A Round Up of USC’s Most Popular Restaurants
by Maya Lopez' ‘26
LA is known as a city with many culinary wonders. At USC there are tons of great restaurants near and on campus. From cafes, to breakfast spots, to Mexican restaurants you can find anything in South Central. Here are the most popular restaurants that USC students frequent.
Spudnuts
Off of Fig with its bright yellow sign, Spudnuts is the go to place for students to get a late night bite. Spudnuts’ menu is extensive! They have everything from bubble tea to breakfast sandwiches to ice cream and, of course, there are donuts. My favorites are the donut ice cream sandwich and the egg and cheese sandwich. While most students only visit Spudnuts in the wee hours of the night – I highly recommend trying it out for a quick and yummy breakfast or snack.
Northern Cafe
I go to Northern Cafe at least once a week. Besides having a great menu with delicious Chinese food, Northern Cafe’s greatest strengths are price and speed. If I’m looking for a quick, cheap lunch, I head to Northern Cafe.
Rock & Reilly’s
If you go to USC, you’ve definitely passed Rock and Reilley’s every time you’ve gone to the Village. Rock and Reilley’s is a great place to hangout with friends and watch a sports game. The bites are great! My favorites are the buffalo cauliflower and friend pickle bites.
Study Hall
Study Hall has the best ambiance of any restaurant I’ve been to near USC. It’s located right off of the Village down Hoover and has a big patio perfect for hanging out with friends. Study Hall is also a great place to go to watch a USC game. My friends and I went to 2 years ago to watch the UCLA game, and we’ve been frequenting it ever since.
El Huero
If you want decent Mexican food for a good price and great vibes go to El Huero. El Huero is also popular with the late night snack crowd. It has a cute outdoor seating area that is perfect if you’re looking to kick back with friends after a night out.
La Barca
La Barca is USC’s classic college Mexican restaurant. It’s a 5 minute drive from campus but still in Shryft distance. The ambiance is great, but the chips and guac are even better! I usually get the veggie fajitas, but the cheese enchiladas are also delicious!
Bird’s Nest
Hands down the best breakfast burrito I’ve had in my entire life! Bird’s Nest has two locations near the north and south sides of campus. The menu has a wide variety of breakfast and lunch options such as sandwiches, soups, and cereals. This is a great place to get breakfast on a Sunday morning with friends.
Jacks N Joe
Jacks N Joe is the sit down breakfast spot for USC students. If you go, you must get the classic stack of pancakes. While breakfast is their forte, Jacks N Joe also has great lunch and dinner options.
Thai by Trio
Located right under West 27th and the Hub, Thai by Trio is a student favorite for a casual dinner out. Word around campus is that Thai by Trio has some of the best Thai food you will ever taste.
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