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These restaurants are fairly low in price with $7-$12 a person.
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La Piazza Pizzeria – 162 W Main St. is an Ian’s Pizza Dupe!
Many people know this place as “Pizza by the Slice”, since it is known for having many different types of pieces available by the slice. If you have ever been to the famous Ian’s Pizza in Milwaukee, this place is similar! It is a branch of Fanatico, which I have reviewed previously. La Piazza is connected to Fanatico and there are kitchens on both sides. There is minimal seating inside so you have to go in the part where they both connect. They serve many different pizzas like mac & cheese, BBQ, chicken bacon ranch, and pasta pizza. The slices are larger than dominos or toppers and they are Italian style so they are thin and crispy. La Piazza serves more than just pizza, they have garlic knots, stuffed bread, and more! The most desirable part of this place is that they are open till 3am on the weekends, before the pandemic happened, of course. It is a popular spot after the bars because it is cheap and open late. Each slice ranges from $2.50-3.75, which is very cheap considering how big the slice is! This is a perfect place if you want a mid day snack or dinner, the pizza is so good you’ll want another piece so always order two! My friends and I go so often that we know the people who work there and they are very nice and always tell other people to come and get pizza. This place has the nicest staff in Whitewater, they have dropped off extra pizza at large outside gatherings multiple times and sometimes you will get a free slice on your birthday. Though this place is new to Whitewater, they are going to be so popular in the future, I highly recommend going and getting the pasta pizza.
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Rosa’s Pizza- 180 W Main St. Better Pizza than Gus’?
Rosa’s may have burned down, but it did come back better than ever. In 2018, Rosa’s Pizza caught fire in their kitchen as was out for about a year for renovations. After the fire, this restaurant is now cleaner and modern with a large area for seating. Rosa’s is an Italian restaurant most known for their pizza as well as their pasta dishes. They are open late on the weekends until midnight and they deliver, which is nice when not every college student has a car. The prices are fairly average, not expensive but not that cheap with pizzas starting around $9 and pasta dishes around $8. In comparison to Fanantico, Rosa’s is much more casual. This is a perfect place to bring a lot of people because they have big tables and their food can feed a lot of people. This is also a great place for smaller groups as well because everyone can get their own personal pizza. Their pasta dishes are fairly large and can be really good as leftovers. The pizza is Chicago style but it tends to be a little bit more doughy and thick compared to Gus’ Pizza Palace. When you walk into Rosa’s there are two sides, one side with ice cream and another with a salad bar and the soda station. A cool aspect of Rosa’s is that they use iPads to check out now which is super high-tech compared to other restaurants in Whitewater. Overall, Rosa’s has something for everyone from chicken tenders, to mostacholi, to pizza, to ice cream. I would highly recommend checking this place out next time you are craving casual Italian food!
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The SweetSpot — Best Coffee in Whitewater
When moving to Whitewater my freshman year of college I had to say goodbye to Dunkin Donuts and goodbye to Starbucks. Coffee is an important part of many peoples days. It could make or break the start of someone’s day. The SweetSpot is the perfect spot to start your day when you have nowhere to be for a half an hour. They have an extensive area of hot and iced coffee or tea as well as some smoothies. They offer breakfast food such as bagel sandwiches, croissants, cookies, cupcakes, and more! Whitewater is lucky enough to have not one, but two different locations only minutes apart. There is the backhouse, which is located closer to Walmart and UW-W campus and the other in the heart of downtown overlooking the pond. The bakehouse has a drive through option with minimal seating and they produce all the pastries for the other location. The bakehouse also does personalized cakes, pies, and other decorated desserts. The downtown location has a lot of seating and does not have a drive through option. Many students enjoy going to the downtown location to study, go on a date, or relax with the perfect “coffee shop” vibe. The food is either breakfast or lunch, yet it is open till about 8pm everyday. The coffee tends to be around $4-7 and comparable to Starbucks options. The food ranges from $5-10 and the pastries range from $2-10. This is definitely a place to treat yourself or a nice place to study. Overall, I would highly suggest stopping at the SweetSpot and trying a drink with a pastry even if you do not drink coffee if you are in Whitewater.
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Make a Restaurant at Home! — Your Location
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many places are closed and some are doing take-out or delivery. You can easily make your home feel like restaurant and make food that tastes like it too!
Read the article below from allrecipes.com to learn how to make Restaurant-Style Buffalo Chicken Wings!
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/24087/restaurant-style-buffalo-chicken-wings/
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Jessica’s Family Restaurant — 140 W Main St.
Jessica’s is the ultimate hangover breakfast place that has been a staple for my friends and I throughout my 4 year college career experience. For some reason, Jessica’s has the most crisp water when you sit down after a long night. Jessica’s has breakfast, lunch, and early dinner for a fairly reasonable price around $7-$15 per person. They are most known for their breakfast menu with skillets, omelets, and breakfast combinations. Jessica’s has an old school look with Wisconsin memorabilia on the walls with two different dining room options. It has a very calm vibe, perfect to early morning breakfasts and the staff is very nice. My friends and I stick to ordering the same thing every time we go and the Meat Eaters Skillet is a fan favorite with my guy friends. Most breakfast meals come with a lot of food as well as a side of hashbrowns and nearly any version of toast you want. Jessica’s does take out but does not deliver and they do not have coupons. They have a senior citizen and military discount but nothing to supplement college students. My friends and I enjoy that they have candy machines that we can put quarters in. Jessica’s is the perfect place for friend gathers, family meals, dates, and take out since it is such a versatile restaurant. Though this restaurant looks a little outdated, Jessica’s is for sure one of the top best restaurants in Whitewater. I would highly recommend eating here for a filling breakfast in a calm environment.
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Brain Freeze – 535 E Milwaukee St.
Brain Freeze is a hidden gem of downtown Whitewater due to the American comfort food, race car themed seating, as well as a backyard cozy feel. This restaurant is small and sometimes overlooked due to it being a little bit farther than downtown and closer to the highway, but that should not stop you from visiting. You can get a burger, to mac & cheese bites, to chili fries, to chicago dogs, all the way to dipped cones and root beer floats. Not to mention that everything is typically under $6, this a great stop for a midday snack or an ice cream date. There are two dining rooms as well as an outdoor area to sit with old fashioned car posters and a checkered background. I had never been here until after I went frolfing with my friends and we all fell in love with this place as a cheap place to each! This place is definitely old fashioned because the menus are paper and the employees wear the white coats as if they were a dairy producer. They are mostly well known for their ice cream cones that are only $1.80! On a college budget this is a perfect place to go with friends, on a date, or with a family for a sweet or salty treat. They do not deliver and it is for a good reason, looking inside the restaurant is so cool and very old fashioned, going inside is for sure a part of the experience. This is a place for all ages and will not break the bank, but will for sure leave you with a smile.
If you enjoyed Zuri’s review, check out her college-life themed blog! http://blogs.uww.edu/genz/
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Gus’ Pizza Palace – 139 W. Main St.
Gus’ Pizza Palace is the place to be if you are missing Chicago style pizza. This is a great restaurant for couples, families, or even a big celebration. The atmosphere feels like a family-owned restaurant with minimal loud noises and beautiful smells of fresh Italian pizza. The old-style booths and tables are inviting to stay for an hour or two, considering it is much warmer than most restaurants due to the massive ovens. Their most popular deal is on Monday, they have a large 2-topping thin crust pizza for $5.99. An interesting part of this restaurant is that they do not sell hard alcohol, only beer, and ciders due to a family-like environment. They do have a delivery service and you will be able to get your pizza within an hour. They do not have a website you can directly order off of so you must call to place your order, go into the restaurant, or order off of EatStreet.com. Downfalls that Gus’ Pizza Palace has is that they do not have gluten-free options and the only vegan options they provide are salads. Their menu is quite short but that is due to their most known for food being pizza. Their hours of operation fall later in the day, typically opening at 4:00pm and ending at 11:00pm, making this strictly a place to get dinner. Their customer service is excellent and the booths are very comfortable. This is a great place to eat if you are craving hand made pizza that can feed a family or just yourself.
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Cozumel Mexican Restaurant– 1139 W. Main St.
Cozumel, also known as Coz, is the place to be for Mexican food with a large menu while in Whitewater. Coz has a variety of options ranging from tacos, to margaritas, to burritos, and even salads while serving complimentary chips and salsa. What is different about Coz is they do not have the typical burrito. Their burritos come with all the insides with a tortilla laid over it and you eat it with a fork and knife, not your hands. They have a cheese sauce that they put on everything that is different if you are not used to the texture of Mexican cheese. When ordering a quesadilla you do not get a cheese that pulls, but a cheese that is runny. As for the price range, it varies from $1.99-$20 deping on what you get. It is definitely doable on a college budget since you can order food a la cart. They do not deliver but you can pick it up with a complementary bag of chips and salsa with any purchase which is generous! The most well known deals are on Tuesdays and Thursdays with half off margaritas, $2.99 mojitos, and $1.99 tacos. Coz is the perfect place for large or small groups, or even a date. One of the best parts of Coz is that they accept Purple Points, which makes it easy to eat there on a college meal plan. Overall I would highly recommend going to Coz, especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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