The 16 best cheap eats in the U.S. for an affordable meal

If there's a more heavenly savory pastry in Chicago, we have yet to find it. Luckily, the case at Chiu Quon—one of Chinatown's oldest bakeries, with a second location in Uptown on Argyle—is always stocked with drool-inducing buns. Each golden orb is stuffed with tender, melt-in-your-mouth shredded pork marinated in sugar, salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil. The fluffy, slightly sweet dough surrounding the savory center tears easily with two hands (or your teeth). Save yourself the heartache and order a few extras for the road.

Though po’ boy loyalty is fierce in NOLA, many residents and tourists agree that one of the best is found at the Parkway, a family-run spot crafting excellent, seafood-piled po’ boys since 1911. It’s hard to decide between the fried oyster and fried shrimp iterations, but we usually go for the Gulf Shrimp Poor Boy, the plump crustaceans outfitted in a crisp golden crust and piled into an airy loaf “fully dressed” with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo for $11.49. But we also love the more affordable Streetcar Poor Boy for $7.19 with fried potatoes in roast beef gravy “and debris” (if you’re vegetarian, just hold the gravy), a sandwich originally crafted to feed striking streetcar conductors.

Just when you thought corn dogs couldn’t get any more indulgent, this homey Jackson gastropub went and subbed a length of pork belly for the hot dog in the dish. These one-of-a-kind corn dogs have to be tasted to be believed: hot, melty pork encased in a perfectly light breading, they come with Colsons Beer mustard and an addictively smoky tomato-ginger jam for dipping. 

Curing and smoking pork is a longstanding tradition in the U.S., but no state has mastered it better than Virginia. Since the 1700s, smokehouses here have been perfecting the art of salted aged hams that rival the best prosciuttos of Italy and Jamon Ibericos of Spain. The tender, rosy pork can be enjoyed all over the state, but we especially love the simple, perfect ham biscuit baked by Richmond’s Early Bird Biscuit, which includes a buttery, perfectly browned biscuit split and stuffed with salty ham. Want one? Make sure to line up early because these babies tend to sell out before 11am. 

Made of thin wedges of local Maine potatoes hand-punched and deep fat fried twice in pure golden duck fat, Duckfat's Belgian-style frites are renowned throughout the city and state. Predictably, lines snake out the door for an hour or more during lunchtime, when diners dip them in accompanying sauces of curry mayo, truffle ketchup, and garlic aioli. The frites have proven so popular that besides the original dine-in eatery, there’s now a Duckfat Frites Shack a 15-minute walk away, with window ordering and beer garden seating shared with an adjacent brewery.

It’s no easy feat to deliver the city’s best rendition of hot chicken, the spicy-crusted fried bird that’s perhaps Nashville’s defining dish. But the ever-present line snaking out the door of this Midtown spot (with plenty of other locations) is the first clue that the fryers here produce a damn qualified contender. The proof is in the pudding, so to speak: With five levels of heat ranging from Southern (mild) to Shut the Cluck Up!!! (very, very hot), Hattie B’s moist bird boasts a well-seasoned and super-crisp exterior. The small dark plate is one leg quarter with two homemade sides, white bread and kosher pickles. If you want white meat instead of dark, you can pay $11.50—or upscale everything to be large ($15 and $16.50, respectively).

This expansive (not expensive) chaat house offers no-nonsense tray service in a former warehouse, and the delicious Vada Pao, described as “the Mumbai Snack,” is a mere $5. This vegetarian fast food item consists of a deep-fried potato dumpling with garlic, ginger and coriander flavoring, served in a bun cut in half: vegetarian satisfaction on the go! Viks is a beloved Berkeley tradition with a connected Indian grocery.

Serving Mexican beach and barrio food from a food truck—which they call the urban sea monster—in Santa Rosa, Charro Negro sources produce locally from Sonoma County farms. Its verde aguachile (generous portions of shrimp marinated in lime juice, chiles and cilantro) comes in at a fair $14. Charro Negro is parked at Mitote Food Park, the first Mexican food park in Northern California. Here a diverse array of Sonoma County food trucks each offer a different culinary experience.

Some tamales are great, and some go beyond. Some win James Beard awards! That’s the case at Los Hernández Tamales in the Yakima Valley, where authentic pork and chicken tamales are made by hand daily from the recipe of owner Felipe Hernández’s sister Leocadia Sanchez. The tamales start with mesa, milled especially by the restaurant from dried corn. The lunch special offers two chicken or pork tamales with rice, beans and salsa for $9.99. They also offer vegetarian and seasonal tamales, such as the asparagus with pepperjack cheese tamales or the jalapeño and pepperjack cheese tamale, which sell out each day.

Būccan features seasonally-inspired modern American cuisine in a sophisticated yet relaxed environment helmed by chef Clay Conley, who’s been nominated for a James Beard award seven times. His beautifully crafted short-rib empanadas are prepared with salsa criolla and aji amarillo and cost only $8 per piece. These are one of the most popular small plates on the menu. Watch for a Coral Gables restaurant to open in 2025.

We can personally attest to how delicious the Brussels sprouts nachos are at Diego Pops and that eating them on the outdoor patio is a great way to start a visit to the city. While the dish is $14, you can order them for half off during the daily 3-6pm happy hour. The nachos are served on a baking sheet and include street corn queso, queso Oaxaca, Fresno chili, pickled onion, and roasted garlic. Diego Pops’s vibe is inspired by the beaches of the Yucatán; it has set up shop in a historic Southwestern pottery shop.

Here at the Famous 4th Street Delicatessen, they smoke their own pastrami, pickle their own corned beef and brine their own pickles. It’s a historic (since 1923), old-world-style traditional Jewish deli located in the heart of Philadelphia. It’s known for its huge sandwiches, wide menu, and classic Jewish comfort foods that are served in a nostalgic atmosphere. From meats and soups to bread and desserts, plus homemade favorites like matzo ball soup, knishes, and latkes—this deli is legendary. The cheese kugel is a towering casserole of egg noodles baked in a creamy, custardy sauce with an oven-crisped top, yours to devour for a mere $6.25.

Yep, pretty much every tourist at the teeming waterfront orders that soup in a carved-out sourdough bun—but that’s because it’s affordable and delicious. Boudin bakes its sourdough fresh every day using the same mother dough cultivated from a gold miner’s sourdough starter(!), making it one of San Francisco’s oldest continuously operating businesses. For $13.99, you can get that famous sourdough bread filled with clam chowder dotted with fresh parsley, chili, or tomato soup, or upscale a few more dollars to the crab chowder. You can also get a low-key turkey and havarti sandwich on that beautiful bread in baguette form, also for $13.99. There are five San Francisco locations (including at the airport) if you don’t want to venture to Pier 39.

The family behind Firenze Italian Street Food visited Florence, fell in love with street food and brought it back to Chicago’s French Market (a second Wicker Park location is currently closed). Firenze’s unique homemade schiacciata bread is made fresh every day. It’s used for the spicy soppressata sandwich, which is made with hot soppressata, Calabrian hot sauce, seasoned ricotta, arugula, honey, and extra virgin olive oil. It comes in box lunch format with a cookie and sea salt kettle chips for a pleasing $12.99. That is the sandwich on the right in the image; on the left is the truffle prosciutto sandwich which is still reasonable at $14.50.

This supreme dish is made with whipped ricotta, hot honey, crushed pistachio, red pepper and orange zest, accompanied by grilled focaccia, priced at $14. The bright zest paired with the fluffy ricotta and the red pepper heat makes for a wonderful Italian mouthful. Angelena’s offers an Italian coast meets Southern hospitality vibe in Pensacola’s entertainment district.