New York City

18 Best Cheap Eats In NYC (Less Than $10)

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Last Updated on 20th October 2025

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Are you looking for the best cheap NYC food? My huge guide includes all the best cheap eats in Manhattan and beyond!

New York City is famous for its world-class restaurants and high-end dining establishments, but just because it’s renowned for being one of the most expensive cities in the world, doesn’t mean that you can’t find cheap restaurants in New York as well!

On my many trips to the Big Apple, I’ve discovered some of the best cheap eats in New York, including affordable restaurants, breakfast deals for just $3, plus crazy cheap pizza slices, hot dogs, burgers and more!

If you’re heading to NYC on a budget and looking for the best cheap food in New York City, check out my huge guide below!

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Looking for more NYC food and drink recommendations? Check out my NYC food bucket list, my guide to the best cheap bars in NYC, and my guide to the best pizza slices in Manhattan!

Where to find the best cheap eats in NYC

best cheap eats in NYC

I am so excited to share this guide to the best cheap restaurants in New York City! Whether you’re looking for affordable breakfast deals, grab-and-go bites such as bagels, hot dogs, pizza slices, burgers, dumplings and more, or you’re looking for some of NYC’s most affordable restaurants, I’ve got you covered!

Please note that this guide to the best cheap eats in NYC isn’t exhaustive and includes just a few of the best and most affordable restaurants in New York City, based on my own personal experience, and of course, there will be dozens more good cheap eats in NYC that I will have missed. I will endeavour to update this guide with more recommendations for the best cheap New York food as and when I experience it for myself!

Best Cheap Eats In NYC map

You can save a copy of this map of the best cheap eats in NYC via Google MyMaps!

1. Gray’s Papaya – bacon/sausage, egg and cheese roll with coffee for $3

Gray's Papaya NYC
Gray's Papaya NYC

Located on the Upper West Side, just a few blocks from the American Museum of Natural History and Strawberry Fields in Central Park, Gray’s Papaya is a place that many tourists miss because it’s not located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.

However, if you’re looking for a place with some of the best cheap food in NYC, Gray’s Papaya should 100% be on your radar! With breakfast sandwiches starting at just $2.75 and $3 deals on breakfast sandwiches and a coffee, Gray’s truly is one of the cheapest places to eat in Manhattan!

2. Sofia Pizza Shoppe – classic pizza slice from $3.40 – best cheap eats in NYC

Sofia Pizza Shoppe

While there are many cheap pizza slice shops in NYC (including $1 Pizza, Dollar Pizza Slice, 2 Bros. Pizza, 99 Cents Fresh Pizza, etc), I personally would rather pay a couple of dollars more for a much better slice (in my opinion!). I’ve tried many of the 99¢ and $1 pizza slices, and I always just personally opt for a slightly more expensive place, such as Sofia Pizza Shoppe!

The classic slices at Sofia Pizza Shoppe start at around $3.40, so they’re still crazy cheap, filling and delicious!

3. Corner Eats – breakfast sandwiches from $3.99 – best cheap eats in NYC

Corner Eats sandwich

One of my newly-discovered cheap places to eat in NYC is Corner Eats which is less than a 10-minute walk from Madison Square Garden, Edge Observation Deck, and Hudson Yards.

While they do have more expensive items on their menu such as omelettes, paninis, and burritos, you can also get a plain bagel with butter for as little as $1.99 and a breakfast sandwich for as little as $3.99, so it’s a great affordable breakfast place in New York City, especially if you’re heading over to Edge Observation Deck.

4. North Dumpling – 10 dumplings for $4

North Dumpling - best cheap eats in NYC

North Dumpling was on my to-eat list in New York City for a very long time, so I was super excited to finally try it for the first time in October 2024, and it certainly didn’t disappoint!

The whole menu at North Dumpling is insanely cheap, with the most expensive thing on the menu being 40 frozen dumplings for $13! They also have 10 pork and chive dumplings for $4 (my personal favourites!), wonton soup for $2.50, 4 spring rolls for $4, and beef noodle soup for $9!

5. Joe’s Pizza – pizza slice from $4.50

Joe's Pizza (Carmine Street) - 9.1 - best pizza slices in New York City

For one of the best cheap eats near Times Square, head to the Broadway branch of Joe’s Pizza where you can get a classic slice of NY pizza from just $4.50. As I mentioned above, there are many other places that offer cheaper pizza slices, but Joe’s is an absolutely iconic institution and well worth the few bucks more!

For just $4.50, you can get a super delicious slice of classic NY pizza, as well as whole pizza pies (although, these will obviously cost a lot more!). There are five branches of Joe’s Pizza in New York City, including three in Lower Manhattan, and one in Brooklyn and Midtown Manhattan, respectively.

6. Empanada Mama – empanadas from $4.60

Empanada Mama

There are five branches of Empanada Mama in NYC, including Times Square, East Village, Lower East Side, Hell’s Kitchen, and the Upper East Side, so chances are, you’ll always be close enough to a branch!

These super cheap empanadas start at just $4.60, but they also have a dinner menu as well, consisting of various sandwiches, arepas, soups, salads and more. Their sit-down restaurant menu items aren’t the cheapest, but you can get 40+ different empanada flavours from just $4.60 each!

7. Los Tacos No.1 – tacos from $4.75 – best cheap eats in NYC

Los Tacos No.1 NYC

Los Tacos No.1 are one of the most highly-rated and sought-after taco places in New York City, and rightly so; they’re absolutely incredible!

There are seven Los Tacos No.1 branches in Manhattan, with my favourites being Times Square and Chelsea Market, and the Adobada (marinated pork) and Pollo Asado (grilled chicken) are my go-to taco orders! Tacos start at $4.75 for one and they’re worth every single cent!

8. Crif Dogs – hot dogs from $4.75

Visit a speakeasy bar - Saturday night activities NYC

As well as being one of the best places for cheap food in New York City, Crif Dogs is also home to the not-so secret speakeasy bar, Please Don’t Tell. While the speakeasy certainly isn’t a cheap place to eat and drink in NYC, Crif Dogs is, with their signature pork and beef hot dog costing less than $5.

They also have burgers for less than $10, as well as tater tots for less than $5, so if you’re looking for super cheap, but still delicious, quick bites to eat in NYC, make sure to add Crif Dogs to your itinerary.

9. Bagels on the Square – breakfast specials from $4.95

Bagels on the Square - best cheap eats in NYC

Similarly to pizza slices, New York City isn’t short on excellent bagel spots, but finding a bagel place that’s both incredibly cheap and tasty can be a little trickier.

I have so many favourite bagel spots in NYC (including Leon’s Bagels, Tompkins Square Bagels, and Pio Bagels), but my go-to cheap bagel spot is Bagels on the Square in Greenwich Village (it’s actually just next door to the Carmine Street branch of Joe’s Pizza!).

The bagels here are crazy cheap, with a plain bagel with butter costing just $1.70, bacon scallion cream cheese costing $3.99 (my number one favourite!), and their breakfast special sandwiches ranging from $4.95 to $6.95.

10. Tacombi – tacos from $4.98

Tacombi NYC

Tacombi is one of the best inexpensive NYC restaurants which serves scrumptious Mexican food across multiple branches throughout the city, including the Financial District, Upper West and Upper East Sides, Bleecker Street, Williamsburg, and more.

In addition to their tasty tacos (ranging from $4.98 to $6.98 per taco), they also offer quesadillas, burritos, and various other entrees.

11. Broad Nosh Bagels – cream cheese bagel from $5

Broad Nosh Bagels NYC

Broad Nosh Bagels is one of my favourite bagel spots in New York, and they’re also one of the best cheap eats in Midtown NYC, with two branches in Midtown (one next to Columbus Circle and one just a few blocks from Times Square).

The bacon, egg, and cheese bagel is my go-to order at Broad Nosh but at $8.25, it’s not the cheapest item on the menu. However, you can also get eggs on a bagel, cream cheese bagels, or scallion cream cheese bagels from just $5, making it one of the best cheap breakfast places in NYC.

12. Shake Shack – burgers from $5.99

Shake Shack in Brooklyn (Old Fulton street)

I wasn’t actually going to include Shake Shack in this round-up of the best cheap eats in NYC as it’s a fast food chain restaurant that can be found in many countries all across the world. However, I definitely think that it’s leagues above the likes of McDonald’s, KFC, and Subway, so I wanted to mention it briefly as one of the best cheap places to eat in New York.

You can get a pretty decent burger for as little as $5.99, and there are 20+ Shake Shack branches across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Shake Shack is also one of the best cheap places to eat in NYC with kids as its no-frills approach and relaxed menu offer plenty of kid-friendly options!

13. McSorley’s Old Ale House – sandwiches from $6

McSorleys Old Ale House

I mention McSorley’s Old Ale House in almost all of my NYC food and drink guides and that’s because it truly is one of my favourite spots in the city.

While it’s more famous for only serving two drinks (light and dark ale), its sawdust-strewn floors, and no-frills service with cash-only bar, McSorley’s also has a pretty decent and very affordable food menu consisting of items such as $6 sandwiches, chilli and soup, $6.50 hot dogs, and $10 burger with fries.

14. 7th Street Burger – cheeseburger from $6.50

For another one of the best cheap places to eat in NYC, head to one of the many branches of 7th Street Burger across Manhattan and Brooklyn, including East Village, West Village, Nomad, SoHo, Times Square, Williamsburg, and more.

At 7th Street Burger, you can get a cheeseburger for as little as $6.50, plus fries for $4.50. It’s another great place for a cheap NYC dinner with kids as every branch is super laidback with truly delicious burgers!

15. Stage Door Deli – breakfast platters from $7.75

Stage Door Deli - best cheap eats in NYC

Stage Door Deli is one of the best affordable restaurants in NYC that serves more food options that you can count! It’s also just over the road from the One World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, so it makes for an excellent cheap breakfast spot before you visit these iconic NYC locations.

While not every single item on the menu costs less than $10, you can get many dishes such as pancakes, bagels, French toast, omelettes and even full breakfast platters for less than $10.

16. Mamoun’s Falafel – sandwiches from $8

Mamoun's Falafel - best cheap eats in NYC

I was always super adamant that I didn’t like falafel until I tried it at Mamoun’s Falafel on a food tour of Greenwich Village and after eating it, I couldn’t believe that I’d been missing out on it all my life!

There are many affordable items on the menu at Mamoun’s, including $8 classic falafel sandwiches, and $3 sides such as hummus, seasoned rice, and baba ganoush.

17. Bánh Mì Saigon – bánh mì sandwich from $8

Banh Mi Vietnam food guide

While, unfortunately, you’re not going to get Vietnamese food as cheap as it is in Vietnam itself, Bánh Mì Saigon comes pretty close to affordable Vietnamese food in NYC.

Predominantly specialising in the quintessential Vietnamese pork sandwich, Bánh Mì Saigon also serves pork rolls, chicken rice dishes, steamed rice noodles, and more, all for around $10.

18. Smashed – cheeseburger from $8

Smashed is one of the best cheap NYC restaurants if you’re looking for super delicious, no-frills burgers and fries from as little as $8, as well as fancier burgers for $11 to $15.

They have two branches in NYC, one in the West Village and one inside Time Out Market in DUMBO, both of which offer family-friendly dining options.

Conclusion – best cheap eats in NYC

I really hope you found this guide to the best value restaurants in New York City useful and I hope it’s inspired you to discover some of the more affordable places to eat in NYC!

best cheap eats in nyc
best cheap eats in nyc
best cheap eats in nyc

Do you have any more recommendations for the best inexpensive restaurants in NYC? Let me know in the comments or in my New York Facebook Group!

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