The banh mi at Dong Phuong are so cheap that it’s worth the gas money to get yourself deep in the East to chow on one or even two. Order by number and be quick about it, and while waiting look at all the awesome baked goods made on-site. Boxes of banh mi (try the Chinese roasted pork and Vietnamese grilled pork), meat pies, bao, and more are all available to order online for pickup, or stop by to grab individually.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pagoda Cafe breakfast tacos are legendary in this town. $3.50 gets you potatoes, egg, and cheese on a Mawi tortilla, with either house-refried beans, bacon, turkey bacon, or tofu, and a side of bright green hot sauce. Still, don’t miss the shop’s savory pastries and sweet treats — think mango chia pudding and guava cream cheese puffs — or the espresso drinks, all of which are under $5.

Folks line up early for Parkway Bakery’s juicy roast beef po’ boy, a four napkin-required sandwich to always order “dressed” — with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and pickles. A landmark for rib-sticking eats since 1911, the story goes that Parkway is where the “poor boy” sandwich was invented to feed the round-the-clock workers at the nearby American Can Company when it was still in business. Another tale has the owners of Martin Brothers Coffee Stand sending hearty sandwiches to the city’s striking streetcar operators — aka “poor boys.” Doesn’t matter, the bottom line is that the sandwiches are delish.

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.

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).

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.”

Off-beat decor, outlandish stories, and longtime characters — what’s not to like about the longtime cheap eats haven on the corner of Piety and Dauphine? Frady’s is as basic as it gets, but the po’ boys are made to order and the sides are pure comfort (mac and cheese, deviled eggs, fries with gravy). Plate lunch options change daily and the service is real deal New Orleans friendly; orders are to go and it’s cash only.

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.

Discount rib eye can be fraught with peril — unless it’s steak night at Turtle Bay in the French Quarter. Get a 10 ounce “petite rib eye” for $14, served with garlic bread and a stuffed potato. Or do like a regular, and order the big’n for $20 and split with a bud. Lots of other eats, but carnivores love this joint. Surprisingly, Turtle Bay also delivers for a $5 service fee — a much preferable option than third-party apps.

Korean barbecue pork po’ boys, shrimp po’ boys, and Vietnamese specialties for under $10 are a good reason to keep this tidy corner store on your radar. On Saturdays, Singleton’s serves big, restorative bowls of beef pho for $8.99.

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.

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.