How to Eat in New York City on a Budget

New York City has a reputation for being one of the most expensive dining destinations in the world. It’s easy to wander into high-end restaurants without realizing it and walk away with the idea that dining out in NYC is wallet-busting.

And while it is true that New York is home to a lot of $500 set-menu restaurants and restaurants where a “nice” and “simple” dinner with wine can top $100, the city is also home to starving artists, working-class folks, and un(der)paid interns trying to make it in the big city — and they can’t afford any of those fancy meals.

Heck, not many people can!

I mean, who can drop $100 on dinner all the time? Not me! And probably not you either. Most people couldn’t.

Because of that, New York City also has a variety of cheap eats, happy hours, and food deals that make it easy to eat in NYC on a budget. However, as a visitor, it’s often hard to know where to find those hole-in-the-wall restaurants and markets. This is definitely a place where you need to be in the know for a lot of these deals. There are thousands of restaurants in the city. How do you navigate them all?

You need someone on the inside. And that someone is me.

Today, I’m going to share my tips on how you can eat out in NYC on a budget and give you some of the knowledge from living in the city for years:

 

Eating in NYC Tip #1: Hit the Oyster Happy Hours

During the week, you can find countless oyster happy hours, which are one of the most popular things to do (especially in the summer when you can sit outside). They start around 4pm and go until 6 or 7pm, and the oysters are around $2. Arrive early, as most restaurants fill up quickly and build up impossible wait times. My favorite (and the best) oyster happy hours in NYC are:

• Jeffrey’s Grocery
• The Dead Rabbit
• Good Night Sonny
• Grand Central Oyster Bar
• Cull & Pistol Oyster Bar
• Sagaponack Bar & Grill
• Greenpoint Fish &- Lobster Co.
• Littleneck
• The Jeffrey
• Flex Mussels

 

Eating in NYC Tip #2: Bottomless Brunch

New York City runs on the bottomless brunch, where for between $35–50 you get unlimited drinks with your food. This is a weekend-only thing and a staple of the city’s social scene. There are countless bottomless brunches, so it would be impossible to include them all here, but below are some of the most affordable and best value bunches in the city:

• The Flying Cock
• Pardon My French
• Cuba
• Harry’s Italian Pizza Bar
• Tio Pepe
• The Malt House
• La Flaca

 

Eating in NYC Tip #3: Grab a Pizza Slice

NYC and pizza go together like white on rice. You can’t separate the two, and in my opinion, the New York slice is probably one of the best pizzas in the country (sorry, Chicago)! If you’re looking to eat on a budget, grabbing a slice is one of the best ways to save money in New York. Slices range from $1 to $5. Below is a list of my favorite dollar-slice joints (and a couple non-dollar slices just because they are that good):

• Percy’s Pizza
• Joe’s Pizza
• Ivana’s Pizzeria
• 99 Cents Fresh Pizza
• 9th Ave the Best Pizza

 

Eating in NYC Tip #4: Munch on Dumplings

Chinese dumplings are another one of the best value meals in the city because you can get huge plates of dumplings for literally just a few dollars (and if you get them frozen for later, they are even cheaper). They’ll fill you up for lunch and you’ll still have leftovers for dinner. And, thanks to the city’s large Chinese immigrant population, the dumplings are incredibly authentic. This is the real deal here. Here’s a list of the best spots to get dumplings in NYC:

• Lan Zhou Handmade Noodle – 9-11 dumplings for $3.
• Tasty Dumpling – 4 for $2
• Tim Ho Wan – $5–10 dishes.
• Shu Jiao Fu Zhou – 10 for $4.50.
• Jin Mei Dumpling– $5 for a big plate.
• Fried Dumpling – Five for $1.25.
• Kai Feng Fu Dumpling House – 8 dumplings for $4.75
• North Dumpling – 12 for $3.
• YOZ Shanghai – 6 for $4.25.

 

Eating in NYC Tip #5: Grab a Dog

Hot dog shops litter the street corners of New York. They might not be the healthiest meal but they are super cheap and make for a quick lunch. Though the hot dog has been around for centuries, the modern dog was popularized by Nathan Handwerker, a Jewish immigrant from Poland, living in NYC. In 1915, he worked at a hot dog stand at Coney Island. He started his own stand (Nathan’s Famous) and undercut his former boss to sell his own dogs and the rest is hot dog history. You can get a big, juicy dog with lots of fixings for $2–5 (usually closer to $5). Here are the best hot dog shops in New York City:

• Gray’s Papaya
• Crif Dogs
• Rudy’s – This dive bar gives you a free hot dog when you order a drink.
• Dickson’s Farmstand Meats
• Papaya King
• Tony Dragon’s Grill
• Paul’s Da Burger Joint
• Dominick’s Hot Dog Truck

 

Eating in NYC Tip #6: Food Trucks

If you’re looking for cheap eats, check out the food trucks around town that are a staple for office workers. You’ll find shawarma, hot dogs, gyros, halal items, and lots more grab-and-go food. They tend to be located near big parks like Central Park or Union Square, Midtown, or the big squares in the financial district. Their cheap, quick eats are what we have for breakfast and lunch (though many are around during the evening too). Most meals cost around $12–15.
 

Eating in NYC Tip #7: Make Your Own Food

Sure, New York City has tons of delicious and expensive restaurants, but go to the supermarket, grab either a premade meal or ingredients to make your own, and head to one of the parks and eat outside. Or back to your Airbnb to make your meal. Most supermarkets also have areas where you can eat inside too. My favorite grocery stores in the city are:

• Whole Foods – Whole Foods has affordable natural and organic foods primarily from local vendors.
• Trader Joe’s – A grocery store chain with super low prices all the time.
• Food Emporium – Another supermarket chain that also has lots of imported food options.

 

Eating in NYC Tip #10: Eat Outside Manhattan

I love Manhattan. It’s my favorite borough in the city, but whenever I leave it, I’m always reminded of how expensive it is. The other boroughs are like half the price of Manhattan. In Queens, for example, you’ll find a ton of great and cheap food.
 

Eating in NYC Tip #9: Use the Apps

Looking for cheap eats? Crowdsource. Use apps to search for people’s favorite restaurants or what is affordable near you. My suggested apps are:

• Yelp – Yelp lets you find places to eat and drink in your area, and there are usually tons of reviews left by patrons.
• OpenTable – Check local restaurant reviews, and then reserve your table.
• Roaming Hunger – Find out which food trucks are in your area!

 

Eating in NYC Tip #10: Eat Bagels

The NYC bagel is as famous as the NYC slice. We take our bagels seriously here (just ask all the ex-NYers living in LA if they can find a good bagel there! They’ll say no and lament that’s one thing they miss the most). Most bagels cost $3.50-6.50 with cream cheese, more if you want lox (which you should). A bagel sandwich will cost $7–14. Here’s a list of my favorite bagel spots:

• Ess-a-Bagel
• Murray’s Bagels
• Lenny’s Bagels
• Bagelsmith
• Russ & Daughters
• Absolute Bagel
• Best Bagel & Coffee
• Kossar’s
• Black Seed
• Tompkins Square Bagels
• David’s Bagels
• Zucker’s Bagels
• Bagel Supreme
• Bo’s Bagels

 

Eating in NYC Tip #11: Do Restaurant Week

The dates change each year but if you’re here for New York City’s Restaurant Week, they have some amazing deals. Over 380 of New York’s best restaurants offer 2- and 3-course lunch and dinner menus starting at $30, $45 and $60. This gives you a chance to sample the best restaurants in town at a fraction of the regular price. Visit the official page for all the details and to book your table. You’ll also be able to browse restaurants by neighborhood, cuisine, lunch or dinner options, and more!
 

BONUS: 12 Affordable Restaurants in NYC

Want some specific restaurants? Here are some of my favorite cheap restaurants to eat at when you visit:

• The Bao – With its sleek, modern decor, this restaurant is a wonderful spot for Chinese food. Its dumplings, fried rice, and pork buns are delicious. There’s always a wait on the weekends, so try to get there on the early side.
• Corner Bistro) – This place has world-famous thick and greasy hamburgers, some of the best in NYC. It’s sort of an institution, and if you love burgers as much as I do, I would highly recommend coming here. Cash only.
• Masala Times – Serving Bombay-style street food, this spot has some of the best Indian cuisine I’ve found. I can’t get enough of it. The plates are shareable, and you get rice and bread too. Try the fish tikka — it’s delicious!
• Panna II Garden (93 First – Christmas lights cover the ceiling and walls of this festive Indian restaurant (and the neighboring restaurants too, so if Panna II is packed, walk next door). It’s cramped, but a unique experience. The food is delicious! Cash only.
• S’MAC – A mac-and-cheese shop that takes this traditional dish and makes it even better. It’s heavenly, cheesy goodness. The four-cheese mac and cheeseburger mac are my favorites.
• Sao Mai – This traditional Vietnamese spot is located near my old apartment. The pho rocks! The portions are huge, and prices are not.
• SriPraPhai Thai Restaurant – This is my favorite Thai restaurant in New York. I have very high standards for Thai food, and this exceeds them all. If you only eat at one Thai restaurant, make it this one.
• Xi’an Famous Foods – New Yorkers love this small chain of Chinese restaurants, with 12 locations around town. Grab some hand-ripped noodles with beef to go, and it’ll only cost you about $10.
• Mamoun’s Falafel – You will find inexpensive falafel and gyro stands all over Manhattan, but the best one is Mamoun’s. You can pick up a classic falafel with tahini and salad for less than $10, but all the options here are tasty and affordable.
• Kopitiam – If you want affordable Malaysian food, you have to go to Kopitiam, especially for breakfast.
• Mama’s Empanadas – Mama’s Empanadas is one of the best spots for a bite of Colombian food in Queens. You can get some really cheap empanadas here.

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New York City may be one of the most expensive cities in the world, but it doesn’t have to break the bank when it comes to eating here. Remember, this is a city of 8 million people, and if you break away from the tourists and get into the fabric of the city, you’re going to unearth a plethora of restaurants and bars to eat and drink at on a budget!