The 19 best cheap eats in NYC

This venerable 400-square-foot counter spot has been slinging kosher faves and classics since 1938. Its $7 breakfast, available until 11am, comes with two eggs any style, home fries, B&H challah bread, orange juice and coffee or tea. 

Dating back to 1971, this south Brooklyn restaurant’s roast beef sandwiches are legendary: Layers of thinly sliced meat are folded and pressed between toasty kaiser rolls. For the full experience, get the classic and top it off with the requisite “cheez” sauce. Beer and wine are also available for $2.95-$4.95, or you can splurge on a bottle of Champagne for $59.95. 

This Brooklyn outpost of Breakfast by Salt's Cure from Los Angles follows its NYC premiere over in Manhattan. The sweet corner spot's oatmeal griddle cakes are even sweeter; rich and suffused with accompanying cinnamon molasses butter for a decadent, filling start to the day. 

Chopped cheese is among NYC's most famous foods, and Blue Sky Deli's (also referred to as Hajji’s) is the best known of them all. Not only is it filling and flavorful, but you can also get it 24 hours a day. 

Taqueria Al Pastor opened this second Brooklyn location in 2021. Its titular tacos are top-notch: Teeming with strips of marinated pork sliced right off the trompo, onion and pineapple, all atop house-made corn tortillas. They're $4.50 a pop and so generously portioned that two are rather filling. 

At $8.50, this downright delicious dish is beloved local favorite Punjabi Grocery & Deli's most expensive item. It includes a heaping helping of rice alongside three vegetarian mains like chana masala, saag paneer or dal. 

Tucked inside the basement of the Hare Krishna temple in Downtown Brooklyn, Govinda’s is one of the best vegetarian restaurants in NYC. It's $10 lunch comes with three frequently updated buffet items that might include items like samosas or spinach and tofu curry.

Dumpling aficionados flock to this tiny shop to order the No. 6: A dozen pork wontons doused in roasted chili oil and topped with a smattering of diced pickled vegetables on a Styrofoam plate. It's super popular even among more than 30 menu items.

Known to its fans as “the jewelry store one,” the tiny Chinatown takeout operation does indeed share space with an accessories counter. Regardless, the prices, succulent pork preparations and crispy-chewy bread that’s baked in-house make it even easier to appreciate the unique location.

Of course there was going to be a slice included among NYC's best cheap eats, and Paulie Gee’s sells some of the best of 'em. Yes, $5 is still a little high, but even $1 doesn't get you as much pizza as it used to, and the Freddy Prince sesame-bottomed Sicilian-style square comes topped with fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce and pecorino Romano.

This Bed-Stuy stalwart specializes in two things: bake and (you guessed it) doubles. The former fills its handheld fried dough buns with saltfish or sand shark and tops it with a tangy-sweet tamarind sauce. The latter wraps baras around a savory potato-channa curry. 

You’ll find lots of options under $10 at Joe’s Steam Rice Roll (Which also has locations in Soho and on the Upper West Side), and the titular Cantonese specialty is among our favorites. It’s available with fillings like beef, pork, shrimp and curry fish ball for $5-$10 depending on size and variety. 

This savory tofu pudding is notably silky and packed with accoutrements. The addition of pickled radishes, fried shallots, sesame oil and dried shrimp make the whole bowl sing. A larger size is also available for $11. 

Consider this Williamsburg staple your no-frills, no-fail best bet for a toasty falafel sandwich, stuffed with a bounty of pickled veggies that would be good enough to order on their own. 

What began as a modest cart now has a brick-and-mortar shop still specializing in arepas and other Colombian bites in Jackson Heights. Many of its menu items are under $10, and the cheese arepa de choclo is $7.62. 

Peppa’s Jerk Chicken perfectly grills its bird with hints of smokiness permeating throughout the juicy meat. It's $8 option is a quarter portion, chopped. 

This casual lunch counter in the Bronx focuses on all things pork, with recipes of Puerto Rican and Dominican provenance. Cuchifritos are the fan-favorite, the standout morcilla (aka blood sausage) in particular.

The green plantains with beef are tops at this Puerto Rican favorite that turned its beloved street fair appearances into a well-regarded, permanent location. 

“Smør” means “butter,” which is fitting, as smørrebrøds—open-faced toasts with buttered rye bread—are this shop’s signature. The curried herring is a canary-hued treat that's only available on the 10am-4pm menu.