WHEN THE WEATHER'S not too bad, every Uni student enjoys going out on campus once in a while. It’s such a convenient privilege to have the U of I campus for our use, and have the chance to mingle with college students for an experience far different from any other high school student around here.

There are so many options we have, especially on Green Street. Just taking a walk down Green makes me hungry, and I definitely don’t have to look hard to find a good place to eat. Being a quick five-minute walk from Uni, Green is the go-to place for food.

I don’t go out for food as much as some people, but I do go before I have to get ready for a basketball game, or when I have no homework during a free period.

I definitely have some favorite places to go, but where I go depends on how much time I have, how much money I have, or how far I am willing to walk.

My personal favorite quick-stop places are Zorba’s (627 E. Green) and Potbelly Sandwich Works (501 E. Green) when I need to be somewhere soon after. The pitas at Zorba’s are excellent and it’s one of the closest places to Uni. Although Potbelly is quite a ways down Green, it’s safe to say that its melted subs are the best in town.

If you’re looking for somewhere to sit down and eat or just hang out for a while, some interesting, comfortable places you might try are Za’s Italian Café (629 E. Green), Chipotle (528 E. Green), Follett’s (627 S. Wright), Noodles & Co. (528 E. Green), or Moonstruck Chocolate Café (709 S. Wright).

Each of these places has a second story with comfortable seating that customers have access to. (For more about Follett's, Moonstruck, and Noodles, see sidebar section below.)

Often, the wait is slow at Za’s, but their food is so good that it doesn’t even matter. I really like the couches upstairs too …

If you’re with a big group, Evo Internet Café (711 S. Sixth) is an excellent choice. What my friends and I usually do is order a couple of huge dishes and share. I highly recommend their orange chicken dish.

Also, Evo has amazing snows, which are flavored slushies with milk, and optional tapioca bubbles. I’ve never stopped at Evo without getting a snow.

In the mood for pizza? The obvious place to stop would be Antonio’s (619 E. Green). With humongous slices for just about $2, everyone is sure to fulfill their pizza craving. Just one piece fills me right up. Antonio’s isn’t the only pizza place, though; Sbarro, located in the Illini Union (1401 W. Green), also has big, hot slices that, in my opinion, are better than Antonio’s.

La Bamba (606 S. Sixth) is perfect if you are absolutely starving. They actually do have burritos as big as your head. I usually order the medium ground-beef burrito.

It seems like every time I’m at La Bamba, I’m with my fellow burrito-eater Stephen Prochaska, aka the “Bottomless Pit.” We’ve often argued whether or not Chipotle, another Mexican restaurant, has better burritos. Chipotle has a more sophisticated taste with more spices, and its burritos are also very large. The atmosphere is a lot more interesting, too.

By far the most popular place to hang out is the basement of the Union. Downstairs there is bowling, pool tables, DDR, TV, and couches. I can recall countless early dismissals where a lot of Uni students have retreated to the Union to lounge on the couches and decide where to eat. It’s especially convenient that a couple of good restaurants are located right in the Union itself, including Sbarro and Rice Garden.

Some other options you might consider

• Cold Stone Creamery, 505 E. Green St. (217-367-5555) — This place has the best ice cream desserts, EVER. You can create and mix so many combinations of different ice cream and toppings.
• Follett’s, 627 S. Wright St. (217-357-1368) — Follett’s doesn’t have any food, but it does have an awesome upper story (with couches!) that looks out onto the intersection of Green and Wright.
• Jimmy John’s, 613 E. Green St. (217-328-5531) — The delicious subs are made so quickly, and the day-old bread is just as fresh. This is a perfect meal before a sporting event. Even though I eat meat, my favorite sub there is the vegetarian.
• Moonstruck Chocolate Café, 709 S. Wright St. (217-367-7402) — My favorite thing to get from Moonstruck is the chocolate chai drink, which is absolutely exceptional, even if it's a whopping $4.60.
• Noodles & Co., 528 E. Green St. (217-367-2000) — I am in love with the mac 'n cheese dish from Noodles! It gives you that warm, fuzzy, happy feeling.
• Penn Station East Coast Subs, 605 S. Sixth St. (217-344-9050) — Similar to Potbelly; the subs have that crunchy melted goodness.
• Pizza Hut, 411 E. Green St. (217-344-2218) — You must go to Pizza Hut, order an extra large supreme pizza with cheesy breadsticks, and gorge on it with your friends.
• Smoothie King, 616 E. Green St. (217-337-5555) — Although you could easily spend a good $5 on one smoothie, they’re so good it's worth the money! You can choose from numerous vitamin enhancers to add in.
• Starbucks, 503 E. Green St. (217-344-8613) — Perfect for stopping by on a cold day to pick up a yummy hot drink and a pastry.
• Subway, 616 Green St. (217-239-0108) — This place is healthy and relatively cheap. You can also put anything on your sub. I usually don’t go here, though; I'd rather hit up Jimmy John's.
• For even more Campustown dining options, you should check out this site.

More photos: Campus hangouts

A view of Potbelly's. Gargoyle photo by Rachel Skoza (click to enlarge)