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Zoe Ma Ma
Two Noodle Bowls — $18.50–$19
Chinese-Taiwanese street-food counter, now at 919 Pearl St. The veggie noodle bowl is $9.00, za jiang mian $9.50 and dan dan mian $10.00 — any two bowls land between $18.50 and $19. Bao run $4.50–$5 if you'd rather graze.
📍 Boulder, CO (Pearl St) · ⏳ Daily 11am–9pm+
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The Sink
Pizza Tuesday — Half-Off Medium Pizzas
The Hill's century-old landmark. Every Tuesday, all day, medium pizzas are half price with any beverage purchase (dine-in): the 13-inch build-your-own drops from $19.25 to about $9.63, so two people with fountain drinks ($3.95) get out around $17.50. Happy hour 3–5pm Sun–Fri takes $2 off all appetizers.
📍 Boulder, CO (The Hill · 13th St) · ⏳ Tuesdays · dine-in
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Snarf's Sandwiches
Two 5-inch Toasted Subs — $15.90
Boulder's own toasted-sandwich institution, flagship at 26th & Pearl. The 5-inch 'Novice' on any classic filling — turkey, Italian, roast beef, meatball — is $7.95, so two of them come to $15.90 with room left for a shared side. Daily 10am–9pm.
📍 Boulder, CO (Pearl St) · ⏳ Daily 10am–9pm
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Efrain's of Boulder
Taco Salads $9.75 · Wed Happy Hour
Family-run Mexican kitchen on Canyon Blvd known for its green chile. Traditional tacos are $5.95, cheese enchiladas $7.50 and taco salads $9.75 — two salads run $19.50. Wednesday's 4–6pm happy hour adds $9.50 street-taco plates and $5.95 queso. Closed Sunday–Monday.
📍 Boulder, CO (Canyon Blvd) · ⏳ Tue–Sat 11am–8:30pm
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Deli Zone
Medium Subs $9.25–$9.99
New York-style sub shop with a Hill storefront (1322 College Ave) and a Valmont Rd location. Medium ham & swiss or turkey provolone subs are $9.99 on the Hill and $9.25 at Valmont — $18.50–$19.98 for two — and the $8.49 breakfast special feeds a pair for $16.98 in the morning.
📍 Boulder, CO (The Hill + Valmont Rd) · ⏳ Hill daily 7:30am–3pm
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Mustard's Last Stand
Two Chicago Dogs + Fries — $19.83
Boulder's Chicago-style hot dog stand on Broadway by the creek path. A fully dragged-through-the-garden Chicago dog is $7.29 and the quarter-pound charbroiled burger $7.49 — two dogs plus a large fries to share is $19.83, or two burgers with a small 'taste of fries' each lands at $18.36. Open daily 11am–8pm.
📍 Boulder, CO (1719 Broadway) · ⏳ Daily 11am–8pm
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Abo's Pizza
Slices $3.65 · 2 Slices + Soda $10.10
North Boulder's slice counter on Iris Ave. Cheese slices are $3.65 ($4.40 with a topping) and the anytime special — two cheese slices and a soda — is $10.10. Four slices plus two canned sodas feeds a pair for $17.60. The South Boulder shop on Broadway runs slightly higher ($4.35 slices).
📍 Boulder, CO (Iris Ave + S Broadway) · ⏳ Ongoing
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Cosmo's Pizza
14-inch One-Topping Pie — $14.99
The 30th & Baseline stalwart famous for giant NY-style slices (the old Hill shop closed in 2026 — this one's going strong). Order direct and the first topping is free: a 14-inch one-topping pizza is $14.99 and the 16-inch $16.60 — either feeds two for well under $20.
📍 Boulder, CO (659 30th St) · ⏳ Ongoing
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Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery
Grilled Cheese + Vegan Chili — $18.50
Pearl Street's beloved brewpub (sibling Southern Sun sits on south Broadway). The basic grilled cheese with house potato chips is $9.50 and a bowl of Jerry's vegan chili is $9 — $18.50 for two, or double grilled cheese for $19. Happy hour runs to 5pm Mon–Thu and 8pm–close nightly, dine-in only.
📍 Boulder, CO (Pearl St + S Broadway) · ⏳ Kitchen to 9–10pm
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Parkway Cafe
Mexican HB Breakfast — $7.00
East Pearl breakfast staple. The Mexican HB — two eggs, hash browns, green chili and cheese — is $7.00, the one-pancake-one-egg-one-side combo is $8.50 and biscuits and gravy $9.50, so two eat for $14–$19. Skip the $14.75 burrito if you're chasing the $20 line. Open 6:30am–2pm weekdays.
📍 Boulder, CO (4700 Pearl St) · ⏳ 6:30am–2pm (Sun to 1pm)
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Sherpa's Adventurers Restaurant
Momo Dumpling Plates — Two for $17.50
Nepali restaurant in a house on Walnut St. Lunch entrées come with basmati rice and lentil soup but start at $13.25, so the budget play is the mo:mo dumplings — vegetable $8.75, chicken or beef $8.99 — putting two plates at $17.50–$18. Lunch 11:30–2:30, dinner 5–9.
📍 Boulder, CO (Walnut St) · ⏳ Lunch 11:30–2:30 · dinner 5–9
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Motomaki
Mean Green Bowls — Two for $19.50
Sushi-burrito counter in the 29th Street district, open daily 11am–10pm. Most rolls and bowls run $11.50–$16.75, but the Mean Green — the edamame-forward veggie poke bowl — is $9.75, putting two at exactly $19.50. Tight, but it clears the line.
📍 Boulder, CO (29th St District) · ⏳ Daily 11am–10pm
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Village Coffee Shop
Pancake Combo — $8.75
Old-school Folsom St diner, open 7am–2pm daily. The pancake combo — one pancake, two eggs, two sausage links and two strips of bacon — is $8.75, so two full plates come to $17.50. Most other plate prices aren't posted online, so bring the classic diner expectation.
📍 Boulder, CO (Folsom St) · ⏳ Daily 7am–2pm
Boulder’s cheap-eats listicles have a shelf-life problem, so we priced the regulars against their own menus in July 2026. Falafel King’s two cheapest wraps total $23.98 and Half Fast Subs’ weekday combo times two is $21.90 — close, but over the line. And a surprising share of “best budget bites” fixtures no longer exist at all: the Dark Horse closed in March 2026 after 51 years, Boss Lady Pizza left for Superior in 2022, Salvaggio’s shut all three Boulder delis, Santiago’s Boulder outpost and K’s China on the Hill are gone, and Cosmo’s famous Hill shop closed in May 2026 — the 30th Street store carries the torch. Every deal above was verified on the restaurant’s own menu instead.
The 28th Street Chili’s closed and BWW never made it to Boulder — these national deals come from chains the town actually has.
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Taco Bell
Two $7 Luxe Cravings Boxes — $14
Each $7 Luxe Cravings Box packs a Chalupa Supreme, Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, Double Stacked Taco, chips with nacho cheese, and a medium drink — $14 total for two. Also comes in $5 and $9 tiers; pricing and participation vary by store.
📍 Boulder, CO · ⏳ Ongoing — varies by store
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McDonald's
Two McChicken $5 Meal Deals — $10
Each $5 Meal Deal includes a McChicken sandwich + 4-piece McNuggets + small fries + small drink — two people fully fed for $10 (the McDouble version is $6). Part of the McValue menu; price and participation vary by location.
📍 Boulder, CO · ⏳ Ongoing — McValue menu
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Domino's
Perfect Combo — $19.99
Two medium one-topping pizzas + 16-piece Parmesan bread bites + 8-piece cinnamon twists for $19.99 — the study-night classic. Carryout, carside, or delivery; some markets vary the third item, so check the local store.
📍 Boulder, CO · ⏳ Check locally