Eat well in New York City for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.

Cheap eats worth seeking out

2 Bros Pizza ★ 3.5

Pizzeria$east-village

2 Bros has sold a $1 cheese slice on St Marks Place in the East Village, New York City since 2009. The slice is the city's floor price; 17 locations citywide.

Try: $1 plain cheese slice

Tip: The slice is reheated, not fresh; ask for a hot one and they cook a new pie. Cash only.

Prince Street Pizza ★ 4.5

Sicilian$nolita

Prince Street Pizza in Nolita has sold the cult $6 spicy spring square slice in New York City since 2012. Sicilian crust, cup-and-char pepperoni.

Try: Spicy pepperoni square slice

Tip: Lines at 13:00 weekends run 45 minutes. Off-hours at 15:00-17:00 are the easy walk-up; the slice still holds heat.

L'Industrie Pizzeria ★ 4.6

Pizzeria$williamsburg

L'Industrie on South 2nd Street has sold $5 slices and a $7 burrata slice in Williamsburg Brooklyn New York City since 2017. At 254 South 2nd Street.

Try: Burrata square slice

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

Best Pizza ★ 4.3

Pizzeria$williamsburg

Best Pizza in Williamsburg Brooklyn has sold $4 New York slices in New York City since 2010. At 33 Havemeyer St. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.

Try: $4 white slice

Tip: The white slice with sesame seeds is the cult order. Cash only; the line moves fast.

Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery ★ 4.3

Jewish deli$lower-east-side

Yonah Schimmel's on East Houston has baked potato knishes in the Lower East Side, New York City since 1910. Wood-fired oven in the basement.

Try: Potato knish

Tip: The kasha knish is the second-pick if potato sells out. Order one with mustard and a Dr Brown's cream soda.

Mamoun's Falafel ★ 4.2

Levantine$greenwich-village

Mamoun's on MacDougal has sold falafel sandwiches in Greenwich Village New York City since 1971. Falafel, hummus, baba ghanouj, shawarma, under-$10 plates.

Try: Falafel sandwich

Tip: Open until 04:00; the bar-closing slot is the busiest. Order the falafel sandwich with hot sauce; ask for extra tahini.

Xi'an Famous Foods ★ 4.5

New American$chinatown

Xi'an Famous Foods on St Marks Place sells hand-pulled biang biang noodles in New York City since 2005. Located in Chinatown. At 45 Bayard St.

Try: Spicy cumin lamb noodles

Tip: Order the spicy cumin lamb biang biang or the spicy and tingly oxtail noodles. The cold-skin noodles are summer-only.

Shake Shack Madison Square ★ 4.0

Brunch$flatiron

Shake Shack opened its first cart in Madison Square Park in New York City in 2004. Located in Flatiron. At 23rd Street and Madison Ave New York.

Try: ShackBurger

Tip: The line is shortest at 10:30 (breakfast) or 15:00 (post-lunch). The Concrete frozen custard is the editor pick.

Ihawan ★ 4.2

Filipino$woodside

Ihawan on 70th Street in Woodside Queens has run Filipino BBQ in New York City since 1987. Pork skewers, lechon kawali, silog breakfasts, under-$15 plates.

Try: Pork BBQ skewers and silog plates

Tip: The pork BBQ skewers are the lunch order. Sinigang soup is the cold-weather pick. Cash and card accepted.

Joe's Steam Rice Roll ★ 4.3

Cantonese$flushing

Joe's Steam Rice Roll in Flushing Queens has run Cantonese steamed rice rolls in New York City since 2017. Eight fillings, two sauces, $6 to $10 plates.

Try: Rice roll wraps

Tip: The shrimp-and-scallop rice roll is the order. Cash only at the original; the second Brooklyn location takes card.

Punjabi Grocery & Deli ★ 4.4

Vegetarian$east-village

Punjabi Grocery & Deli on East 1st Street has fed cab drivers $5 curry plates in the East Village, New York City since 1994. Open 24 hours, all vegetarian.

Try: Vegetable curry over rice, $5

Tip: Combo curry plate: rice, three vegetable curries, a samosa, a chapati. Cash only. Eat on the bench out front.

← Back to New York City food guide