Dim Sum Garden
Soup Dumplings in Chinatown
Now in a bigger 1024 Race St spot with a full bar. Pork soup dumplings $11 (8 pieces), chives & pork dumplings $10. Two orders of dumplings runs about $20–22 — tight, but the $5 Thai tea and shared scallion pancake are still in budget. Stick to dumplings to keep it cheap.
Fountain Porter
Burger & Fries for Two
Famous "Best of Philly" burger spot at 1601 S 10th St. Cheeseburger around $5–6 (sources disagree, depends on the day), fries $4. Two burgers + a shared fries lands at roughly $14–16. Long-time pick for cheap burgers that punch way above the price tag.
Pho 75
Two Pho Bowls for Under $15
No-frills Vietnamese spot at 1122 Washington Ave (Bella Vista, in the Asian shopping plaza). Cash-only. Regular bowl $6.25, large bowl (Tô 75) $6.95. Two large bowls = $14 before tip — one of Philly's absolute best values for a filling sit-down meal.
Amy's Pastelillos
Pastelillos + Bowls for Two
Pink-painted Fishtown gem (2001 Memphis St) named one of America's best new restaurants by Esquire. Pastelillos $5 — grab three each plus a side and stay under $20. Or split a $15 Vegano Bowl plus a couple pastelillos. Wed–Sat, 11am–3pm only, no online ordering.
Suya Suya
West African Bowls for Two
Phillymag "Best Lunch" winner at 400 Fairmount Ave. Bowls top out at $15 with a side. Build with chicken or beef suya, jollof rice, plantains. Two bowls runs about $30 — over the brand budget, but split a bowl + a meat pie + plantains and you're well under $20. Now also at City Ave/SJU.
Hardena
Indonesian Rice Plates
Beloved Indonesian family-run spot at 1754 S Hicks St — Bourdain stopped here, and it's still a no-frills hole-in-the-wall in the best way. Steam-table rice plates with two to four curries from $9–12. Two plates plus drinks easily under $20. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Hana Hawaiian BBQ
Halal Hawaiian/Korean Plates
Bustleton Ave halal BBQ joint blending Hawaiian, Korean, and Japanese flavors. "Mini Meal" combos around $7–9 come with rice, mac salad, and veggies. Two mini meals + bubble tea easily under $20. The $5.97 BBQ Chicken Platter promo is a steal.
Goldie
Vegan Falafel Pita & Fries
Michael Solomonov's vegan Israeli falafel shop — five Philly locations. Falafel pita $12, falafel salad $14, six falafel balls $6, hummus $11. Honest take: two pitas runs $24 (over budget), but split one pita plus an order of falafel balls and you're at $18. Or share a hummus plate. Tahini shake is the cult favorite.
Lorenzo & Sons Pizza
Giant Slices on South Street
South Street institution since 1970, slinging slices off 28-inch pies. Each slice is roughly the size of two regular slices stacked end-to-end — locals say one feeds two for lunch. Plain cheese around $6. Two slices and two sodas: under $20, easy. Cash only, open until 1am (3am Thu–Sat).
Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House
Hand-Pulled Noodles in Chinatown
Chinatown's go-to for hand-pulled noodles since the early 2010s, at 1022 Race St. Pork hand-drawn noodles around $10.50, dumplings (8) $10.63. Two noodle dishes lands well under $20. Cash or Venmo only. Open late, 4.8 stars across thousands of reviews.
Saad's Halal
Halal Cheesesteaks in West Philly
West Philly halal staple at 4500 Walnut St. Some of the best zabiha halal cheesesteaks in the city, plus falafel, gyros, and 6-piece chicken wings for $9. Massive portions — locals say it takes them three days to finish a sandwich. Closed Sundays and during Ramadan.
John's Roast Pork
James Beard–Winning Sandwiches
South Philly sandwich royalty at 14 E Snyder Ave, on the corner since 1930. The Inquirer once named their cheesesteak the best in Philly. Small sandwich ($10–12) is "more than enough for one person" — two smalls is the move, just barely over $20 with tip. Pork or steak, both legendary.
Tommy DiNic's
"Best Sandwich in America"
Reading Terminal Market's most famous stall. Fourth-generation roast pork with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone on a Sarcone's roll — once voted best sandwich in America. Sandwich is $12.50, so two runs $25 — split one and add a soft pretzel from Miller's Twist next door to land near $20.
Dutch Eating Place
Pennsylvania Dutch Counter
Reading Terminal Market diner counter, no-frills Pennsylvania Dutch classics. Sloppy joe, cheeseburger, or grilled Reuben all under $10. Famous apple dumpling with heavy cream $5.55. Two sandwiches plus a shared apple dumpling lands at about $25 — close enough that switching one to a side gets you under $20.
South Philly Barbacoa
James Beard Lamb Tacos
Cristina Martínez (2022 James Beard Best Chef Mid-Atlantic, Netflix's Chef's Table) cooks pit-oven lamb barbacoa now operating as a pop-up cart inside Casa México (1134 S 9th St, Italian Market). Tacos around $5–7 — two people get 3–4 tacos plus consommé and stay near $20. Once-in-a-Philly meal.
Joe's Steaks + Soda Shop
Classic Philly Cheesesteak Since 1949
Old-school 1950s diner-style cheesesteak shop at 1 W Girard Ave (Fishtown). Same recipe and rolls (Liscio's) since 1949. Cheesesteaks, hand-cut fries, hot dogs, hand-spun milkshakes. Quietly considered one of the most consistent steaks in the city — a local-favorite alternative to the tourist-magnet shops at 9th & Passyunk.
Hadramout
Yemeni — The Only One in Philly
136 S 45th St, West Philly. Bubbling fasah stew, lamb haneeth ($18.99), chicken mandi ($14.99), traditional saltah ($14.99) served with comically large clay-oven flatbreads. A saltah ($9.99) plus shared chicken mandi runs about $25 — a stretch, but a uniquely Philly food experience that you can't get anywhere else in town.
Paffuto
Italian Cafe, Bella Vista
Bright pink Italian breakfast/lunch cafe at 1009 S 8th St (former Bibou space). Their famous deep-fried panzerotti — egg & cheese, pepperoni, plain — runs $10–12. Two panzerottis plus a coffee or pastry: right around $20–25. Closed Mondays & Tuesdays.
Federal Donuts & Chicken
Fried Chicken + Donuts
The original Philly fried-chicken-and-fancy-donuts shop, going since 2011 with 11 locations citywide. Original Chicken Sandwich $11, breakfast sandwich $7.70, half dozen donuts $14. Two breakfast sandwiches plus shared donuts comes in well under $20.
Fox & Son Fancy Corn Dogs
Reading Terminal Market State Fair Eats
RTM stand serving five styles of corn dogs — classic, chili-cheese, a sweet-potato-battered version with chorizo and lime crema, plus gluten-free options — all under $8 each. Two corn dogs plus a shared funnel cake or poutine: about $20 total. The most fun-per-dollar ratio in the market.
💡 Pro tip: Philly neighborhoods all eat differently — Chinatown, East Passyunk, Fishtown, Bella Vista, the Italian Market, West Philly, and the Northeast each have their own rhythm. A few rules of the road: many of the best spots are cash-only (Pho 75, Nan Zhou, Lorenzo & Sons), several have limited days/hours (Amy's Pastelillos Wed–Sat 11–3; Hardena and Paffuto are closed early in the week), and Saad's closes Sundays + during Ramadan. Heads up: Cheu Fishtown closed in June 2024 — we removed it from the list. Found something else outdated? Flag it on our main directory.
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Buffalo Wild Wings
Bottomless Apps — $9.99
Endless rounds of two appetizers at a time from a five-item lineup: fried pickles, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, chips & salsa, or hatch queso. $9.99 covers up to four people; +$2.99 each additional diner. Upgrade to cheddar cheese curds or chips & guacamole for +$3. Dine-in only, no leftovers. Higher pricing in AK, CA, HI, NY, OR, WA.
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