Gracey Paucar

The food court at north Riverside Mall in cicero Illinios.

Sbarro Emerges as Top Food Court Choice of 2023, According to Survey

In a recent survey of 100 Morton East students, over 60 individuals declared Sbarro as the best restaurant of 2023. The North Riverside Mall boasts a diverse range of food options, including Sarku Japan, Great Steak, China Max, Smokehouse, Taco Bell, Dunkin’ Donuts, Subway, Baskin Robbins, El Milagro, and Asian Corner (specializing in sushi and bubble/Boba tea). When students were asked to select their preferred dining establishment at the North Riverside Mall, the results revealed Subway (30%), Sbarro (67%), El Milagro (24%), Taco Bell (20%), Sarku Japan (15%), China Max (12%), Dunkin’ Donuts (10%), Smokehouse (10%), and Asian Corner (5%) in descending order of popularity. Notably, Sbarro secured the highest number of votes for the favorite restaurant.

Established in 1956, Sbarro originated when Carmela and Gennaro Sbarro opened their inaugural restaurant in Brooklyn, New York, focusing exclusively on Italian food. After Carmela, also known as “mama” Sbarro, began offering slices to shift workers for a quick meal, their popularity grew, prompting the opening of a second location dedicated solely to pizza. Carmela’s New York slices gained immense popularity, leading to the expansion of approximately 630 Sbarro restaurants across 28 countries worldwide.

“Based on my preferences, I really like Great Steak. While the others are good, some foods are either too strong or too mild for my taste buds. During my time at Morton, I used to frequent Great Steak and Sbarro since their offerings are not overly spicy or strong,” Alyssa Flores, a former Morton East student, said.

Others maintain strong culinary preferences based on their food type, as expressed by Parent Candelaria Ochoa Perez, mother of senior Alexa Jimena Ochoa: “Yo como algunas veces comida Mexicana porque me gusta mucho y antes, pero ya no yo como mucha comida picosa allí. Pero yo no mas como Tambien eso porque cuando yo estaba en Mexico casi comie los comidas que servan aqui en los Estados Unidos.”