University of Notre Dame Local Guide
This is a map of the center of campus with some of the relevant buildings colored in gold: McKenna Hall (1, main conference site); Morris Inn (2, campus hotel and site for Saturday dinner); South Dining Hall (3, site for Thursday reception and dinner); Duncan Student Center and LaFortune Student Center (4 & 5, various food options); Hesburgh Library (6, site for Au Bon Pain, and of course, for books!).
WIFI
Two campus wifi systems are available for your use:
- Eduroam – If your institution is part of the Eduroam consortium, you can connect to the ND Eduroam network (secured)
- ND Guest – Unsecured, public access
Lunch Options
Campus Lunch Options
All campus lunch locations except Rohr’s use the GrubHub app for contactless ordering and pickup. (You can download this on your phone from the Apple Store or Google Play. There are also touchscreens at each location, but I highly recommend the app so you can order ahead.) Be forewarned that the post-COVID labor shortage has affected campus dining as well, and wait times can be upwards of 30 minutes during prime hours. So you are strongly advised to place your order early!
Campus lunch options will be more limited on Saturday because several locations are M-F only and because Notre Dame’s annual “Blue Gold” football game is Saturday @ 1 pm. You will want to avoid the stadium area until after 1 pm unless your food strategy is to crash a tailgate (which isn’t a bad idea, especially when they are packing up close to game time….)
Morris Inn –
Rohr’s: The only full-service campus dining option. Salads and sandwiches $10 – $15; more expensive main courses available
Duncan Student Center –
Modern Market (closed Sat): Sandwiches, soups, salads, bowls, pizza
Chick-fil-A: American fast-food restaurant. Note: You can pre-order with GrubHub, but they won’t prep your order until you check in at Duncan with your phone. Service is usually quick.
Hagerty Family Café: Savory crepes, pastries, protein bars
LaFortune Student Center –
Smashburger (closed Sat): Burgers and chicken sandwiches
Subway: American fast-food sub sandwich store
Noodle Nook (closed Sat.): Ramen and Asian bowls
Decio Hall (just north of stadium, west side of the quad) –
Decio Café (closed Sat.): Sandwiches, bowls. Note: this is the only site where GrubHub gives inaccurate wait times. You will always wait at least 30 min at rush times.
Hesburgh Library —
Au Bon Pain: Upscale American chain. Sandwiches
Hesburgh Center (two buildings south of McKenna Hall)
Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh (closed Sat.): Mediterranean wraps, bowls, salads, etc.
Lunch Options (cont’d)
Off-Campus Options – walking distance
The only readily-walkable lunch options are at Eddy St. Commons, about a 10 minute walk south from McKenna Hall. (Exit on the east side, toward the stadium, and head south, going to the left of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at the south side of the quad.) Should be relatively open on Friday; on Saturday, spaces should open up as guests leave for the 1 pm football game.
O’Rourke’s Public House: Pub-style food.
Chipotle: American fast-food restaurant (Mexican)
Five Guys Burgers: Slightly higher-quality fast-food burger restaurant
BRU Burger Bar: Higher-end burgers, sandwiches, salads. Includes vegetarian options
Blaze Pizza: Smaller pizza chain specializing in personalized pizzas cooked quickly in a high-temp oven
Brothers Bar & Grill: Smaller chain. Sandwiches, burgers, wraps, salads, chili, tacos.
Off-Campus Options – 5 min drive
The brave of heart can try to snag an Uber and head either downtown (10 min; see dinner options) or to one of these nearby restaurants (5 min drive). Note that trying to catch an Uber on Saturday may be more challenging because of the game.
J.W. Chen’s: Unpretentious but good Chinese
Parisi’s Ristorante Italiano: Upscale Italian restaurant
Cre-Asian: Small restaurant serving fusion Asian cuisine
La Esperanza: Mexican
Dinner & Drinks Options
On Campus and Walking Distance:
The only on-campus dinner option is Rohr’s, which will likely be crowded on both Friday and Saturday because of the football game. Dinner entrees are $15 (sandwiches) – $35 (seafood). Seating on the east side (to the right) is advised unless you like big flat screen TVs everywhere.
For walking-distance options and short driving options, see lunch list above
Downtown South Bend
Downton South Bend is about a 7-10 minute drive from campus. There are two main areas, the main downtown (west side of the river) and the East Bank (east side of the river). You can walk between them, but depending on where you are headed, it will be 10 – 15 minutes.
Main Downtown
LaSalle Grill: Higher-end, steakhouse-style food. Limited vegetarian options.
Café Navarre: Higher-end restaurant; mix of options, including vegetarian food.
Cinco 5 International: Mexican and Thai fusion
Woochi Japanese Fusion & Bar: Sushi, Japanese and Asian fusion
Fatbird: Southern-style cooking. Not vegetarian-friendly
Fiddler’s Hearth: Irish pub food. Vegetarian options. Live music on Sat evenings
Roselily: Mid- to higher-end restaurant; extensive vegetarian menu.
The Exchange Whiskey Bar: Not for dinner, but great for whiskey and vintage cocktails. Housed in a renovated bank.
Spirited: Cocktail bar (limited food)
South Bend Brew Werks: Micro-brewery with pub food
East Bank
The Cellar Wine Bar & Kitchen: Small plates, paninis, salads, wine, cocktails
Hammer & Quill: Small plates, cocktails, craft beers, spirits
The Lauber: Bowls, sandwiches, pizza, wine, cocktails, craft beers
Carmela’s: Italian restaurant
The Garage Arcade Bar: Beer, cocktails, and free classic arcade games. Live music with $5 cover on weekend evenings
Howard Park Public House: Salads, burgers, steak, seafood, vegan entrees.
Render: New American; not vegetarian friendly
Other good restaurants with less nearby them include India Garden (10 min); Crooked Ewe Brewery (10 min); Bistro 933 in the Hilton Garden Inn near the Inn at St. Marys.