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💸 NYC Cheap Eats Under $20: Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens
23 items
By
Mikey Stark
Legit great meals for under $20 across three boroughs — slices, dumplings, tacos, bagels, and heroes worth the subway ride.
Map
Grab the square Spicy Spring slice with the crispy pepperoni cups — pure grease-and-glory.
Prince Street Pizza
Adobada tacos on fresh corn tortillas plus a horchata — under $15 and the best tacos in Manhattan.
LOS TACOS No.1
Spicy cumin lamb hand-ripped noodles — cheap, fiery, and addictive.
Xi'an Famous Foods 西安名吃 | Chinatown
Two hot dogs and a papaya drink at the 72nd & Broadway counter — a true NYC rite.
Gray's Papaya
Fluffy, just-out-of-the-oven bagels near Columbia — an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese.
New Absolute Bagels
Giant hand-rolled bagels piled high with lox — split one, they're huge.
Ess-a-Bagel
The original cart — a chicken-and-gyro platter with extra white sauce (easy on the red).
The Halal Guys
Baked roast pork buns for a couple bucks each — buy more than you think.
Mei Lai Wah
Pork-and-chive fried dumplings and a sesame pancake sandwich for pocket change.
Vanessa's Dumpling House
The legendary roast pork over rice — the line is always worth it.
Wah Fung No.1 Fast Food
NYC's oldest dim sum parlor on Doyers St — shrimp har gow, egg rolls, and roast pork buns.
Nom Wah Tea Parlor
The #1 classic pork bánh mì — crusty, cheap, and closes early, so go at lunch.
Bánh Mì Saigon
Taxi-driver favorite on East 1st St for a cheap, filling vegetarian thali.
Punjabi Deli
The Midwood legend — a square slice finished with fresh basil and olive oil.
Di Fara Pizza
Upside-down Sicilian square slices and a cup of spumoni in the outdoor seating area.
L&B Spumoni Gardens
Hero sandwiches since 1922 — the roast beef with fried eggplant feeds two.
Defonte's Sandwich Shop
Retro roast-beef sandwiches and cheez fries — a south Brooklyn classic.
Roll N Roaster
The birria tacos with a cup of consommé for dipping — some of the best tacos in the city.
Birria-Landia
Sweet corn arepa de choclo with melty cheese — Queens street-food royalty.
Arepa Lady
Old-school Italian deli — the Mama's Special hero with fresh mozzarella.
Leo's Latticini
Falafel and chicken shawarma platters that are cheap, huge, and fantastic.
King of Falafel & Shawarma
Queens Thai destination — order the crispy watercress salad and drunken noodles to share.
SriPraPhai
Crab-and-pork soup dumplings — poke, sip, then eat.
Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings - Flushing
