The small town of Oberlin, Ohio is known for a vast array of things: the College, the Conservatory, the lovely community, the artistic variety that shines through every spray-painted rock in Tappan Square, and every band from every genre playing at the Cat in the Cream. But perhaps one of the most quintessential aspects of our beloved city is one outsiders might not expect: the unique spread of deliciously charming restaurants. From cupcakes to curry, tater tots to tofu skins, and burrito bowls to bulgogi, Oberlin restaurants are teeming with some of the best bites around. It begs the question: What do Obies love to eat most? 

These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

TJ Gode-von Aesch, College third-year:

My favorite restaurant in town is The Mandarin. I like to go on whatever day I have the most work, and I get the lunch special with General Tso’s chicken and fried rice. I get fried potstickers, also. I eat the potstickers, and I eat half of everything else, and then I eat everything else the next day. It’s the best because it’s two lunches! I like the food a lot, but I also like that I can order once and have various meals. It keeps well too. It reheats well. 

Theo Wheeler, College first-year:

I’m between Lorenzo’s and The Feve, and I’m gonna say — because of the price being lower — Lorenzo’s. Both times I’ve gone, I’ve gotten the chicken parm pasta, and it’s really good. The garlic bread is really good because it doesn’t taste like garlic bread — I don’t like garlic bread — it tastes like half a piece of soft baguette, kinda. It’s buttery. There’s the smallest hint of garlic. 

Zoe Jagiela, College third-year: 

My favorite restaurant is Lorenzo’s. I think everything on the menu is fantastic. That being said, the best thing on the menu is the pepperoni pizza, and if you ask them to put a little bit of pesto sauce on top of that? Delicious. If you get close enough — if you have an in with the boys there — you can ask them, if you have, let’s say, a big special event or something, to make you just a gigantic pan of lasagna, and they’ll do it. They’re very compliant with all kinds of strange requests. Super nice people. It’s great to go out there and hang out with some friends or some family.

Finn Polito, College third-year:

Blue Rooster — it’s delicious. I know people hesitate to go there because it’s kind of out of the way, and some people say it’s expensive, but I honestly don’t think it’s that bad because the sweets are delicious. The people there are nice. I love to get a salted caramel cookie or a chocolate croissant before my shift at work.

Rafael Lantz, College first-year:

Ying’s, the pho place. I like to order pho with bacon-wrapped eggs and cream cheese. When I take a bite of that bacon and cream cheese, I feel something inside me explode and erupt, and I feel like I’m a child again. It’s a Ratatouille moment. I’m taken back to my childhood eating cream cheese and bacon and eggs and pho. I sometimes make the noodles into little dragons and play with them. 

Eostrix Garcia-Freedman, College first-year:

Taco Flavored Kisses. I think it’s just that I’m from California, and I miss good Mexican food and Taco Flavored Kisses is not awful. The Quesabirria Plate is slow-cooked beef and cheese on three tacos, and it comes with consomé — they take the broth that the beef was cooked in, and then they make a new sauce out of it. 

Andy Roshal, College fourth-year:

I feel like this is maybe controversial because a lot of people have really disagreed with me on this, but I like Bingo Chinese Restaurant a lot. I like to get the Tiger Tofu. It has sesame sauce on it, and it comes with rice and broccoli. It’s crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside in the best way possible, and it’s a comfort food for me. If my parents or someone else visits from out of town, I usually go there with them. I also feel like people have crazy conversations in the booths because people think the booths are a lot more private than they are. So, I like eavesdropping too.