Smart Shopping For Pacific Students 3: Restaurant Edition
Stockton native Megan Silva shares the best places to eat in Stockton on a budget.
Sherman’s
Address: 5654 N Pershing Ave, Stockton, CA 95207
Looking for some great Chinese takeout on a budget? A meal for two people only costs about eight dollars, (that’s four dollars per person!), and the food is amazing. My favorite item from here is the cheese rangoons, they are sweet and fluffy! Other items to note are their fried rice, and vegetarian egg rolls. It’s a takeout-only restaurant located only five minutes away from campus.
Mama’s Pho and Sandwiches
Address: 8014 N Lower Sacramento Rd # E, Stockton, CA 95210
Though Pho Island is wonderful, and within walking distance, it’s worth it to take a short drive down the street to Mama’s Pho and Sandwiches. Compare the prices: A regular bowl of beef pho will cost you $13.25 at Pho island, but at Mama’s, it only costs $7.50. Mama’s boba selection is more robust than Pho Island’s, and they have specialty sodas that I haven’t been able to find anywhere else. My favorite item from here is the Salty Lemonade Soda. It’s sweet, sour, and salty at the same time. In addition to pho, their banh mi (vietnamese sandwiches) are great. I like the pulled pork and jalapeño sandwich. You can sit in this restaurant, though it is a bit small and gets very busy. They do offer takeout, and if you get soup they will put the broth in a different container than the noodles. This ensures that the texture of the noodles remains fresh, even if you don’t have the soup for a couple of hours.
Gian’s Deli
Address: 2112 Pacific Ave, Stockton, CA 95204
Located on the Miracle Mile, tucked behind the new shaved-ice store, is an incredible deli and italian market. They make their own focaccia bread; I always get my sandwiches with this type of bread because it is so fresh and flavorful. I also love their raviolis, you can get a large bag of them frozen, and they are easy to heat up at home for a quick dinner on a busy night. Gian’s is a cute place to take your significant other on a date. You can go pick up a sandwich, and check out their specialty ingredients for cooking an awesome meal together later. One thing to note about Gian’s is that they don’t accept card payments, they only take cash, but they do have an ATM at the back of the deli.
Sam’s Cafe
Address: 2328 Pacific Ave, Stockton, CA 95204
This diner is adorable! They have historic pictures of Stockton and of the University of the Pacific. If you have time before a morning class, definitely stop by and get a strawberry waffle. Since it’s a Chinese-American diner, they do unique takes on diner classics. Their Spam and eggs are amazing, the Spam is seasoned so that it has the flavor of bacon with a richer texture. This place has it all: great food, great price, and great atmosphere.
I’ve enjoyed sharing some of my favorite local restaurants with you! Let me know if there are any I missed in the comments, and also let me know what types of businesses you’d like to see me cover in the future!