University of Oklahoma:
-Fuzzy’s (don’t go on Thursday - Saturday night unless you want to understand why Norman is a college town)
-Pad Thai
-Hideaway Pizza
-Scratch
-The Garage
“If you eat on campus, just keep in mind that some colleges improve the quality and choices of their food during accepted student days.”
That varies. I know that the restaurants in Westwood (UCLA) are few and far between just because the on campus options are pretty good. All the time.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/ucla/10-best-places-to-eat-on-campus-at-ucla-sw50
My DD is a huge sports fan and applied to and visited schools that had competitive D1 football programs (first cut was for the engineering program). On ABC for college football, one of the commentators, Todd Blackledge, usually profiles a campus/local restaurant for whichever school is home that week (called “Taste of the Town”). My DD would research Todd Blackledge’s feature before we left and get the scoop on the “must order” items. We had a tradition of visiting those places on each of our visits. It turned out to be a fun adventure.
UChicago: Harold’s Chicken Shack. I’ll keep plugging Harold’s until my dying day or until they remove the bulletproof glass from some outlets.
If you aren’t looking for chicken that’s been deep-fried about 5 times, deep-dish pizza is a pretty good bet, though I can’t name one particular restaurant.
Carleton or St. Olaf: Chapati Indian Restaurant, located in the historic Archer House Hotel in downtown Northfield (and just two blocks from the Carleton campus).
Seconding dinosaur bbq in rochester
There’s a Dinosaur BBQ (the original I believe) in Syracuse as well. Great eats.
Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia for any Philly schools! Incredible food (pricey though), my dad and I want to go to Philly solely to eat there again :x
UMass Amherst: Lone Wolf Café
Smith: Green Bean
UChicago: Native Foods
UMich: The Lunch Room, Silvio’s Organic Ristorante
Ohio State: Dirty Frank’s and for dessert Pattycake Bakery
Bonus: If you’re visiting prep schools check out The GKC in Exter, New Hampshire!
Note that all of these places have plentiful vegan and vegetarian options! I would highly recommend all of these places and hope that I have the chance to eat at them again 
For the Cleveland colleges…yes…absolutely go to Tommys on Coventry. It’s terrific.
But also try one of the fabulous Italian restaurants in Little Italy. Just up the hill from Case Western…on heading to Mayfield.
@Snowybuny if you are in Philly again try Vedge which isn’t far from CWAS. Or if you are a hummus fan try dizengoff a hummusiya owned by the Zahav partners mentioned earlier in this thread
@Dolemite, Vedge was one of the best meals we have ever had!
Among our friends visiting schools, we were in the minority eating at the dining hall. For $5 - $8 per person it was always well worth it. Last thing you want is a kid ordering junk food and spending oodles of money. My nephew’s school has dreadful food and he ate poorly freshman year and got Shingles really bad, so bad he has a heart problem now. Schools with bad food came off our list fast.
@Dolemite Wow! I just looked at the menu and everything sounds incredible. The desserts!! Oh my gosh 
I definitely have to go there - thank you for the recommendation!
@Sue22 Forage Market in Lewiston has the best bagels I have ever had. I’ve had bagels at every must go place in NY and NJ and Forage Market’s are incredible.
Carnegie Mellon: Istanbul Sofra https://istanbulsofra.com/
Ohio State: Northstar Cafe (not close to the univeristy but in Columbus) www.thenorthstarcafe.com/
Northwestern: Joy Yee joyyee.com/
Edzo’s Burger Shop edzos.com/
Pittsburgh…have breakfast at Pamela’s.
So I can actually answer this question! From visiting my kiddos when they were at school…
USNA in Annapolis- Chick & Ruth’s Delly, best milkshakes, great breakfast…fantastic sandwiches!
Princeton- Hoagie Haven, again best sandwiches…so. much. food. And near p’ton Vito’s Pizza…so good locals eat here
UNC-Chapel Hill- Buns, great burgers…Wings over Chapel Hill, on Franklin Street
NCSU- Chargrill, Cookout, Gumby’s Pizza, the Pit (soooooo good BBQ, Carolina BBQ)
NC A&T- best food in Greensboro…on campus dining (the caf) seriously best on campus dining and we have been to quite a few campuses with my brood! You don’t need dining points if this is where you land for school!!
UNM- green chile on everything! All day long. So good.
Hope this helps!
Kat
We went to Edzo’s when we visited NWU
MIT: Cambridge Grill (student center)
Flour
Bertucci’s
Legal Sea Foods
Clover
Some of my favorite restaurants a short walk away from campus include:
Boston Burger Company
Gyro City
Cheesecake Factory (I know it’s a major chain and all, but still good)
Bertucci’s is a chain also - not bad but…