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Savor Scout › Campuses › Virginia › Harrisonburg, VA › James Madison University

Restaurants near campus

Restaurants near James Madison University (JMU)

115 places to eat within a mile of James Madison University, closest first, including Bistro 1908, Monty's Restaurant and Bar and Tequila Taco Bar.

The 50 places to eat closest to JMU

Closest first, out of 115 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 (5)

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

A 10- to 20-minute walk · half a mile to a mile (35)

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 JMU.

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

The food scene around JMU

115places to eat within 1 mile
57%independent, not chains
5coffee shops and cafés

Open listings put 115 places to eat within 1 mile of JMU, 11 within a ten-minute walk (half a mile), and 299 within 3 miles. The most common: sandwiches (9), Mexican (9) and bakeries (7). 9 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 Main St (26), Reservoir St (15), Port Republic Rd (10) and S Carlton St (8).

What stands out around JMU is buffets, Asian and Thai — types that are listed here at 4 to 6 times the national rate.

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

Sandwiches 9 Mexican 9 Bakery 7 Pizza 6 Thai 5 Coffee 5 Burgers 5 Chinese 4 Asian 3 American 3

Popular cravings near JMU, within 1 mile: Asian food (21 places), Mexican food (9) and Korean food (2). Each guide covers what to order and how to tell a good kitchen from an average one.

Food guides for JMU

Asian Food near JMU 21 Mexican Food near JMU 9

Eating on a student budget near JMU

Cheap and bad overlap much less than price filters suggest. Of the places listed nearby, 9 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 JMU.

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 JMU and call ahead.

The campus

  • Location — Harrisonburg, VA
  • Other names, current or former — JMU
  • 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

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 JMU

What restaurants are near JMU?
A few to start with, nearest first: Bistro 1908 (burger, 0.3 mi), Monty's Restaurant and Bar (bar and grill, 0.4 mi), Tequila Taco Bar (mexican, 0.4 mi), At Thai Restaurant (thai, 0.5 mi) and Table 1888 (american, 0.6 mi). They are chosen local-first, then listed by distance; a starting point, not a ranking.
How many places to eat are near JMU?
Open map listings put 115 places to eat within 1 mile, 11 of them within a ten-minute walk, and 299 within 3 miles. About 57% are independent rather than chains; 5 are coffee shops or cafés and 9 are fast-food counters.
Where is the food near JMU?
The busiest streets are Main St (26 places), Reservoir St (15 places), Port Republic Rd (10 places) and S Carlton St (8 places).
What kind of food is near JMU?
The most common types are sandwiches (9), Mexican (9), bakeries (7) and pizza (6). Unusually common compared with the rest of the country: buffets, Asian and Thai.

Nearby campuses

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