We’re heading into the back nine of summer and while we’re tanned extra crispy and finally getting that beach bod we planned for in March, the vacation hangover is starting to creep into our wallets. While a $5 trip to Circle K would kill the hunger any day of the week, here is a list of the top meal deals near campus with a little more nourishment to them than a sack of fat or a sugar rush.

Sushi Zen

Located in the same shopping center as Dollar General and Starbucks at 2400 North Mesa, Sushi Zen is a contender for sushi any day of the week, but their 11:30 to 3 p.m. lunch special gives the Japanese and Asian-fusion restaurant (self-described, I would have just said sushi) a red shell in its back pocket. Two sushi rolls and an appetizer will normally rack up a bill just north of $15, but the lunch special brings it down to $10.95.. Although the special won’t stuff you up, it is enough food to satisfy the midday crash. The swift service and relaxed atmosphere is great for a lunch date—one that doesn’t involve standing in line and staring at an overhead menu.

My recommendation? The crab salad, Amigo and Storm roll combo is probably the most filling combo on the menu.

Rib Hut

Maybe you’re a carnivore and consider sushi an honorary vegan food. No worries, Rib Hut, the 30-year-old barbecue spot located at 2612 North Mesa (east of the Don Haskins Center), serves up a killer $2 rib special every Wednesday. Granted, the short ribs aren’t the hulking bones served on the regular menu, but there is enough meat on two of them to satisfy an appetite. Pair a rib with a cup of mac and cheese or baked potato and you are looking at a fair spread for $6 tops.

Peking Garden

Easily the best deal in the area for Chinese food, Peking Garden’s lunch special is a $5.95 steal. Now I’ve got a pretty big appetite, but I usually have to call it quits on the last few pieces of sesame chicken on my plate. The special includes a cup of either egg drop or hot and sour soup, an entrée, a serving of fried or white rice and an egg roll. The service is pretty quick, dishing out the soup within minutes after ordering, the main course is served within 20 minutes. This special is perfect for all you wee eaters with a friend looking to split. Peking Garden is located at 2900 North Mesa in the Miner Village strip mall.

Crawdaddy’s

Bar and Grill

Three words: dollar shrimp tacos. Another three words: 49-cent wings.

When it comes to deals, Crawdaddy’s Bar and Grill, one of the longstanding establishments on Cincinnati Street, can compete any day of the week. The tacos are available on Mondays, the wings on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and a $2 shrimp cocktail is offered on Tuesdays and Fridays. An order of three tacos is filling enough, but as far as the wings go, and I’m just as guilty of this, you have to resist ordering a gloriously high pile of wings to make this special work for your wallet. The kicker at Crawdaddy’s however is the daily drink specials, a combination of at least five shots or beers lining up for at most $4. Maybe today’s a day to drink instead of eat. There’s vitamin C in a margarita, right?

Eric Vasquez may be reached at [email protected].