How many times a week do you walk into town to eat? Maybe it’s to get breakfast or lunch at Tandem, or go to Dunkin’ with your friends before study hall. We go to Easthampton daily, but it seems like we go to the same spots time and time again.

But there are more than a few reasons why Easthampton is becoming a culinary hot spot, including one nearby restaurant that arguably has the best fried chicken you’ll ever eat.

Here are the top five restaurants in Easthampton that you might have never heard of! Now get out there and start eating!

Coco and the Cellar Bar

Located at 95 Main Street, Coco is famous for its buttermilk fried chicken. The chef, Unmi Abkin, was selected for the James Beard award — one of the most prestigious awards in the food industry — in 2016, 2017, and again this year.

“I love Coco’s, mostly because it’s so creative,” said senior Amanda Shen. “What I really like about it is that most of the stuff on the menu is kind of creative,” she said. “They try to mix different elements from different kinds of food, like, Asian food and Italian food.”

“Coco’s is the best!” agreed sophomore Ruby McElhone Yates, a lifelong Easthampton resident.

“If you want to really impress someone, stepping it up to Coco’s or Galaxy is a great option!” said College Counseling Office Manager Dianne King.

Daily Operation

Daily operation is a new restaurant which has successfully been catching the hearts — and appetites — of locals. Daily Operation’s menu is varied from night to night, and all dishes are under $10, making it the perfect restaurant for boarders and students to visit in their precious down time. Some dishes on the ever-changing menu include the Spicy Chorizo sandwich, Kung Pao Cauliflower, Dry Aged Cheeseburger, Charred Bok Choy, Thai Cabbage Salad, and desserts like Marlborough Pie and Chocolate Chip Graham Shortbread.

“All my friends who have taken their kids love it, because it’s very kid-food friendly and adult friendly,” Dianne King said.

Galaxy

Galaxy has a wide range of food, from salads and appetizers to an array of exciting, creative entrees. Galaxy even provides a gluten-free in most dishes. According to sophomore and Easthampton resident Ruby McElhone Yates, the restaurant is most known for its light snacks, like steamed dumplings and truffle fries, although their main courses are widely agreed to be great.

“I think they are famous for their tapas, a little bit of this, a little bit of that,” said Academic Dean Mr. Tuleja.

“Last year when my mom visited, we ate there, and I had like the perfect steak, and she had the salmon, which is pretty good, and the dessert was pretty good too,” Amanda Shen said. “I think they homemade their cookies, and they made different flavor of crème brulee every night, which is pretty cool.”

“I would say the only problem is when they have a lot of people, they serve really, really slow,” she said.

Glory of India

Along with bringing in traditional dishes and spices from India, this Easthampton staple caters to campus by delivering in the evening and accepting Sammy cards for the students’ convenience.

Both Amanda Shen and senior Sabrina Shao enjoy Glory of India’s naan, a traditional oven-baked Indian flatbread.

Other restaurants you should visit

Besides Coco, Galaxy, Daily Operation, and Glory of India, other restaurants that garnered approval from kids and students alike include Glendale grill, Kisara — the Cottage Street Japanese and Korean spot, which has quickly become a campus favorite — and Union Street Bakery & Bistro, which serves baked good and sandwiches, and recently opened on Union Street across the street from Small Oven Bakery.

“It’s family owned,” explained senior Kassandra Orcutt. “I talked to the mother; they are super excited. Their food is awesome, they have a diverse menu, everything from cupcakes to breakfast sandwiches to lunch salads to smoothies to tea. The price is medium-average, everything is probably below ten dollars.”

What’s wonderful about Easthampton is that despite its relatively small size, there are options, all within walking distance, for even the pickiest eaters.

“Having all these different types of restaurants, you know what I mean —  there is an Indian place, there are a bunch of Chinese places, there is a Subway — having all of these different restaurants is really great because then you’re not just eating all American food like Dunkin’,” Molly Solan ’19 said.