Crown Candy Kitchen is a soda fountain and sandwiches budget eat in Old North, St. Louis.
Open since 1913, Crown Candy is the metro's oldest soda fountain, slinging affordable malts, a towering BLT and chili in an Old North parlour frozen in time.
Tip: A malt and the bacon-heavy BLT make a cheap, classic lunch. Expect a weekend line at one of the city's oldest counters.
Address: 1401 St Louis Ave, St. Louis, MO 63106
Serving since 1941 on Route 66, Ted Drewes sells cheap, thick frozen-custard concretes, the landmark dessert handed over upside down to prove it.
Try: Frozen custard concretes
Tip: A concrete is a few dollars and a city rite of passage. Cash-friendly; expect a summer line at the window.
An LGBTQ-friendly coffeehouse across from Tower Grove Park, Mokabe's serves a cheap all-day vegetarian-leaning brunch, a welcoming budget spot.
Try: All-day vegetarian brunch
Tip: The all-day vegan and vegetarian brunch is rare and affordable. It fills after the Saturday farmers market.
Steve's Hot Dogs on South Grand loads creative toppings onto cheap griddled dogs and has been voted the city's best, a budget counter with a cult following.
Try: Loaded St. Louis-style hot dogs
Tip: The loaded specialty dogs are the draw and stay cheap. Counter service keeps the turnaround fast at peak.
The chain that made St. Louis-style pizza a city standard, Imo's tops cracker-thin crust with Provel, cut in squares, a cheap and essential local taste.
Try: St. Louis-style Provel pizza
Tip: Order it tavern-cut into squares to eat it the local way. A large feeds a group for not much money.
A family-run Overland taqueria, Durango plates a chile-drowned torta ahogada and tacos with big portions, where a full meal lands under ten dollars.
Try: Torta ahogada and tacos
Tip: The torta ahogada is the signature; tacos round out a cheap feast. Everyone can eat for under ten dollars.
A Cherokee Street taqueria with a patio, La Vallesana serves cheap tacos al pastor, tortas and aguas frescas, a budget anchor of the Mexican Cherokee strip.
Try: Tacos al pastor and tortas
Tip: A few al pastor tacos and an agua fresca make a cheap, satisfying lunch. The patio suits a warm afternoon.
