Metairie-ites in the know adore this family run po’ boy and platter shop on Clearview, and with good reason. World Deli dishes large portions of homestyle eats, from sandwiches and salads to daily dinner specials in the $10 range, filling plates of red beans and rice, pork chops and mashed potatoes and beef strew, served with veg of the day and garlic bread.

The pocket-sized Banh Mi Boys knows no bounds and it’s impossible to go wrong with anything on its playful, affordable menu. Sure, it’s not the cheapest on the list, but quality is high, and owner Peter Nguyen works hard to keep costs relatively low for the customer, no easy feat with current supply challenges. A second location, franchised by a local couple, is now open in Orleans Parish on Magazine Street.

This New York-style deli on Severn is a gem worth discovering to satisfy a craving for hot pastrami on rye, ordered by the quarter pound, bagel and whitefish salad, or a Coney Island dog. Kosher Cajun NY Deli does a lot of catering, including offering chopped liver by the pound, gefilte fish and matzoh ball soup to go. Closed on Saturday for shabbat.

Like boudin and cracklin in Cajun country, falafel and shwarma have found glory in the humble New Orleans gas station. Shawarma on the Go is in residence in the Jetgo gas station on Magazine Street between Louisiana and Napoleon, where cones of shwarma meat glisten provocatively and the falafel is some of the best in the city. All sandwiches, salads, and sides are less than $10, so don’t drive by this place.

In addition to a lively atmosphere, good cocktails, and fun outdoor seating, Dat Dog offers hot dogs in a slew of tail-wagging iterations at three New Orleans locations. Choose vegan, all beef, or spicy pork dogs dressed in the likes of sauerkraut, bacon and cheese and crawfish etouffee. Reserve a spot on the balcony or patio and dig in.

Located on Canal and Broad near a very busy bus stop and the courthouse, this mini mart with a killer food counter is the cheap eats bomb. Spend less than $10 at Eat Well and indulge in an enormous banh mi made before your very eyes AND a cold drink. Plus, there are numerous daily plate specials under $8, pho, steamed buns, ya-ka-mein, and the glorious “phoritto.”

McHardy’s on North Broad serves up some of New Orleans’ best fried chicken at some of the most affordable prices you’ll ever find, made by one of the nicest families you’ll ever meet. Coming in at under $5 for 5 pieces, the peppery and dark McHardy’s chicken won the 2018 “best fried chicken” at the ultra-competitive New Orleans Fried Chicken Festival. Always busy and ever-efficient with huge Mardi Gras orders, the sides are just as good as the chicken, especially the fried okra, rice and beans, and mac and cheese.

This Bayou Road restaurant is a 7th ward institution, serving heaping plates of Jamaican comfort food at reasonable prices for years now. The jerk chicken is glorious, unsurprisingly, as is the goat and snapper; all come in platters for less than $15. Daily specials and a handful of tables out front make this a popular lunch destination, so be patient.

Backatown, the conveniently-located coffee shop serving up beans from one of the country’s only Black-owned coffee roaster (Bean Fruit in Pearl, Mississippi), is also known for seriously great breakfast, soup, paninis, and house-made sweet potato pie (a family recipe of the owner), all reasonably-priced — everything is under $10, including decadent dishes like BBQ crawfish and grits and a smoked salmon bagel sandwich. Quiches, pastries, and other small items go for far less.

Don’t expect to sit down at this cramped French Quarter deli, but for a sandwich on the go, piled high with deli meats or if a po’ boy, fried shrimp and oysters, this is a hidden gem. There’s also breakfast, barbecue plates, and late-night bites like jalapeno poppers, wings, and a cheap as hell corn dog. Other favorites include the mac and cheese, burgers, and meatloaf. Bring cash. Did we mention it’s 24/7?

It’s not unusual to see folks having a sidewalk picnic outside of Verti Mart, the 24/7 convenience mart and deli on the quiet side of Royal Street in the Quarter. Bring cash — it’s all they take — and fill up on grilled-to-order burgers, smoked sausage on a bun, or tuna salad. Just about everything on the menu hovers in the $5-$10 range and portions are satisfyingly large. Amazingly, free delivery is offered to the Quarter and bordering neighborhoods.

This 24/7 diner-style restaurant is popular for po’ boys, but the platters are cheap and good. Red beans and rice, baked chicken, mac and cheese, baked chicken, wings, fried pork chops, all most delish. Plus, Melba’s daily lunch specials in the $6.99 range are a steal. Oh, get a daiquiri with the money saved on eats. For the ambitious, there’s a 24-hour laundromat as well.

So this fried chicken and Italian food family joint is a Gentilly gem. Two pieces of chicken with two sides, like fries or potato salad or a garden salad come to just $7.50, a total steal. Everything is made there and all platters are huge. Get a Fiorella’s half stromboli for a baked Italian sandwich treat.

When Rosalita’s Backyard Tacos operated out of the easily-missed Rosalie Alley in Bywater, it gained in popularity not just for its great food, but for its affordability. One might expect prices to increase now that’s it’s opened a new, permanent home on St. Claude, but one would be wrong. Tacos are $3-4, and nachos, burritos, tostadas, and quesadillas run between $5 and $10 (margaritas are reasonable, too).