Food Around IMSA

As we head back to school, one question on the minds of many new students (and those who may not know) prevails: how do I overcome the drought of flavor that is Lexington? In the dorms, it may be challenging to find decent food options apart from the snacks from the vending machine. With the help of Google Maps and walking trips, however, the food experience may not be so difficult after all. This article covers some of the top spots but also provides a compiled list from IMSA (see changes in additional information) of nearby locations. 

Orchard

Orchard Road is one of the most visited walking trip locations for the variety of restaurants on this strip. From Panera Bread to Buffalo Wild Wings to Pizza Hut, this road is perfect for most IMSA students. 

Convenience Stores and Trips

Alternatively, let’s say a student isn’t looking to walk to the restaurants provided in the list and is possibly interested in saving up. In this case, many students go on trips to Woodman’s, Target, and Walgreens to get microwavable items, Starbucks (inside Target), and all sorts of other foods. 

Balaji Temple

One of the closest–by foot–and most interesting food choices available is at the Balaji Temple. On select days, the temple offers high-quality Indian dishes including Dosa with curry and several types of rice. On others, they offer roti with curry, mango lassi, and other delicious foods. Keep in mind that the Balaji Temple has just completed renovations and therefore, their food schedule has been flipped frequently, however, students can expect this to settle down towards the middle of this school year. 

Ordering Food

One of the privileges IMSA students receive in the dorms is for ordering food. Typically done through delivery apps such as DoorDash or restaurant/fastfood apps (the TacoBell app or McDonald’s App), this provides students access to food from almost any restaurant they desire. Some things to keep in mind when ordering is that you can’t receive orders after 10 P.M. unless you have permission and you should always let your RC know you’re ordering. Furthermore, something useful for ordering is to select 1504 as the dropoff location since many drivers get confused if you select your hall. Delivery drivers are supposed to turn into Circle Drive but if you type a hall number that isn’t 1504 or 1503, they will be redirected to the access gate, which will make picking up the food unnecessarily difficult. 

Additional Information

IMSA students should enjoy the Friday Fests, and wing/hall feasts which occur at regular intervals throughout the school year. These are some of the most involving food events at IMSA, featuring homemade, restaurant, and donated food for students to enjoy from the IMSA families. In the same fashion, wing, and hall events bring the IMSA community together and promote student life. 

 In the IMSA list, please note that Oberweis will be closing and thus won’t be a walking-trip option anymore. 

For some final thoughts, the Acronym encourages IMSA to spend wisely and use discounts typically posted by the companies on social media or coupons. Enjoy dining at IMSA!