When it comes to studying for classes, food just seems to follow suit. Students without a dining plan can’t take advantage of the booths inside the dining halls with unlimited food per swipe, and most restaurants just aren’t made to accommodate loitering college students. So for all of us needing a place to both study and eat at the same time, here are five of the best places near and on campus to sit down for a stomach-satisfying study session.
- Limoo Tea Bar
Limoo Tea Bar is a new student spot just off of campus, doubling as a restaurant and full bar that serves alcoholic versions of all its tea drinks as well as beer and wine. Joe Deng and his partners Raymond Lee and Reza Rahmani opened the tea bar on Aug. 12 as a gathering place for students.
The study-friendly space has two levels, with a large communal table for 16 downstairs and seating for 30 upstairs, complete with outlets. Limoo also has free WiFi – a huge plus – and the low prices are also appealing.
One of Limoo’s signature dishes is its Asian-inspired steak mon-tao with coleslaw and asparagus ($6). Customers also love the single ($4) and party size ($10) Limoo fries. Regular bubble tea starts at $4.50 for 16 ounces and alcoholic versions start at $14 for 22 ounces.
Location: 1032 Commonwealth Ave., Boston
Hours: Open daily starting at noon. Limoo closes at 11 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday and at 1 a.m. on Thursday to Saturday.
Tip: Limoo’s menu changes seasonally, but they also have some great secret menu items such as the Dengster Paradise, a double cheese burger with turkey bacon, cheese and onion topped with a quail egg. Be sure to ask for it by name.
- Pavement Coffeehouse
Last year, the Espresso Royale on campus reopened as Pavement Coffeehouse with a brand new look and feel. The owners added 20 more seats – bringing the total to 110 – as well as an express line for tea and coffee. Pavement is diverse in its range of seating, from communal tables to high-rise seating to booths to lounge chairs.
Pavement also revamped their menu on Sept. 3, keeping bagels at their core but also adding salads and savory sandwiches. Pavement’s most popular sandwich is the thick-cut apple wood smoked bacon sandwich, topped with lettuce, locally sourced heirloom tomatoes and mayonnaise on house-made brioche bread ($7.50). Entrees are priced from $5 to $9.
There are plenty of outlets in the back room for working, but be aware that WiFi is only free for the first hour. After that, it is $5 for the day, or you can opt for a month of WiFi for $20.
Location: 736 Commonwealth Ave., Boston
Hours: Open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Open Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tip: Come in early, and don’t move for the day – seats fills up fast.
- RiZe Kitchen
Quite possibly the most underrated quiet study spot on campus, RiZe has made its home in the basement of the Center for Student Services. There are about 40 seats, and because the spot is not as well known, it’s a great alternative to some busier study locations on campus.
Breakfast and lunch are available all day, including their signature sandwiches, salads and stuffed breads, which the café calls “RiZers” (all $7.50). RiZe also has an assortment of pastries, baked daily by pastry chef Dawn Baloy. This Boston University eatery takes both dining points, convenience points and credit cards.
If you are looking for a birthday cake for a friend, the bakery also makes custom cakes – all they need is 24-hour notice. Custom cakes for 10-12 people start at $25.
Location: 100 Bay State Road, Boston
Hours: Open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on weekends.
Tip: Remember to hit up this spot around midterms and finals for a quiet place that isn’t your room. And if you come after 5 p.m., you can just head over to Late Night Kitchen on the same floor.
- Starbucks
Coffee is second nature to nearly every college student. The Starbucks under Warren Towers, a great place to kick that caffeine addiction, went through some exciting renovations this summer and reopened on Aug. 29 just in time for the fall semester.
Prior to the renovation, it was hard to even move through the space with the amount of foot traffic. Starbucks combated this by taking out a lot of the tables for two and building an eight-seat counter with outlets underneath. There is still a bigger table for study groups as well as individual lounge chairs around the fireplace.
There may not be much seating, but the open space makes for a great location to relax while you look through your notes with a coffee in one hand and a highlighter in the other.
Location: 700 Commonwealth Ave., Boston
Hours: Open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Tip: This Starbucks gets busiest when students are passing between classes. Come in the middle of a class-hour to get faster service and a place to sit.
- Area Four
If you are looking for a place to study that’s a bit more removed from BU, head across the river to Massachusetts Institute of Technology territory for a hybrid of a coffee house and pizza shop. Area Four in Kendall Square is a great place to study, with a communal table that can seat 20 in addition to 117 other seats throughout the restaurant, patio and café.
Small pizzas range from $11 to $17.50, but Area Four also serves small plates for $6 to $10, helpfully titled “Not Pizza” on the menu.
Location: 500 Technology Square, Cambridge
Hours: The restaurant, café and bar each have their own business hours. Click here for details.
Tip: Although the kitchen technically closes earlier, the Area Four’s bar remains open until midnight Monday to Saturday, which means you can stick around and study later.
