28 budget eating worth the trip across Australia, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Australia guides.
Marrickville Pork Roll ★ 4.8 · Sydney
marrickville · 236 Illawarra Road, Marrickville NSW 2204
Sydney's A$5.50 banh mi counter on Illawarra Road, Marrickville. Pork roll with house pate, the city's most-recommended budget lunch. Daily from 7am.
El Jannah Granville ★ 4.8 · Sydney
granville · 62 South Street, Granville NSW 2142
Quarter charcoal chicken with toum and chips for A$15 on South Street, Granville, Sydney. The canonical Sydney charcoal chicken takeaway, open late.
Laksa King ★ 4.7 · Melbourne
yarraville · 6-12 Pin Oak Crescent, Flemington VIC 3031
Laksa King in Flemington has set the Melbourne standard for the dish since 1998: asam laksa, curry laksa and char kway teow at prices worth the detour.
Phu Cuong ★ 4.7 · Sydney
cabramatta · 117 John Street, Cabramatta NSW 2166
Cabramatta's classic A$7.50 banh mi counter on John Street, Sydney. Pork, pate, chilli, herbs and pickled veg, just outside the train station.
Mamak ★ 4.6 · Sydney
haymarket · 15 Goulburn Street, Haymarket NSW 2000
Late-night roti canai counter on Goulburn Street, Haymarket, Sydney. Roti with three curries comes in under A$11; the city's most-rewarded budget dinner.
KK Bakery Chicken Maryland Roll ★ 4.6 · Sydney
cabramatta · Shop 7, 113-117 John Street, Cabramatta NSW 2166
Cabramatta banh mi on John Street, Sydney for A$8. The marinated chicken Maryland roll is the menu signature. Open 7 days from 6:30am, takeaway only.
A1 Bakery ★ 4.5 · Melbourne
brunswick · 643-645 Sydney Road, Brunswick VIC 3056
A1 Bakery on Sydney Road is Melbourne's best A$5 meal: fresh za'atar manakish from a wood-fired oven that has run on Brunswick's main strip since 1992.
South Melbourne Dim Sim ★ 4.5 · Melbourne
south-yarra · South Melbourne Market, 322 Coventry Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205
The South Melbourne dim sim is a Melbourne birthright: invented at this stall in 1949, deep-fried in a paper bag and eaten standing on the market footpath.
Olympic Meats ★ 4.5 · Sydney
marrickville · 176 Marrickville Road, Marrickville NSW 2204
Greek grill house on Marrickville Road, Sydney. Nothing on the menu over A$21; walk-in only, BYO, queues from 5pm every night, lamb on the spit.
Bills Ricotta Hotcakes ★ 4.5 · Sydney
darlinghurst · 433 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Bill Granger's original ricotta hotcakes at Bills on Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney for A$25. Walk-in brunch counter, the canonical Sydney breakfast.
King of Sweets ★ 4.5 · Sydney
lakemba · 129 Haldon Street, Lakemba NSW 2195
Middle Eastern sweet counter on Haldon Street, Lakemba, Sydney. Diamond-cut baklava, knafeh and zenoud by the piece; counter slices under A$8.
Ben's Burgers ★ 4.4 · Brisbane
fortitude-valley · 5B Winn Lane, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Ben's Burgers off Winn Lane in Fortitude Valley runs a A$20 burger, fries and Burleigh schooner meal-deal. Three lunch options, house-made patties.
Pho Hung Vuong 2 ★ 4.4 · Melbourne
richmond · 108 Victoria Street, Richmond VIC 3121
Pho Hung Vuong 2 on Victoria Street is the Richmond pho standard: a 12-hour bone broth, fresh herbs and the type of no-frills room that earns repeat visits.
Pho Pasteur ★ 4.4 · Sydney
haymarket · 709 George Street, Haymarket NSW 2000
Vietnamese pho counter on George Street, Haymarket, Sydney. The dac biet special with rare beef, brisket and tendons under A$18. Daily 9am-10pm.
Hello Please ★ 4.3 · Brisbane
south-brisbane · Fish Lane, South Brisbane QLD 4101
Hello Please on Fish Lane in South Brisbane runs banh mi sliders for A$10 each and rice bowls from A$18. Two sliders plus a side under A$25, fast meal.
Taro's Ramen ★ 4.3 · Brisbane
cbd · Level 2, 480 Queen Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Taro Akimoto's CBD ramen room on Level 2 of 480 Queen Street pours tonkotsu, shoyu, shio and miso bowls A$20-22 with Bangalow pork bone broth.
Hu Tong Dumpling Bar ★ 4.3 · Melbourne
cbd · 14-16 Market Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
Hu Tong Dumpling Bar on Market Lane serves Shanghainese dumplings in Chinatown: xiao long bao, pan-fried pork and a queue that validates the wait every time.
Mamasita ★ 4.3 · Melbourne
cbd · Level 1, 11 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Mamasita on Collins Street is Melbourne's most consistent Mexican kitchen: tacos al pastor, elotes and a long tequila list for the post-work crowd upstairs.
Ho Jiak Nasi Lemak ★ 4.3 · Sydney
haymarket · Shop 6, 87-93 Hay Street, Haymarket NSW 2000
Malaysian nasi lemak from Ho Jiak in Haymarket, Sydney for A$22. Pandan rice, sambal, ikan bilis, fried chicken and a hard-boiled egg on each plate.
Viet Bling ★ 4.3 · Sydney
marrickville · 210 Illawarra Road, Marrickville NSW 2204
Viet Bling banh mi on Illawarra Road, Marrickville, Sydney for A$8.50. Hank and Nancy Tran took over the Alex'n'Rolls site in Marrickville in 2026.
Felons Burger ★ 4.2 · Brisbane
howard-smith-wharves · 5 Boundary Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Felons Brewing Co at Howard Smith Wharves serves a cheeseburger for A$20 and Crisp Lager for A$10. Under A$25 with a pint, eaten by the river.
Ta-Ke Don ★ 4.2 · Melbourne
cbd · 4/265 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Ta-Ke Don on Little Lonsdale Street is the CBD's fast donburi canteen: A$10 small and A$15 large bowls of katsu, karaage and tempura over rice with Japanese.
Spice Alley ★ 4.2 · Sydney
chippendale · Kensington Street, Chippendale NSW 2008
Hawker laneway on Kensington Street, Chippendale, Sydney. Six Asian eateries under A$18 a plate; pick from chicken rice, laksa, banh mi or dumplings.
Fishermans Wharf Seafoods ★ 4.2 · Sydney
pyrmont · Level 1, 50 Bank Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009
Sydney Fish Market takeaway counter at Bank Street, Pyrmont. Fish and chips, salt-and-pepper squid and prawn rolls in paper boats; daily 7am-4pm.
Kenny's Pork Rolls ★ 4.1 · Sydney
darlinghurst · 159 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Kenny's Vietnamese bakery on Oxford Street Darlinghurst: crisp pork-belly banh mi plus 11 other rolls and a Saturday-night 3am window for after-dark cravings.
Harry's Cafe de Wheels ★ 4.1 · Sydney
woolloomooloo · Cowper Wharf Roadway, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011
Heritage A$10 pie cart on Cowper Wharf, Woolloomooloo, Sydney since 1938. Tiger pie with mash, peas and gravy is the canonical late-night Sydney bite.
Manoosh Lebanese Pizzeria ★ 4.0 · Sydney
marrickville · 21 Illawarra Road, Marrickville NSW 2204
Lebanese flatbread shop on Illawarra Road, Marrickville, Sydney for A$8. Za'atar, lamb-spice and halloumi-and-tomato manoosh from the wood-fired oven.
Lazybones Lounge Lunch ★ 4.0 · Sydney
marrickville · 294-296 Marrickville Road, Marrickville NSW 2204
Daily prix-fixe lunch at Lazybones Lounge on Marrickville Road, Sydney for A$25. Two-course French-leaning bistro lunch in the supper club's daytime hours.