The Best Cheap Eats Below 14th Street
New York City often takes the number one spot as the most expensive city in the world, but you can still find excellent budget-friendly dishes throughout the sprawling metropolis if you look hard enough. If you’re a New Yorker, you’re probably already loyal to your local hole-in-the-wall for cheap pizza, dumplings, and bagels. But don’t miss out on the city’s many other delicious and affordable eats—and we’re not focusing here on the (often also delicious) street vendor hot dogs or bodega BECs. From Vietnamese bánh mì to Eastern European kosher comfort food, here are the top flavor-packed offerings that hit the spot without breaking the bank.
View this post on Instagram
This tiny, old-school diner (est. 1938!) is renowned for—it’s in the name—its kosher dairy offerings. In-the-know locals flock to this lovable East Village spot for excellent Eastern European comfort food. Plus, the prices are crazily low for the neighborhood. You’ll get four perfectly pillowy vegetarian pierogies for $10, and the $7 all-day breakfast special gets you two eggs any style with home fries. Additional ten bucks or under orders could include challah French toast, pancakes, blintzes, knishes, omelets, or overstuffed sandwiches. And don’t sleep on their fantastic tuna melts. That is unless you loathe dill or don’t have $8. Seating is limited, so go solo, squeeze into a counter stool, and enjoy a quintessential downtown-in-New York moment. Looking for something on the lighter side? Opt for a five-dollar cup of soup. B&H offers a variety, but the matzo ball and the vegetarian borscht are the stars in the soup department. No matter what you order, save some room for the complimentary slices of buttered challah.
127 2nd Ave, New York; (212) 505-8065
View this post on Instagram
Make your way to this jewel box-sized Alphabet City hole-in-the-wall for nori-wrapped rice ball sandwiches, AKA onigirazu. Over twenty types of onigirazu are offered, like karaage (Japanese fried chicken) in a spicy garlic sauce, spam with a fried egg and mayo, and the vegan-friendly kinpira gobo (sauteed burdock root, carrot, green beans, and yuzu pepper). Also known as a “sushi sandwich,” they’re all uber-filling, and most cost no more than $10. Have some extra cash? Wash down the yumminess with a matcha or hōjicha latte. There aren’t any seats at this under-the-radar Japanese spot, so find a bench and chow down at the nearby Tompkins Square Park.
627 E 6th St, New York; (212) 388-1276
Bánh Mi Saigon Bakery
You’ll walk past glass jewelry cases before placing your order at this cash-only counter-service joint—it’s located in the back of a jewelry store on Grand Street in Little Italy. But the real gems here are the classic Vietnamese sandwiches, the bánh mì. There are thirteen options, including a few that are vegan-friendly. The toasted housemade baguettes are sublime and the sandwiches are significantly sized. Most cost eight bucks, including the most-ordered must-orders: the BBQ pork sandwich and the Vietnamese ham and pate sandwich. Ask for it spicy, and you’ll get jalapenos thrown in. Add extra veggies for $1 and an egg for $2. And if you were wondering if their shrimp summer rolls ($8) are worth it, the answer is absolutely.
198 Grand St, New York; (212) 941-1541
View this post on Instagram
Quick, delicious sustenance is imperative amidst an afternoon shopping spree in SoHo. Refuel at Pi Bakerie, a bright and airy Greek counter-service spot just a stone’s throw from the fashion boutique-lined West Broadway. Try an array of Greek delights, like savory spanakopita ($8.15), Greek yogurt with sour cherries ($6.95), or a small horiatiki salad ($6.50). Still hungry? Order hummus or spicy feta dip with pita chips ($4) and a few grape leaves (5 for $4.50 each). If you cannot resist a housemade pastry and cold brew combo (#same), Pi has got you covered. There are many cookies and flaky croissants, though nothing beats their sticky ‘n’ sweet baklava ($6.25). Well, except maybe their mouthwatering-inducing baklava croissant (!!!).
512 Broome St, New York; (212) 226-2701
Sun Hing Lung
You probably already know where to go if you’re a fan of delicious, wallet-friendly cheong fun (steam rice rolls). For those who don’t, get yourself to this no-frills Cantonese tofu factory in Chinatown. It’s a literal hole-in-the-wall where you order from a takeout window on Henry Street. It may be challenging to decide on a filling–pork, beef, chicken, dried shrimp, egg, fish ball, mixed vegetables, and more—so order a few. They’ll each cost you somewhere between $2 and $4. Watch and try not to drool as the thin, bouncy rice rolls are made right in front of you before being plopped into a Styrofoam container. Make sure to choose your sauce wisely—peanut, soy, hoisin, and sriracha—before devouring these heavenly bites.
58 Henry St, New York; (212) 962-7032
View this post on Instagram
This cozy Italian restaurant is named after its inventive signature dish and one of Rome’s most famous street foods, the trapizzino. Created by Rome-based chef Stefano Callegari in 2008, trapizzinos are triangular-shaped sourdough pizza crust pockets stuffed with classic Italian ingredients. Here, they cost $9.50, and you can choose from various fillings, like meatballs, eggplant parm, and braised oxtail. Our tip? Try them all. Just avoid this spot on weekends as it’s set in the heart of the infamous Hell Square, a perpetually hellish Lower East Side area lined with rowdy bars and clubs.
144 Orchard St, New York; (212) 475-2555
WORDS Alex Catarinella
PHOTOGRAPHY @rozrapp
