Hob Nob Hill on First Avenue in Bankers Hill, San Diego, the eighty-year-old all-day diner with old-fashioned pancakes, daily blue-plate specials and full breakfast under fifteen.
Address: 2271 1st Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Pokez in San Diego's East Village, the punk-rock Mexican counter near City College where the vegan burrito runs nine dollars and the carne asada lands at twelve.
Try: Vegan burrito, carne asada burrito, breakfast burritos
Hodad's on Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach, San Diego, the 1969 surf-shack burger counter where the single Hodad runs under twelve and the bacon cheeseburger hits eighteen.
Try: Bacon cheeseburger, single Hodad burger under $12
Rubicon Deli on India Street in Mission Hills, San Diego, the Dutch Crunch sandwich counter where the half Rubicon Special runs under seven and the whole still beats twelve.
Try: Dutch Crunch sandwiches, half or whole
Phil's BBQ on Sports Arena Boulevard in Point Loma, San Diego, the long-queue mesquite-grill counter selling sandwiches under fourteen and a half-rack under twenty.
Try: Ribs, pulled pork sandwich, BBQ chicken
Pho Hoa on El Cajon Boulevard in City Heights, San Diego, the long-running Vietnamese soup counter selling large bowls of beef pho for under seven dollars.
Try: Pho dac biet (special beef pho), small or large bowl
Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop in Mission Hills, San Diego, the take-out wrestling-themed counter slinging four-dollar tacos and the Surfin' California burrito for fourteen.
Try: Surfin' California burrito, $4 tacos, Lucha-style adobada
