Cheap Eats by City
Pick your city for a local guide to the best budget dining
New York City
Dollar slices, Chinatown dumplings, halal carts
Los Angeles
Tacos, food trucks, San Gabriel Valley gems
Chicago
Italian beef, deep-dish slices, dollar hot dogs
Houston
Tex-Mex, Vietnamese, international dining
Dallas
BBQ, Tex-Mex, affordable steakhouse lunches
San Francisco
Mission burritos, dim sum, ramen on a budget
Seattle
Pike Place finds, pho, international district
Miami
Cuban sandwiches, ceviche, food trucks
Austin
Breakfast tacos, BBQ, food trailers
Boston
Chowder, subs, ethnic neighborhoods
Denver
Green chile, Mexican, craft beer specials
Atlanta
Soul food, wings, international dining
Phoenix
Mexican food, Sonoran hot dogs, food trucks
Philadelphia
Cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, Reading Terminal
San Diego
Fish tacos, ramen, carne asada fries
Portland
Food carts, Vietnamese, breakfast spots
Las Vegas
Casino buffets, ethnic restaurants, off-strip gems
Nashville
Hot chicken, meat-and-three, lunch specials
New Orleans
Po'boys, red beans & rice, beignets
Washington DC
Ethiopian food, food trucks, half-smoke
Charlotte
Bojangles, BBQ, Colombian taquerias
Minneapolis
Somali food, Eat Street Vietnamese, Hmong Village
Tampa
Cuban sandwiches, Gulf seafood shacks, Taco Bus
Orlando
Mills 50 Vietnamese, Cuban/Puerto Rican, food halls
San Antonio
Puffy tacos, $2 street tacos, Market Square
Baltimore
Pit beef, steamed crabs, Lexington Market
Kansas City
BBQ burnt ends, Gates BBQ, tortilleria tacos
Pittsburgh
Pierogis, Primanti Brothers, Squirrel Hill pho
Raleigh
Eastern NC BBQ, soul food, Morgan Street Food Hall
Salt Lake City
Utah scones, Polynesian plate lunch, fry sauce joints
More Cities
Akron, OH · Albuquerque, NM · Alexandria, VA · Amarillo, TX · Anaheim, CA · Anchorage, AK · Arlington, TX · Augusta, GA · Aurora, CO · Bakersfield, CA · Baton Rouge, LA · Birmingham, AL · Boise, ID · Buffalo, NY · Cape Coral, FL · Cary, NC · Chandler, AZ · Chattanooga, TN · Chesapeake, VA · Chula Vista, CA · Cincinnati, OH · Cleveland, OH · Colorado Springs, CO · Columbia, SC · Columbus, OH · Corona, CA · Corpus Christi, TX · Des Moines, IA · Detroit, MI · Durham, NC · El Paso, TX · Eugene, OR · Fayetteville, NC · Fontana, CA · Fort Collins, CO · Fort Wayne, IN · Fort Worth, TX · Fremont, CA · Fresno, CA · Garland, TX · Gilbert, AZ · Glendale, AZ · Glendale, CA · Grand Prairie, TX · Grand Rapids, MI · Green Bay, WI · Greensboro, NC · Hartford, CT · Hayward, CA · Henderson, NV · Hialeah, FL · Honolulu, HI · Huntington Beach, CA · Huntsville, AL · Indianapolis, IN · Irvine, CA · Irving, TX · Jacksonville, FL · Jersey City, NJ · Knoxville, TN · Lansing, MI · Laredo, TX · Lexington, KY · Lincoln, NE · Little Rock, AR · Long Beach, CA · Louisville, KY · Lubbock, TX · Madison, WI · Manchester, NH · McKinney, TX · Memphis, TN · Mesa, AZ · Milwaukee, WI · Mobile, AL · Modesto, CA · Montgomery, AL · Moreno Valley, CA · New Haven, CT · Newark, NJ · Newport News, VA · Norfolk, VA · North Las Vegas, NV · Oakland, CA · Oklahoma City, OK · Omaha, NE · Overland Park, KS · Oxnard, CA · Palmdale, CA · Pasadena, TX · Peoria, AZ · Plano, TX · Providence, RI · Pueblo, CO · Reno, NV · Richmond, VA · Riverside, CA · Rochester, NY · Rockford, IL · Sacramento, CA · Saint Paul, MN · Salinas, CA · San Bernardino, CA · San Jose, CA · Santa Ana, CA · Santa Clarita, CA · Savannah, GA · Scottsdale, AZ · Shreveport, LA · Sioux Falls, SD · Spokane, WA · Springfield, MO · St. Louis, MO · St. Petersburg, FL · Stockton, CA · Syracuse, NY · Tacoma, WA · Tallahassee, FL · Toledo, OH · Tucson, AZ · Tulsa, OK · Vancouver, WA · Virginia Beach, VA · Waco, TX · Wichita, KS · Winston-Salem, NC · Worcester, MA · Yonkers, NY
How to Find the Best Cheap Eats
Eat at Lunch
Many upscale restaurants offer lunch specials at 30-50% less than dinner prices. Same kitchen, same chefs, lower price.
Try Ethnic Neighborhoods
The best value food in any city is usually in ethnic enclaves — Chinatown, Little Vietnam, Little Mexico. Authentic and affordable.
Look for Happy Hour
Happy hour specials (4–6pm) can turn an expensive bar into an affordable meal spot — discounted apps and drinks.
Food Halls & Markets
Food halls combine variety and value — you can order smaller portions from multiple vendors and try more for less.
Order What's Popular
At cheap restaurants, the most popular dish is usually the best value. Skip the menu experiments at low-budget spots.
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