🌆 Local Columbia Meal Deals
Shakespeare's Pizza
Pizza for Two
A Columbia institution since 1973 and a rite of passage for Mizzou students, famous for its hand-built Masterpiece pizza. Midwest prices mean two can share a small or medium pie for around $20.
Booches
Griddle Burgers for Two
A billiards hall and burger counter since 1884 — among the oldest in Missouri — sliding small griddle burgers onto wax paper with chili and hot dogs (no fries, cash only). Several burgers each runs well under $20.
Ernie's Cafe & Steak House
Diner Breakfast for Two
The oldest full-service restaurant in Boone County, serving since 1934 — a classic diner with all-day breakfast, hand-cut hashbrowns, omelettes, and the Chopped Cow burger. Two eat a full breakfast for around $20.
Broadway Diner
Classic Diner for Two
A beloved downtown diner where breakfast is served anytime and the signature Stretch — hashbrowns piled with chili, cheese, and onions — is big enough to share. Two people split the Stretch or grab a daily special and eat for well under $20.
Cafe Berlin
Brunch for Two
Columbia's favorite brunch spot, locally sourced and a little funky, known for the Walt waffle sandwich and a big vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free spread. Two share brunch plates for around $20. Closed Tuesday.
El Fogón Veracruzano
Tacos for Two
A family-run Veracruz kitchen — two people eat for around $20 sticking to à-la-carte street tacos; the birria and dorados plates ($15–18) push a pair past the line.
Como Smoke & Fire
BBQ Lunch for Two — Under $20
Columbia's smokehouse — sandwiches now run $15–18 and plates from $18, so the budget move is splitting one pulled-pork plate between two. Live music most weekends.
Sparky's Homemade Ice Cream
Ice Cream for Two
A one-of-a-kind downtown ice cream shop churning 30-plus locally sourced flavors on site, from the classics to wild seasonal experiments. Two cones or sundaes for well under $20.
Uprise Bakery
Bakery Cafe for Two
A downtown bakery-cafe attached to Ragtag Cinema, baking its own bread for sandwiches like the pulled-pork Cuban, plus pastries and Lakota coffee. Excellent value; two eat for under $20. Closed Sunday.
Pizza Tree
A Slice + Drink Each — ~$18
Columbia's funnest pizza shop, slinging big New York-style slices and late-night slice windows downtown. A few slices each puts two right around $20.
Eating cheap in Columbia: almost everything here is in The District downtown, walkable around 9th Street and Broadway — Booches, Shakespeare's, Ernie's, Sparky's, and Uprise are all within a few blocks. Booches is cash only with no fries (just burgers, chili, and dogs), Cafe Berlin is closed Tuesdays, and Uprise closes Sundays. Lunch specials and by-the-slice spots stretch a twenty furthest in this college town.
📍 Regional Chains
Bigger than one storefront, smaller than the home-page national list — regional chains with real Columbia addresses.
MOD Pizza
One 11" Pizza Split Two Ways — $14.19, Unlimited Toppings
MOD fast-fires an 11-inch build-your-own pizza in about three minutes, and the model is one price however many of the 40-plus toppings go on it — the chain's own words are "the price always stays the same." The 11-inch MOD-size with unlimited toppings reads $14.19 at the 21 Conley Rd store on MOD's own ordering system, August 2026 — $7.10 a head when two people split it, which is the cheapest honest way through the door. MOD sizes a salad it labels "Mega (Feeds 2)" outright at $15.44, so one order is dinner for both of you without touching the pizza menu. Want your own pie each? Two 6-inch minis with cheese run $14.38. Worth knowing before you go: your first purchase as a MOD Rewards member earns a free MOD-size pizza or salad, which makes round one genuinely two for the price of one. The trap is drinks — two 16 oz fountains add $6.78 and put the loaded 11-inch at $20.97, past the line, so drink water or drop to the $10.99 cheese build. MOD prices by store, so confirm at yours — the spread across the cities we checked runs $11.89 to $16.59 for the same pizza.
Imo's Pizza
St. Louis-Style Pies — Medium $13.70 · LG Cheese $16.95
The Imo family has been slinging St. Louis-style pizza since 1964 — cracker-thin crust, sweet sauce, gooey Provel cheese and the square cut, 'the square beyond compare' — now ~95 stores across Missouri, Illinois and Kansas per its own locator. It keeps a Columbia store at 601 Business Loop 70 W; verified July 2026. Prices from our read of the chain's own Downtown St. Louis (4th Street) online menu (July 2026): a medium 12" cheese or one-topping pie is $13.70 and every medium on the board stays under $20, the large 14" cheese is $16.95 and splits easily for two, and CrunchImos are $9.99, baked pastas and sandwiches $9.40, toasted ravioli $8.05. Prices vary by store, so confirm on yours before ordering.
Taco John's
Daily Deals — $1.39 Taco Tuesdays · $2.79 Taco Bravo Thursdays
The Cheyenne-born West-Mex chain (1969, ~300 stores in 22 states) — its Columbia store on Bernadette Dr runs the chain-published Daily Deals: $1.39 crispy tacos all day Tuesday (they invented Taco Tuesday — and held the trademark until 2023), $3.19 Meat & Potato breakfast burritos Wednesday, $2.79 Taco Bravo Thursday, and $1.39 crispy tacos after 8pm every single night. Two people taco-crawl for $8–12 on any deal day, Potato Olés on the side. Prices are published chain-wide on tacojohns.com (exclude tax, participating stores, limited-time guarantee) — confirm at your store.
🍽️ National Chains in Columbia
Firehouse Subs
Two $5 Snackers — $10.75 · Born in Jacksonville 1994
Jacksonville's biggest food export reaches here too: founded in 1994 by two firefighter brothers, now 1,200+ stores — and its own locator lists 2 stores inside Columbia. The $5 Firehouse Snackers (BLT, Cordon Bleu, Sweet & Spicy Ham, Turkey Jalapeño half-subs) feed two for $10.75 all-in, and two small 4-inch Hook & Ladders run $12.78. The 8-inch mediums most people order run $10-plus — the only medium pair that stays near the line is the build-your-own ham or turkey. Priced on the chain's own ordering system at its Jacksonville San Marco store, July 2026 — prices vary by store, so confirm at yours.
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
Two Combos under $20
Cooked-to-order steakburgers, shoestring fries, and made-to-order frozen custard, with locations around Columbia. Two combos with a custard treat usually land under the cap. Confirm current pricing in-store or via the app.
Buffalo Wild Wings
Pick 6 — Meal for Two from $19.99
2 entrees + 2 sides + 2 fountain drinks starting at $19.99. Entrees include 10 boneless wings, the All-American cheeseburger, or crispy chicken dippers; sides are fries, tots, or wedges. Dine-in or order via the BWW app. Pricing runs higher in a handful of states.
Taco Bell
Luxe Cravings Boxes + Luxe Value Menu
The $5 Classic Luxe Cravings Box (Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, Crunchy Taco, Cinnamon Twists, medium drink) makes it $10 for two, and the new Luxe Value Menu keeps ten items at $3 or less. Two people eat well under $20.
Cracker Barrel
Early Dinner Deals — From $8.99
Weekday Early Dinner Deals: smaller-portion favorites — Chicken n' Dumplins, Meatloaf, Fried Homestyle Chicken and more — from $8.99, Mon–Fri 4–6pm, dine-in only. Two people eat a full country dinner for about $18. (The winter Meals for Two promo ended May 3, 2026.)
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