ENGLISH - REVIEW: XO Street Food

Note: These are the writer’s personal opinions and reflections.

XO Street Food is the newest addition to campus, offering a menu inspired by American street food. Here you’ll find everything from lunch burgers and sandwiches to a pizza buffet. Lösnummer took a closer look at what actually ends up on the plate – and whether it’s worth the money.

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Lunch Burger – 119 SEK

The lunch burger changes from day to day, so you’ll need to check the menu to see which one is served. All burgers are available to order, but only the daily burger comes at the lunch price. The fries are really tasty and seem to be a favorite among many I spoke to, but the portion size was surprisingly small. The burger itself is filling, but feels more okay than memorable, not really standing out among the city’s other options.

Lösnummer visited on a Friday, when the Cheesy California was being served. The burger came with jalapeño dressing, red onion, and double cheddar. Still, something felt missing, though we couldn’t quite put our finger on what. It’s a simple burger, good, but not special, and it therefore fades into the crowd. The price also isn’t very attractive for students, especially considering that at Kraka you can get an equally large (if not larger) burger, more fries, and more freedom to choose toppings. But if you’re a fan of smashed burgers, or simply want to try something new, XO Street Food’s lunch burger might be worth a shot.

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Sandwiches – Price varies

Philly Cheesesteak – 169 SEK

One of the most classic American sandwiches is the Philly Cheesesteak, originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with beef, melted cheese, and sometimes onion, peppers, or mushrooms. At XO Street Food it’s served on Cuban bread, filled with mayonnaise, fried entrecôte, caramelized onion, mozzarella, and, according to the menu, “chessar cheese” (probably cheddar). Personally, this was one of the best sandwiches I’ve had, since I love the combination of meat, cheese, and onion.

Meat Balls – 149 SEK

Many have heard of the classic American “meatball sub.” Personally, I strongly associate it with Friends and Joey, who was literally ready to risk his life for his beloved sandwich. My image of a meatball sub is a hearty sandwich with meatballs in marinara sauce, covered with melted cheese.

At XO Street Food, however, you get something quite different. Here it’s served on Cuban bread with XO’s classic dressing, meatballs, onion, pickled cucumber, and pepper jack cheese. The ingredients taste fresh and the flavors work well. The meatballs themselves were really good, but every bite made me miss the classic version I had expected.

The price of 149 SEK is a bit lower than their Philly Cheesesteak, but still hard to justify for a student budget.

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Buffet – 135 SEK

The buffet offers a wide selection: coleslaw, chicken wings, onion rings, mac and cheese, kebab, popcorn chicken, fries, rice, various sauces, pizzas with different toppings, plus coffee and tea. Extra points for the garlic sauce and the crispy sides. My favorites were the popcorn chicken, chicken wings, and onion rings.

However, there are some clear drawbacks. The selection is inconsistent. Some dishes appear at times but not always. Popcorn chicken, onion rings, fries, and chicken wings have all been on the buffet, but never at the same time. This makes it hard to know what you can actually count on getting.

And the pizza? Here they serve pan pizza, which is thicker than regular pizza. Unfortunately, the dough tastes rather floury, and I can’t quite decide what I think. If you like pan pizza with more dough, it could be a plus, but personally I’d choose the buffet mainly for the variety of sides.

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Overall impression and other thoughts

XO Street Food is something new for campus. Something we haven’t had before. Their sandwiches are the star of the menu, the buffet is good at times, the pizza works if you like doughy bases, and the burgers are… well, burgers.

But the real question is how well the concept fits student life. For students, price is often the deciding factor. No matter how good the food is, it’s difficult to justify choosing XO over cheaper options like Kraka or Mr. Pizza. Personally, I’d most often choose the 60 SEK lunch at the Kåren. Sure, Kåren doesn’t serve sandwiches as good as XO’s but if you pick a baguette at Kåren instead of a Philly Cheesesteak at XO, you save 149 SEK. And that’s a lot on a student budget.

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Note: These are the writer’s personal opinions and reflections.

Writer: Filip Vigren