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Savor Scout › Campuses › California › Merced, CA › University of California-Merced

Restaurants near campus

Restaurants near University of California-Merced

Every place to eat within 4 miles of the University of California-Merced, closest first, including La Crema De Cotija, Thai Cuisine II and Bobcat Diner.

Every place to eat within 4 miles of UC Merced

42 places, closest first. Distances are straight-line from the campus, so a walk runs a little longer.

Two miles or more · a short drive (42)

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 UC Merced.

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

The food scene around UC Merced

42places to eat within 4 miles
50%independent, not chains
4coffee shops and cafés

Open listings put 42 places to eat within 4 miles of UC Merced, none of them within a ten-minute walk of the middle of campus. The most common: Mexican (7) and pizza (5). One is a fast-food counter; the rest are sit-down restaurants, cafés, bakeries and takeaway spots.

Where to walk: the streets with the most places to eat within 4 miles are G St (22) and Yosemite Ave (15).

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

Mexican 7 Pizza 5 Coffee 4 Sandwiches 4 American 3 Chinese 2 Dessert 2 Burgers 2 Thai 2 Ice cream 2

Popular cravings near UC Merced, within 4 miles: Mexican food (7 places) and Asian food (6). Each guide covers what to order and how to tell a good kitchen from an average one.

Eating on a student budget near UC Merced

Cheap and bad overlap much less than price filters suggest. Of the places listed nearby, 1 is a fast-food counter: 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 UC Merced.

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 UC Merced and call ahead.

The campus

  • Location — Merced, CA
  • Other names, current or former — UC Merced
  • Setting — in a rural area
  • 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

The nearest city of any real size is Modesto, CA, about 37 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 UC Merced

What restaurants are near UC Merced?
A few to start with, nearest first: Thai Cuisine II (thai, 3 mi), Bobcat Diner (american, 3 mi), Teriyaki Don (japanese, 3 mi), Frozen World (ice cream shop, 3 mi) and Turmeric Indian Cuisine (indian, 3.1 mi). They are chosen local-first, then listed by distance; a starting point, not a ranking.
How many places to eat are near UC Merced?
Open map listings put 42 places to eat within 4 miles. About 50% are independent rather than chains; 4 are coffee shops or cafés and one is a fast-food counter.
Where is the food near UC Merced?
The busiest streets are G St (22 places) and Yosemite Ave (15 places).
What kind of food is near UC Merced?
The most common types are Mexican (7), pizza (5), coffee (4) and sandwiches (4).

Nearby campuses

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