Top Budget Eating in United States: 30 editor-picked rooms

30 budget eating worth the trip across United States, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All United States guides.

Langer's Delicatessen ★ 4.8 · Los Angeles

704 S. Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90057

Langer's Delicatessen on Alvarado, Westlake, Los Angeles has hand-sliced pastrami since 1947. The #19 with Russian dressing, coleslaw and Swiss is the order.

Veracruz All Natural ★ 4.7 · Austin

2505 Webberville Rd, Austin, TX 78702

Veracruz All Natural in Austin is the Webberville Road breakfast-taco truck from the Vazquez sisters, the Food Network Top 5 tacos pick and the cheapest world-class plate in town.

Tip: Migas on a homemade corn tortilla is the order; arrive before 9:30am to dodge the office-worker rush.

Bertha's Kitchen ★ 4.7 · Charleston

north-charleston · 2332 Meeting Street Rd, North Charleston, SC 29405

Bertha's Kitchen in North Charleston has run soul food cafeteria-style since 1979, the Grant family at the steam table. Fried chicken, okra soup, red rice; James Beard America's Classics 2017.

Tip: Cash and card both fine. Lunch only, Mon-Sat; arrive before 13:00 or the chicken sells out.

Lewis Barbecue (lunch plate) ★ 4.7 · Charleston

upper-peninsula · 464 N Nassau St, Charleston, SC 29403

John Lewis's central-Texas pit fires brisket and sausage every morning at the Nassau Street counter. A two-side plate under $18 is Charleston's best-value barbecue lunch.

Tip: Order at the counter, sit at the picnic tables. The brisket sandwich at lunch is the move when the full plate is too much.

Matt's Bar ★ 4.7 · Minneapolis

longfellow-powderhorn · 3500 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Matt's Bar on Cedar Avenue has run a $9 Jucy Lucy in South Minneapolis since 1954. The original cheese-stuffed burger, fries and a beer for under fifteen.

Quang Restaurant ★ 4.7 · Minneapolis

eat-street · 2719 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408

Quang on Nicollet has poured James Beard America's Classics 2024 pho in Minneapolis since 1989. Lunch under fifteen; banh xeo turmeric crepe at the upper bound.

Hansen's Sno-Bliz ★ 4.7 · New Orleans

4801 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Hansen's Sno-Bliz in New Orleans is the 1939 Tchoupitoulas Street snowball stand at Bordeaux, the country's oldest sno-ball stand at $5 to $8 a cup with house-made syrups.

Tip: Open March to October only; cash only, the cream-of-nectar with condensed milk is the canonical order.

Tommy DiNic's ★ 4.7 · Philadelphia

51 N 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Tommy DiNic's in Philadelphia is the Reading Terminal Market counter that won America's best sandwich in 2013, a roast pork with rabe and sharp provolone for under 13 dollars.

Sarcone's Bakery ★ 4.7 · Philadelphia

758 S 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

Sarcone's Bakery in Philadelphia is the 1918 Italian Market brick-oven bakery on South 9th, with tomato pie by the square for 4 dollars and a queue every morning.

Tacos El Gordo ★ 4.7 · San Diego

chula-vista · 556 Broadway, Chula Vista, CA 91910

Tacos El Gordo in Chula Vista, San Diego, the open-until-4am Tijuana-style trompo carving adobada tacos for around three dollars and California burritos under twelve.

La Taqueria ★ 4.7 · San Francisco

2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

La Taqueria in San Francisco is the Mission burrito and taco counter where a twelve-dollar lunch is the city's most-cited cheap eat, since 1973 with no concessions.

Tip: Get the dorado-style burrito; the kitchen sears it on the plancha for a crisp edge that costs nothing extra.

The Boat ★ 4.7 · Seattle

1314 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144

The Boat in Seattle's Little Saigon is the original Pho Bac since 1982: the city's first pho restaurant, still in a red boat-shaped building, bowls from $13.

Lee's Bakery ★ 4.6 · Atlanta

buford-highway · 4005 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30345

Lee's Bakery on Atlanta's Buford Highway runs the city's most-argued banh mi: BBQ pork combo for $6, coconut bubble tea, generous portions.

Tip: Order the BBQ pork combo with a coconut bubble tea. Cash works fastest at the counter.

LanZhou Ramen ★ 4.6 · Atlanta

buford-highway · 5231 Buford Hwy NE, Doraville, GA 30340

LanZhou Ramen on Atlanta's Buford Highway hand-pulls noodles to order: classic Lanzhou beef noodle soup, knife-cut variations, Michelin recognition.

Tip: Watch the noodle-puller through the window. Order the classic Lanzhou beef noodle soup; it's why the line exists.

Banh Mi Ba Le ★ 4.6 · Boston

dorchester · 1052 Dorchester Ave, Boston, MA 02125

Ba Le on Dorchester Avenue rolls banh mi in Boston's Vietnamese corridor since 1996. $7 sandwich, baguette baked fresh daily; Boston Legacy Business Award 2025.

Tip: Cash and card both. Pho is also a budget order, $11 a bowl.

Jack of Cups Saloon ★ 4.6 · Charleston

james-island · 34 Center St, Folly Beach, SC 29412

Jack of Cups in Folly Beach runs a seasonally evolving Center Street menu of Asian and Indian inspired comfort food. Southern Living named it South Carolina's best cheap eat.

Tip: Closed Tuesdays. Vegetarian and vegan options run alongside the omnivore menu; sidewalk seats out front, courtyard in back.

El Taco de Mexico ★ 4.6 · Denver

714 Santa Fe Dr, Denver, CO 80204

El Taco de Mexico in Denver is the Santa Fe Drive counter, a James Beard America's Classics-winning shop with $3 tacos and a $9 chile relleno plate.

Tacos Tierra Caliente ★ 4.6 · Houston

2003 W Alabama St, Houston, TX 77098

Tacos Tierra Caliente in Houston is the West Alabama Montrose taco truck, with $3-4 tacos al pastor sliced off the trompo and the West Alabama Ice House next door for beers.

Tip: Three al pastor with pineapple is the canonical order, under $12. Take them into the ice house for a Lone Star.

Sarita's Pupuseria ★ 4.6 · Los Angeles

317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Sarita's Pupuseria inside Grand Central Market, Los Angeles griddles Salvadoran pupusas to order from the same family-run counter since 2003. Cash and card.

Banh Mi My Tho ★ 4.6 · Los Angeles

304 W Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91803

Banh Mi My Tho in Alhambra, Los Angeles County bakes baguettes daily and presses Vietnamese sandwiches to order. The pate cha lua is the order, cash only.

Chichen Itza Restaurant ★ 4.6 · Los Angeles

3655 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90007

Chichen Itza inside Mercado La Paloma, Los Angeles plates Yucatecan dishes including the city's reference cochinita pibil. Chef Gilberto Cetina runs the kitchen.

Sanguich de Miami ★ 4.6 · Miami

2057 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33135

Sanguich in Miami's Little Havana is the Cuban sandwich counter at 2057 SW 8th Street, a 2022 Bib Gourmand pick, with the city's reference pressed pan cubano under $15.

Tip: Add a side croqueta. Closed evenings; this is a lunch stop. Card or cash both work.

Arnold's Country Kitchen ★ 4.6 · Nashville

the-gulch · 605 8th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203

Arnold's meat-and-three lunch in Nashville delivers a protein plus three vegetables and tea for under $15. James Beard America's Classics Award winner since 2009.

Tip: Lunch only, Monday to Friday 10:30 to 14:30; cafeteria line moves fast. Cash and card.

Bolton's Spicy Chicken and Fish ★ 4.6 · Nashville

east-nashville · 624 Main St, Nashville, TN 37206

Bolton's on Main Street in East Nashville plates a hot chicken thigh sandwich and slaw for under $12. The cheapest serious hot chicken option in Nashville.

Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays. Tiny counter; takeaway is the move.

Domilise's Po-Boys ★ 4.6 · New Orleans

5240 Annunciation St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Domilise's in New Orleans is the 1918 family po-boy counter on Annunciation Street in Uptown, with $13 fried shrimp po-boys dressed on Leidenheimer bread at the corner of Belle Castle.

Tip: Cash and local-card only at the counter; the kitchen closes when the bread runs out for the day.

Killer Poboys at Erin Rose ★ 4.6 · New Orleans

811 Conti St, New Orleans, LA 70112

Killer Poboys in New Orleans is the Conti Street po-boy counter at the back of Erin Rose, with chef-driven $13 po-boys including the rum-glazed pork-belly and the seared shrimp builds.

Tip: Pork-belly with rum ginger glaze is the cult order; the bar in front serves drinks while you wait.

Willie Mae's Scotch House ★ 4.6 · New Orleans

2401 St Ann St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Willie Mae's Scotch House in New Orleans is the 1957 Treme fried-chicken counter on St Ann Street, a 2005 James Beard America's Classics winner with three-piece chicken plates and red beans.

Tip: Lines are real; arrive at 11:00 open or expect a 45-minute wait. Cash and card both accepted.

L'Industrie Pizzeria ★ 4.6 · New York City

williamsburg · 254 South 2nd Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211

L'Industrie on South 2nd Street has sold $5 slices and a $7 burrata slice in Williamsburg Brooklyn New York City since 2017. Lines run around the block on weekends.

Tip: Order ahead online to skip the line. The burrata slice is the Instagram order; the plain is the better slice.

Tony Luke's ★ 4.6 · Philadelphia

39 E Oregon Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19148

Tony Luke's in Philadelphia is the 1992 South Philly counter on Oregon Ave with a 12-dollar roast pork Italian, the locals' answer to the cheesesteak tourist queue.

Beiler's Doughnuts ★ 4.6 · Philadelphia