Collegiate Times

Ramen Noodles may be 10 cents a package, making them the cheapest possible meal out there. But sometimes you need a break from noodles in salty broth and want to sit down in a real restaurant and eat real food. But can you afford it?

Luckily, local restaurants have daily specials that make it easy for college students to enjoy a meal out once in a while. In fact, it?s possible to eat out once a day for a week and spend less than 40 dollars. While you may not be that desperate, there are plenty of deals around town if you know where to look.

If you?re having a ?case of the Mondays,? treating yourself to a lunch at The Cellar Restaurant might be in order. The restaurant offers a daily lunch special of a pita pizza and drink for $4.95. The pizza is an eight-inch personal size and it comes with three toppings ? not a bad deal for five bucks. Even though it?s called a ?pita pizza,? don?t be surprised if the crust doesn?t match the description. ?It?s a lot of food. It?s a really thin crust, people think it?s on a thin pita, but it?s not,? says Ian Robbins, kitchen manager at The Cellar. The restaurant makes its own crust daily, which allows for ?imperfections,? so don?t be surprised if your eight-inch pizza turns out to be a 10-inch. That?s a pleasant surprise sure to cure any case of the Mondays.

On Tuesday, take a study break with friends at Buffalo Wild Wings. Every Tuesday night, the restaurant offers 35-cent wings, so a hearty meal of 10 wings will only set you back $3.50, leaving plenty of change for a beer or two. The restaurant offers an ?after work? special on its 32-ounce beers every day during happy hour. Recently, four new sauces were added to the menu: Parmesan Garlic, Honey BBQ, Asian Zing and Mango Habanero. Be sure to bring a friend or two to share.

Celebrate Hump Day with a never-ending plate of baby rack ribs. You?re probably thinking ?that?s way too expensive!? but it can be done. Every Wednesday night until 9 p.m., Top of the Stairs offers All-You-Can-Eat ribs for $9.99. The ribs come with your choice of two sides. Order a glass of water to wash down the barbecue sauce, wear a T-shirt you don?t mind getting dirty and enjoy the night for only 10 bucks.

As the weekend approaches, head to a popular night-spot during the day for a quick bite to eat. Hokie House has a special on all its sandwiches and hamburgers ? all are only $3.95. The meal comes with your choice of a side. John Pownall, shift manager at Hokie House, said that the restaurant also has many coupons, such as ?buy one get one free? deals. The restaurant?s proximity to campus also makes it a good lunch spot. ?It?s easily accessible,? Pownall said.

When Friday rolls around, stay in and order a pizza from PK?s Restaurant. This is a meal to share with a friend, and its name says it all ? ?The Real Deal.? The Deal consists of a 16-inch one-topping pizza, an order of breadsticks and two 20-ounce sodas. Split this with a friend and you can have a complete meal for $4.49 ($8.97 if you?re going to keep it all to yourself). The restaurant frequently has coupons in HokieCash ? those blue books of coupons next to the newspaper stands ? worth checking out.

If you?re feeling adventurous and want to try something new on Saturday, head over to Boudreaux?s. The restaurant offers a different soup and sandwich special every day, and they just lowered their menu prices. Sandwich prices have been lowered about a dollar, to $4.95 and $5.95. The sandwiches come with either Old Bay seasoned potato chips or potato salad. The unique New Orleans-style food is what draws many people to the restaurant. ?It?s the only place in town you can get a po?boy sandwich and we have rooftop seating when the weather is nice,? said Charles Howard, manager at Boudreaux?s.

If you?re feeling especially adventurous and have some extra cash, it?s also the only place in town with ?Gator Bites,? a fried alligator appetizer. The restaurant also offers daily drink specials ? even on Saturday. Wednesday offers a special unadvertised drink special, so stop in and see what?s in store.

After a hard night of ?studying,? Sunday afternoon is the perfect time for a hearty brunch. Gillie?s opens at 8 a.m. Sunday morning, but since most college students can?t get up that early, they continue serving brunch until 2 p.m. An average brunch runs about $6.50 per person. Each dish is different, but most include eggs, potatoes and other typical breakfast items. Meghan Duda, manager at Gillie?s, said the most popular menu item is the Gillie?s Special. ?It?s just a pile of goodness,? Duda said. The special is a bed of potatoes with eggs, cheese, and salsa on top. Homemade biscuits come with each meal. Add in a cup of coffee or tea for a dollar. The restaurant also has limited outdoor seating, so you can sit out in the nice weather and enjoy the Blacksburg sunshine.

The grand total for the week, minus tip and drinks (if you order something other than water), comes to about $39.83. Not bad for a week full of hot, non-ramen meals.