Matt's Bar ★ 4.7
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.
Try: Jucy Lucy
Eat well in Minneapolis for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Cheap eats worth seeking out
Quang Restaurant ★ 4.7
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.
Try: Pho tai
Manny's Tortas ★ 4.4
Manny's Tortas inside Midtown Global Market has stacked Mexico City-style sandwiches in Minneapolis since 1999. Cubana with five meats, telera bread, under fifteen.
Try: Cubana torta
Kramarczuk's ★ 4.5
Kramarczuk's on East Hennepin has cured James Beard America's Classics-winning sausages in Minneapolis since 1954. Polish sausage with sauerkraut under thirteen.
Try: Polish sausage plate
Afro Deli ★ 4.4
Abdirahman Kahin's Afro Deli on 5th Street South has run Beard-nominated halal sambusas in Minneapolis since 2011. Lunch combos under ten near the U of M campus.
Try: Sambusas, gyro
Punch Neapolitan Pizza ★ 4.5
Punch Neapolitan on Grand Avenue has fired 90-second pizzas in the Twin Cities since 1996. Margherita lands at $11; nine locations spread the lunch crowd thin.
Try: Margherita pizza
El Burrito Mercado ★ 4.3
El Burrito Mercado on Cesar Chavez Street has run a Mexican cafeteria in Saint Paul's West Side since 1979. Carnitas, beans and rice under twelve, Sunday buffet at $14.
Try: Carnitas plate
World Street Kitchen ★ 4.4
Sameh Wadi's World Street Kitchen on Lyndale has run global street food in Minneapolis since 2013. Yum yum bowl under fourteen; Bangkok burrito at the same line.
Try: Yum yum rice bowl
5-8 Club ★ 4.3
5-8 Club on Cedar Avenue South has run the contested-original Juicy Lucy in Minneapolis since 1954. The other half of the Juicy Lucy debate; lunch under fifteen.
Try: Original Juicy Lucy
Budget Eats in Minneapolis, FAQ
When is the best time to eat in Minneapolis?
Peak food season in Minneapolis is year-round.
What time do people eat in Minneapolis?
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
How does tipping work in Minneapolis?
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
What is the one dish to try in Minneapolis?
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Minneapolis rewards trust.