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Savor Scout › Campuses › Iowa › Ames, IA › Iowa State University

Restaurants near campus

Restaurants near Iowa State University (ISU)

59 places to eat within a mile of Iowa State University, closest first, including The Hub-the Roasterie & Heaping Plato and Clyde's Gastro Diner.

The 50 places to eat closest to ISU

Closest first, out of 59 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 (6)

About a 10-minute walk · a quarter to half a mile (43)

A 10- to 20-minute walk · half a mile to a mile (1)

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 ISU.

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

The food scene around ISU

59places to eat within 1 mile
54%independent, not chains
4coffee shops and cafés

Open listings put 59 places to eat within 1 mile of ISU, 49 within a ten-minute walk (half a mile), and 208 within 3 miles. The most common: pizza (10), sandwiches (7) and Chinese (6). 3 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 Lincoln Way (28), Welch Ave (11) and Hayward Ave (3).

What stands out around ISU is Chinese and sandwiches — types that are listed here at 3 to 3 times the national rate.

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

Pizza 10 Sandwiches 7 Chinese 6 Coffee 4 Mexican 3 American 2 Buffet 2 Burgers 2 Bar & grill 2

Popular cravings near ISU, within 1 mile: Asian food (10 places) and Mexican food (3). Each guide covers what to order and how to tell a good kitchen from an average one.

Food guides for ISU

Pizza near ISU 10 Sandwich Shops near ISU 7

Eating on a student budget near ISU

Cheap and bad overlap much less than price filters suggest. Of the places listed nearby, 3 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 ISU.

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 ISU and call ahead.

The campus

  • Location — Ames, IA
  • Other names, current or former — ISU
  • Setting — in a city
  • Size — 20,000 students or more
  • 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

The nearest city of any real size is Des Moines, IA, about 29 miles away, for the nights the options by campus run out.

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 ISU

What restaurants are near ISU?
A few to start with, nearest first: Clyde's Gastro Diner (american, 0.2 mi), Friley Windows (buffet, 0.2 mi), Lance And Ellie's (sandwich shop, 0.2 mi), Jeff's Pizza Shop (pizza, 0.2 mi) and Cafe Beaudelaire (brazilian, 0.3 mi). They are chosen local-first, then listed by distance; a starting point, not a ranking.
How many places to eat are near ISU?
Open map listings put 59 places to eat within 1 mile, 49 of them within a ten-minute walk, and 208 within 3 miles. About 54% are independent rather than chains; 4 are coffee shops or cafés and 3 are fast-food counters.
Where is the food near ISU?
The busiest streets are Lincoln Way (28 places), Welch Ave (11 places) and Hayward Ave (3 places).
What kind of food is near ISU?
The most common types are pizza (10), sandwiches (7), Chinese (6) and coffee (4). Unusually common compared with the rest of the country: Chinese and sandwiches.

Nearby campuses

Comparing schools, or eating with friends across town? These are the closest campuses to ISU.