A closer look: “˜Buck-Fifty’ provides late-night hangout and cheap sandwiches
By Colleen Honigsberg
Jan. 27, 2004 9:00 p.m.
Ask almost any UCLA student about a fun night that involved
“Buck-Fifty,” and they’ll probably be able to
rattle off numerous anecdotes.
The eatery Roll-Inn, located at 927 Gayley Ave., is usually
known to students as “Buck-Fifty” after the former
price of their 6-inch sandwich, and has become the social hangout
for students leaving parties late at night when nothing else is
open.
“Buck-Fifty” serves submarine sandwiches, the most
popular varieties of which are chicken and steak.
Pete Muskat, a third-year biology student, said his favorite
“Buck-Fifty” memory is one evening when an intoxicated
female flashed the restaurant employees for free food.
“It was great ““ she tapped on the window, pointed at
the fries, then pulled down her shirt,” he said, laughing. He
added that the girl did get an order of fries for free.
Chris Kim had a similar story.
“One night there were a bunch of drunk girls, and the
employees invited them inside the shack. They gave them a tour of
the place. “˜Here’s the pastrami cutter, here’s
the sink, etc.,’ then gave them all free food,” Kim
said.
Such occurrences are common to those individuals who spend their
weekend evenings at the “shack.”
“It gets pretty crazy at night,” said fourth-year
physiological science student David Tren.
“It’s a hang-out place. I’ll meet up with
friends here after parties,” he added.
But sometimes the eatery gets a little too crazy.
“I know that a few people have gotten jumped there.
It’s a little sketch,” said Lucas Johnson, a third-year
organismic biology, ecology and evolution student.
Nancy Greenstein, director of UCPD’s community services,
said UCPD only received one call regarding an incident at
“Buck-Fifty” last year and that it was not for a
violent offense. But she noted UCPD has received calls for fights
in the vicinity of “Buck-Fifty.”
“We have received calls of fights in the area, but they
have not been at that particular address,” Greenstein
said.
In his reference to “sketch,” Johnson is referring
not only to the atmosphere of “Buck-Fifty,” but the
food as well.
In February of 2001, “Buck-Fifty” was temporarily
closed down due to a cockroach infestation.
The eatery is classified with a risk assessment of two ““
the risk usually associated with fast food restaurants ““
which means the food preparation involves limited food
handling.
Since being closed down, “Buck-Fifty” has met all
the standards of the health department. It has an A grade and
received a 95 percent on its most recent rating in December. Even
so, some students are still wary.
Carlo Eugster, a fourth-year design and media arts student, said
he will not eat at “Buck-Fifty” because he is
suspicious of the food quality.
“I walked by there and one of the employees was carrying a
big slab of frozen meat. He looked like he was going to drop it. I
don’t eat there any more,” Eugster said.
But for most students, the positive characteristics of
“Buck-Fifty” outweigh the fear of poor sanitation.
“We’re college students, we’re poor.
It’s nice and cheap. Plus, it’s open late,” Tren
said.
Buck-Fifty is located next to Tomi’s, a burrito and burger
eatery housed in the same type of building. Tomi’s also sells
cheap food and stays open late.
