west-side
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.
Try: Puffy taco plate under fifteen dollars
Tip: A puffy taco plate with rice and beans is a cheap, filling meal. The shells come hot; eat them straight away.
east-side
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.
Try: Mesquite-grilled chicken feeds a family
Tip: A whole grilled chicken with tortillas and onions feeds several people cheaply. Go early; the line builds fast.
downtown
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.
tobin-hill
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.
west-side
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.
north-side
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.