After School “Eats”

On any given weekday, commuters in Redwood City can see hordes of high school students pouring in and out of a small building on the corner of Beresford Avenue and Woodside Road. The victim of this infestation, Corner Yogurt, must satisfy the onslaught of crowds of hungry teenagers looking for a quick bite. There are backpacks everywhere and no seats available, yet more and more students continue to stroll in for their fill of delicious yogurt

When asked why students love Corner Yogurt so much, owner Leslie Lopez commented, “I think it’s the fact that you serve yourself. They determine the price. So if you only have three bucks you can come in and get a little bit of Yogurt, and be okay. Whereas you probably can’t go to a deli or say, Rosita’s, and get something for three bucks. So it can be within their budget.”

As a result, the small yogurt shop is packed with students, especially on Wednesdays, when students get out early. So much so that the employees have to prepare for the students in advance because once the kids arrive, there isn’t any time for maintenance work or anything of the sort. Often times it is difficult for employees to even hear each other in the raucous. However, for the small yogurt shop, the chaos is worth it because the after school crowd brings in a lot of business.

This is just one example of the many places Woodside students love to eat after school. There are many other restaurants around W.H.S. that bring in much of their profits from students. Speaking with four Wildcats, Max Falore, Autumn Bujtor, Alaina Bujtor, and Raul Rodriguez, has generated a snapshot of what kinds of places students love to eat, as well as why they love to eat there. It seems that students enjoy Sancho’s, Robert’s, Pink Berry, Corner Yogurt, The Dutch Goose, Rosita’s, and Rubio’s, as well as various fast food joints, such as In-N-Out, McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, and Popeye’s.

When asked about his favorite after school food, freshmen Max Falore said emphatically, “THE fish tacos from Rubio’s.” Sophomore Autumn Bujtor’s favorite is the original flavor with yogurt chips and strawberries from Pink Berry, whereas her older sister, Alaina, a junior, loves the bean, cheese, and rice burritos from Sancho’s. Finally, senior Raul Rodriguez’s favorite is the six piece meal from Popeye’s with fries.

After the interviews, I set out to try the food at all the non-fast food restaurants and see for myself how the food tasted. The first place I visited was Rosita’s. About half a block away from Corner Yogurt, Rosita’s is small, authentic hole-in-the-wall taco shop where they cook the food right in front of you. For anyone trying Rosita’s for the first time, I’d recommend the Super Tacos. The hot, soft tortillas are layered with the meat of your choice along with onions, cilantro, rich salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and cheese. It’s a messy dish, so I’d suggest getting chips to go with it so you can scoop up the extra food that falls out of the taco. That paired with a Jarrito soda and you’ll be leaving happy..

If you’re craving dessert after your super tacos, Corner Yogurt is literally 50 feet away. Stop in and pick from one of the varieties of frozen yogurt that are  different each day. Some flavors you can’t go wrong with are vanilla-chocolate swirl, red velvet cake, any sorbet, and, if you are a fan, the original frozen yogurt flavor, which is more tart and sour than the other flavors but equally delicious. Top your frozen yogurt off with some crushed Oreo pieces, chocolate chips, gummy worms, or one of the many other choices, including fresh fruit.

When you’re craving more American style food, head down Alameda toward Menlo Park until you reach The Dutch Goose. You can’t go wrong with a bacon cheeseburger, but my personal favorite is the juicy guacamole burger. On the other hand if you are in the mood for a sandwich, their pastrami sandwich is equally flavorful. That along with a soda from their very modern touch screen soda dispenser and you’re ready to enjoy a good American meal.

If you are a fish person and even if you normally aren’t, a trip down El Camino will take you to some of the best fish tacos I’ve ever eaten. At Rubio’s, next to the Menlo Park Safeway, they serve up a delicious taco filled with fried fish, their secret sauce, and lettuce. It seems simple, but the combination is delicious and satisfying. If you only have five bucks head down on any Tuesday and they’ll serve you a taco for $1.50 each. It’s a great place for cheap, yet flavorful food.

For those of you who live in Emerald Hills, Sancho’s Taqueria is the perfect place to go for a bite on the way home from school. One great item on the menu is the super burrito filled with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cheese, pico de gallo, and your choice of meat. Another great dish is the Super Nachos topped with sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, melted cheese and any type of meat. This place is perfect for those who live in Emerald Hills and don’t want to deal with the after school crowds heading to places on Woodside Road.

Finally, we have Pink Berry, the frozen yogurt shop in Stanford Shopping Center. The best part of the shop is the variety of things you can get there. They only serve six different flavors; however, they also serve smoothies, fruit parfaits and fruit bowls, along with 36 different toppings and your choice of a cone or a bowl. These options allow Pink Berry to meet many different tastes. As for me, I’d suggest one of their custom made smoothies.

Although these food joints are the after school favorites of just a handful of students at W.H.S., I strongly recommend you try them. You may just find your new favorite after school snack.

Photo Credit to Rubio's Website