I live down the street from Grad School and have it at LEAST once a week. Their Full Ride burger is the best burger I have had in southwest Missouri. They use this Sharp Cheddar Cheese stuff that just makes the burger have so much flavor. It comes with some delicious bacon to on it to top off its awesome flavor.
The fries could be a meal by them self especially if you dip them in their Garlic Aolie that you can request with it. It usually comes with their fish Tacos but you can put it on your burger or anything else.
It looks like a little hole in the wall, but it is so cozy on the inside! Beware in the summer try not to sit up front, since the grill is exposed it gets REALLY hot. eat outside on the porch!! The service isn't the best but the food makes up for it!
Grad School is comfortable, fast, and delicious. Â A huge variety of vegetarian options for reasonable prices. Â The service is always friendly and the staff is always personable.
A very diverse menu of sandwiches, wraps, salads, pastas, burritos, and spiced to your preference. Â Would definitely recommend.
This is pretty much my favorite place to eat in Springfield. Â I'm vegetarian and they actually have choices for me. Â Love that!!!! Â Their falafel is spicy with a great texture and the perfect protein choice in the Long Beach Tacos. Â Their portabella mushroom sandwich is amazing even if it is a little messy. Â The fries are top notch and plentyful. Â This place is definitely a dive but the service is good and the food is wonderful and varied enough for any appetite.
Review Source:I'm a big fan of all the people working at Grad School, a bunch of cool people. However, they also have what is probably my favorite burger, delicious fries, good wings, and great fish tacos!
Also, the hummus isn't half bad! I have a friend who loved the stuffed mushrooms to death also. Lot's of quality food at decent prices!
Also, they play kick-ass music.
Wow......I think this may be the best burger I have ever had in Missouri.....EVER!! It was awesome and just blew my mind! My bf and I attempted to go here about a month ago and we found out the hard way that they are closed on Sundays....bummer dude.....but we were successful the other night! We came on Black Friday and got here around 5pm hoping that it wouldn't be too crazy busy...and luckily it wasn't! I was really torn between trying the Cuban and the Full Ride burger...but of course since I am a sucker for burgers....I just had to get that! It was awesome! 2 juicy beef patties that were smothered with this soft sharp cheddar cheese (kind of like those Laughing Cow cheese wedges), caramelized onions, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a pickle spear on the side. It was great......best burger.....how come no one else has thought to put soft sharp cheddar cheese on their burgers? Well I am grateful that at Grad School they do....it takes the burger to a whole new level and makes it so creamy and delicious! The fries that come with the burger are thick cut and they came out piping hot! They even let us have our side of Ranch (a must when you have french fries...just trust me and try it ok?).....it was a little thick, but it tastes so good! I wish I could get this 1x a week and that they had one in KC.....but I think I would honestly drive all the way down to Springfield once every couple of months just to eat their Full Ride burger.....it's that good!
Pros:
- AMAZING burger.....get the Full Ride if you want your taste buds to love you
- fries are thick cut and came out piping hot!
Cons:
- only con was that the Ranch was a little thick for my fries......but it still tasted soooo good
Why I gave it a 5.....
I think this is the best burger that  have ever had in Missouri....it beats out Town Topic, Hamburger Mary's, Five Guys, even my $5 Saturday burgers at Tomfooleries....it was that good :) Love it...I would get this once a week if I lived closer. Fries tasted fresh and were delicious :D Can't wait to go back to Springfield just to eat another Full Ride burger again :D
Major props to my parents for humoring me and checking this place out. Its a total hipster place. Thankfully I was wearing a flannel shirt, so we fit in (I think). after checking out some yelp reviews I ordered the jerk chicken sandwhich and recommened the full ride burger to my dad. We were both extremely pleased with our choices! There was a good amount of food for the price (most menu items were around $10 I believe).
This place is pretty small and was a little crammed and crowded, but its just part of the atmosphere of Grad School. My dad told me he probably wouldn't have picked this place, but he is glad we went! The meal was great and the atmosphere was something a little different than places we normally go as a family, so it was a successful choice. Thanks yelp!
Oh how I love me some Grad School. Good food, I've had almost everything on the menu and its all pretty great. Full ride is a staple and a must have if its your first time. Pseudo-hiptser atmosphere, with an you dont like it leave kinda vibe, jesus t-rex on the wall, PBR etc. Tattooed, bearded and friendly waitstaff for the most part. I've had one bad experience that involved a waitress rushing us out because people were waiting for tables, I wasn't even done with my beer, I think the owner told her to say that to us. I was kinda miffed by that experience but I've been back since and havent encountered that shitty behavior since. This is a true springfield gem and a must try/
Review Source:Grad School is one of those hole-in-the-wall places you walk into and either know it's going to be amazing or fear the worst. Â Luckily this place falls in the "amazing" category! Â I've never had anything here that I didn't like. Â My go-to sandwiches are the Jerk Chicken or the Cuban. Â Sometimes I think the cut of meat could be higher quality, but the flavors are consistently delicious.
It's a tiny place. Â I know lunchtime gets really packed, so get there early or wait 'til dinner. Â Also check out their bar around the corner on Walnut! Â I really like the food there too.
Its hard for me to give the Fish taco credit when I come from LA the king of fish Taco's but the burgers are the way to go.
I have seen this place change names a few times, and used to love going here in between classes when I was a student at MSU back in the day. There parm/garlic fries...yea good!
I think why springfield loves it is because there is not many hipster hangouts and this is one. Either way, its worth eating at. Good food.
The "Full Ride" burger, was, well...let's just say 'FANTASTICNESS' for your taste buds! Their combination of  bacon, this bada$$ savoury creamy cheese, with caramelized onions sandwiched between home made twin beef patties, with tomato and lettuce (no condiments required on this one)...is seriously one of the best burger we've had. We'll be back for another round in the near future. Thanks Grad School! - Oh yeah, cool but cramped atmosphere...plays well for the Springfield crowd!
-Enjoy this spot folks.
The veggie burger is the best in Springfield. I hear the hamburger is too, but the veggie burger is so good I can't bring myself to order anything else.
One time I was there the owner came around rushing people to finish their food because they had a wait and wanted to get more people seated. This after we waited 45 minutes for our food to arrive. Can NOT believe he'd do that. So...I haven't been back since (this was over 2 years ago).
Grudges aside, you'll love the burgers! :)
This place has a fun atmosphere. Â I liked the interior of the falafel tacos, but the whole package was only so-so because they were contained in some really crappy grocery store flour tortillas. Â I know this is Missouri, but come on! Â If you can't give us corn tortillas, at least grill the flour. Â The fries and hummus are good. Â Portions of both food and beverages are enormous, so keep that in mind.
Edit: be sure to ask for things that should be spicy to be made that way! Â Even the jerk isn't spicy unless you ask for it.
Good food, not great. I've been here several times, mostly because my wife loves their veggie burger. I had cold food a couple times, like it had been sitting for 20 minutes before it got to me. One time, we stopped by at 8:00 on a Saturday night and the kitchen guys told us to go away (before we had both feet in the door) because they were so backed up with orders. Kind of a victim of their own success, I guess. I think they get too busy for the tiny little kitchen they have. But for the most part, we've had good food here in a laid back atmosphere. You're much better off to go on a slow night when they aren't as busy. Get the burger (veggie or not) and a tall can of PBR.
Review Source:I love the food and the atmosphere here. You'll often see the owner just walking around chatting and joking with customers.
Best burger in Springfield IMHO. Almost everything on their menu has a vegetarian option. My wife loves their mushroom steak sandwich, hummus, and the Codi-Braugh (sp). If I could I'd eat here almost every day.
Some folks may find the place a little loud and cramped, but it has kind of a diner feel, the background music is always good, and the staff is always friendly.
Grad School, why did you not exist when I lived in Springfield?!?! Â
Grad School rocks my world. Â The food is so good! Â They have awesome burgers and chicken sandwiches, plus I hear great things about their fish tacos and falafel. Â The fries are really yummy and they use a kick ass soft cheddar spread on the sandwiches. Â
The place is small, so it can get pretty packed, but the staff turns tables around pretty quickly (without rushing you). Â You can tell that the owners really care about their customers and the food that they serve. Â Not to mention you get a lot of food for cheap. Â Which you don't have to be a college student to appreciate...
I have one simple statement: GO TO GRAD SCHOOL!
When did Springfield get so hip?! Seriously, this place is amazing. My visit over homecoming weekend will surely not be my last and by the looks of the crowds it gets, I imagine I'll have plenty of opportunities in the future.
I was urged by a few friends to try the burgers and couldn't have been happier I did. I had a bacon cheeseburger, but the cheese was this amazing cheddar soft spread and it was incredible. Â Hands down, the best burger in Springfield. The fries were also homemade and very tasty!
My only beef (get it, beef?) with this place is their love of putting pepper on everything. I couldn't tell if it was the burger or the fries, but something delivered more of a kick than I'm totally comfortable with. Granted, it wasn't enough to keep me from eating my meal and enjoying every last bite.
Word to the wise, this place fills up quickly and is very small, so large groups either plan ahead and arrive when you know you'll be seated together, be ok w/ sitting at separate ends of the restaurant, or keep your visits to small groups.
The service is top notch. We didn't really adhere to the above suggestion about large groups when we visited and the server tried really hard to accommodate us. It ended up working out that half of our group was seated elsewhere, but they held our table longer than I would expect a small, busy restaurant to.
If you're a foodie, this place is surely worth a visit! (or six!)
Wait a minute! Â Did I not complete a review after my first trip to Grad School? Â Fail! Â Well, I shall attempt to make up for it now.
Grad School. Â Oh, Grad School. Â I am simultaneously pissed and elated that you did not exist when I went to school at Missouri State. Â Pissed because I so rarely get to enjoy your deliciousness. Â Elated because I didn't really need much more help with depleting my metabolism while in college.
Grad School is awesome. Â Great food in a total dive. Â I keep getting the Full Ride - their cheeseburger, because if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Â Their soft cheddar cheese spread MAKES this burger. Â It's amazing. Â Seriously. Â Eat some. Â Definitely the best burger in Springfield, and it rivals some of the best I've ever eaten.
The atmosphere is total greasy spoon/dive. Â Supposedly, many people have submitted them for consideration on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. Â No joke - Guy Fieri needs to get his butt down to Springfield. Â I've been to numerous establishments that have been featured on this show, and this spot deserves to be featured as well - hands down.
My only complaint was the service this time around. Â It was great the first time but strangely slow this time around. Â Perhaps a fluke, but alas, it does steal the 5th star from them this time around. Â I will somehow force myself to return and see what the real deal is - hopefully giving them their gastronomically earned star.
Good food mostly, Vegetarian option, gotta love that.
Service sucks!
I'm impressed most of waiting staff and cooks walk upright. I get that its cool to look like you don't care right now, but lay off the pipe!
Back to the food, whole food mostly which is hard to find, one gripe on the food-tends to be on the salty side.
Great selection and variety of food.
Not the cleanest environment, not the biggest spot, but ill go here over most every other spot Down Town Springfield for food.
Went on a Saturday night, mostly a younger crowd, but a few families spotted. Â A bit smoky (grill smoke, the good kind), and warm, otherwise a perfect dive-type joint.
I had the double cheeseburger, and my wife the jerk chicken pressed sandwich, and both were excellent! Â Both came with fries, which were deep-fried perfection, crispy outside, tender inside.
Ice cold beer, great service, and not too expensive. Â A for-sure will go back!
I found grad school after arriving Springfield very late on a cross-country cannonball run. Really one of the only places open late, I was very happy to find grad school which seems like your typical sports/college/place but with better food.
Had the fish tacos. They were excellent, like something you would expect in San Diego. My server was friendly and efficient. They had hockey and baseball on TV.
BOTTOM LINE: Hit the spot, late night style
This is an interesting place. It sorta reminded me of the diners you find in the East Village in NYC; tiny, very narrow, dudes with tons of tattoos serving the food (dude who served me had the "grad school" house tattooed on his neck - I hope he owns part of the place for that to be permanently stuck to his neck), punk playing on the radio, etc. So it had that going on for itself, which isn't a bad thing.
The food is interesting - I got the full something burger (can't remember the name). It was greasy, but greasy good. The fries were good too, but the funny thing is that the presentation is high. It's served on a plate you might expect to get at Ocean Zen, and the food is certainly organized on the plate with an eye for aesthetics.
If you are looking for actually good diner type food, with an interesting atmosphere and good presentation, this is a great lunch spot.
One negative: not much seating, so you may have to wait to eat.
Though the Rasta Pasta lacks sparkle wow for the white pasta penne , the falafel served as my choice of protein was, hands down, probably the best I've tasted other than home made. As a veggie since childhood, I've had a lot of falafel (all over the world) and The Grad School's was OMG good.
My husband had a burrito with the falafel, too much rice (with rice on the side) but very good otherwise.
My in-laws were in town and they enjoyed their salad and steak sandwich very much. We did not even get to try one of my father in-laws sweet potato fries, too good to share.
Fun atmosphere, very packed but the music was not too loud to hear each other talk. Service was very attentive and polite.
In summary, not five star-worthy cuisine but worth a revisit for taste and attitude.
Shameless herd animals!
What, really, is so good about this place?
"Its locally owned, chic, downtown..." Rhetoric. You bought into the 417 Magazine masturbation over this crap and you follow their recommendations as if a new Bible appeared in your hands.
I've been here twice. I didn't tip twice. I ordered two different items. Everything looks nice and is served on hipster plates, so I guess that's enough to get a five star rating. [eyes roll]
You can put butter on anything and get a 5 star rating....or you can buy decent reviews from reputable magazines...
Thanks to all the Yelpers out there, while moving across country, we found Grad School. Â This place is so good. Â It's small but they can pack them in. Â We had the fish tacos (Long Beach tacos) were amazing. Â You get a lot of food for a really great price.
The decor of the place is really cool. Â Hanging by our table was a chinese checkers board and someone's certificate for completing rehab! Â It was awesome. Â We liked the people a lot, happened to catch a playoff football game and have a really great view of Springfield, MO because of this place. Â I don't know when I'll be back through that area, but we'll certainly go back to Grad School if we do.
Had the Rasta Pasta tonight, which I was really excited to have. I got it at a deceiving two stars for spiciness. I was thinking Chinese food-two-stars. Way, way hotter than that. I could barely handle it. It became an unenjoyable amount of spice. I know I could have powered through it had the noodles not been overcooked and flabby and the tomato sauce lackluster. The chicken on the pasta was seasoned nicely however. I was also completely disappointed at the lack of bread, which might have helped mop up that lowly sauce. Maybe they give you some if you eat in? Anyway, it looked really nice, but was completely unexciting dish. I'm sticking with the Full Ride burger, wings, or hummus next time.
And just to clarify, the two stars is for this last visit ONLY. Not overall...
I know this place is very vegetarian friendly so I was a little hesitant about going there initally but I was pleased to see that there were quite a lot of meat options for almost every dish. I ordered the burrito w/ chicken and my boyfriend got the Full Ride. My lunch was a mega disappointment. It seemed basically tasteless although I will say that it was a very substanial portion size. Michael said that his burger was "not bad."
The space was very small and we were seated in the back where the atmosphere seemed very thrown together. It's a place that I have no interest going back to...
I love this place. The menu is interactive: You can chose your protein (chicken, tilapia, tofu, and a red meat, I think), and your heat level. I told everyone from the beginning their wings were the best in town, and shortly thereafter they usurped the usual big Wing-Ding winners in their first year of competition. "It's a no brainer" serves as their slogan, and it's true: You make great food with great ingredients, and they will come. Everything I've had on the menu is great. Sort of a Caribbean mash-up thing going on. The guac is the best in town, too. The building is practically a boxcar, and you will smell like food when you leave.
BTW: They had a concert under a tent in their parking lot last May, and half the staff performed in the fantastic reggae band that played. And the show had the best sound, indoor or outdoor, I have ever heard. I'm just sayin': There is a lot of greatness going on in this place.
This place is GOOD.
For two years now I thought this place was a book exchange. Grad School makes its humble abode in a small, stand-alone, hut-like building just on the outskirts of downtown. When my friend and I walked in, we were greeted by several tattooed men, a skinny girl in short-shorts, and a nerdy looking guy that took our order. Not the normal Springfield crew, but refreshing to see that not everyone fits perfectly in the Bible belt.
Apparently, the place was conceived two years ago when the owner decided that instead of going to graduate school like all of his friends, he would open up a restaurant. He had spent NINE YEARS at MSU getting a bachelor's in history, so I guess he just figured school wasn't really working out for him....
Anyway, onto the food. We ordered the Ali Baba hummus as an appetizer. It had a gritty, homemade sort of consistency, accompanied with fresh-made pita strips and thick, crunchy tortilla chips. We both loved it; it had a unique flavor, unlike your normal Sabra hummus from the grocery store.
For dinner, I had the Codi Brah veggie burger and my friend had the Spinach Salad. The burger was delicious and very filling. Made of falafel, the savory handmade patty was topped with spinach leaves, mayo, onions and tomatoes. It came with homemade fries, which were that good kind of crispy that reminds you of something a few steps upward from Checkers. My meal was awesome, and my friend's spinach salad was okay as well. I'm not the biggest fan of spinach and I don't think it was dressed enough, but it came with red peppers and tasted more refreshing than anything. A smaller size would have been a nice compliment to my burger, honestly.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere as well. It was a small place, with bar seating overlooking the grills and high tops against the wall close by, along with some table seating towards the back. The entire front of the house was only about 50 feet long, and less that half of that much wide. The decor was very grungy-chic, with a chalkboard menu, chinese checkers boards, old family pictures and random memorabilia hanging on the walls. The staff was sort of intimidating looking, but upon further observation very pleasant and accommodating people--they engaged in conversation and made sure that everything was perfect for us. Even a few hours later after leaving to walk around downtown, we returned to our car and all the employees remembered us. The tatted owner, cigarette in hand, wished us a beautiful day, even though it was 11 o'clock at night.
In all, Grad School rocked the house. I'm definitely going back and would recommend it to any kool kat in Springfield.
Step into the busy Grad School and you will be greeted by a lovely waitress, and energetic cooks (seriously, how do they do it over that hot stove?!). If you'd like to be entertained, sit down by the open kitchen where you can see everyone's meal being prepared. I would advise against this location if you don't want to sweat, as it gets really warm by the grill.
You can also sit at a table, but be prepared to share a picnic-style table if there's just two of you. The service is excellent, and the atmosphere is grungy eclectic. Definitely a unique place for Springfield, one that I enjoy.
Onto the food... The main reason I enjoy Grad School is the multiple options for vegetarians. There are falafels, veggie burgers, and portobello mushroom burgers as well as others I haven't tried yet. The portobello mushroom burger is messy, yes, but totally worth the three napkins needed. A note to fellow vegan/vegetarians though, be aware they prepare everything on the same grill, so you're going to get some meat juice in with the mushrooms. I don't mind so much, as I didn't kill the cow, but others might find this gross.
My fellow vegetarian had the house-made veggie burger, and it was too heavily seasoned. I'm pretty sure they just use the falafel mix for the burger patties, and we didn't care for it. But, hey, for those who really like falafels, this might be the veggie burger for you!
They also have an excellent selection of appies and a small beer selection (ex Schafly). Go for the food and eclectic atmosphere, and expect a unique dining experience here in Springfield. Yum.
I never thought the day would come when I would brag about fish tacos from MO.
The tilapia fish tacos & a PBR tall boy at Grad School will cure what ails ya, and the fam dug the burgers & the BLT. The place is hipstery, but that made it feel more like home. Oakland's famous quote seems the most apropos: hella awesome.
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