number of calories and taste of food, it’s well worth the money spent. Any milkshake or fries will fill you up for under $5.
