8 Must-Eat Cheap Eats in NYC
If you’re looking for a $29 hot dog or a $750 omakase, this list isn’t for you. Eating out in NYC can make your pockets hurt, but the Cheap Eats category on the 8it app is your wallet’s best friend. With hundreds of dishes $15 or less at your fingertips, ballin’ on a budget becomes easy. The holidays are around the corner and it’s time to save up for the convertible your mom has always wanted- so we put together a list of eight cheap eats that will help you eat like a champion while you’re on a financial diet.
This article is just a small taste of the 🔥 dishes on 8it. Hit the green button at the bottom of this article to explore all NYC’s top dish recos, new dish drops and food pop-ups on the 8it app.
BBQ Pork Bing
Dragon Bing // Lower East Side
📸: Reece Armstrong
Basically a Chinese burrito, bings are scallion pancakes stuffed with your choice of meat and assorted vegetables. At Dragon Bing inside The Market Line, the version filled with red, smoky barbecue pork is the move. Packed with contrasting flavors and textures, you’ll become more and more pleasantly surprised with the result of your sub-$10 purchase with every bite.
This dish is recommended by: 8it NY
Dumpling Noodle Soup
Super Taste // Chinatown
📸: Reece Armstrong
Real ones know you get double the bang for your buck at Super Taste. Normally, you have to choose one or the other, but at this no frills Chinatown cheap eats institution, you can get a soup swimming with Lanzhou Hand-pulled noodles and pork and chive dumplings packed with the kind of umami that warms the soul. On top of that, if you lace the mellow broth with enough crunchy chili oil, any respiratory congestion won’t stand a chance. It will clear you right up, no sick days or expensive doctors appointments necessary, just a regular lunch break.
This dish is recommended by: 8it NY
Lamb and Cumin Bun
Tengri Tagh Uyghur Cuisine // Midtown
📸: @uyghurcollective
Tengri Tagh in Midtown, representing the Uyghur cuisine of Northwest China, is a restaurant that doubles as a life hack. In a neighborhood filled with spots eager to hike prices on a captive audience of commuters, this hidden gem is the exception to the rule. $8 gets you this fluffy bun filled with deeply flavorful cumin lamb dressed with sautéed onions and peppers.
This dish is recommended by: The Infatuation
Recession Special
Gray’s Papaya // Upper West Side
📸: @grayspapayanyc
An obvious choice for this list, the recession special is a quintessential New York lunch that gives your wallet a pat on the back. Two glizzies and a tropical drink for just $6.95 is a win whether you’re scraping up change or swiping your gold card for it. Most dirty water hot dog carts can’t even match this price, let alone provide you with a dog half as flavorful and snappy.
This dish is recommended by: Thrillist
Falafel
King of Falafel & Shawarma // Astoria, Midtown, Bayside
📸: @kingoffalafel
Just about the best herb-inundated chickpea fritters in the city, King of Falafel (& Shawarma) lives up to its name. A crispy exterior yields a resounding crunch into a warm, soft interior with every bite of these cylindrical delights. Get them stuffed in a pita with salad doused in tahini for $9.99, or over a range of platters all for under $15. It will be your go-to grab and go meal for the foreseeable future.
This dish is recommended by: Eater
Meatball Sandwich
Brancaccio’s Food Shop // Windsor Terrace
📸: Brancaccio’s Food Shop
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you’ve probably been overpaying for meatball heroes for quite some time. Behold, a sandwich that undercuts the market and restores justice in the meatball world at Brancaccio’s in Windsor Terrace. One of the only quality meatball subs in the city under $15, these hot meatballs with sliced mozzarella stuffed inside a fresh semolina are hard to beat at any price point.
This dish is recommended by: Gothamist
Chopped Cheese
Blue Sky Deli // Harlem
📸: @marcoskicks
It wouldn’t be a cheap eats in NYC article without a chopped cheese and no one does it better than Blue Sky Deli. The 24-hour chopped cheese institution will set you back just $9.99 for their party piece- a hero packed with seasoned beef oozing with cheese topped with lettuce, tomato, onions and your choice of condiments. A true hustler’s meal that’ll make you proud to be a New Yorker.
This dish is recommended by: TimeOut
Prosciutto Sandwich
Calabria Pork Store // The Bronx
📸: Calabria Pork Store
You’d be hard-pressed to find Prosciutto going for under $20 per pound in the US, so how on Earth is Calabria Pork Store charging under $10 for an absolutely stacked prosciutto sandwich? It sounds too good to be true so you’re gonna have to see it for yourself. Run to Arthur Avenue immediately and revel in the glory that you live in the same city as this sandwich.
This dish is recommended by: The Infatuation
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