With many of the campus dining options closed this summer, it is the perfect time for students to explore flavors outside of the USC campus.

USC’s campus is surrounded by local restaurants, offering a taste of a variety of cuisines from Mexican-Indian fusion to Salvadoran food. While USC students may be aware of spots such as Bacari and Ebaes just down the road from campus, just as close by are countless niche places to eat, with just as great quality. A couple of these places have even earned top food awards, such as a Michelin star.

All of the eateries on this list are within Fryft distance and affordable for college students. Savor the chance to branch out and explore a bit of what the South Central culinary scene has to offer.

23rd Street Cafe

23rd Street Cafe is an Indian-Mexican fusion restaurant, serving dishes such as a channa saag burrito and a tikka masala quesadilla, as well as classic Indian and Mexican dishes, including a carne asada burrito, samosas and pakora. On a hot day, try their mango lassi for a refreshing respite from the heat.

Open until 10 p.m., the small cafe with a window to order, offers indoor and outdoor seating and is perfect for a casual dinner with friends.

But 23rd Street Cafe doesn’t stop at dinner; their all-day breakfast menu includes the usual suspects such as breakfast sandwiches and omelets, as well as fusion dishes like a tikka masala breakfast burrito and aloo parata.

Mercado La Paloma

At this food hall, multiple restaurants serve up award-winning cuisine, offering a plethora of options to guests. There is plenty of parking outside and ample seating, no matter how large the party. Grab a table, visit a few stalls and enjoy a meal unlike any other, until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and until 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Before entering, a line forms outside Mercado La Paloma, which leads to Holbox — a Michelin star-winning restaurant that has also been nominated for a James Beard Award. Holbox is a Mexican seafood restaurant, serving a rotating seasonal menu. While a meal from Holbox may be on the pricier side — with one taco costing $8 and a full meal coming to about $30 — it is a price that matches the experience of fine dining close to campus.

The menu features a refreshing bite of fresh ceviche, sea urchin and a unique octopus and calamari ink taco. Holbox is sure to offer a great time for all seafood lovers.

Travel from the coast of Mexico to Mexico City with a stop at Komal, a Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized restaurant. Komal serves street food from Mexico City, such as tacos, quesadillas, tlacoyos and mole.

Although they serve many meat-forward dishes, Komal has some of the best vegetarian options in Mercado La Paloma. Their quesadilla de flor contains squash blossoms and corn stew — a flavor-packed bite that is subtly sweet. Their quesadilla de huitlacoche, made with an edible infected corn, is great for adventurous eaters wanting to try local CDMX cuisine.

Other restaurant options within Mercado La Paloma include Oaxacalifornia, which has refreshing aguafresca, Chichen Itza, for its tortas and Thai Corner Food Express for a mango sticky rice dessert.

South LA Cafe

South LA Cafe is a local Black and community-owned cafe serving coffee and breakfast. They offer specialty drinks such as their horchata and cinnabon lattes, as well as breakfast items, perfect to take on the go, like a bagel sandwich or an empanada. While the cafe does close at 2 p.m., so it is not accessible by Fryft, it is located on Exposition Boulevard only a less than 10 minute walk from campus, right next to the USC / Exposition Park metro stop.

Along with serving coffee, the cafe is committed to serving its community to fight racial, social, economic and food inequity in South Central. For anyone in need of an early morning spot before heading to work or an internship, or who wants to support a local business whose goal is to foster a community space in South Central, South LA cafe is a perfect spot. 

The owners, Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace, grew up in the area around USC and built South LA Cafe to address the food desert in the community by offering healthy and fresh meals. They also seek to fight against gentrification by hiring community members, specifically supporting Black and Indigenous people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, women and formerly incarcerated individuals. 

La Flor Blanca

Find some of the best pupusas in the area being served up at La Flor Blanca, a Salvadoran restaurant off Jefferson, open until 7:30 p.m. Their pupusa revuelta — filled with beans, pork and cheese — pairs perfectly with their yucca with chicharrones for a great savory meal.

At $5 a pupusa and options to dine-in, take food to-go or order delivery, La Flor Blanca is perfect for a delicious, quick and affordable meal. The crispy edges and cheesy interior of a pupusa make for a great bite to grab for a weekend breakfast. With their pupusas, don’t forget to try the side of curtido — a tangy, slightly-spicy slaw — and salsa, of course.