All New Yorkers know there is a time and a place to check out amazing, luscious, and yeah we'll say it, ridiculously expensive restaurants.
And there's also a time when your bank is completely broken. And you need something delicious and inexpensive, and you need it STAT. Dollar slices and tacos at Chipotle are always options, but it probably goes without saying that you're sick of dollar slices and tacos at Chipotle.
So we're here to spread the truth.
It is possible to have a delicious meal in New York City without splitting open your bank account. Back in May, we let you know about some amazing, inexpensive restaurants.
Now, we've got some more delicious, affordable restaurants to let you know about. Read on to find out which spots you need to check out soon-- like this week soon.
1. 169 Bar
lone__wolf26 169 Bar's Mac & Cheese is an epic portion of great food. It sits on a bed of Pulled Smoked BBQ Pork, topped with Bacon. It's amazing. And for only $6, it's a fricken bargain. #NYC #169Bar #macncheese #pulledpork #bbq #smokedpork #bacon #foodporn #cheese #aphrodisiac #icant #sogood #NYCnightlife #timetravel #1920s #1930s #blues #jazz
At this charming LES seafood joint, you can snack on some delicious sandwiches and seafood without forking over too much of your dough.
You can chow down on a Golden Roasted Chicken for $8, munch on pulled pork mac and cheese for $7, slurp down $2 oysters, or satiate yourself with their delicious fried shrimp sandwich for $7.
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They also sell PBRs for $3, and washing down some delicious food with a cold beer never hurt anyone.
Show us a delicious, relaxed, fun bar and seafood restaurant that offers more bang for your buck and we'll be floored.
2. 13th Step
Did you know they served food at The 13th Step?
Newsflash, they do. 13th Step is more than an overrated douchey bar - which is a shock to everyone.
During the week, 13th Step morphs into a perfectly classy dining establishment that serves nachos for $10.95, mozzarella sticks for $6.95, and an extremely delectable crispy buffalo chicken wrap for $10.95.
Their fresh stuffed burgers are only $12.95 and they come with your choice of fries, tater tots, or onion rings.
3. Earl's Beer and Cheese (1259 Park Avenue)
mr.galarza Best #GrilledCheese on the #EastSide! #HellorHighWaterMelon #Beer 👍👍. #Lunch of #Champions☺😎 . NY State Cheddar Grilled Cheese: porkbelly, kimchi, fried egg on #sourdough. . #FoodPorn #Food #Sandwich #EarlsBeerAndCheese #HotBartender
Do you love grilled cheese? Excellent.
Earl's Beer and Cheese is one of those delicious, artisan grilled cheese establishments that does everything just right to serve you up the best grilled cheese you've ever tried. The best part? It won't completely drain your cash flow.
Their Calabro Mozzarella charts in at only $6. The Blue Cheese Grilled Cheese and NY State Cheddar Grilled Cheese both clock in at $8, and the giant wonder that is Earl's Taco (wrapped in a fried scallion pancake shell and packed with braised pork, queso, cabbage, raddish, and cilantro) will leave you satisfied for the subsequent 48 hours and it's only $11.
They also feature an exquisite selection of craft beers that changes daily.
So if you haven't checked this place out, you really, really should.
Although it has a nice atmosphere, it's tiny and it's one avenue from Central Park. So grab your food to-go and go have a picnic.
4. Veselka (144 Second Avenue)
quattykitty (The ketchup was for the sweet potato fries!) #stuffedcabbage #VESELKA #SOFULL #NOMZ @galabrand
Veselka is an OG NYC establishment that's very important to our past and heritage.
For those who don't know, they also have some excellent effing Ukrainian food.
Your experience at Veselka will be all-around pleasant, and will remain pleasant even after you pay the bill. Which we all know too well can turn most NYC dining experiences sour.
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Four pierogis at Veselka are $6.95. You can show down on four short ribs for $8.50. A burger at Veselka is only $9.95 and a classic BLT is $8.95.
Delicious and affordable?! Say what?!
5. Andaman (1843 1st Avenue)
anunprocessedlife Thai for dinner with my work team for a belated holiday get together and Secret Santa exchange :: Tofu and Veggies in Ginger Sauce with Brown Rice.
This is the finest specimen of NYC Thai food, for a fraction of the typical Thai food price.
Here's the lowdown. At Andaman, three spring rolls are $4.95, five dumplings are $6.95, two curry puffs are $3.
If that's not enough, consider this. Coconut shrimp are $6.95, a bowl of tom yum soup is $5, and glass noodle soup is $4.50. And, oh yeah, Andaman's Thai salad is $6.
The most delicious food item anyone could ever consume? (Yes, you know we're talking about pad thai.) An extremely relaxed $10.95. Some places charge that much for a Budweiser. Which is always depressing, because of the whole, "you could have gotten pad Thai for that amount of money!" thing.
Andaman: ruining expensive beer everywhere.
,6. XO Kitchen (148 Hester Street)
Do you love Chinese food?
Good. You live in a city with some of the best Chinese food anywhere but China.
And to get the real deal, you have to go to Chinatown.
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XO Kitchen sells Baked Scallop for $6.96. Their Braised Beef Shoulder is $5.95, and their Spare Ribs, Fresh Shrimp Rice Noodle, and Crispy Dough with Rice Noodle are all $2.95.
This extremely authentic Chinese food is also delicious, and highly obtainable. You're welcome.
7. Tiny's Giant Sandwich Shop (129 Rivington Street)
For a small, classy luncheonette in the East Village, you'll be very surprised with how relaxed the prices are here.
Their small sandwiches, which are plenty to leave you full for lunchtime, are only $6.50 ($10 for a large sandwich) and these come in delicious Chicken Parmesan, Buffalo Chicken, Southwestern Chicken, Hot Roast Beef, and plenty of other varieties.
All this, plus they have a lovely lunchtime atmosphere in a lovely neighborhood. Does it get better than that? Probably not.
Hit this place up next time you're in the downtown portion of the East Village and looking for lunch.
8. Chinelos II (530 West 136th Street)
Do you want authentic Mexican? Well, look no further, compadre!
There are plenty of excellent spots for delicious burritos and tacos in NYC. But to our chagrin, most of these places charge upwards of $9 per burrito and $3 per taco.
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And Chinelos II charges $4 for all their burritos except their shrimp burrito, which is $6. And their tacos are $2.50 each.
So at Chinelos II, customers eat delicious, authentic Mexican food to their fill. And they leave with cash in their wallets.
9. McSorley's (15 East 7th Street)
siany_orp #mcsorleys #mcsorleysalehouse #mcsorleysoldalehouse #lightordarkale #est1854 #oldestpubinnewyork #oldfashioned #alepub #eastside #manhattan #newyorkcity #newyork #nyc #pub #bar #sawdustfloor
We've said it before and we'll say it again: McSorley's is perfect.
It sort of reminds us of the days of our youth when we could drop by our friends' houses after school and they'd whip up whatever they had in the kitchen.
McSorley's is cash only, but they don't really ask for very much of their cash.
You can get a delicious turkey sandwich for $4, and with French fries on the side (crisped perfectly on the outside and potato-y on the inside) for $7. Their burger and fries is also just $7.
Plus, the place is oozing with history, and that's always a plus.
Check out 10 More Mouthwatering Foods to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck in NYC.
[via Instagram]