Ray's Drive Inn
Try Original puffy taco, a few dollars
Ray's Drive Inn on the West Side serves the original puffy taco for a few dollars, a cheap West Side institution where the deep-fried masa shell.
Eat well in San Antonio for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Cheap eats worth seeking out
18 places
Blanco Cafe
- ★ 4.2
- Mexican
- $
- St Mary's Strip
Try Carne guisada plate under ten dollars
Blanco Cafe is a no-frills Tobin Hill Tex-Mex diner where the carne guisada plate is the cheap, filling order; cash is welcome and the prices stay low.
Eddie's Taco House
- ★ 4.5
- Taqueria
- $
- South Side
Try Breakfast tacos a couple of dollars each
Eddie's Taco House is a long-running Caballero family counter on the South Side where breakfast tacos run a couple of dollars and the weenie-and-egg has fans.
Book food experiences in San Antonio
Garcia's Mexican Food
Try Breakfast tacos and carne guisada
Garcia's Mexican Food on the West Side is a small, cash-friendly counter where the cheap carne guisada taco is the order; go early before the breakfast crowd.
Lucy's Cafe
- ★ 4.5
- Brunch
- $
- North Side
Try Bean and cheese with bacon taco
Lucy's Cafe on the north side keeps breakfast cheap, with a bean and cheese with bacon taco under three dollars; it is cash-friendly and busy at breakfast.
Rolando's Super Tacos
- ★ 4.1
- Brunch
- $
- North Side
Try El Gigante, one taco that feeds a person
Rolando's Super Tacos on the north side is famous for El Gigante, a single taco big enough to be a whole breakfast for the price of a coffee elsewhere.
Henry's Puffy Tacos
Try Puffy taco plate under fifteen dollars
Henry's Puffy Tacos on West Woodlawn plates puffy tacos with rice and beans for a modest price, the Lopez family's cheap, filling counter for the West Side.
Pollos Asados Los Norteños
- ★ 4.8
- Mexican
- $
- Dignowity Hill
Try Mesquite-grilled chicken feeds a family
Pollos Asados Los Norteños grills whole mesquite chickens on Rigsby Avenue that feed a family for the price of one mid-range entree, a high-value cult spot.
Schilo's
Try Split-pea soup and a sandwich
Schilo's, the city's oldest restaurant, serves a bowl of its famous split-pea soup and a hearty sandwich downtown for a modest sum, a 1917 German-Texan deli.
Chris Madrid's
- ★ 4.6
- Burgers
- $
- St Mary's Strip
Try Tostada burger and cheese fries
Chris Madrid's flips a Tostada Burger big enough to share for a modest price on Blanco Road, a family burger joint since 1977 where the Macho size feeds two.
Where to stay in San Antonio
A sample of San Antonio hotels from our booking partner, who list 31,801 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
San Antonio Vacation Home
A stay at this vacation home places you in the heart of San Antonio, within a 15-minute walk of Historic Su...
Check dates
OYO Hotel San Antonio Lackland near Seaworld
A stay at OYO Hotel San Antonio Lackland near Seaworld places you in the heart of San Antonio, within a 5-m...
Check dates
Virginia #B San Antonio Guesthouse Near Downtown
With a stay at this cottage in San Antonio (Arena District), you'll be within a 15-minute walk of Alamodome...
Check dates
Red Roof Inn San Antonio - SeaWorld / Northwest
With a stay at Red Roof Inn San Antonio - SeaWorld / Northwest in San Antonio (West San Antonio), you'll be...
Check dates
Compare for next weekend: Holidu in San Antonio from USD 58/night · Expedia in San Antonio
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Tellez Tamales & Barbacoa
Try Tamales by the dozen, barbacoa by the pound
Tellez Tamales & Barbacoa on the West Side sells tamales by the dozen and pit barbacoa by the pound, a high-value weekend stock-up for a family breakfast.
The Original Donut Shop
- ★ 4.1
- Brunch
- $
- North Side
Try Taco-and-donut combo for a few dollars
The Original Donut Shop on Fredericksburg Road sells a breakfast taco and a fresh donut for a few dollars, the cheapest and most San Antonio of breakfast.
Tacos El Regio
- ★ 4.6
- Taqueria
- $
- St Mary's Strip
Try Street tacos a couple of dollars each
Tacos El Regio griddles cheap al pastor and bistek street tacos on the St Mary's Strip late into the night, a few dollars a taco for the best-value bite.
Mendez Cafe
- ★ 4.3
- Brunch
- $
- South Side
Try Carne guisada taco in spicy gravy
Mendez Cafe has sold cheap, generous carne guisada tacos since 1986, a South Side breakfast counter where a couple of dollars buys tender beef in peppery.
Tlahco Mexican Kitchen
- ★ 4.2
- Mexican
- $
- North Side
Try All-day breakfast tacos and chilaquiles
Tlahco Mexican Kitchen on the north side runs breakfast all day, so chilaquiles and tacos stay cheap into the afternoon, with good value for the portion size.
Maria's Cafe
- ★ 4.0
- Taqueria
- $
- South Side
Try Breakfast tacos and weekend menudo
Maria's Cafe on the South Side does breakfast tacos all week and weekend menudo, the cheap local cure; cash keeps the line moving on busy mornings.
2M Smokehouse
- ★ 4.8
- American BBQ
- $
- South Side
Try BBQ by the quarter pound
2M Smokehouse on the South Side serves Tejano-accented barbecue; order by the quarter pound and add the cheap sides to keep a BBQ lunch under twenty dollars.
La Villita Cafe
Try Brisket-and-egg breakfast tacos
La Villita Cafe in the historic arts village downtown keeps brisket-and-egg breakfast tacos and Tex-Mex plates cheap, a rare budget bite near the River Walk.
Nothing matches.