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Saigon Sandwich banh mi
Saigon Sandwich Banh Mi
Cyneats

15 Affordable Dining Options in San Francisco

Local diners are always hungry for a good deal

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Saigon Sandwich Banh Mi
| Cyneats

In San Francisco where residents are both obsessed with “doom loops” and facing very real income inequality, eating out can feel like icing on a cake you’re too broke to eat. But fear not, as there are so many restaurants with reliably cheap menus, though inflation might pump the prices here and there. There are cheap barbacoa tacos in the Mission, flavorful and affordable bahn mi across the city, and even churro waffles in the Bayview for under $10. Any of these 15 restaurants will restore your faith in humanity. Plus, President Biden says it best: grabbing an inexpensive meal grows the economy, benefits everybody, and hurts nobody.

Note: Menu prices may fluctuate.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Yo Yo's

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This Japanese noodle and takeaway sushi shop is little more than a tiny kitchen a few steps away from the heart of the Financial District, but it’s attracted a faithful following for its delicious, bargain-priced udon and soba, in particular. After nearly closing in April 2022, the shop is back on its feet. “Everything” includes crispy puffed rice, seasoned bean curd, and a little dab of wasabi. The restaurant has reopened for takeout, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hot Sauce and Panko

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This popular Russian Hill wing-slinger is a takeout- and delivery-only model, with a retail shop selling hot sauce. These are some of the most succulent, flavorful wings in town, available in a range of internationally-inspired sweet, savory, or spicy varieties — most priced around $8 for an order of five.

Wings at Hot Sauce and Panko

Kusina Ni Tess

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Perhaps the friendliest and most delicious of the city’s Filipino steam table spots, Kusina Ni Tess is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s got a daily changing menu that you should check if you’re craving something specific — say, chicken adobo (available every day except Monday). Traditional breakfast silog plates are available all day, every day, and most dishes are priced at about $10 for an average order.

Saigon Sandwich

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This Larkin Street go-to for Vietnamese food has an ultra simple menu: six sandwiches, each for $5, and two tofu plates for $6.50 each. Fans love this Tenderloin shop for its cheap, loaded bánh mi sandwiches, including the pork combination of grilled pork and pate.

Saigon Sandwich banh mi
Saigon Sandwich Banh Mi
Cyneats

La Cocina Municipal Marketplace

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The newest food hall in the Tenderloin offers multiple businesses to order from. They run the gamut of cuisines and offerings and each is owned and operated by entrepreneurs from the incubator program. La Cocina also offers $5 meals so the community has access to affordable food.

Estrellita’s Snacks from La Cocina
Lorena Masso

Uncle Boy's

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This burger and lumpia joint features a menu where everything is about $11. It’s one of those places that’s mentioned, inevitably, by those born and raised in San Francisco’s Richmond and Sunset districts. Don’t deny yourself the Romeo’s Juliet, a burger with mozzarella sticks crammed inside.

Shanghai Dumpling King

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West Portal is lucky to play host to Shanghai Dumpling King and its numerous items that cost less than $10. From the tofu thread salad ($7.95) to the green onion pancake (also $7.95) to the plentiful dumpling choices (almost all just shy of $10) this is the go-to place for dumpling and deal lovers alike. 

Banh Mi Crunch

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The Inner Sunset’s newest go-to for banh mi took over the former Midnite Bagel space and will give customers a bonus sandwich when they buy four. Already the store is littered with teenagers, boba in hand, looking for a relatively cheap sandwich and egg roll combo.

At this tiny, no-frills Burmese diner, everything on the menu — from the assortment of curries to the garlicky house noodles — will run you no more than $8, cash only. It might be the best bang for your buck of any restaurant in the city.

garlic noodles at yamo Omar Mamoon

Newkirk's

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East Coast-style sandwiches aren’t ubiquitous in San Francisco for patently obvious reasons, which makes this Mission District shop all the more precious to its fans. The egg and cheddar sandwich goes for just $7.95, and many of its other options run just $2 more.  

A photo of a sandwich. Newkirk’s

Tacos del Barrio

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There are so many places to get affordable, excellent Mexican food in the Mission District. That said, newcomer Tacos del Barrio is sitting somewhere in the middle of the various price points. A barbacoa taco for $5 is nothing to scoff at, nor $5 consomé on the weekends.

Rinconcito Salvadoreño

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For a big weekend, one might blow a wad of cash and get the pricier items at this Bernal Heights’ restaurant. Or, one could purchase a plethora of pupusas, a timeless cheap eat. On average each pupusa is just $3, and, to wash it all down, the coffee is even cheaper.

George's Zoo

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This convenience store and sandwich shop is a Parkside staple, selling hearty sandwiches for just $8.50. In fact, there are 25 different sandwiches — including vegetarian options and an Italian offering with mortadella and salami — all for just $8.50. Breakfast sandwiches cost just $3.99.

bloomstock

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This 420-friendly Bayview waffle and coffee house has stellar prices. The house blend is $3 a cup, and the vegan waffles start at $7. With a 20 percent tip included, a lucky duck of a customer could find themselves spending less than $15 for a drink, a waffle, and a seat at one of San Francisco’s sweetest little parklets.

a waffle at Bloomstock Bloomstock

Beep's Burgers

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This Space-Age-themed, ’60s-style drive-in in Ingleside serves one of the best inexpensive burgers in the city. Even during shelter-in-place, Beep’s remained open for its regular hours, offering its Twinkie milkshakes, jalapeño poppers, and roughly $8 burgers to the true believers.

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Yo Yo's

This Japanese noodle and takeaway sushi shop is little more than a tiny kitchen a few steps away from the heart of the Financial District, but it’s attracted a faithful following for its delicious, bargain-priced udon and soba, in particular. After nearly closing in April 2022, the shop is back on its feet. “Everything” includes crispy puffed rice, seasoned bean curd, and a little dab of wasabi. The restaurant has reopened for takeout, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hot Sauce and Panko

This popular Russian Hill wing-slinger is a takeout- and delivery-only model, with a retail shop selling hot sauce. These are some of the most succulent, flavorful wings in town, available in a range of internationally-inspired sweet, savory, or spicy varieties — most priced around $8 for an order of five.

Wings at Hot Sauce and Panko

Kusina Ni Tess

Perhaps the friendliest and most delicious of the city’s Filipino steam table spots, Kusina Ni Tess is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s got a daily changing menu that you should check if you’re craving something specific — say, chicken adobo (available every day except Monday). Traditional breakfast silog plates are available all day, every day, and most dishes are priced at about $10 for an average order.

Saigon Sandwich

This Larkin Street go-to for Vietnamese food has an ultra simple menu: six sandwiches, each for $5, and two tofu plates for $6.50 each. Fans love this Tenderloin shop for its cheap, loaded bánh mi sandwiches, including the pork combination of grilled pork and pate.

Saigon Sandwich banh mi
Saigon Sandwich Banh Mi
Cyneats

La Cocina Municipal Marketplace

The newest food hall in the Tenderloin offers multiple businesses to order from. They run the gamut of cuisines and offerings and each is owned and operated by entrepreneurs from the incubator program. La Cocina also offers $5 meals so the community has access to affordable food.

Estrellita’s Snacks from La Cocina
Lorena Masso

Uncle Boy's

This burger and lumpia joint features a menu where everything is about $11. It’s one of those places that’s mentioned, inevitably, by those born and raised in San Francisco’s Richmond and Sunset districts. Don’t deny yourself the Romeo’s Juliet, a burger with mozzarella sticks crammed inside.

Shanghai Dumpling King

West Portal is lucky to play host to Shanghai Dumpling King and its numerous items that cost less than $10. From the tofu thread salad ($7.95) to the green onion pancake (also $7.95) to the plentiful dumpling choices (almost all just shy of $10) this is the go-to place for dumpling and deal lovers alike. 

Banh Mi Crunch

The Inner Sunset’s newest go-to for banh mi took over the former Midnite Bagel space and will give customers a bonus sandwich when they buy four. Already the store is littered with teenagers, boba in hand, looking for a relatively cheap sandwich and egg roll combo.

Yamo

At this tiny, no-frills Burmese diner, everything on the menu — from the assortment of curries to the garlicky house noodles — will run you no more than $8, cash only. It might be the best bang for your buck of any restaurant in the city.

garlic noodles at yamo Omar Mamoon

Newkirk's

East Coast-style sandwiches aren’t ubiquitous in San Francisco for patently obvious reasons, which makes this Mission District shop all the more precious to its fans. The egg and cheddar sandwich goes for just $7.95, and many of its other options run just $2 more.  

A photo of a sandwich. Newkirk’s

Tacos del Barrio

There are so many places to get affordable, excellent Mexican food in the Mission District. That said, newcomer Tacos del Barrio is sitting somewhere in the middle of the various price points. A barbacoa taco for $5 is nothing to scoff at, nor $5 consomé on the weekends.

Rinconcito Salvadoreño

For a big weekend, one might blow a wad of cash and get the pricier items at this Bernal Heights’ restaurant. Or, one could purchase a plethora of pupusas, a timeless cheap eat. On average each pupusa is just $3, and, to wash it all down, the coffee is even cheaper.

George's Zoo

This convenience store and sandwich shop is a Parkside staple, selling hearty sandwiches for just $8.50. In fact, there are 25 different sandwiches — including vegetarian options and an Italian offering with mortadella and salami — all for just $8.50. Breakfast sandwiches cost just $3.99.

bloomstock

This 420-friendly Bayview waffle and coffee house has stellar prices. The house blend is $3 a cup, and the vegan waffles start at $7. With a 20 percent tip included, a lucky duck of a customer could find themselves spending less than $15 for a drink, a waffle, and a seat at one of San Francisco’s sweetest little parklets.

a waffle at Bloomstock Bloomstock

Beep's Burgers

This Space-Age-themed, ’60s-style drive-in in Ingleside serves one of the best inexpensive burgers in the city. Even during shelter-in-place, Beep’s remained open for its regular hours, offering its Twinkie milkshakes, jalapeño poppers, and roughly $8 burgers to the true believers.

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