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Savor Scout › Campuses › New Jersey › New Brunswick, NJ › Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Restaurants near campus

Restaurants near Rutgers University-New Brunswick

277 places to eat within a mile of Rutgers University-New Brunswick, closest first, including TJ's Café, Surf Taco and El Jefe's Taqueria - New Brunswick.

The 50 places to eat closest to Rutgers

Closest first, out of 277 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 (50)

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 Rutgers.

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

The food scene around Rutgers

277places to eat within 1 mile
78%independent, not chains
9coffee shops and cafés

Open listings put 277 places to eat within 1 mile of Rutgers, 182 within a ten-minute walk (half a mile), and 584 within 3 miles. The most common: Mexican (35), pizza (28) and burgers (12). 4 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 Easton Ave (73), George St (44), French St (22) and Raritan Ave (21).

What stands out around Rutgers is Dominican, Turkish and halal — types that are listed here at 10 to 22 times the national rate.

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

Mexican 35 Pizza 28 Burgers 12 Bakery 10 Chinese 9 Coffee 9 Sandwiches 8 Dominican 6 American 6 Deli 6

Popular cravings near Rutgers, within 1 mile: Mexican food (35 places), Asian food (30) and Korean food (3). Each guide covers what to order and how to tell a good kitchen from an average one.

Food guides for Rutgers

Mexican Food near Rutgers 35 Pizza near Rutgers 28 Burgers near Rutgers 12

Where Rutgers stands out

Among the 1,027 campuses on Savor Scout, counting what is within a mile, Rutgers ranks near the top for these. Each guide covers what to order and how to tell a good one.

Eating on a student budget near Rutgers

Cheap and bad overlap much less than price filters suggest. Of the places listed nearby, 4 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 Rutgers.

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 Rutgers and call ahead.

The campus

  • Location — New Brunswick, NJ
  • Other names, current or former — Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, The State University, Rutgers University, Rutgers U, Rutgers–New Brunswick, New Brunswick, Rutgers New Brunswick
  • 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 Elizabeth, NJ, about 17 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 Rutgers

What restaurants are near Rutgers?
A few to start with, nearest first: Surf Taco (taco, 0.1 mi), O’Bagel & Deli (bagel shop, 0.1 mi), Cool Runnins Caribbean (jamaican, 0.1 mi), Paulie's Pizza (pizza, 0.1 mi) and KBG Korean BBQ & Grill (korean, 0.1 mi). They are chosen local-first, then listed by distance; a starting point, not a ranking.
How many places to eat are near Rutgers?
Open map listings put 277 places to eat within 1 mile, 182 of them within a ten-minute walk, and 584 within 3 miles. About 78% are independent rather than chains; 9 are coffee shops or cafés and 4 are fast-food counters.
Where is the food near Rutgers?
The busiest streets are Easton Ave (73 places), George St (44 places), French St (22 places) and Raritan Ave (21 places).
What kind of food is near Rutgers?
The most common types are Mexican (35), pizza (28), burgers (12) and bakeries (10). Unusually common compared with the rest of the country: Dominican, Turkish and halal.

Nearby campuses

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

Other Rutgers University campuses