hidden gem restAurants near campus

Helping You Find Your Next Great Meal

By Aidan Brown

Edited by Elijah Savage

Photography by Shaelyn Thomas

Layout by Olivia Metz

As a student of Wright State Lake Campus, you have access to dozens of unique meals. Not just the food that college provides you, but all the eateries in the town of Celina. You of course have the standard joints like McDonald’s or Bob Evans, but there are several other restaurants that you could go and eat at for a more unique and memorable experience as you further your education at Wright State Lake Campus.

La Carreta

La Carreta is a Mexican style restaurant in Celina, OH, owned by the Delgado family and located at 308 E Market Street. Its hours are 11:00 am to 9:30 pm fr0m Sunday to Thursday and 11:00 am to 10:30 pm from Friday to Saturday; perfect for students who have a hankering for a Mexican style lunch or dinner. Not only does La Carreta offer inside dining, but it also offers outside dining as well. However, if a student wants something special, they can go during Happy Hour on Monday through Thursday, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. During that time, La Carreta serves tacos with beef or shredded chicken with a hard shell only, and draft beers such as Bud Light or Coors Light.

According to the official website, they serve “... real dishes from the heart of Mexico and traditional Tex-Mex favorites including several vegetarian options.” With options like that, even the pickiest eaters can find something they will enjoy. La Carreta even has carry-out available, allowing students in a hurry to order their food and then go in and pick it up. The food offered includes various nacho appetizers with different sides of dip, like ranch and cheese. They also serve salads, tacos, fajitas, chicken, steak, seafood, burritos, enchiladas, and quesadillas. That is not all however, as they have several house specials, such as the Chimichangas Vegetarians for $12.50.

Chimichangas Vegetarians consists of grilled vegetables: peppers, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, and rice or beans. Another house special is the Carnitas Dinner, also for $12.50. Carnitas Dinner is made with fried pork with rice and beans, guacamole salad and tortillas. If neither of these specials work for you then don’t worry, as La Carreta offers several different house specials that are sure to satisfy your appetite.

Happy Daz

Happy Daz is a 1950’s American style restaurant, owned by

John Heaphy and is located at 911 E Wayne St, Celina, OH. Happy Daz is open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and serves many classic, American meals. Happy Daz is the perfect restaurant for students craving a classic American breakfast, lunch, or dinner. A major highlight is the 1950’s aesthetic. The walls are decorated with various memorabilia from that era, including different Coke and Pepsi signs, artwork, and advertisements. The 50’s look does not end there, as the floors have a checkered pattern and the red seats are also made using vinyl, classic signatures of diners at the time. However, a restaurant is only as good as the food they serve, something that Happy Daz has plenty of as they serve a lot of delicious food.

The food served at Happy Daz includes many American classics: hotdogs, burgers, eggs, mashed potatoes, chicken, turkey, fries, and so much more. If you are a student looking for something a little less meaty, then something on the soup and salad menu is a little more to your liking; the Garden Salad for $2.69 and Chili soup for $2.99. There are also four different combo meals, three of which include the classic cheeseburger, shredded chicken, and tenderloin. The fourth combo meal is an all-beef footlong. What is great about these different combo meals is that they are all at the low price of $5.00, perfect for a student on a budget. In fact, that is the best thing about Happy Daz, it is the perfect restaurant for students that want to eat somewhere more special than the standard McDonald’s, while trying to manage their budget as they further their education at Wright State.

Boardwalk Grill is a restaurant that serves American food and fresh seafood and is owned by Mr. Dick Cushman. It is located at 725 W Bank Rd, Celina, OH, right next to the great St. Mary’s lake. If you are a student that has a little money to spare, eating at Boardwalk Grill is an excellent restaurant for hanging out with friends or family. Unlike the previously mentioned restaurants, Boardwalk Grill has much stricter hours. According to their website, “theboardwalkgrill.com”, they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, open from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and finally 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Sundays. If a student wants to eat here, it would be best to eat on the weekends for the most flexible hours.

There is a wide variety of food served at Boardwalk Grill, including sandwiches, burgers, tacos, chicken tenders, fried fish, soups, and salads. They also have a dessert in the form of a key lime pie for $7.00. According to the website, customer favorites include 4 handmade crispy chicken tenders served with garlic aioli or honey mustard, and chips and a pickle for $13.00, and Cajun shrimp alfredo with their special Creamy Alfredo sauce over fresh linguini baked in an iron skillet and topped with 9 Cajun grilled shrimp for $16.00. In addition to the food, Boardwalk Grill has more to offer. Boardwalk Grill has something called the “Knot a Care” party yard, an outside yard where customers can enjoy events like live music or watch college and NFL football on the big screen near the famous lake. If you are a student with a big budget, Boardwalk Grill is the best place to experience the Celina culture.