As it turns out, a vast majority of the students here at Tualatin High like to leave campus during lunch. I don’t blame them, though, as the cafeteria can be pretty chaotic with the same five songs blasting on repeat and the occasional band performances that make for a pretty loud environment. All that noise masks the voices of your friends from across the table, making it impossible to carry on a conversation. 

With the 30 short minutes we have for lunch, students must quickly rush out to beat the parking lot mayhem as soon as the lunch bell rings. So where do all of the students go? 

We surveyed some students here at Tualatin High School and asked them what some of their favorite places are to grab a bite to eat during school. Most of the students said they are big fans of Costco because it is in pretty close proximity to the school and it is a fairly inexpensive option compared to all of the other restaurants near the school. With prices at $1.99 for a slice of pizza and $1.50 for a hotdog and drink, Costco is pretty hard to beat. 

Another big competitor to Costco is going home for lunch. A lot of the students at Tualatin prefer driving home for lunch rather than getting the same fast food every day. Wonder why! At least this way, students can dodge the crazy cafeteria environment, and enjoy some quiet leisure time before returning back to class. 

Other obvious lunch options include McDonalds, Taco Bell, Panda Express and Carl’s Jr. These are perfect options when you are running short on time and need something quick. Not that anyone actually rushes back to school to make it on time to their next class anyway, but if you are in a hurry for some unknown reason, these are great! 

If you are on a health kick and want to pick up something a little less harsh on the arteries, one could argue that Subway, Firehouse Subs and Jersey Mike’s are healthier than most. Otherwise, you could pick up a smoothie at Jamba or Vitality Bowls and call it a day. 

Because a lot of students don’t mind being a titch late to their next class, some students even choose to have a full-on, sit-down meal with appetizers and all. 

Despite the plethora of culinary options at Tualatin, if you’re ever running short on cash or time, there is always the complementary buffet of congealed entrees beautifully disguised behind the sneeze guard for you to grab and go.