Tom's Restaurant

A favorite haunt of Columbia students, the food has never been particularly good or bad at Tom's. It has simply existed, and for college students that is a good thing. (We'll leave it to the philosophy majors to further ponder its existence.) Suzanne Vega, herself a former Barnard student, immortalized the place in her 1981 song "Tom's Diner". Tom's gained additional fame after being featured on the TV series "Seinfeld"; its garish neon sign is a hallmark of the Morningside Heights neighborhood, and while its pink light might draw you in, you might be better off eating elsewhere if you're not on a budget and/or don't have a cast-iron stomach.