Cheap and good CA restaurants?

[jschyun]

That's an odd page you found.  They really only mention two places by name, everything else is "get a dining club card" or "look for this type of food".  Guess that means they don't have to update it very often!

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You know, this site kind of sucks for navigation. The reviews link is kind of on the side, not very prominent.

You can see all his reviews here if you're interested.

[Carlsbad]

Thanks, jschyun. The review of L'Osteria del Forno, one of my favorite lunch places in all of SF, brings back fond memories. I'll check the others out carefully.

[gouramanda]

$4.50 + tax!

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What? Where?

[Carlsbad]

Some of those reviews bring back memories. Yet Wah for instance. It was the first place I started learning about real Chinese food back in the early '70's when it was dirt cheap and good. I didn't even know it still exists. And many a time I was insulted by Edsel Ford Wong?? (I thought his last name was Fong) at Sam Wo. The food was only okay, but it was a great show. I still like Lefty O'Doul's for an Irish. If only they could tell me that the Green Valley Restaurant, New Pisa, Des Alpes, and the other Basque place across Broadway from Des Alpes (Resaturant du France?) were still around.

[Stupid_American]

What? Where?

That's the chicken pie lunch from the La Palma Chicken Pie Shop.

[marie-louise]

The SF Gate has a section on 50 bargain bites, sorted by area: http://www.sfgate.com/food/bargains/

PS Carlsbad-I remember Edsel Ford Wong at Sam Wo!!! I took my mother there once when she came to visit-she loved his insults.

[JFLinLA]

Oh yeah, there's that taco place at Grand Central Market in downtown LA. Good, cheap and filling.

[mongo_jones]

$10 should go quite far at empanadas place too, right?

[jschyun]

thanks for the tip mongo. now which empanadas place has the best food, and yet stays under or around $10? hehe

I've been racking my brain for my own cheap and good places. Unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion that I have no such places in my mental rolodex.

well, that's why I posted the question, I guess.

[Stupid_American]

"Half Nachos with Carnitas"

$4.45 + tax at Alberto's.

This one's on Brookhurst, just north of Mile Square Park.

[Carolyn Tillie]

thanks for the tip mongo.  now which empanadas place has the best food, and yet stays under or around $10?  hehe

I've been racking my brain for my own cheap and good places.  Unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion that I have no such places in my mental rolodex. 

well, that's why I posted the question, I guess.

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OHMYGOD - I just remembered! Empanadas Place on Venice Boulevard, up by Sawtelle! Amazingly good and Shawn and I rarely spent over $10 a person! Gads, I miss that place. The family all too briefly tried to open one in Redondo Beach but then I ended up driving to Venice for empanadas!

[FoodZealot]

Not necessarily the best of their respective genres, but here are some of my favorites near $10/person with table service.

• Versailles on Venice Blvd
  Sham on Santa Monica Blvd near Lincoln in SM - lamb shawarma lunch special
  Mishima or Yashima - nabeyaki udon
  Lares on Pico & 34th in SM/West LA - carne adovado or anything with carnitas
  C&O Trattoria on Washington Blvd in Venice - half orders are enough
  JR Seafood - Santa Monica Blvd near Westgate in West LA - lunch specials
  

I'll take one for the team and go verify the price of that Mori Sushi bento...

[Carolyn Tillie]

Not necessarily the best of their respective genres, but here are some of my favorites near $10/person with table service.

• Versailles on Venice Blvd
  Sham on Santa Monica Blvd near Lincoln in SM - lamb shawarma lunch special
  Mishima or Yashima - nabeyaki udon
  Lares on Pico & 34th in SM/West LA - carne adovado or anything with carnitas
  C&O Trattoria on Washington Blvd in Venice - half orders are enough
  JR Seafood - Santa Monica Blvd near Westgate in West LA - lunch specials
  

I'll take one for the team and go verify the price of that Mori Sushi bento...

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Aw, heck -- ANY of the Versailles! I so miss their Cuban roast pork with Moors et Christianos and fried plantains! (I used to go to the one in Manhattan Beach because I could walk in, order the meal to go, and be out and on the road inside of two minutes.)

[mongo_jones]

thanks for the tip mongo.  now which empanadas place has the best food, and yet stays under or around $10?  hehe

I've been racking my brain for my own cheap and good places.  Unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion that I have no such places in my mental rolodex. 

well, that's why I posted the question, I guess.

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OHMYGOD - I just remembered! Empanadas Place on Venice Boulevard, up by Sawtelle! Amazingly good and Shawn and I rarely spent over $10 a person! Gads, I miss that place. The family all too briefly tried to open one in Redondo Beach but then I ended up driving to Venice for empanadas!

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that's the one i meant--though i suspect jschyun was just being a smartass.

[mongo_jones]

Aw, heck -- ANY of the Versailles! I so miss their Cuban roast pork with Moors et Christianos and fried plantains!  (I used to go to the one in Manhattan Beach because I could walk in, order the meal to go, and be out and on the road inside of two minutes.)

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my favorite thing at versailles is their grilled halibut with garlic--though i think that might be slightly > $10.

lots of cheap eats at cha cha chicken off of bay and pacific in santa monica as well.

has anyone mentioned the lunch sushi combo at menori sushi on robertson (north of pico)? i think it might be below $10. that's a great reasonably priced sushi place, by the way.

[Malik]

There's also some good early bird deals to be had, though they tend to be a tad over $10.  Alamo Square Grill has an early bird three course meal for something like $11.50 if you order before 7pm I believe.  Even cheaper is Home restaurant on Market St near Church St, which has an early bird special from 5pm to 6pm of $10.99 for a three course meal with a glass of wine.

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I've been meaning to try Home and Metro Cafe. Have you tried the Metro Cafe's $12.50 early bird special?

Watercress, Chapeau both have great early bird deals, but they're around $20. Haven't tried Watercress, but the Chapeau early bird dinner deal is a great value I think.

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I have not tried Metro Cafe's early bird special, but I did eat there and it was reasonably good standard bistro fare though not very memorable.

Watercress' $20 prix fixe is not an early dinner special, it's all night long. Not terribly high end food, but they have some pretty good stuff (and some not so good dishes). Chapeau is definitely a great early bird deal. But neither is at the $10 level you originally asked for...

[Malik]

Memphis Minnie's on Haight in SF. Although plates are over $10 (around $13 to 15 as I recall), they contain enough food for two people. Sandwiches are under $10.

And if we're counting take out food, there's always Rosamunde's across the street.

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Rosamunde is good, but I think World Sausage Grill on Market between 14th and Dolores is more interesting. And of course the king of hot dogs in the Bay Area in my opinion is Top Dog in Berkeley.

[jschyun]

thanks for the tip mongo.  now which empanadas place has the best food, and yet stays under or around $10?  hehe

I've been racking my brain for my own cheap and good places.  Unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion that I have no such places in my mental rolodex. 

well, that's why I posted the question, I guess.

←

OHMYGOD - I just remembered! Empanadas Place on Venice Boulevard, up by Sawtelle! Amazingly good and Shawn and I rarely spent over $10 a person! Gads, I miss that place. The family all too briefly tried to open one in Redondo Beach but then I ended up driving to Venice for empanadas!

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that's the one i meant--though i suspect jschyun was just being a smartass.

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What's really funny is that I was serious. Howver, I was a bit embarrassed about not knowing what apparently everyone else knows. I'm not a big empanadas person.

[winesonoma]

Duh, what's an empanada? In the dark on that one.

[mongo_jones]

that's the one i meant--though i suspect jschyun was just being a smartass.

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What's really funny is that I was serious. Howver, I was a bit embarrassed about not knowing what apparently everyone else knows. I'm not a big empanadas person.

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now you're going to have to drive down there. bewarned: unless things have changed, it is cash-only.

[melonpan]

Duh, what's an empanada? In the dark on that one.

theyre baked or deep fried bready things with meat and or fruit. for a reference think calzone. but theyre not.

i have had sweet ones. theyre okay, but i like the savouries better.

i like them baked and i like them with beef with eggs and raisins and spices...

the one off of sawtelle is nice and clean and friendly.

[Squeat Mungry]

Rosamunde is good, but I think World Sausage Grill on Market between 14th and Dolores is more interesting.

If by more interesting you mean grosser and more disgusting, I could not agree with you more. I live a block away and have given them a few tries, but I won't go back. You may not have noticed the smell of burning rancid fat/oil that emanates from that place, but that might only be because you don't walk by it every day trying not to gag. (Oh, and actually it's between 14th and Church. Mecca is between 14th and Dolores and is a horse of an entirely different color.)

And of course the king of hot dogs in the Bay Area in my opinion is Top Dog in Berkeley.

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On this we are in perfect accord. Mmmmmmm.... Top Dog!

Cheers,

Squeat

[JFLinLA]

Hot Dogs?!?! Well then, in LA you must, must, must go to Pink's on La Brea.

[jschyun]

I'll take one for the team and go verify the price of that Mori Sushi bento...

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I had Vet's day off so I took one for the team yesterday. the lunch bento special is $15. I got the lunch chirashi sushi deluxe special for $20. I noticed the majority of the customers were also getting the chirashi sushi deluxe. Beautiful tuna.

[Malik]

Rosamunde is good, but I think World Sausage Grill on Market between 14th and Dolores is more interesting.

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If by more interesting you mean grosser and more disgusting, I could not agree with you more. I live a block away and have given them a few tries, but I won't go back. You may not have noticed the smell of burning rancid fat/oil that emanates from that place, but that might only be because you don't walk by it every day trying not to gag. (Oh, and actually it's between 14th and Church. Mecca is between 14th and Dolores and is a horse of an entirely different color.)

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Hmmm, I get the feeling you don't like World Sausage Grill very much...

I've only eaten there once, and thought the dog I had was pretty good. By interesting, I meant that they have more choices than Rosamunde, and sometimes better sausages. For example, they had Marcel & Henri merguez when they started, though unfortunately they had switched to the standard Fabrique Delices ones by the time I went there.

And of course the king of hot dogs in the Bay Area in my opinion is Top Dog in Berkeley.

On this we are in perfect accord. Mmmmmmm.... Top Dog!

Top Dog (especially the original one on Durant) is definitely better than either place, and I think is also significantly better than Pink's on La Brea that was mentioned above on this thread.