I asked the staff at our BuzzFeed offices in New York for the best cheap eats in the city — after all, ~locals~ always know best.
Here's what you've gotta try if you're looking for some delicious eats that won't wreck your budget. HAPPY EATING!
1. The tostadas at Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos.
Where: 271 Starr St., Bushwick, Brooklyn
Cost: $6 to $7, depending on your order
"They're bomb, and the place is also BYO." —Caroline Kee
2. Lam Zhou dumplings at Lam Zhou Handmade Noodle.
Where: 144 East Broadway, Chinatown/Lower East Side
Cost: $3 for 10 dumplings
—Gregory Addison
3. A donut from Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop.
Where: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Cost: $1 each
—Megan Paolone
4. A beer, a shot, and a thing of dumplings from 169 Bar.
Where: 169 East Broadway, Lower East Side
Cost: Beer and a shot for $3; dumplings for $3.
"One-stop shopping, friends." —Weesie Vieira
5. Uncle Jesse Bao from Baohaus.
Where: 238 East 14th St., East Village
Cost: $3.55 each; two makes a meal for most people.
—Sally Kaplan
6. The fried chicken at Yafa Deli and Grocery.
Where: 907 Fulton Street, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
Cost: $1.50 per piece
"It's sexual." —Joe Bernstein
7. Korean ramen at Food Gallery 32 (the cafeteria in K-Town).
Where: 11 West 32nd St., Koreatown/Midtown West
Cost: $5
—Elaina Wahl
8. Noodle soup and eight pork dumplings at Lao Bei Fang Dumpling House.
Where: 85-05 Broadway, Elmhurst, Queens
Cost: The soup is $5 to $6, depending on the kind you get; dumplings are $3.75 for an order of eight.
—Jenny Chang
9. Bahn mi at Banh Mi Saigon.
Where: 198 Grand St., Chinatown/Little Italy
Cost: $5 for any variety
"Delish." —Dennis Huynh
10. The nachos at Taqueria Diana.
Where: Locations in the East Village and Chelsea
Cost: $7.58
—Jon-Michael Poff
11. Falafel sandwich at Mamoun's.
Where: Two locations in the East Village (St. Mark's Place and MacDougal Street)
Cost: $3.50 for the sandwich (or the falafel and hummus for $4 is good, too)
"A New York classic! (And watch out for the hot sauce — one drop goes a long way.)" —Emmy Favilla
12. Or the falafel sandwich at BZ Grill, if you're in Queens.
Where: 2702 Astoria Blvd., Astoria, Queens
Cost: $4.36
"Blows Mamoun's out of the water." —Kate Bubacz
13. Or the falafel sandwich and/or plate at Oasis Falafel, if you're in Brooklyn.
Where: 161 N. 7th St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Cost: $4 for the sandwich; $7 for the platter
—James Harness
14. Phoenician fries from ilili Box.
Where: The corner of 24th and Broadway, Flatiron
Cost: $3
—Tabir Akhter
15. A grandma slice and garlic knots at Little Italy Pizza.
Where: 55 West 45th Street, Midtown West
Cost: $3.50 for the slice; $1.50 for the knots
"Mmmm." —Julia Reinstein
16. The spicy cumin lamb burger at Xi'an Famous Foods.
Where: Locations in Chinatown, the East Village, Midtown (2), the Upper West Side, the Upper East Side, Nolita, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and Flushing, Queens (2)
Cost: $4
—Jessica Probus
17. Or, for vegetarians, the spicy & sour spinach dumplings, chang-an spicy tofu, and spicy cucumber salad — all from Xi'an Famous Foods, too.
Where: Locations in Chinatown, the East Village, Midtown (2), the Upper West Side, the Upper East Side, Nolita, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and Flushing, Queens (2)
Cost: $7.50 for the spicy & sour spinach dumping soup; $2.75 for the spicy tofu; $5.00 for the spicy cucumber salad
—Sally Kaplan
18. Dumplings at Vanessa's Dumplings.
Where: Locations in Chinatown, Union Square, and Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Cost: $1.50 per order of 4
"Some of the best in the city!" —Terri Pous
19. The lard bread at Mazzola Bakery.
Where: 192 Union St., Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Cost: $6 per loaf
"If you're in the area around 4 a.m., you can even knock on the back door to the kitchen and get one fresh from the oven. Best drunk food in the whole wide world!" —Marie Telling
20. Doubles at A&A Bake & Doubles Shop.
Where: 481 Nostrand Ave., Bed Stuy, Brooklyn
Cost: $1.50 each
—Gregory Addison
21. Or doubles at Gloria's.
Where: 764 Nostrand Ave., Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Cost: $2.25
—Otillia Steadman
22. Pierogi from Karczma.
Where: 136 Greenpoint Ave., Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Cost: $8 per order
—Caroline Kee
23. Hand-pulled noodles at the New World Mall Food Court.
Where: 136-20 Roosevelt Ave., Flushing, Queens
Cost: "You'd have to try realllllly hard to spend more than $10."
—Megan Paolone
24. The dulce de leche doughnut from Dough.
Where: Locations in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, Flatiron, and Times Square
Cost: $2.25 each
—Marie Telling
25. Bacon and eggs, hash browns, and toast at John's Coffee Donut Shop.
Where: 481 Myrtle Avenue, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
Cost: $4.25
"All for fewer than five bucks — and you can probably get it in fewer than five minutes." —Maritsa Patrinos
26. The tacos from El Rey Del Taco Truck.
Where: 3301 30th Ave., Astoria, Queens
Cost: $3 each
—Kate Bubacz
27. Soupy dumplings from Shangai Cafe Deluxe
Where: 100 Mott St., Chinatown/Little Italy
Cost: $5 for 8
—Arielle Calderon
So there it is. Dope eats on a dime. ENJOY!
UPDATE
More details about Dough were added in #24. They also have a location in Times Square.
