Cheap Eats in San Jose

Shuei-Do Manju Shop ★ 4.6

Shuei-Do Manju Shop is the Bay Area's oldest Japanese confectionery in San Jose's Japantown, handcrafting mochi and manju fresh daily since 1953.

Com Tam Thien Huong ★ 4.6

Com Tam Thien Huong serves Vietnamese broken rice with expertly grilled proteins, drawing long lines from San Jose's Little Saigon community at lunch daily.

OrderCom tam plate with BBQ pork and fried shrimp cake

TipOrder the sampler plate to try grilled pork, shrimp cake, and egg cake side by side for under $15.

Peters' Bakery ★ 4.5

San Jose legend baking since 1936 and famed for its Burnt Almond Cake: white custard encrusted in toasted almonds that regulars have ordered for decades.

Falafel's Drive-In ★ 4.5

Falafel's Drive-In in San Jose is the 1966 Stevens Creek landmark on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, serving crisp falafel in pita with tahini sauce.

OrderCalifornia-style falafel sandwich

Duc Huong Sandwiches Story Rd ★ 4.5

Duc Huong on Story Road crafts San Jose's finest banh mi with house-made cold cuts and crispy baguettes, a Story Road staple and East Side local favorite.

OrderBanh mi dac biet with house-made cold cuts and pate

TipArrive before 09:00 on weekends for fresh-from-the-oven pate chauds while they last.

Huong Lan Sandwiches ★ 4.5

Huong Lan on Tully Road is a San Jose Vietnamese deli legend open before 05:00, serving large soft baguette banh mi considered a Bay Area gold standard.

OrderBanh mi #1 with pate, head cheese, and cured ham

TipThe deli case holds roasted duck and BBQ pork belly that sell out fast - arrive before 10:00 for the full selection.

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.

OrderFalafel sandwich in pita

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.

OrderTan tan ramen

La Victoria Taqueria San Carlos ★ 4.4

La Victoria on E. San Carlos is San Jose's ultimate late-night institution, serving overstuffed burritos with legendary house-made orange sauce until 03:00.

OrderBreakfast burrito drenched in house orange sauce

Falafel's Drive-In ★ 4.4

Falafel's Drive-In is a San Jose icon on Stevens Creek serving crispy herbaceous falafel at a retro walk-up window, a Food Network-featured local institution.

OrderFalafel sandwich with house-made banana shake

TipOrder the banana shake alongside your falafel sandwich; regulars have treated that pairing as the standard order here for generations.

Bun Bo Hue An Nam ★ 4.4

Bun Bo Hue An Nam serves San Jose's deeply aromatic Central Vietnamese spicy beef noodle soup from a humble Story Road storefront beloved on the East Side.

OrderBun bo hue with extra pork knuckle and blood cake

TipClosed Tuesdays - plan ahead. Cash and debit only. Weekends open an hour earlier at 09:00.

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.

OrderNorthern-style beef pho

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.

OrderTeriyaki 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.

OrderBroken rice plate with grilled pork and shrimp cake

Bun Bo Hue An Nam ★ 4.4

Bun Bo Hue An Nam on Story Road serves Central Vietnamese spicy beef noodle soup, a San Jose East Side weekend morning institution loved by the community.

OrderBun bo hue with spicy lemongrass and pork knuckle

Banh Mi Oven ★ 4.3

Banh Mi Oven in San Jose is the Story Road shop that bakes its baguettes fresh and loads them with pork belly, bulgogi or honey-lemongrass chicken fillings.

OrderOven-baked pork belly banh mi

Con Sabor a Mexico ★ 4.3

Con Sabor a Mexico in San Jose is the downtown truck credited with bringing quesabirria to the city, serving arm-length birria tacos dripping with consomme.

OrderBirria tacos

Tacos Los Tres Reyes ★ 4.3

Tacos Los Tres Reyes in San Jose is the Story Road truck stand serving carne asada, al pastor and birria with a self-serve salsa bar open into the night.

OrderAl pastor and birria tacos

Tacos y Birria El Chore ★ 4.3

Tacos y Birria El Chore in San Jose is the Hillsdale truck fusing slow-simmered birria with ramen noodles alongside traditional consomme-dipped tacos.

OrderBirria ramen and birria tacos

Pho Mai ★ 4.3

Pho Mai on Landess Ave is San Jose's premier late-night noodle refuge, serving rich Vietnamese pho and Filipino dishes like longsilog until 04:00 on weekends.

OrderPho dac biet (house special pho)

Roy's Station Coffee and Teas ★ 4.3

Roy's Station in San Jose's Japantown occupies a 1930s gas station shell, serving Verve Coffee and organic teas in a beloved community gathering space.

OrderVerve Coffee pour-over with a fresh pork bun

TipPork buns from Tengu Sushi arrive fresh each morning and often sell out by 11:00 on weekends.

Pho Kim Long ★ 4.3

Pho Kim Long is a cash-only San Jose institution on N. Capitol Ave where long-simmered broths have earned a devoted following since the early 2000s.

OrderPho bo tai with rare sliced beef and bean sprouts

TipArrive at 09:00 when the bones have been simmering all night and the broth is at its richest.

Duc Huong Sandwiches McKee ★ 4.3

Duc Huong's McKee Road outpost delivers the same legendary house-made cold cuts and crispy baguette banh mi as the Story Road original, with shorter waits.

OrderBanh mi xa xiu with BBQ pork and house pickles

TipSpring rolls and pate chauds from the pastry case are self-serve - grab one while you wait for your sandwich order.

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.

OrderAl pastor street tacos

Pink Elephant Bakery ★ 4.2

Family-owned East San Jose institution baking authentic pan dulce since 1978, with bolillos, flaky empanadas, flan, and towering tres leches cakes.

La Victoria Taqueria (San Carlos St) ★ 4.2

La Victoria Taqueria in San Jose is the East San Carlos Street 24-hour SJSU staple famous for the tangy orange hot sauce that regulars pour on everything.

OrderBurrito with orange sauce

Tacos Chencho ★ 4.2

Tacos Chencho in San Jose is the cash-only evening taco stand on Story Road offering $2 al pastor tacos with housemade salsas and freshly squeezed horchata.

OrderAl pastor tacos

Tacos Santiaguito ★ 4.2

Tacos Santiaguito in San Jose is the Saratoga Avenue evening truck drawing West Side regulars for al pastor shaved from the trompo with pineapple.

OrderTacos al pastor with pineapple

Delicias Juquilita Mexican Food ★ 4.2

Delicias Juquilita in San Jose is the Alum Rock Avenue food truck serving well-seasoned carne asada tortas and tacos with housemade salsa to the East Side.

OrderCarne asada torta

Tacos Montero ★ 4.2

Tacos Montero on McLaughlin Ave is an East San Jose taco truck serving handmade tortilla tacos until midnight weekdays and 01:00 on Friday and Saturday.

OrderCarne asada tacos on handmade corn tortillas

El Senor de los Tacos ★ 4.2

El Senor de los Tacos is an East San Jose food truck on Story Road serving birria tacos, birria pizza and birria ramen that draws late-night crowds.

OrderQuesabirria tacos

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.

OrderBurrito with orange sauce

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.

OrderBun bo hue spicy beef noodle soup

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.

OrderCom tam suon nuong grilled pork chop rice plate

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.

OrderBeef pho with house-made broth

Pho Kim Long ★ 4.2

Pho Kim Long on N. Capitol Ave is a cash-only San Jose institution where long-simmered broths have earned a devoted following since the early 2000s.

OrderPho bo tai with rare sliced beef and fresh herbs

Pho Ha Noi ★ 4.1

Pho Ha Noi on Story Road is a San Jose Little Saigon institution, simmering 500 pounds of shank bones daily for its silky Northern-style pho.

OrderPho Bac with 24-hour bone marrow broth and fresh noodles

Kumako Ramen Japantown ★ 4.1

Kumako Ramen has anchored San Jose's Japantown since 2006 with house-crafted broths, springy ramen noodles, and handmade gyoza on Jackson Street.

OrderTonkotsu ramen with handmade gyoza

Chez Sovan ★ 4.1

Chez Sovan is a beloved San Jose weekday lunch institution offering rare authentic Cambodian fish curries, kebabs, and Khmer dishes at low prices.

OrderFish amok and slow-cooked Cambodian curry with rice

Pho Ha Noi ★ 4.1

Pho Ha Noi is San Jose's most celebrated pho destination on Story Road, simmering 500 pounds of shank bones for 24 hours to produce a clear Northern broth.

OrderPho Bac special with 24-hour bone marrow broth