What does a starving college student do with most of their limited spending cash? Eat and drink, of course! For me, the emphasis is very much on the eating, as I love food and I can eat an atrocious amount of it (where it all goes, I haven’t figured out yet).
So in preparation for the winter break, I’ve put together a little list of places for us hungry college students to eat, stay warm, and recharge at.
Swan’s Brewpub
Situated on Pandora Avenue in downtown Victoria, Swan’s has all of the pub essentials. True to my UK heritage, I went straight for the fish n’ chips. They came with good French fries too (yes, bad French fries are a thing). Sadly, I dove straight into my food without checking how hot it was, and burnt the ever-loving piss out of the roof of my mouth, which my date found hilarious. My only complaint with the food was the coleslaw, which was sub-par (yes, I actually eat coleslaw: weird, right?). Swan’s also sports beer and root beer made in-house; freaking sweet! This is a good place to eat and has a great atmosphere, but is a bit pricey: it was about $23 for a two-piece fish n’ chips.
Original Joe’s
Original Joe’s is a favourite among me and my friends. Placed next to Westshore Mall in Langford, it’s a sports-style bar with great pub food. I recently had their Sgt. Pepper Burger, which is huge and full of peppers and other hot things; it’s great. Most meals also come with two side dishes, with one of my favourites being the garlic mashed potatoes. But the best part about Joe’s is that you get a LOT of food for not too much money (two-piece fish n’ chips will run you about $16). Joe’s also features a large selection of local beers and does half-off all appetizers (except nachos) on Saturday nights after 9 pm. The only downside is most people I go with can’t finish all their food. Which is great for me, actually, because I get to eat it for them.
Second Slice
Second Slice sits on the main Douglas strip in the heart of downtown. Probably the cheapest pizza on the island, it’s also among the most delicious. They’re open super late, servicing all the drunks as they stumble out of the clubs, but can also be great the next morning when you need grease to ease the hangover. My favourite part about them is that they use Alfredo sauce in lieu of the usual tomato sauce. I dragged my friend down there when I heard he’d never been; he despises tomatoes with a passion. When he bit into his first Alfredo-filled, tomato-less slice, a single tear ran down his cheek.
Alright,
As someone who has worked in the Victoria food scene for a number of years, I have had a great time experiencing all that Victoria has to offer in terms of food. I understand why you would recommend Second Slice as it is cheap pizza and therefore good for college students. But there’s a reason it’s the cheapest pizza in Victoria. I wouldn’t really recommend SS to anyone myself because it’s frankly bad pizza. Although “The Joint” and “Brickyard” are slightly more expensive choices, they are still much better in terms of quality and quantity. Not only are they great pizzas, they are also bigger and have more substance. The creativity that is put into The Joint and Brickyard pizzas is also refreshing. They go above and beyond the average pepperoni and cheese. They, frankly, make better pizzas. They do all this for only about a dollar or two more. In my mind, that dollar or two is by far worth it.