The Best Spot for Cheap Eats in Every State
A meal doesn’t have to be expensive to be delicious and satisfying — as the plentiful five-star reviews of cheaper-end restaurants attest. To help you find the best spot near you, Neighborhood Trust has identified the top-rated low-cost restaurants in every state and 15 major cities after ranking budget-friendly eateries by their five-star rating on Yelp in over 500 American cities.
Key Findings
- Lola’s Kitchen in Hampton, New Hampshire, is America’s best cheap eating spot, with an average rating of 4.97 stars.
- California’s best cheap eatery is Nopalitos (4.88) in Sacramento.
- New York City’s best cheap eatery is Bagels & Schmear (4.68) in the Flatiron District.
10 Highest-Rated Spots for Cheap Eats Across America
First, we checked out budget eateries in 500 American cities to find the best spots in the country. The highest rated in the land is Lola’s Kitchen in Hampton, New Hampshire, with an average rating of 4.97 stars.
Co-owned by “Mediterranean culinary expert” Lola and “sandwich artisan extraordinaire” Jimmy, Lola’s offers Lebanese, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern wraps, subs, burgers and more. The menu veers between Med takes on American classics and more distinctly Middle Eastern flavors for the adventurous diner. A sample item is the Gyro Wrap (warm lamb gyro, tzatziki, lettuce, tomatoes, onions) which costs just $12.50.
Remarkably, two of the three joint second-best budget restaurants are in Branson, Missouri. Oscar’s Famous Ribs and Carly’s Healthy Cuisine are both rated 4.95 on average. For bonus points, Carly’s award-winning noodle joint boasts lengthy Happy Hours from 2–5 p.m. every day except Tuesday, when it’s closed.
“This is a small restaurant (maybe 10 tables/booths of varying sizes) that serves Chinese noodle soups made to order, as well as a handful of sandwiches and sides,” explains one reviewer. “Although the soups were chock-full of ingredients and came in large bowls, they did not make anyone feel stuffed, it was just right. You could tell that everything was made and presented with care. It’s more of a simple cafe environment, but we enjoyed it.”
Every State’s Top-Rated Spot for Cheap Eats
Here are the top-rated cheap restaurants in every state. We found that 33 states have a budget eatery with a rating of at least 4.8 stars. California’s top joint is Nopalitos in Sacramento. Offering Mexican and Southwestern food, Nopalitos was run by the same couple for decades until a long-term employee took over when they retired.
“The food was just tremendously great, we both had stuffed burritos smothered with a split of red and green sauce and they were divine,” raves one visitor. “The prices are crazy affordable. While there it was filled with very happy people, many whom mentioned it was not the first or even second visit of the week.”
The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli in Columbia is South Carolina’s best spot for cheap eats. Cinnamon rolls are the specialty here: “Our dough comes from a special Hawaiian sweet bread recipe. They are rich, flavorful, buttery, and made in house everyday! That combination with our special cinnamon sugar blend, and vanilla butter whipped cream cheese icing makes this treat you won’t forget.”
However, a serious range of sandwiches and grit bowls are also available — and they each come with a cinnamon roll on the side. Nearly every option comes in below $10.
The Top-Rated Spot for Cheap Eats in Major U.S. Cities
Finally, we identified the best cheap eats in 15 major cities. In New York City, it’s Bagels & Schmear at 116 East 28th Street. Offering breakfast for under $10 and lunch for under $12, Bagels & Schmear’s 4.68-star rating is attested by the queues that form outside in peak hours. Thankfully, the queues clear quickly, offering visitors a shot at arguably the best bagels in the Big Apple.
El Rinconcito Café is your best bet on a budget in Washington, DC. The name means “the little corner,” and getting a seat might take a moment, but the Salvadoran menu offers flavors that are a worthwhile diversion from more familiar Mexican flavors. “The pupusas and tamales are among the best I’ve ever had,” says one reviewer. “And friends got the salad, which was huge with fantastic meats, avocado, etc. Everything is very reasonably priced, great portions, and exceptional quality.”
5 Ways to Save Money When Eating Out
Life tastes sweeter when you’re getting a good deal. Try these tips to keep your meal bill low when eating out.
1. Choose from the specials. Some restaurants have a cheaper set menu for breakfast and lunch. Check online before you visit — arriving just a few minutes before the promotional period ends could save you several dollars.
2. Look out for Happy Hours. On a similar note, some eateries may have reduced prices in the quiet hours before the evening rush.
3. Make a meal with appetizers and sides. Instead of ordering a pricey main dish, consider choosing a mix of budget-friendly appetizers and side dishes.
4. Share a dish. Default portions can be bigger than you need. Split a main course between two people or split two meals between three people to save money and add variety.
5. Take dessert for a walk. Instead of ordering a pricey restaurant dessert, take a walk through a picturesque part of town with a treat from an ice cream truck or bakery to aid your digestion and lower your bill.
Restaurant dining is a simple way to improve your quality of life and pay more attention to your eating habits. And it can also work out cheaper than grabbing fast food to go, thanks to an odd mental trick. People tend to think of fast food as being cheap, so they may be more likely to grab it multiple times per week. But fast food is not so much cheaper than a budget restaurant, so it can be cheaper — and more satisfying — to opt for the social experience of a night at a table service eatery once a week.
Rather than be wowed by fancy settings with fancy prices, find a local family joint that cooks with love, and you’ll often find it tastes better than the overly complicated dishes down the road.
Methodology
To crown the best spots for cheap eats in every U.S. state and nationwide, we ranked budget eateries, fast-food outlets and restaurant chains by their five-star rating in over 500 American cities.
We manually checked the winners’ restaurant pages on Yelp to confirm their prices could be considered budget-friendly ($ rather than $$ or $$$) and also assessed whether customers mentioning the price in recent reviews spoke in favorable terms.
This data analysis was completed at the end of May 2024.
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