Urban House Cafe (thanks to Lisa Guo)
4 Dundonald Street | 11 Minutes from Museum Station
Entrees: $5.00 – $8.00

Urban House boasts a large menu with a nice selection of sandwiches, soups, salads, and international cuisine including fajitas and pad thai. What makes it so remarkable is not the quality of the food – which is not exceptional – but the terrific value of a sit-down meal. Every item on the entree menu costs about $8.00, and the sandwiches are even cheaper. The vibe of the place is also entirely different from anything you’d find by UofT – even though Urban House is just a few blocks away, it’s in a completely different neighbourhood with a smaller student population, making it a nice place to run away to from time to time. To top it all off: some of the cheapest drinks in the area.

Pour Girl (thanks to Lisa Guo)
191 College Street | 8 Minutes from Queen’s Park Station
Entrees: $7.00 – $12.00

Pour Girl is the quintessential college pub – cheap food, cheap drinks, and a large, divey interior pretty much define it. The ambiance is a little nicer than your average intentionally unintentionally sketchy pub, though, and going inside is a terrific way to feel close to the UofT community (assuming that’s what you want). The patio is definitely a special feature, and a favourite for patrons trying to keep their distance from the ungentlemanly gentlemen who have been known to show up after classes end.