Just left class and want to grab a bite to eat? New to the Cupertino area? Let La Voz help you with that. De Anza College is surrounded by a wide variety of dining options that fill every taste and budget. If you leave campus near the A quad and walk across Stevens Creek Boulevard, you’ll find yourself at the Oaks Shopping Center. There are a lot of places to eat, some of which even have offers for De Anza students.
A very popular place to have some $1.75 coffee and hang out, Coffee Society offers good service, lots of seating, and free Wi-Fi. There are even food products like burritos in case you’re hungry as well as thirsty. They have all the coffee shop mainstays like lattes, cappuccinos, and espressos, so no coffee aficionado will be left out.
Sushi Ya! restaurant is running a back-to-school sale, taking off 10 percent of the price for sushi, nigiri, donburi, etc. Simply Thai also has a 10 percent discount to De Anza students as well as a reliable lunch special. It’s open from lunch time to late, making it a great stop for students who let out of class in the afternoon. They even have a card promotion that rewards repeat visitors with iced tea and food.
Owners of a Five Stars Card can get a lot out of these local venues. Places like Pho-Licious display this participation out front. Pho-Licious also has take-home menus that double as coupons for later visits, making their eponymous pho all the better of a choice. Best yet, they offer free delivery on big dinners; great for long study sessions. Sitar Express Indian Fusion Cuisine has take-out for the student with spice on the mind. Quickly, located close to Mary, has an enormous menu with many features around $3; the epitome of the quick, cheap meal.
If you’re in the mood for something closer to sandwiches, the Oaks has a Togo’s for those cravings. The space is big with the outstanding feature of this location being the $5 specials that include a sandwich, soda, and chips.
If you’ve got something to celebrate, Hobee’s is there for you. “This place is famous for its blueberry coffee cake,” said Chris Burley, instructional designer at sister college Foothill, as he waited for his number outside Hobee’s door.
On the dessert side of things, Orange Tree Frozen Yogurt, near Hobee’s allows you to build up your own dessert, starting with a base of frozen yogurt in flavors like vanilla, strawberry, peanut butter, and lychee, and add on any amount of fruit and candy you want. Since the price of the dessert depends on the weight, this is a great option for somebody watching their diet and wallet.
Jamba Juice offers a similar sweet experience with their smoothies and yogurt, values that hover around $3.50 to $5. Jamba Juice’s Morning Motivation, is perfect for the store’s 7 a.m. open time.
Outside the Oaks shopping center, across Stelling Road and clearly visible from Parking Lot A is a Panda Express. Your reward for a brisk walk from campus is a $5.99 choice of 1 side and 2 entrees, or $7.29 for 3 entrees if you’re hungry.
Past the Panda Express is a Hawaiian Barbecue offering seafood, chicken, rice bowls, sushi, and some nicely cheap burgers.
Across Stevens Creek is Whole Foods. Their selection of organic foods makes for good dinner shopping, but they offer dinner ready-made of pizzas and sandwiches; a great destination for late day shopping and eating.
If you have a car or feel like a good walk, keep going along Stevens Creek to find on your left a shopping center with a Panera Bread and a Peet’s Coffee.
Below is a list of all the places I have mentioned with hours of operation and other pieces of information to help you make your mind. Bon appetit!
