Great Food, Fair Prices: 15 New York Spots That Deliver Both
Living in New York can drain your wallet faster than you can say ‘rent increase.’ But contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to sell a kidney to enjoy mind-blowing food in the Big Apple.
I’ve eaten my way through every borough, suffered the occasional food coma, and compiled this list of spots where your taste buds will throw a party while your bank account remains relatively unscathed. You can thank me later.
1. Taqueria Al Pastor: Pork Paradise Without The Premium Price
Your taste buds will perform a happy dance the moment those juicy, caramelized pork bits hit your tongue. Taqueria Al Pastor serves up the most authentic Mexico City-style tacos this side of the border, sliced right off the rotating spit.
Each $3 taco comes loaded with chunks of pineapple that cut through the richness like a flavor ninja. The red and green salsas pack enough heat to make you sweat but not enough to call the fire department.
2. Mamoun’s Falafel: Legendary Chickpea Fritters That Won’t Break The Bank
Standing in line at Mamoun’s feels like a New York rite of passage. The falafel here has been crushing cravings since 1971, serving up crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside perfection for pocket change.
What makes these green-tinged beauties special is the perfect balance of herbs and spices. Grab a sandwich stuffed with tahini and veggies for under $6 or splurge on a platter for $10.
Just don’t skip their hot sauce. It’s legendary enough to make grown adults both cry and come back for more.
3. Veselka: Ukrainian Soul Food That Costs Less Than Therapy
Nothing soothes the soul quite like Veselka’s pillowy pierogi at 3 AM after questionable life choices. This 24-hour East Village institution has been serving Ukrainian comfort food since your grandparents were cool.
Their borscht arrives vibrant red, topped with a dollop of sour cream that melts into a pink swirl of perfection. The pierogis, whether potato, cheese, or sauerkraut, come pan-fried to golden perfection for around $8 for four substantial dumplings.
Even their heartier plates hover around $15, which is practically free by Manhattan standards.
4. San Marzano: Pasta That Makes Italians Nod In Approval
Whoever said good pasta requires a second mortgage hasn’t discovered San Marzano yet. This East Village serves hand-made pasta that would make your imaginary Italian grandmother weep with joy, all for around $12 a plate.
Their cacio e pepe contains exactly three ingredients but somehow tastes like a million bucks. The spaghetti limone delivers a perfect balance of bright citrus and rich parmesan that’ll have you licking the plate when nobody’s looking.
Pro tip, they don’t take reservations, so arrive early or be prepared to hover awkwardly near other diners until they feel uncomfortable enough to leave.
5. Scarr’s Pizza: The Slice That Ruins All Other Pizza Forever
Listen up, pizza snobs, Scarr’s is milling their own flour in-house like some kind of carb-obsessed mad scientists. The result? A slice that somehow manages to be both nostalgically perfect and revolutionary at the same time.
For $4, you’ll get a slice with a thin, crispy-yet-chewy crust that actually tastes like something other than cardboard. The cheese-to-sauce ratio achieves mathematical perfection, and the tiny Lower East Side space feels like a 1970s time capsule.
Fair warning, after eating here, you’ll become insufferable about pizza quality to everyone you know.
6. Gray’s Papaya: Hot Dog Royalty For Peasant Prices
There’s something magical about wolfing down a hot dog while standing next to strangers from every walk of life at 2 AM. Gray’s Papaya has been an NYC institution longer than most of us have been alive, and their Recession Special remains one of the city’s best deals.
Two snappy franks and a frothy tropical drink will set you back less than $10. The dogs arrive with that perfect snap when you bite in, topped with sauerkraut, onions, and that mysterious red sauce.
The no-frills yellow interior hasn’t changed since approximately forever, and that’s exactly how we like it.
7. 2 Bros. Pizza: The Slice That Saved Countless Broke NYU Students
Sometimes you need a slice that costs less than your subway fare. Enter 2 Bros., the chain that somehow manages to sell pizza for $1 despite Manhattan rent prices that would make Jeff Bezos flinch.
Is it the best pizza in NYC? Absolutely not. Will it satisfy your hunger when you’ve got lint and a MetroCard in your pocket? You bet your empty wallet it will. The cheese is stretchy, the sauce is present, and the crust is exactly what you’d expect for the price point.
Their ability to maintain this price point feels like an economic miracle worthy of a Nobel Prize.
8. Xi’an Famous Foods: Hand-Pulled Noodles That’ll Ruin Your Shirt (Worth It)
Those chewy hand-pulled noodles have a texture so perfect it should be illegal. Xi’an Famous Foods started as a basement stall in Flushing and now has locations all over the city, but they’ve maintained their commitment to face-numbing spice levels and wallet-friendly prices.
The spicy cumin lamb noodles will have you sweating through your clothes while simultaneously planning your next visit. Their liang pi cold-skin noodles offer a tangy, refreshing alternative that still packs a flavor punch.
Most dishes hover around $12-15, making this some of the best price-to-deliciousness ratio food in the city.
9. North Dumpling: Pocket-Sized Morsels Of Joy In Chinatown
Blink and you’ll miss this hole-in-the-wall dumpling paradise. North Dumpling serves up plump pockets of happiness for prices that seem like they’re stuck in 1995.
Five crispy-bottomed pork and chive dumplings will set you back a whopping $1.50. That’s not a typo. The place is roughly the size of a Manhattan bathroom, with just enough room for you to awkwardly hover while waiting for your order.
Their scallion pancakes achieve that perfect flaky-crispy texture that will haunt your dreams. Cash only, because places this good don’t have time for your credit card nonsense.
10. Joe Jr.: The Diner That Time Forgot (Thankfully)
Walking into Joe Jr. feels like stepping into a time machine that only goes to 1977. This classic Greek diner in Gramercy serves up no-nonsense comfort food with zero pretension and prices that won’t make you gasp.
Their cheeseburger is a thing of simple beauty, juicy, properly seasoned, and served on a squishy bun with a mountain of crispy fries for around $12. The breakfast special comes with eggs, meat, potatoes, toast, coffee, and a side of sass from waitstaff who’ve seen it all.
Counter seating provides prime people-watching of regulars who’ve been coming here since before you were born.
11. Artie’s Steak & Seafood: The Bronx’s Answer To Manhattan Steakhouse Prices
Forget those midtown steakhouses charging you a week’s rent for a slab of beef. Artie’s in the Bronx serves up serious steaks and seafood at prices that won’t require a second mortgage.
The porterhouse for two costs less than a single steak at those flashy Manhattan spots. Their seafood arrives fresh enough to still be contemplating its life choices, and the old-school Italian-American vibe feels like you’ve crashed a Scorsese film set.
Red sauce flows freely, portions could feed a small village, and the complimentary garlic bread will ruin your chances of kissing anyone that night (totally worth it).
12. Tengri Tagh: Uyghur Cuisine That’ll Expand Your Culinary Horizons
Tucked away in Flushing sits a culinary revelation most New Yorkers haven’t discovered yet. Tengri Tagh serves Uyghur cuisine. It’s a magical fusion of Chinese and Central Asian flavors that will make your taste buds question everything they thought they knew.
Their hand-pulled lagman noodles come swimming in a spicy broth loaded with tender beef and vegetables for around $13. The big plate chicken arrives as advertised, a massive portion of bone-in chicken and potatoes in a cumin-heavy sauce atop noodles that could feed you for days.
Bonus, telling your friends about this place makes you sound culturally sophisticated.
13. Los Tacos No. 1: Chelsea Market’s Crown Jewel Of Tortilla Perfection
Hidden among the tourist traps of Chelsea Market lies taco perfection that would make a Mexican grandmother nod in approval. Los Tacos No. 1 serves up some of the most authentic tacos in the city for around $4 each, highway robbery considering the quality.
The adobada (marinated pork) is sliced from a rotating spit and caramelized to crispy-edged perfection. Their handmade corn tortillas arrive still steaming, with a complex corn flavor that puts all other tortillas to shame.
Skip the tables and eat standing at the counter for the authentic experience, complete with salsa dripping down your wrists.
14. Taïm: Falafel So Good You’ll Question Your Life Choices
Chef Einat Admony could be charging triple for her falafel, and nobody would bat an eye. Instead, she’s blessing us with the crispiest, most flavorful chickpea fritters in the city for under $10 a sandwich.
Three falafel varieties await your indecision, traditional green herb, harissa-spiked, and olive-studded. The Mediterranean platter lets you sample all three alongside silky hummus, and pickled vegetables that will ruin grocery store versions forever.
Their smoothies might be the only healthy thing I willingly consume, particularly the date-banana-lime that tastes like dessert in disguise.
15. NYC Street Food Vendors: The Original Fast Food Worth Chasing
Forget your fancy food halls, the true culinary soul of New York lives in its street carts. These mobile flavor laboratories serve up international delights that’ll have you questioning why you ever paid $30 for brunch.
The halal carts’ chicken over rice with that mysterious white sauce remains an undefeated champion at $8. Sabrett hot dog vendors offer snappy franks loaded with onion sauce for $3. Bangladeshi jhal muri wallahs in Jackson Heights create spicy puffed rice concoctions that explode with flavor for pocket change.
Best part? The money goes directly to hardworking immigrant families rather than restaurant investors.
