Falafel's Drive-In ★ 4.5
Falafel's Drive-In in San Jose is the 1966 Stevens Creek drive-in where crisp falafel pita with tahini and pickled vegetables comes in under ten dollars.
Try: Falafel sandwich in pita
Eat well in San Jose for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Cheap eats worth seeking out
La Victoria Taqueria San Carlos ★ 4.2
La Victoria Taqueria in San Jose is the 24-hour San Carlos SJSU staple where burritos under $12 arrive drenched in cult orange hot sauce at 3am or 7am.
Try: Burrito with orange sauce
Pho Ha Noi San Jose ★ 4.4
Pho Ha Noi San Jose is the Story Road pho landmark with lean northern-style broth, fresh Angus steak, shaken beef and nem nuong rolls at lunch and dinner.
Try: Northern-style beef pho
Pho 90 Degree ★ 4.2
Pho 90 Degree in San Jose is the Story Road pho house open until midnight daily with spacious booths and spicy bun bo hue alongside classic beef noodles.
Try: Bun bo hue spicy beef noodle soup
Kumako Ramen Japantown ★ 4.5
Kumako Ramen Japantown in San Jose is a perennial Metro Magazine best-ramen winner, serving tan tan and four classic ramen styles in Japantown.
Try: Tan tan ramen
Minato Japanese Restaurant ★ 4.4
Minato Japanese Restaurant in San Jose is the Japantown institution since 1957, a Parts Unknown stop known for teriyaki spareribs and katsu curry plates.
Try: Teriyaki spareribs combo
Com Tam Dat Thanh ★ 4.4
Com Tam Dat Thanh in San Jose is the Tully Road broken rice specialist with fried shrimp cake, grilled sugarcane shrimp and shredded pork on jasmine rice.
Try: Broken rice plate with grilled pork and shrimp cake
Com Tam Thien Huong ★ 4.2
Com Tam Thien Huong in San Jose is the Story Road broken rice mainstay with grilled pork chop, steamed egg cake and pickled vegetables on jasmine broken rice.
Try: Com tam suon nuong grilled pork chop rice plate
Lee's Sandwiches (Story Road) ★ 4.0
Lee's Sandwiches on Story Road in San Jose bakes baguettes daily for BBQ pork and grilled chicken banh mi sandwiches priced under six dollars.
Try: BBQ pork banh mi on fresh-baked baguette
Super Taqueria (McLaughlin Ave) ★ 4.0
Super Taqueria on McLaughlin in San Jose is the East Side outpost for carne asada super burritos with generous green salsa and big meat portions under $13.
Try: Super burrito with carne asada
Pho Dang ★ 4.2
Pho Dang in San Jose is the Story Road noodle house open six days a week with beef pho slow-cooked using specialty cuts and a Facebook-famous house broth.
Try: Beef pho with house-made broth
Tacos Los Tres Reyes ★ 4.3
Tacos Los Tres Reyes in San Jose is the Story Road truck where $3 to $5 al pastor and birria tacos come with a self-serve bar of housemade salsas.
Try: Al pastor street tacos
La Victoria Taqueria (4th and Julian) ★ 4.1
La Victoria Taqueria at 4th and Julian in San Jose is the Japantown-area orange sauce dynasty outpost open daily for tacos, burritos and breakfast plates.
Try: Chicken tacos with orange sauce