The 15 best cheap eats in Adelaide

Frequented by the omnivorous and herbivorous alike, Ferryden Park’s Mai Kitchen has grown to become a Vietnamese institution over its ten years in business. The casual, neighbourhood eatery is relatively plain and simple – somewhat bare-bones – but that’s just part of the experience. All of Mai Kitchen’s time and energy is spent concocting spectacular, home-style cookery that’ll drift your mind and soul to faraway lands. Typically a 30-page menu poses as a bit of a red flag, but it’s evident that Mai has each and every dish down to a tee. Tuck into staples, including the $13 chim cút (spiced quails), $16.90 cá kho tộ (caramelised fish pot), $17.90 beef phở (noodle soup), $18.90 bánh xèo (prawn and herb pancake) and $18.90 gà kho gừng (ginger clay pot chicken). Plus, if you’re cutting down on meat, best believe there’s a veggie replacement waiting at the flip of a page. You’re spoiled for choice at Mai Kitchen.

Say hello to Africola restaurant’s cool younger sibling, Africola Canteen. While the groovy East End dining room dishes out some serious meals that are heavy on, well, everything – the Norwood salad bar counterpart is simple, yet effective. Africola Canteen set up shop on The Parade back in 2022, and has since been boxing up veg-forward fare that is as pretty as a picture. Verdant soups, salads and sandwiches are up for grabs, and you can bet your bottom dollar that they’re jam-packed with garden-fresh herbs, crispy bits of something or other, and tangy pops of pickles. Drop in for numbers like the braised chickpea chopped salad with spicy salami, kalamata olive tapenade, semi-dried tomatoes, cucumber and bitter leaves. Or slow-roasted sweet potato with a tomato-ginger dressing, whipped tahini and pickled red onion – setting you back somewhere around the $15 mark. Not too bad for a ticket straight to flavourtown.

You said ‘via vai’, Italians say ‘coming and going’ or ‘bustle’ – aptly named considering you’re bound to return to Via Vai Pizzetta and Focaccia Bar that sits along the bustling CBD thoroughfare of Currie Street. The hole-in-the-wall bakery of sorts fires up the oven daily to bring you house-made, sourdough focaccias, hand-held pizzas that are on the go-friendly, and hunks of tiramisu for a cheeky pick-me-up, too. Via Vai kicks it old-school, all while putting their own spin on the ever-present sandwich craze – traditional Italian cheeses and deli meats wedged between not just any old bread, but indeed bouncy focaccia. Sink your teeth into the roasted eggplant focaccia with semi-dried tomatoes, whipped feta, rocket and pumpkin seeds, as well as the salami sopressa focaccia with nduja, pecorino sardo and turmeric-pickled zucchini for $16.50. Or, keep it real with a Sardinian-style margherita pizzetta for an honest ten bucks.

Uncle Authentic Chicken Rice on Waymouth Street is undoubtedly plating up some of the cheapest eats in Adelaide. For just $12.80, you can tuck into traditional or crispy skin chicken rice which has been slow-poached for ultimate succulence, alongside fragrant rice and a bowl of piping-hot chicken broth. The Singaporean and Malaysian hive offers a whole lot more than just chicken and rice though – observe the chefs who are on full display as they rustle up mega bowls of potent laksa for $15.80, sauteed greens in exchange for $3.80, and $5 shallot pancakes, too. Uncle Authentic Chicken Rice’s fit-out may be contemporary, but the blue plastic crockery doesn’t lie and the broths will have you slurping every last drop. 

Indonesia is one of Australia’s closest neighbours, and anyone who’s travelled the distance knows that the nation’s food comes close to unmatched – it’s herbal, spicy, sweet, sour, and most of all, downright delicious. Here in Adelaide, we’re fortunate enough to have Pondok Daun Restaurant, a lowkey Indonesian eatery in the CBD serving up real-deal plates that deliver on both quality and quantity. Expect to get stuck into $16 chicken nasi goreng (fried rice), $18 beef rendang (curry), $20 whole fried tilapia fish and five fried wontons for just $7. Pondok Daun also pulls through with the goods when it comes to traditional veggie dishes, aka – they provide an entire vegan menu.

Chatkazz in Lightsview dishes out street food from the North and South of India, with most of its 200 spicy delights priced under $20. Feeling peckish? Go for the samosa sandwich ($16.90), brimming with cheese, chutney and tomato sauce; scoop up the chole bhatura (chickpea curry) with fried Indian bread ($19.90); or nibble at one of the 25 dosas from the south (starting at $13.90).

Fancy a day by the seaside snacking on some sensational eats in the sunshine? Look no further than Port Adelaide’s La Popular Taqueria – said to be one of the best Mexican restaurants around. The team aren’t playin’ at La Popular Taqueria either – corn tortillas are handmade each and every day (with a good wad of elbow grease of course), which are a hallmark of the eatery’s dang tasty tacos. House-made guac is too, a key ingredient, along with tender frijoles (black beans). Dive right into chicharrón (pork crackling with red salsa), cochinita tacos (oven-braised pulled pork with all the herbs and spices), cachete de res tacos (slow-cooked beef cheek in three-chilli salsa), and Baja-style cauliflower tacos – all between the ripe ol’ price of $7 and $11. Let the Mexican mess drip upon the 100-year-old, salvaged timber table tops from the neighbouring Port Admiral Hotel – dinner and a bit of history.

Contemporary Japanese Deli may be small in size, but it puts up a fairly sizeable menu of donburi rice bowls, bento boxes, katsu curries and of course, ramen. Their popular bento boxes ($16 to $19) offer a feast of options, from teriyaki and karaage chicken to yakiniku beef, tempura prawn and veg, or tonkatsu pork. The Japanese-style katsu curry ($17) is pure comfort food, while more than ten hearty ramen bowls come in at under $20. 

Popular among students and city workers on a mission for an equally quick and tasty lunch stop, Sit Lo is the ultimate one-stop-shop. With three outposts across Bank Street, Waymouth Street and UniSA’s City West Campus, the micro Vietnamese eateries already know you’re tight for time. At first glance of the menu, you’ll notice there’s not one single item above the $20 mark – almost unheard of in this economy – and at a second glance, you’ll lock into some flavoursome bites that are sure to make you salivate. It’s never not a good idea to opt for the $15 tofu and shiitake mushroom noodle bowl, $16 thịt kho trứng (caramelised pork and egg rice), $16 beef phở (noodle soup), as well as the almighty foot-long, grilled chicken bánh mì for $16 too. Stay on high alert with a Vietnamese iced coffee for eight pennies, where both dairy-free and lactose-tolerant folk can share a common ground – coffee grounds, that is.

Motherlode 142 is Hindley Street’s boozy fried chicken joint that takes up residency in the former Mr. Kim’s nightclub. They do a ripper lunchtime special, where you can snag the sando of the month and level it up with fries and a tap beer or house wine for an extra $10. All day, you can also tuck into Motherlode’s signature buttermilk fried chicken nuggets for $17, with cauliflower and tofu nuggets for the vegans.

Fresh dumplings are always a good idea, and when a place is called Star Dumplings, you know you’re onto a winner. Located just outside the Adelaide Central Markets on Moonta Street, this compact eatery is the perfect spot for a quick lunch break or a post-late-night shopping sesh feed. You can order a dozen steamed or fried dumplings from $15, filled with pork, chicken or prawn. Beyond dumplings, the menu offers classic Asian comfort food, from Mongolian beef with rice and stir-fried pork noodles to the mighty popular chilli chicken – all for less than $20. With friendly service and generous portion sizes, your only challenge will be finding a seat. 

The north-western suburb of Woodville Gardens and its adjoining Hanson Road are home to the highest density of Vietnamese restaurants in Adelaide. The area is scattered with no-frills hotspots that plate up delectable, home-style cookery, including one that keeps us coming back for more – Café Thu Ngan. Not only do they whack together some of the best bánh mì in Adelaide, but a vast selection of soups, noodles, rice, stir-fries, desserts, snacks and everything in between. A fully-stuffed, bò chay (vegan beef-lemongrass bánh mì) will set you back just $8, an extra large bowl of steaming bún bò huế (spicy beef noodle soup) for $20, còm de nướng (grilled goat rice) for $20, and a sinh tố sầu riêng (durian smoothie) to wash it all down for $9. Café Thu Ngan’s menu is lengthy, to say the least, and there are plenty of mock meat options too for your token vegan friends – and we mean plenty. 

From a passion for pizza and the love for a family member who developed a nasty gluten intolerance (Italian sacrilege), Rocco’s Wood Oven Sourdough Pizza was born. The Kidman Park and Fulham Gardens pizzerias rise to the occasion with their long-fermented, FODMAP-friendly dough – meaning your wheat-sensitive pals won’t miss out on all the oozy fun. Rocco’s takes pride in their no-soggy-bottoms pizza pies, and you can get your hands dirty with 13 different 12-inch discs that start at just $15. The Number One Son with garlic prawns, white sauce, mozzarella, baby spinach and a drizzling of herb oil is always a winner, as well as the San Rocco with smoked ham, tomato sauce, mozzarella, a handful of olives and peppers. Go tell your touchy tummy friends.

It’s always the restaurants that don’t seem to give elaborate social media marketing a second thought that are packed-out night after night. And we’re here to talk about Ying Chow Chinese Restaurant – just in case it hasn’t popped up on your newsfeed lately. The long-standing, dinner domain radiates on the outskirts of Adelaide’s Chinatown with its fluorescent lighting and chatter-filled eating room – the awards wall dating back to 1994 is hard to miss too. Ying Chow is no doubt one of the best Chinese establishments in Adelaide, and just one whiff will have you hopelessly devoted to the deep-fried, braised, roasted and wok hei-ed fare. Peruse the laminated menu and land on the $15.80 BBC (broad beans, bean curd and chutney), $15.90 Shanghai noodles, $16.80 salt and pepper eggplant, $17.90 red vinegar ribs, $19.80 tea-smoked duck and $8.80 regional pancake with Chinese custard, which is just enough for two.

This old-school Italian joint serves pizza and pasta just like nonna used to make. Their lunch menu is a wallet-friendly wonderland, with toasted sandwiches from $10.50, soups from $15, pizzas from $14.50 and pasta from $20. Come lunchtime, the neighbouring deli draws a crowd for its fresh paninis. There are nine to pick from – each priced at $17 – with fillings like smoked salmon, dill and mascarpone; prosciutto, mozzarella and sliced tomatoes; or the mysterious weekly special.