The Bearded Pig
Southern BBQ Beer Garden — San Marco
Jacksonville's #10-ranked restaurant on Tripadvisor. Fast-casual Texas-style BBQ with revved-up Florida sides in the San Marco neighborhood — order at the walk-up counter, find your spot on the open patio. Brisket, pulled pork, collard greens, and a rotating cast of sauces from sweet to ghost pepper. Two BBQ sandwich plates with sides land right at $20. Dog-friendly patio. Open since 2016.
S & R Dim Sum
Hidden Dim Sum Gem — Riverside/5 Points
Family-run dim sum restaurant in the Riverside/5 Points area called "a hidden treasure" and "the deal of the century" by regulars. Yelp cheap eats top pick in Jax. Two dim sum plates plus two full entrees were reported at just $40 total — so two people sharing a couple dim sum plates with an entree each land well under $20. The egg custards alone are worth the trip. Fresh, fast, welcoming family operation.
Mama Lu's
Authentic Filipino Comfort Food — East Jacksonville
Beloved Filipino restaurant on Jacksonville's east side serving adobo, lumpia, garlic fried rice, and classic Filipino comfort plates. Yelp cheap eats top pick in Jax. Two people eating a full Filipino spread — a rice plate each with a shared lumpia appetizer — come in well under $20. One of the most genuinely unique dining options in the city. The kind of spot that earns fierce loyalty from its regulars.
Fast Eddy's Quick Mideast
Lebanese & Middle Eastern Sandwiches
Yelp cheap eats standout praised for generous portions of authentic Middle Eastern food at exceptional value. Falafel, shawarma, hummus, tabouleh, and housemade Lebanese staples. "Authentic flavors and generous serving sizes" per reviewers. A Yelp No-Frills Grill top pick. Two people building a full Middle Eastern spread — sandwiches, hummus, and sides — land well under $20. A gem that flies under the radar.
The Butt Hutt Smokehouse
Florida BBQ Food Truck — Pecan Smoked & Latin-Spiced
Celebrated Jacksonville BBQ food truck that takes a uniquely Florida approach — pecan-smoked pulled pork with cumin and cilantro in the rub and sauce, reflecting the Latin culinary influence of the state. Featured on the Cheap Eats TV show. The Florida Boy sandwich: 7oz pulled pork with cilantro slaw and garlic cream sauce plus a side for ~$9. Yelp's #1 cheap eats and inexpensive pick in Jacksonville. Two people = ~$18 all in.
Balkan Cafe
Eastern European Comfort Food — Jacksonville's Most Unique Spot
One of the most unusual spots on any Jacksonville cheap eats list. Balkan cuisine — cevapi (grilled minced meat sausages), burek (flaky meat or cheese pastries), housemade soups, and Eastern European comfort plates. A genuine neighborhood gem that appears on both Yelp's inexpensive and affordable lists. Two people eating a full Balkan spread land well under $20. The kind of restaurant that makes Jacksonville's food scene genuinely interesting.
Dockside Seafood Restaurant
Fresh Florida Seafood — East Side
Beloved east-side seafood institution described as "quaint, clean, Gulf Coast seafood vibes on the Atlantic." One of Jacksonville's most consistent Yelp picks for seafood at a price that doesn't punch you in the wallet. Fresh fish, fried shrimp, and seafood sandwiches. Two people eating fresh Florida seafood lunch land comfortably under $20. Get there by 11:30am on weekends — parking fills up fast.
Sweet Mama's Southern Homestyle Cookin
Soul Food & Southern Plates
Jacksonville soul food standout with down-home plates of fried chicken, smothered pork chops, catfish, and home-style sides. Yelp inexpensive pick for Southern food in Jax. Reviews call the fried chicken "awesome" and the smothered pork chops "delicious." Two people eating a full Southern plate each with sides land right at $20. The kind of soul food that tastes like somebody's grandmother made it.
Metro Diner
Jacksonville's Original Diner — Since 1992
Jacksonville-born breakfast and lunch institution that grew from one Jax location in 1992 into 60+ locations across 12 states — but it started here. Classic American Southern diner fare with hearty portions and the warm hospitality the city is known for. Two people eating a full breakfast with drinks — eggs, pancakes, grits, biscuits — land right at $20. The original remains the best version. Come hungry.
Fox Restaurant
Avondale Neighborhood Breakfast & Lunch
Neighborhood gem in the historic Avondale district — a "local hangout for a good breakfast and lunch" and Tripadvisor cheap eats pick for Jacksonville. The kind of place you want right around the corner. Solid classic diner food in one of Jax's most charming neighborhoods. Two people eating a full breakfast or lunch with drinks land comfortably under $20. Walk the neighborhood before or after — Avondale is worth an afternoon.
Fatboy Fried Rice
Asian Fried Rice — Yelp's #1 Cheap Eats in Jax
Yelp's #1 cheap eats pick in Jacksonville. Loaded fried rice bowls in enormous portions at extremely affordable prices — the kind of place where reviewers talk about portion sizes almost as much as the flavor. Multiple proteins, creative takes on Asian-style fried rice. Two people ordering bowls each land well under $20. South Jacksonville (Beach Blvd area). The name says it all — you will leave full.
💡 Jacksonville Pro Tip: Jacksonville is geographically huge — the largest city by area in the contiguous U.S. — so location matters more here than almost anywhere else. Cluster your visits: Riverside and Avondale (S & R Dim Sum, Fast Eddy's, Fox Restaurant) are walkable from each other. San Marco (Bearded Pig) is a short drive south. East side for Mama Lu's and Dockside. The Butt Hutt is a food truck — check their social for current location before heading out.
These chain deals work anywhere in the country, including Jacksonville.
Applebee's
2 Entrees + Appetizer
One shareable appetizer + two full-size entrées. Fiesta Lime Chicken, Classic Bacon Cheeseburger, Boneless Wings & more. Available dine-in, takeout & delivery.
See all national chain deals →
See All 245+ Deals
Browse the full directory — 35 cities, national chains, updated regularly.
Browse the Directory