Eating at TXST: Meal Plans, Dining Halls and Texas Food for International Students

Food is the second-largest expense after housing and a common worry for international students: “What will I eat in America?” The good news: at Texas State University and across the Austin – San Antonio corridor you have plenty of options — from on-campus meal plans to pho and banh mi half an hour away.

On-campus meal plans

Students in residence halls usually sign up for a meal plan — a set number of meals per week or unlimited access to dining halls (Commons, Harris, Jones…), plus Dining Dollars for campus cafés, Chick-fil-A and Starbucks. Dining halls are buffet-style with multiple stations: American, Tex-Mex, Asian, salad, pizza, and always vegetarian/halal options.

Tip: pick a realistic plan — many students buy unlimited but actually eat 10–12 meals a week.

Texas food you must try

• Texas BBQ: 12-hour smoked brisket — Lockhart, 20 minutes from San Marcos, is the BBQ capital of Texas.
• Tex-Mex: tacos, breakfast tacos, queso — cheap, fast, everywhere.
• Chicken fried steak, kolaches, Whataburger — Texas-only classics.

Where to find Vietnamese and Asian food

San Marcos has a few Asian restaurants and small grocers; the real hub is Austin (30 min) with North Lamar and Asian supermarkets such as MT Supermarket, H Mart and 99 Ranch — fish sauce, rice noodles, herbs and instant noodles all available. Pho, banh mi and broken rice are easy to find. San Antonio also has a large Vietnamese community with many restaurants. Students often carpool to Asian markets every two weeks.

Cooking yourself — the cheapest option

With an apartment kitchen, cooking brings food costs down to roughly $250–$400 per month. H-E-B, the Texas grocery chain, has good prices and basic Asian ingredients in San Marcos. A rice cooker is the first purchase for most Vietnamese students.

Allergies and dietary needs

Dining halls label ingredients and offer vegetarian and halal stations; TXST Dining has a dietitian who supports students with special diets.

Want this year's meal plan details? Contact the International Office — we keep updated pricing and recommend the right plan.