$25 Challenge: Time Market has tasty affordable bites, including slices under $5

When you finally get home and plop on the couch, the last thing on your mind is getting up and making a meal.

I mean, who wants to do dishes after you spent the whole afternoon cleaning? 

So it’s been settled: you’re getting takeout for dinner. But sometimes greasy fried food just doesn’t sound appetizing.

You deserve something delicious, something that’ll make you feel fulfilled and not leave your apartment smelling like a giant French fry.

Thankfully, Time Market is here to save the day.

This market/restaurant is beloved around town for good reason: you can get a huge slice of pizza for under $5. But it’s not just pizza; Time Market has all kinds of goodies and tasty bites that won’t break the bank and won’t leave a pile of dishes in your sink.

This week, I visited Time Market, at 444 E. University Blvd., to not only check out everything it has to offer, but craft the perfect take-out meal that doesn’t exceed $25.

Time Market is always lively and bustling with people. You’ll see customers of all ages hanging around the counter chowing down on freshly made sandwiches or staring into a glass case filled with baked goods, trying to decide what's going home with them for dessert.

One half of the space is the market, which is full of things like fresh produce, pasta, tortillas, chips, cheese and so much more.

This would be a great place to stop by and pick up some ingredients for a budget-friendly charcuterie board if you’re expecting a few friends to come over later that night. In a mini fridge, I saw items including salami, chorizo, prosciutto and pepperoni for $7.99.

Another item that caught my eye in the market space was the tubs of cookie dough. It had balls of its chocolate chip cookie dough packaged up for $12, so you could bring them home and throw them in the oven.

If I would’ve tasted one of the chocolate chip cookies while I was still there, that tub of cookie dough would’ve come home with me. (More on cookies later.)

After walking through the aisles for a bit, I had worked up an appetite, so I headed straight to the ordering counter.

On its menu, there are all kinds of sandwiches that range from $6 to $16. A few that stood out to me were the Calabrian red pepper sandwich ($12), the caprese sandwich ($13) and the house BLT ($16).

It also has a wide variety of salads and a tamal plate all under $25.

Its bread and butter is its pizza. A majority of the customers inside are chowing down on slices as big as their heads. The flavor and the price are just impossible to beat.

Here, you can get a slice of cheese for $4 or a slice of pepperoni for $4.50. If you were really looking for a good, cheap lunch, you could get a slice for under $5. I don’t think it gets any better than that.

I decided to order a slice of pepperoni pizza, and I got a small kale salad for $6. For both items, I paid $11 and was happily ready to head home when I saw the most beautiful sight: a giant chocolate chip cookie.

I ran over to the baked goods counter and ordered a chocolate chip cookie for $5.50. There was no way I was leaving without it.

I dug into my lunch as soon as I got home. No need to worry about being served a small slice; Time Market’s pizza pretty much takes up the entire plate. You’ll definitely be full after one slice.

The pizza was delicious and had a great fluffy crust. I also loved that it does not skimp on the pepperoni. Each bite I took had pepperoni in it, which is something I really appreciated.

The kale salad was also a hit. It was dressed perfectly, no bitterness here.

But that chocolate chip cookie … that was out of this world. It was soft, chewy, chocolatey and a little bit salty. I could not stop thinking about it all day. In fact, I will be going back soon for that tub of dough to get my chocolate chip cookie fix.

Whether you need a fast lunch or you're looking for somewhere to take it slow and enjoy a delicious meal, Time Market has many great affordable options.