You’re waiting in line at the dining hall. Tray in hand, you grab your silverware and anxiously approach the main selections. You bow your head in defeat. It’s a cereal night again.

You promise yourself tomorrow you will venture out into the exciting world of Evanston-area restaurants, but while you have a huge selection from which to choose, you also have a tight budget.

Rest assured, students, you will not go hungry.

For the ultimate college hangout, Clarke’s is the place to be. Located at 720 Clark St., the restaurant has a diverse menu, offering everything from burgers to pancakes. Plus, students with WildCARDs receive 40 percent off entrees more than $5 on Sunday through Wednesday after 8:00 p.m. if they dine in.

The Cheesey Chicken entree and Southwestern BBQ Chicken Salad are both scrumpdiddlyumptious, and the best part: They’re both just $4.19 with the student discount, plus tax and tip.

Another restaurant offering a sizeable student discount is the famed Giordano’s, 500 Davis St. Known for its delectable stuffed pizza, the restaurant offers 50 percent off all pizzas on Monday nights from 5 to 11 p.m.

If you’re craving Italian food, two great Evanston restaurants appeal to the college set.

Though they don’t offer a specific student discount, the prices at Dave’s Italian Kitchen, 1635 Chicago Ave., are relatively low. With entrees ranging from $6.45 to $12.25, Dave’s makes a great date locale and an excellent place to take visiting parents. The menu includes items such as grilled lambchops, homemade lasagna and chicken dishes – and best of all, they provide free bread.

Likewise, Trattoria Demi, 1571 Sherman Ave., offers students with WildCARDs 15 percent off any dine-in entree. All main selections range from $5.99 to $9.99. It specializes in pasta and includes such dishes as linguini with calamari and fettuccine alfredo. Smaller than Dave’s, Trattoria Demi makes for more intimate and slightly less casual dining.

For those with more adventurous tastes, FlatTop Grill will satisfy your every stir-fry need. With a WildCARD, students get a $2 discount on the create-your-own stir-fry.

With the discount, the all-you-can-eat experience is a mere $9.99. Customers at FlatTop, 707 Church St., make their unique dishes from a myriad of meats, vegetables, noodles, rice and sauces.

The options are enormous. Thankfully, the price is not.

A similar idea takes hold at Lulu’s, 626 Davis St., an Asian stir-fry eatery that offers an $11.99 all-you-can-eat special on Mondays from 5 to 9:30 p.m. and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Its menu contains spicy Asian egg noodles, pork stir-fried with vegetables and ground peanuts and a Vietnamese rice noodle salad with grilled beef and vegetables.

Students looking for great sandwiches can look to Potbelly Sandwich Works and Jimmy John’s. At Potbelly, 630 Davis St., all sandwiches are an affordable $3.59 each. Jimmy John’s, 824 Clark St., serves up signature sandwiches at a reasonable $3.79.

Neither offers a specific student discount, but with a price under $4 a pop, a discount isn’t really necessary. Plus, they both deliver right to the doorstep.

For the student with diverse tastes, Cafe J.K. Sweet, 720 1/2 Clark St., offers everything from ice cream to sushi.

Associated Student Government’s Student Savings Club card takes 10 percent off anything, and no item on the menu is over $10. Most items, such as Spicy California, a rice-avocado-crabmeat-cucumber treat rolled up Japanese-style, are about $5.

The menu offers an array of ethnic and American classics, including Korean and Japanese sandwiches, salads, soups, pastries and desserts.

Or for those craving food from south of the border, try Chipotle Mexican Grill, 711 Church St. The menu includes tacos, burritos and even margaritas – all made to order. Burritos and tacos range from $4.75 to $5.50, and students with a WildCARD receive a free soft drink with any entree.

For food on-the-go, Evanston offers a selection of fast food locales, including Taco Bell, McDonald’s and Burger King.

With a WildCARD, students at Taco Bell, 1743 Sherman Ave., can buy one burrito supreme and get another free.

The “Home of the Whopper,” 1740 Orrington Ave., features a 99 cent menu and is open 24 hours a day. And at McDonald’s, 1700 Orrington Ave., where they “love to see you smile,” they offer universal favorites all under a few dollars.

So bargain hunters, the cheap restaurants are calling.

But first, a word of caution: Restaurants rarely will ask for your WildCARD or Student Savings Club card to apply your discount. So take the initiative – and your discount cards – and bring a big appetite.