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.
Address: 5010 Newport Ave, San Diego, CA 92107
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
Bread and Cie's cafe counter on University Avenue in Hillcrest, San Diego, the in-house bakery serving sandwiches on its own stone-hearth loaves for under fifteen dollars.
Try: Sandwiches on house bread, soups, scones
Tacos El Gordo in Chula Vista, San Diego, the open-until-4am Tijuana-style trompo carving adobada tacos for around three dollars and California burritos under twelve.
Try: Vertical-trompo adobada tacos under $4
