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It’s a safe assumption to make that most college students are hard-pressed for cash. Many of these penny-scrounging 20-somethings also enjoy dining out. With that in mind, many local Orono and Old Town restaurants have deals once a week when two meals can be purchased for the price of one. I spent the better half of a week enjoying myself at a different two-for-one special each night, discovering what each establishment had to offer in terms of wait times, price and food.
The first stop on my two-for-one train was burger night at the Bear Brew in Orono. From 4-10 p.m. every Monday, the Bear Brew serves buy one, get one free hamburgers. As many of you know, the Bear Brew is a popular establishment, but is a little cramped inside. Depending on your arrival time, your wait could approach Snow White’s nap time: long. If you have a party of more than three people, forget about it. The tables are tiny, and the hostess can only sit three per square table. When your party numbers start rising, so does your wait time. Arriving at 6 p.m., however, our wait was pretty minimal.
The service at the Bear Brew was polite, but as expected, the food took longer than on an average night. The price for two burgers was cheap, at $7.
Tuesday night brought me back to the Bear Brew for two-for-one pizzas. The special also starts at 4 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m. This is by far the best night of all. I am a regular every Tuesday at the Bear Brew and have perfected everything about this night. In anticipation, on Tuesday mornings I eat a big breakfast and no lunch, saving room for the pie.
No matter what time you get to the Brew on Tuesdays, you are going to wait. Pizza night is popular, so plan ahead and call your name in. The service is as good as it can be with a packed house. Plan on waiting awhile to put your order in and to get your food. But trust me, it’s worth it. The pizza is in a different world, with just the right amount of cheese and sauce.
The prices are perfect: $7.50 for two plain cheese, and another dollar for a Bear Brew draft.
Margarita’s was calling my name on Wednesday night offering two-for-one entrees. That’s right, anything on the menu. The wait was nothing compared to Tuesday at the Bear Brew. Service was quick, and the food came out hot. I have never been in love with Mexican food, but Wednesday night, as I ate those mini chimi-chongas, I was almost there.
The prices at Marg’s are definitely a step up from the Bear Brew, depending upon what you order. Two meals, drinks and a tip cost me $18. Up there, but still not a bank buster.
The final night of the area’s two-for-one week-long voyage lands you far away from Main Street in Orono, to the Chocolate Grille in Old Town. On Thursday nights, the Grille offers two-for-one entrees. The Chocolate Grille is a bit different in the two-for-one race. In order to get the special, one member of your party must buy an entree from the pub menu.
Because of its more expensive menu, the Chocolate Grille had the shortest wait and serve times. The food was very good, although I thought the portions could be beefed up. The price was not cheap, ringing in at $22 for dinner and two drinks.
Two-for-ones are everywhere in this college-crazed area, so pull out the cushions on your couch for that spare change and take advantage of the food bargains that Orono and Old Town have to offer.
Bangor Daily News