Pollos Asados Los Norteños is a budget eat in East Side, San Antonio.
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.
Tip: A whole grilled chicken with tortillas and onions feeds several people cheaply. Go early; the line builds fast.
Address: 4642 Rigsby Ave, San Antonio, TX 78222
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.
Try: Split-pea soup and a sandwich
Tip: The split-pea soup and house root beer make a cheap downtown lunch with a century of history behind it.
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.
Try: Tostada burger and cheese fries
Tip: Split a Macho-sized burger to halve the cost. The Tostada Burger and a side of cheese fries is the value play.
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.
Try: Tamales by the dozen, barbacoa by the pound
Tip: Buy tamales by the dozen and barbacoa by the pound for a cheap family weekend breakfast. Go early on Saturdays.
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.
Try: Taco-and-donut combo for a few dollars
Tip: A taco and a donut for the price of a coffee elsewhere. The drive-through line moves fast.
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.
Try: Street tacos a couple of dollars each
Tip: A handful of street tacos for under ten dollars is the late-night value play. Load up at the salsa bar for free.
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 gravy.
Try: Carne guisada taco in spicy gravy
Tip: The carne guisada taco is the cheap order to make. Small and busy, so expect a short morning wait.
