Eating Out & Restaurants

Chipotle– an international chain of fast casual restaurants specializing in bowls, tacos, and Mission burritos made to order in front of the customer (great choice for vegetarians)

Subway– fast food restaurant franchise that specializes in submarine sandwiches and wraps.(great choice for vegetarians)

Five guys– American fast food chain focused on hamburgers, hot dogs, and french fries

Panda Express– Fast food restaurant chain that specializes in American Chinese cuisine.

Starbucks– Coffee house chain with snacks

Panera– Chain store of bakery/café fast food restaurants

Qdoba– Fast casual restaurants serving Mexican-style cuisine

Potbelly– Chain of Sandwich shops

Mcdonalds– Burgers & Fries

Domino’s– Pizzas

Bistro 501, 8 eleven, The Whittaker Inn, RedSeven, East End Grill, and The Bryant. These are all nicer restaurants that a student wouldn’t typically go by themselves because they’re a bit pricier. Reservations a must!

There are a few Indian restaurants in town. The nearest ones to campus are:

Taste of India (111 S River Rd unit b, West Lafayette, Tel (765) 250-5600)- Great food and buffets. Long queues for BGRi form outside. Go early for dinner for a better chance. Try and call ahead for booking.

Dakshin (138 S River Rd, West Lafayette, Tel (765) 743-2222)- Has North and South Indian cuisine. Also very popular. Similar reviews as Taste of India which it faces across the street.

Hyderabad House (117 Northwestern Ave #2, West Lafayette; Tel (765) 767-4866)- newly opened in 2024, this has great reviews so far. However, it has no sit-down table service. You can order take-out food only. They specialise in various types of Biryani, with their portions really generous and value-for-money. They also offer a range of appetizers, curries, tandoori dishes, dosas, and desserts.

Further out (in Lafayette) and for which you need to take a bus/uber:

Sharma’s Kitchen (1403 Sagamore Pkwy N, Lafayette, Tel (765) 769-4455)- Further out from campus in Lafayette. Great Food. Even Better service. Went twice in my time there. A la carte once and buffet the next time. Fantastic owner couple- Satinder Sharma was such a fab host – the second time we went to celebrate my son’s 18th birthday here and he gave me a free beer and the kids an extra dessert! Can’t recommend enough their buffet!

These are the best restaurants often repeatedly recommended by local foodies. For move in time I recommend calling ahead for reservations at pretty much most sit down places, as it gets busy very quickly.

Barbeque/Steak etc– South Street Smokehouse, Ripple & Co, McGraw’s

Brunch/ Lunch : Town and Gown, Cafe Literato, Copper Moon Coffee

Burgers: AJ’s, The Tap, Triple XXX, Bru Burger, Wolfie’s,

Greek– Parthenon American Grill

Italian– La Scala

Mexican: Fiesta, Guac Box, Senor Tacos

Middle Eastern: Hala’s Grill, Grilled Chicken and Rice

Oriental: Taste, Blaze Chinese BBQ, Peppercorns, Strings, Yatagarasu, katana sushi, Gaza (Korean bbq), Maru Sushi, green leaf

Pizzeria– Bruno’s (reopening soon in a new location- the first pizzeria in West Lafayette- and iconic), Mad Mushroom, Pizza Uncommon

Sweets/ Desserts: Insomnia Cookies – Best cookie shop, Mango Mango, Mama Ines, Silver Dipper, Wolf’s Chocolate, Tsaocaa (Boba)

“My husband and I grew up in Lafayette and my parents still live in town. Here’s our combined suggestions:

Triple XXX— greasy spoon, great “diner” style breakfast, plus homemade root beer, burgers, etc. Iconic campus spot. Everyone sits at the counter. Only takes cash. A total dive. Worth it.

The Bryant— Sit down dinner, moderately priced. Indoor and outdoor seating. Something for everyone. Phenomenal milkshakes for dessert!

Bruno’s Pizza— Dining room.only open Mon-Thurs. Takeout daily after 4pm. Yum. Great breadsticks.

La Scala— Downtown. Local chef/owner. If you want Italian, this is the spot.

East End Grill- Casual, moderate pricing, downtown.

Teays- South 9th St. Bar, plus family restaurant. Good bar food, beer selection!

Nine Irish Brothers- Irish fare. Shepherds Pie, Fish and Chips, etc. Good service, reliably good food.

Bistro 501…downtown

McGraw’s ( off south river road…reservations needed)”

Indiana law, like all US states, prohibits the supply of alcohol to under-21s.

Purdue’s bar scene, while great, lacks a bit compared to other large Big Ten colleges. They have some great bars that are some great fun, but they could use a few more. Your child chose to go to college in West Lafayette, Indiana – what did you expect? Joking aside, there are some classic, fun, and cheap bars around campus where you’re sure to make some memories.

Harry’s Chocolate Shop (“Harry’s”)

Harry’s Chocolate Shop is the oldest and most quintessentially “Purdue” bar. Nestled on the corner of Pierce and State for 100+ years, Harry’s is a gathering place for Purdue’s finest (and drunkest) students. Known for the Baltimore Zoo (invented at Harry’s), free popcorn, and generally pretty good bar food, Harry’s old wooden seats, strong drinks, and classic music makes it the Boilermaker bar. As such, Harry’s tends to be the most consistently crowded bar. Inside, there’s two floors, with a bar and a bathroom on each floor. The two most coveted seats are both (incorrectly) referred to as “the Fishbowl,” each being a rounded/private-ish space with a large table in the corner of each floor. The original Fishbowl is the one on the first floor. Harry’s is a great bar with great drinks and great times, but be prepared to wait in a great line if you’re trying to get in late on a weekend.

Brother’s

Brother’s has established itself as the “second-place staple” bar behind Harry’s. Brother’s is your typical college bar – not too much to write home about here. It’s a popular and reliable bar that doesn’t fill up quite as quickly as Harry’s.

Where Else

Oh man, Where Else…how do I even begin to describe it? With the Neon Cactus being shut down, Where Else is the only dancing/club-esque bar left on campus. If you had a bad time at Where Else, you probably weren’t drunk enough to be there. It’s really an experience you have to have yourself…when it’s 2:00am and you’ve already hit up Harry’s and Brother’s.

The Tap

The Tap is in Chauncey, just outside the campus. The Tap is less of a bar and more of a restaurant, but with great drinks and a very large selection of beer (hence the name). They also have fantastic food, live music on most weekend nights, and Trivia Tuesdays. Their service can be super spotty at times, but the drinks and food are high-quality. As an added bonus, it’s only 21+ after 9:00pm – if you’re under 21 and just want to grab a bite to eat, or have a group of friends of varying legal drinking ability, The Tap is a great option.

La Hacienda

“La Ha” is a Mexican restaurant (with a bar) on the Levee. It’s a bit more of a walk than the previous bars and restaurants on this list, but students love the place. If You like strong margaritas or some great Mexican food, La Ha is the spot. There’s a restaurant section and a 21+ bar area. La Ha used to be packed on Thursdays before the Neon Cactus closed, but now crowds are more dispersed throughout the week.

Nine Irish Brothers Pub

Nine Irish is an Irish (obviously) pub and restaurant. They are known for their great Irish food and wide array of whiskeys. This is a “classier” place (compared to the others on this list), and generally not somewhere you’re going to find a group of frat bros or sorority girls on a Friday night.