Top 5 Cheap Eats?

[Schielke]

A friend of mine will be visiting NYC in a couple weeks and I wanted to hear your opinions on your favorite cheap eats in the city.

Thanks for the help!

-Ben Schielke

[cabrales]

Ben -- When you refer to "cheap eats", what per diner price range (food only) are you intending to target and is wine desired?

[jordyn]

Not to keep answering questions with questions, but how cheap is cheap?

[Schielke]

I would say that a "cheap eats" place is where you can get lunch for under $10 and dinner for under $15.

I would not include drinks into the equation.

Thanks again!

Ben

[Jason Perlow]

Nathans on Coney Island. No other Nathans will do. Papaya King for a close second.

"Fried Dumpling" in Chinatown:

http://www.fat-guy.com/article/view/62

[tommy]

bereket on houston.

los dos rancheros on 9th ave and 38th.

two of my absolute favorites in the city. at any price.

[Orik]

Grand Sichuan Intl on 51st and 9th

Beer and a burger at Thady Cons

Han Bat

Shanghai dishes at Moon House

[LaNiña]

Okay, I'll bite.

DiFara Pizza

Sripraphai

Sahara

Rainbow Falafel

New Green Bo (although lately I haven't been thrilled) - somebody jump in with more Chinatown stuff...

plus Banh Mi in Sunset Park - An Dong is the best I think

sandwiches at Dafonte's in Red Hook (to die for, truly)

[Wilfrid]

Katz's

The Malaysia Restaurant

El Nuevo Amanecer

[TheMan,TheMyth]

Believe it is La Casita 96 St/Broadway, Cuban restaurant with great staff. The Arroz con Pollo with a side of black beans like most meals is a simple, tasty and very cheap dish. (Don't know exact price but I am sure it is under $10)

Chinese in Chinatown, Not sure of the name but the address is 69 Baird Street. I along with my cohorts have simply called it "69 Baird Street" since we learned of it. Dishes are very fresh and portions are huge.

Again, amnesia has struck me when someone raises the concept of cheap food. Greek place 7th Avenue near the corner of 34th Street. Great Gyro platter with Greek salad.

The Man, The Myth

TapItorScrapIt.com

[Toby]

Daphne's on 14th St. near 2nd Avenue for Jamaican food -- and the rum cake.

Second Nathan's in Coney Island (french fries and they have fried frogs legs) and the Mexican place Tommy said on 9th Avenue -- the tacos are great.

Manna's (I think that's the name) on east side of Lenox Ave. near 135th Street (right near the hospital and subway station) -- cafeteria style food with huge turnover from hospital workers so food is always fresh -- huge assortment of southern food (smothered pork chops, fried chicken, smothered chicken, bbq ribs, collards, sweet potatoes, cornbread, macaroni and cheese) and West Indian food (jerk, stewed cabbage, fried platanos) sold by weight, prices are unbelievably low.

[cakewalk]

Ollie's, all over the place. Times Square Ollie's is on 44th and B'way. (Or possibly 43rd.) There's also one near Lincoln Center.

[Jason Perlow]

Ping's for dim sum in chinatown. But I thought you guys meant REALLY cheap.

Ollies is not bad but kinda greasy if you like that sort of thing, they do a good shrimp fried rice.

[Schielke]

Yeah, really cheap is even better! It is so cool to find a place that serves amazing food for rock bottom prices.

Thanks for all the help, my buddy will appreciate it.

Ben

[LaNiña]

I like New York Noodletown. Ollie's is okay if you can't get someplace else. I had two lousy Ping's experiences last month but prior to that I loved it.

[Suzanne F]

1. La Taza de Oro, on 8th Ave. btwn 14th & 15th (Puerto Rican)

2. (Great) NY Noodletown, Bowery at Bayard (MythMan, note street name spelling), (Chinese, of course of course, where two or even three can eat well for under $10)

3. El Castillo de Jagua, Rivington and Essex (Dominican)

4. The Little Bigger Place, West Broadway and Warren (Mexican)

5. Sophies Cuban Cuisine, Chambers Street btwn Broadway and Church, among other locations downtown (need you ask?) -- but they do only lunch.

[LaNiña]

Oh Suzanne, I've been wondering about Sophie's. Do tell.

[Suzanne F]

HUGE plates of food for $7.00 (only the Shrimp in Garlic Sauce are $9): a main plus rice and the tastiest black beans I've ever had. The Pernil was tender and really pork-y, but I would have liked more garlic and crisper skin. Tostones were greaseless (also cold on one occasion, oops), and the garlic sauce with them is garlic-and-black-pepper heaven. Cuban sandwich is just okay, but the Masita sandwich (fried chunks of pork with mild white onions and a mayonnaise-y sauce) was delicious. Papa Rellena (potato stuffed with ground beef) and Empanada de carne were both very well-flavored, but still benefited from the house green sauce -- kind of creamy looking light green, hot but not burning, not really too cilantro-y (not sure what herbs they use). I could happily eat cardboard with those two sauces. The tamarind batidos were more tamarind-tart than sweet, just as I like.

The one I go to on Chambers gets very busy, mostly for takeout, although the seating is okay and the waitresses are helpful and nice. It's great to see the quick turnover in food -- since it's served from a steam table, runners keep bringing out fresh pans often.

[Akiko]

I will second the Papaya King vote. I'm sorry, but I think that their spicy sausage with grilled onions and peppers is the best, better than Nathan's.

Shanghai Gourmet in Chinatown is very good and well priced.

Pesce Pasta has some good quality pasta dishes at 12 - 14 dollars at dinner (I'm in love with their amatriciana, if you like your pasta spicy, ask them to do it with their diavolo sauce...mmmm).

Picasso Pizza is great.

I will also second the vote for Ping's, especially for dim sum on saturday or sunday.

Nyonya in chinatown does great Malaysian... I have cravings for their soups all the time.

I'm sure I'll think of more... if I do I'll post again tomorrow.

Best,

Akiko

[anil]

Most (no all) carts in midtown during lunch are a good value.

Most AYE are also a good value.

Many ethnic joints next to Colleges/Univ's. in NYC

[ActorDan]

El Paso Taqueria, Lex/104: muy authentico.

Dinerbar down the street at Lex/100: eclectic & inspired, pan cooked fish is super.

[johnjohn]

Hallo Berlin - Tasty German - 2 beers and the sausage platter - under 20 bucks - great home fries.

John

[glenn]

Kitchenette in tribeca

Vietnam in chinatown

Cafe Habana - Elizabeth St.

Ino - West village, best paninis. period.

Lil Frankies on First and first

Krispy Kreme

Curry in a Hurry on lexington

Mamoun's on MacDougal - best falafel

Eisenberg's Luncheonette in chelsea

Cowgirls get the blues on hudson

Can't remember the names, but for Pakistani, a little hole in the wall by Chambers on Varrick (I think)

And the diner across from the street from Bendix Diner

[nyfirepatrolchef]

Big Wong 67 Mott St

Live Bait 23d Madison

Bereket (seconding the motion)

Grays Papaya (the village or UWS)

And the little pasta place in the Concourse of the WTC (for sentimental reasons..)

And somewhere in Times Square...round 45th on the east side of the area...theres a Sbarros but its not the usual Sbarros store...its got a second name to it....where they keep small steam pots of pasta fresh and wet...individual servings...and they make the sauce right there for you...you see the guy sautee some garlic, capers, a shot of white wine...you get the idea right? nice variety of stuff very reasonable price.

Also over in Williamsburg... on Kent just south of Broadway...Cafe Left Bank.

Dunno if they serve dinner every night but when I was there bout a year ago they had a nice lil menu. Limited but nice..I ate for under 10 bux.

[Matt Zito]

Skylight Diner - over on 34th, just west of 9th avenue. Great burgers and fries and open 24 hours a day.

Kashmir Pakistani - on 9th avenue between 37th and 38th. Get a massive amount of food for $6-$7. Tends toward the spicy, but the naan amd samosas are as good as any I've had anywhere in New York, Indian or Pakistani.

Il Corallo Trattoria (sp?) in SoHo is more than $15, but you get a good amount of excellent Italian food for only a bit more.

I also second the vote for Curry in a Hurry.

Matt