It's the end of summer. In the past month, you likely went on vacation and blew all your dough, or stayed in town and didn't make any. Either way, you deserve a good meal and a glass of something, anything, on the cheap. For the completely broke or the keepsake cheapskates, here's where to eat cheap in New Orleans right now.
Don't see an extremely awesome cheap spot that deserves to be mapped? Leave a comment or send Eater a tip and we'll edit as necessary.
This BYOB kebab shop on St. Claude is open Friday-Monday from 11 a.m. to midnight. Kebabs and falafel sandwiches are a mere $6.42 and sides like Belgian fries and housemade hummus range from $2.75-$3.42. Everything's made in house, and meats are sourced directly from local farms like Chappapeela and Springer Mountain. Huge quality at low prices. Vegetarian and vegan friendly, too.
At Arabella, now in residence on St. Claude next to Kajun's is a choose your own pasta adventure restaurant with pasta for $4.50 and a variety of sauces for $4.50-$6.00. Build it how you like it, and add-ons range from broccoli for $1.00 to meatballs for $3.00. It's all homemade, cheap, and delicious.
Spring rolls under $4, bahn mi under $7, and pho under $9. The food and service are both excellent at this Lower Garden District spot, and your meal will cure whatever ails you without breaking the bank. Even celebrities come to Lily's for their pho fix.
Got $10 in your pocket and an appetite for some meat? Hit up McClures, where sandwiches and burgers are between $8-10 and come with a side. Bonus points for using Dong Phuong bread and check out Taco Tuesday for $2.50-$3 tacos.
This bakery-coffee shop-cafe puts out fresh food all day long from pastries to sandwiches to salads. Sandwiches will set you back $8 or less, and salads are $3 for a small and $6 for a large. Croissants and slices of quiche are only a couple of bucks too.
Chef James Cullen's menu is designed to be easy on the wallet; the small plates range from $8-12. Try the Scotch eggs or crawfish empanadas while enjoying a sophisticated evening out for a reasonable price.
Borgne has two different specials going on all week that are hidden bargains in the CBD. The $10 lunch plate offered every weekday stays consistent every week. Mondays are red beans and rice, of course, but with a fried pork chop. The Wednesday rabbit ragout and Thursday fried chicken lunch specials are fan favorites. Also, for late-afternoon happy hour, 3-6pm every day except Tuesday, when it stretches to 7pm, cheap beer and sangria abound, but it's the $5 tapas plates that steal the show.
13 Bar & Restaurant is much more than cheap eats (there are like half a dozen fancy sandwiches that are $10-11, but the rest of the menu is firmly in the
Diners can build their own cheap meals at Felipe's in the Quarter, Uptown, and now in Mid City. A meaty burrito combo with a drink, chips and dip, will set you back about $10.
The name doesn't lie. Cam Boudreaux serves up po' boys ranging from $8-12 bucks at his kitchen in back of Erin Rose, but they aren't your average lunch fare. The Morrocan Spiced Lamb Sausage with Tzaziki sauce sumac carrots, and torn mint for $10 reveals the po' boy renaissance is happening in the Quarter.
You eat their chicken and meat patties at all the festivals, but the lunch buffet for $9 at their no frills restaurant on Tulane is the jam for midday money saving. Plus the artwork and regulars are something to behold.
It's in a strange location on Canal and Broad near a very busy bus stop and the courthouse, but at this mini mart with a killer food counter $6 gets you an enormous banh mi made before your eyes AND a can of cold drink.
Slices from Pizza Delicious ($2-2.50 for standard pies, $3-3.50 for specialty pie slices), combined with a cauliflower or spinach roll (2/$5) make for a filling and ultra cheap meal.
Empanadas and all the savory and sweet pastries at Norma's are all on the crazy cheap, like less than a buck. Pretty much anything, actually, from Norma's including great Cubans won't set you back more than $10, and it's also a beloved hidden gem.
This BYOB kebab shop on St. Claude is open Friday-Monday from 11 a.m. to midnight. Kebabs and falafel sandwiches are a mere $6.42 and sides like Belgian fries and housemade hummus range from $2.75-$3.42. Everything's made in house, and meats are sourced directly from local farms like Chappapeela and Springer Mountain. Huge quality at low prices. Vegetarian and vegan friendly, too.
At Arabella, now in residence on St. Claude next to Kajun's is a choose your own pasta adventure restaurant with pasta for $4.50 and a variety of sauces for $4.50-$6.00. Build it how you like it, and add-ons range from broccoli for $1.00 to meatballs for $3.00. It's all homemade, cheap, and delicious.
Spring rolls under $4, bahn mi under $7, and pho under $9. The food and service are both excellent at this Lower Garden District spot, and your meal will cure whatever ails you without breaking the bank. Even celebrities come to Lily's for their pho fix.
Got $10 in your pocket and an appetite for some meat? Hit up McClures, where sandwiches and burgers are between $8-10 and come with a side. Bonus points for using Dong Phuong bread and check out Taco Tuesday for $2.50-$3 tacos.
This bakery-coffee shop-cafe puts out fresh food all day long from pastries to sandwiches to salads. Sandwiches will set you back $8 or less, and salads are $3 for a small and $6 for a large. Croissants and slices of quiche are only a couple of bucks too.
Chef James Cullen's menu is designed to be easy on the wallet; the small plates range from $8-12. Try the Scotch eggs or crawfish empanadas while enjoying a sophisticated evening out for a reasonable price.
Borgne has two different specials going on all week that are hidden bargains in the CBD. The $10 lunch plate offered every weekday stays consistent every week. Mondays are red beans and rice, of course, but with a fried pork chop. The Wednesday rabbit ragout and Thursday fried chicken lunch specials are fan favorites. Also, for late-afternoon happy hour, 3-6pm every day except Tuesday, when it stretches to 7pm, cheap beer and sangria abound, but it's the $5 tapas plates that steal the show.
13 Bar & Restaurant is much more than cheap eats (there are like half a dozen fancy sandwiches that are $10-11, but the rest of the menu is firmly in the
Diners can build their own cheap meals at Felipe's in the Quarter, Uptown, and now in Mid City. A meaty burrito combo with a drink, chips and dip, will set you back about $10.
The name doesn't lie. Cam Boudreaux serves up po' boys ranging from $8-12 bucks at his kitchen in back of Erin Rose, but they aren't your average lunch fare. The Morrocan Spiced Lamb Sausage with Tzaziki sauce sumac carrots, and torn mint for $10 reveals the po' boy renaissance is happening in the Quarter.
You eat their chicken and meat patties at all the festivals, but the lunch buffet for $9 at their no frills restaurant on Tulane is the jam for midday money saving. Plus the artwork and regulars are something to behold.
It's in a strange location on Canal and Broad near a very busy bus stop and the courthouse, but at this mini mart with a killer food counter $6 gets you an enormous banh mi made before your eyes AND a can of cold drink.
Slices from Pizza Delicious ($2-2.50 for standard pies, $3-3.50 for specialty pie slices), combined with a cauliflower or spinach roll (2/$5) make for a filling and ultra cheap meal.
Empanadas and all the savory and sweet pastries at Norma's are all on the crazy cheap, like less than a buck. Pretty much anything, actually, from Norma's including great Cubans won't set you back more than $10, and it's also a beloved hidden gem.
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