You're famished, and ramen just isn't doing it for you anymore. Luckily, you have enough money to go out for a tasty meal, but it must be inexpensive.

A group of friends and yourself want to go out for Friday night dinner. You have a car low on gas, but only enough money for dinner. Where can you go to eat so that you don't have to push the car back to UA?

Restaurants around campus offer a plethora of choices of tasty treats, satisfying meals, and a nice, sometimes peaceful, ambiance that will have your taste buds begging for more.

For cheap, yet tasty, oriental food, there are many choices. One of the best places is 88 Express, 931 E. University Blvd. The orange chicken, sesame chicken and chicken fried rice are to die for! The people are friendly, the atmosphere is serene, and the food is great. There may be a lot of people around the lunch rush, but at least you can eat and concentrate on reading the paper, conducting a conversation, or whatever you do while you're eating.

If it's too crowded there, then right across the street is another great oriental restaurant, Oriental Express Restaurant, 982 E. University Blvd. Their main dishes and rice dishes are too delicious for words. Very inexpensive and very fulfilling.

If it's a nice restaurant, without a hefty price, The Mandarin Grill, 505 E. Grant Rd., is the place. The hot and sour soup and Kung-Pao chicken are some of the best I've tasted. The restaurant has great service, great food, and their prices cannot really be beat. Their lunch menu is even better. Try it for yourself!

If you think eating meat is like tobacco, a "smelly, puking habit," don't fret, because two of Tucson's best vegetarian restaurants are near campus. The Garland Restaurant, 119 E. Speedway Blvd., features some meat dishes, but primarily non-meat dishes. I once went here with a friend and only spent about $20.

The other restaurant, The Blue Willow Restaurant Bakery & Poster Gallery, 2616 N. Campbell Ave., features more non-meat dishes, but also has its share of meat dishes. The prices are not bad, either. Plus, on your way out, you can stop at the bakery and take home some dessert.

If you just feel like going to out to lunch on a lazy, Saturday afternoon, here are some places that won't make your wallet or purse echo:

Baggin's Gourmet Sandwiches, 2741 E. Speedway Blvd., offers a variety of delicious sandwiches, chips, and cookies that Mom didn't make for your lunch in the fifth grade. You can also have them delivered to your home.

Bison Witches Bar & Deli, 326 N. Fourth Ave., must be good, since there is always a line to get in. That line is due to the restaurant's lack of space . But the folks at Bison Witches have recently opened a new patio. Bison Witches is one of the few places in Tucson, that I know of, that offers clam chowder soup in a sourdough bread bowl.

If it's Mexican food, a Tucson staple, you're looking for, here's a few choices to whet your palette with some spice.

Sanchez Burrito Co., 2530 N. First Ave. or 2526 E. Broadway, hands down, has the best burritos north of the border. They fill you up, even if you haven't eaten since the last blue moon. Sanchez offers many different types of burritos, from chorizo and potatoes to a regular bean burrito. This is not your typical burrito, since it takes a fork and knife, at times, to eat these babies. So if you are extremely hungry and have about five bucks, Sanchez is your spot.

If you feel a little more like a somewhat formal restaurant setting, Tucson's most well-known Mexican restaurant, El Adobe Cafe, 52 W. Congress St., will be your favorite after your first visit. Their chorizo, nachos and margaritas are terrific! The prices aren't that bad either. Trust me, your first visit will not be your last.

If you think these authentic Mexican restaurants may be a little "spicy" for you, then there's always the pseudo-Mexican spots.

Two Pesos Mexican Cafe, 811 N. Euclid Ave., is a fast-food Mexican spot that's better than Taco Bell, but not as good as El Adobe. This cafe offers many specialties, from fajita nachos to large, heaping plates of !Que bueno! Mexican food. Plus, the cafe offers a fun patio area, a large dining area and great music (usually the best 1980s hits).

Carlos Murphy's Restaurant, 419 W. Congress St., is the fun, trendy Mexican version of both TGIFriday's and Applebee's. The ambiance and atmosphere are fun, the waitstaff is friendly, yet silly, and the food is good, gringo-style Mexican food.

If you want a beach-like atmosphere with beach music, head on over to Chuy's Baja Broiler, 356 E. Grant Rd. If you go alone, don't ask for nachos, unless you want to live on them for a few weeks. But, if you go with a group, the nachos are some of the best.

If you are tired of Mexican, then try something good, a little spicy and different, like Guatemalan food. If that's the case, sashay down to Maya Quetzal, 429 N. Fourth Ave. Now, I've only been here once, but that won't be the last time I come to this enchanting and different restaurant.

For a nice spot to take your parents for dinner and get some real pasta, Caruso's Restaurant, 434 N. Fourth Ave., is the place. Now, I have to try this place, but everyone tells me that it is very good, plus it is very inexpensive.

Well, if you don't want to eat anything, but feel like a milkshake, the best place around campus is at Grandma Tony's Pizza, 970 E. University Blvd. In my opinion, cookies and cream shakes are the best!

For those nocturnal beings, the best hangouts are the unlikely ones. Your first try should be Grill, 100 E. Congress St. Really, there is not supposed to be a "the" before Grill. This place is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the staff is nice and friendly. The best thing about Grill: tater tots.

Right down the street is the Cup Cafe In The Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Its pastries and desserts, along with coffee, are stupendous!

And the last nocturnal hot spot near campus would be Denny's Restaurant, 3655 E. Speedway Blvd. You can sit there all night long with no worries, either studying for a big test, talking all night with your date, or sitting and giggling with friends.

There are many local restaurants, but this is a tasty sample of some of the best, well-known and most popular.