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Welcome

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Dear Friends,

As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Institute for Latino Studies, we are reminded of our responsibility as scholars and leaders to make our research impactful and improve lives. Since 1999, ILS has advanced the understanding of Latino communities—the fastest-growing and youngest population in the U.S.—through rigorous research and the preparation of transformative leaders.

Over the past 25 years, we’ve built an intellectual community that recognizes the growing presence of Latinos and their profound cultural importance. Our thriving Latino Studies program, outstanding faculty, innovative research, transformative student experiences, and partnerships with Latino-serving organizations reflect our deep commitment to understanding the complex social, political, economic, and cultural dynamics that shape Latino experiences.

ILS fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across fields, enabling us to address the multifaceted issues facing Latino communities. Our work transcends academia to strengthen democracy and expand opportunities for underserved communities, with a focus on cultivating transformative Latino leaders who can navigate society’s challenges and create positive change.

Programs like our Transformative Latino Leadership Lecture series, Cross-Cultural Leadership Program, and Letras Latinas exemplify our dedication to nurturing the next generation of leaders. At Notre Dame, we integrate academic work with community engagement to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

Thank you for being part of the ILS community as we continue to advance research, foster scholarship, and deepen our understanding of Latino experiences. Together, we will ensure ILS remains a leader in Latino Studies for years to come.

Sincerely,

Dr. Luis Ricardo Fraga, Faculty Director

S. Paloma Garcia-Lopez, Associate Director

Dining

On Campus

Notre Dame has a mix of chain restaurants and campus-only restaurants.

Morris Inn: Rohr’s, 7:30 AM – 10 PM and Cafe J, 6 AM – 3 PM

Hesburgh Library: Au Bon Pain, M-F, 9 AM – 4 PM

Garbanzo, M-F 11 AM – 2 PM

Decio Hall Cafe and Eatery, M-F, 9 AM – 2 PM

Duncan Student Center: Hagerty Family Café, M-F, 8 AM – 3 PM, Modern Market, M-F, 10 AM – 3 PM, and Chick Fil-A, M-F, 11 AM – 7 PM

LaFortunte Student Center: Huddle Mart, 8 AM – 8 PM (Weekends until 6 PM), Starbucks, 8 AM – 5 PM, Smashburger, M-Sat, 10 AM – 3 PM

Eddy Street

Eddy Street Commons has many fast food and fast casual restaurants, as well as a few bars. There are some sit down restaurants, such as Bru Burger and restaurants in the Fairfield Inn & Suites and the Embassy Suites. Eddy Street Commons also has a small park for dogs.

Blaze Pizza

Bru Burger

Brothers Bar & Grill

Five Guys

Chipotle

Noodles & Company

Jimmy John’s

Starbucks

Purely Pressed (around the back of the building)

7-Eleven

Trader Joe’s (farthest south you can walk in Eddy Commons)

Downtown

Downtown has a number of excellent restaurants and bars.

Fiddler’s Hearth (one of South Bend’s best)

Cinco 5

Madison Oyster Bar

Fatbird

LaSalle Grill

Café Navarre

Starbucks

South Bend Chocolate Café

Woochi

The Hideaway at the LaSalle Building

Nom Nom Pho

PEGGS (breakfast, one of South Bend’s best)

Chicory Café

Roselily (open in the evenings only; one of South Bend’s best)

The Exchange Whiskey Bar

Cambodian Thai

South Bend Brew Werks (one of South Bend’s best)

Flamingo’s (restaurant and grocery store)

The Early Bird Eatery (one of South Bend’s best)

Spirited

Jimmy John’s

Linden Grill

Northeast South Bend

Northeast South Bend’s restaurants are in a compact set of blocks, and offer a huge number of options. This is the neighborhood to go if you want to drink and eat; the neighborhood is walkable from campus and the hotels, but is remarkably easy to get lost in because of streets that end suddenly and the lack of consistent thoroughfares. We recommend taking a cab back if you walk there: it’s literally downhill from campus, and steeply uphill and easy to get lost on the way back.

The Lauber (one of South Bend’s best)

Rocco’s

Macri’s Italian Bakery

Carmela’s

Yellow Cat Café

Sway Coffee

The Garage Arcade Bar

The Purple Porch Food Co-op (a buffet is open during the middle of the day)

Whistle Stop Ice Cream

The View Tavern (one of South Bend’s best)

The General

Chimichurri

Howard Park Public House

Roseland

Mostly drive-thru and fast food restaurants. There are a few unique options, though most are national chains.

Manjares de Mexico

American Pancake House

Weiss’ Gasthaus

Taco Bell

Ho Ping House

The Inn at St. Mary’s

Perkins

Plaza Azteca

Culver’s

Chipotle

Subway

Jimmy John’s

Dunkin Donuts

South Bend Ave

A mix of fast food and sit down eateries, this is very walkable from campus (though like Northeast South Bend, easy to get lost in because of the way streets are set up).

Taphouse on the Edge

Tossed Togo

Danny Boy

Ichiban

Bantam Chicken & Seafood (one of South Bend’s best)

La Esperanza

Nick’s Patio

Cre-Asian

Einstein Bros Bagels

Martin’s (large grocery store)

Starbucks

Burger King

Insomnia Cookies

Waka Dog Café

Healthy U

J W Chen’s (one of South Bend’s best)

Edison Road

The Original Pancake House

Mandarin House

Los Aces (one of South Bend’s best)

Pinellia Vegan Asian Restaurant (one of South Bend’s best)

India Garden

Caracas Bistro

Evil Czech

Toyo Grill

Western Ave

This is South Bend’s second downtown—nearly all of the restaurants are owned by Latinx families, mostly Mexican and Mexican American. Most places do not offer delivery; all offer takeout options.

Taqueria Chicago (one of South Bend’s best; delivery is available)

El Sinaloense

Rincón Huasteco

Taqueria El Águila

Chico’s Mexican-American Restaurant

Paleteria y Neveria La Rosita

Los Tres Mangos de Michoacan

Rosales Super Market

La Central Panaderia

Panaderia y Supermercado San Miguel

Other places to go

South Bend Farmer’s Market (Open: T, Th, F, Sat, 7 AM – 3 PM)

Oh Mama’s on the Avenue (one of South Bend’s best)

Cloud Walking Coffee

The Elder Bread

Crooked Ewe (one of South Bend’s best)

Aladdin’s

Franky’s Tacos

Panera

Red Lobster

Cheddar’s

Portillo’s

Raising Cane’s

Culver’s

Chick Fil-A

Krispy Kreme

Jersey Mike’s

Bowl of Pho

Whole Foods

Caracas Bistro

Visitor Parking

During regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. - 4 p.m.), visitors must purchase a permit at a pay station (credit cards only). The permit must be displayed face up on the driver's side of the vehicle's dashboard, fully visible to parking enforcement staff.

The primary visitor lot is located on the east side of the Walsh Family Hall of Architecture. Additional visitor parking areas are located in the Lake Lot, Baseball, Compton, Joyce and Walsh Architecture Lots.

Pay stations are located in the Walsh Visitor Lot (NW corner of the lot), in the Compton Lot (near the bus shelter off of Holy Cross Drive) and in the Joyce Lot (just south of the entrance to Purcell Pavilion). Please click here to see a map showing the location of the pay stations and shuttle routes. If parking reaches capacity in these lots, the permits from any of the pay stations will allow guests or visitors to park in the Dorr Road, Lake or Bulla Student Lots. The permits are not valid reserved or specially signed parking spaces.

The current rate schedule is:

1hr - Free (must obtain permit and display on dash)

2hrs - $1

3hrs - $2

4hrs - $3

4+hrs - $8

Payment is not required outside of regular business hours and on holidays.

If you are staying at the Inn at St Mary's, they will provide free shuttles to/from campus on Thursday and Friday. Let the front desk know you are guests for the ILS anniversary.