Minneapolis punches well above its weight for budget dining. The city's immigrant communities — the largest Somali diaspora in the US, substantial Hmong and Vietnamese populations, and growing Latinx neighborhoods — have created pockets of extraordinary cheap food. Nicollet Avenue from downtown through the Whittier neighborhood earned the nickname "Eat Street" for good reason: a mile of restaurants where most dishes land under $13. Add classic Minnesotan diner culture and hot dish comfort food, and you can eat like royalty on a tight budget.
Somali Food in Cedar-Riverside
Cedar-Riverside, nicknamed "Little Mogadishu," is home to the largest Somali community in North America. The restaurants here serve enormous, affordable plates of rice with stewed goat or chicken, sambusas (fried pastries), and sweet tea. Most full meals run $8-11 and portions are generous enough to take leftovers home.
Safari Restaurant
Beloved neighborhood staple. Goat rice, chicken stew, and homemade sambusas. The lunch special with flatbread and tea is one of the best deals in the city.
Afro Deli & Grill
East African and Somali staples with multiple locations. The combination plates with two sides are a great introduction to the cuisine for under $12.
Qoraxlow Restaurant
Simple, authentic Somali home cooking. Fragrant basmati rice topped with slow-cooked beef or lamb. Cash-preferred spot beloved by locals.
Eat Street Vietnamese & Thai
The stretch of Nicollet Avenue known as Eat Street — roughly 24th to 29th Street — is Minneapolis's best single block for cheap, diverse eating. Vietnamese pho shops, Thai curry houses, and Ethiopian restaurants compete side by side, keeping prices honest and portions large.
Pho 79
A Minneapolis pho institution. Large bowls loaded with broth-soaked noodles and your choice of proteins. A large bowl and spring rolls feeds two for under $20 total.
Hoa Bien
Vietnamese and Chinese hybrid menu. The banh mi sandwiches ($5-7) and combination rice plates are some of the best-value meals on the street.
Sawatdee Thai
One of Minneapolis's original Thai spots. Lunch specials with pad Thai, curry, or noodles plus a soup run $11-13, a steal for the quality and portion size.
International Food Districts
Beyond Eat Street and Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis has Korean and Japanese spots in Dinkytown catering to U of M students, a growing Mexican corridor on Lake Street, and the Hmong Village food court just across the river in St. Paul — a 10-minute drive for some of the cheapest, most authentic Southeast Asian food in the Midwest.
Mercado Central
Indoor Latino market with multiple food stalls. Tacos, pupusas, tamales, and fresh fruit aguas. Hard to spend more than $10 and leave hungry.
Dinkytown Deli & Korean Spots
Student-priced Korean bibimbap and Japanese curry near the University of Minnesota campus. Most bowls under $11 with generous rice portions.
Hmong Village Food Court
Across the river in St. Paul, this food court has 30+ Hmong vendors serving egg rolls, papaya salad, and grilled meats. Easily the best food deal in the metro.
Minneapolis Budget Dining Tips
- Eat Street is your home base — park once and walk Nicollet from 24th to 29th Street to survey a dozen cuisines before picking your spot.
- Lunch specials are king — most Eat Street restaurants offer 20-30% discounts on full meals between 11am and 2pm on weekdays.
- Cedar-Riverside is cash-friendly — many Somali restaurants prefer cash; there are ATMs on Cedar Ave. Prices drop another dollar or two for cash payments.
- Minneapolis Farmers Market at Lyndale and Nicollet (seasonal) has prepared food stalls with massive portions for $6-9.
- Diner hot dish specials — neighborhood diners like Al's Breakfast in Dinkytown serve legendary hot dish and egg plates from $6-10 at all hours.
Find Budget Restaurants in Minneapolis
Spin the wheel and discover your next cheap eat!
Find Cheap Eats