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Restaurants near campus

Restaurants near Central Washington University (CWU)

66 places to eat within a mile of Central Washington University, closest first, including Kiku-chan Japanese Restaurant, Kiku Chan and Island Fusion.

The 50 places to eat closest to CWU

Closest first, out of 66 within a mile. Distances are straight-line from the campus, so a walk runs a little longer.

Right by campus · about a 5-minute walk (10)

About a 10-minute walk · a quarter to half a mile (10)

A 10- to 20-minute walk · half a mile to a mile (30)

Listings from Overture Maps open data (September 2026), open places with a street address only. Hours and openings change, so check before you go. Want one picked for what you're craving instead? Ask Savor Scout near CWU.

Can't decide between them? Say what you're craving and Savor Scout picks one near Ellensburg, WA.

The food scene around CWU

66places to eat within 1 mile
76%independent, not chains
5coffee shops and cafés

Open listings put 66 places to eat within 1 mile of CWU, 18 within a ten-minute walk (half a mile), and 110 within 3 miles. The most common: Mexican (8), American (5) and coffee (5). 6 are fast-food counters; the rest are sit-down restaurants, cafés, bakeries and takeaway spots.

Where to walk: the streets with the most places to eat within 1 mile are University Way (16), Main St (16), Pearl St (7) and W 3rd Ave (6).

What stands out around CWU is Japanese, barbecue and bar & grill — types that are listed here at 2 to 3 times the national rate.

By type of food — tap one for what to order and how to spot a good one:

Mexican 8 American 5 Coffee 5 Pizza 4 Bar & grill 4 Japanese 3 Bakery 3 Barbecue 3 Steakhouse 2 Italian 2

Popular cravings near CWU, within 1 mile: Asian food (11 places) and Mexican food (8). Each guide covers what to order and how to tell a good kitchen from an average one.

Food guides for CWU

Asian Food near CWU 11 Mexican Food near CWU 8

Eating on a student budget near CWU

Cheap and bad overlap much less than price filters suggest. Of the places listed nearby, 6 are fast-food counters: the cheapest default, rarely the cheapest good meal. The value is usually in lunch specials, counter service, short menus and dishes built on rice, noodles, bread or beans. Where to eat when you're broke covers what to look for, or search cheap eats near CWU.

Need somewhere open right now? These listings do not carry live opening hours, and late at night a fair share of what is listed as open is not. The late-night guide covers how to check before you go, or search late-night food near CWU and call ahead.

The campus

  • Location — Ellensburg, WA
  • Other names, current or former — CWU
  • Setting — in a college town
  • Size — 5,000 to 9,999 students
  • Type — Public four-year institution

Campus figures are from IPEDS, the US Department of Education's institutional survey. Size is reported as the survey's own bracket rather than an exact headcount, because that is what the public dataset gives and we would rather quote it than estimate.

Nearby cities

Guides worth reading

What to eat during finals week Where to eat when you're broke Where to eat late at night Where to take visiting family and friends Eating out with a dietary restriction

Questions about eating near CWU

What restaurants are near CWU?
A few to start with, nearest first: Kiku Chan (japanese, 0.2 mi), Génesis Churros y Tamales (mexican, 0.2 mi), Vinman's Bakery (bakery, 0.2 mi), Brooklyn's Pizzeria (pizza, 0.2 mi) and White Horse Cafe -Ellensburg (american, 0.4 mi). They are chosen local-first, then listed by distance; a starting point, not a ranking.
How many places to eat are near CWU?
Open map listings put 66 places to eat within 1 mile, 18 of them within a ten-minute walk, and 110 within 3 miles. About 76% are independent rather than chains; 5 are coffee shops or cafés and 6 are fast-food counters.
Where is the food near CWU?
The busiest streets are University Way (16 places), Main St (16 places), Pearl St (7 places) and W 3rd Ave (6 places).
What kind of food is near CWU?
The most common types are Mexican (8), American (5) and coffee (5). Unusually common compared with the rest of the country: Japanese, barbecue and bar & grill.