🌉 Tacoma Meal Deals

Best Cheap Eats in Tacoma
Two People, Under $20

🌉 Tacoma  ·  17 verified deals  ·  Updated August 2026

Tacoma — “Grit City” — is a working port town with one of the Northwest's great cheap-eats corridors: the Lincoln District and MLK Way are stacked with Vietnamese pho and banh mi, South Tacoma is taquería country, and there's Korean, Thai, a 76-year-old drive-in and a legendary hot-dog pub on top. Two eat well under $20. A couple of the burger and Korean spots land right around $20 for two, so split the (huge) sides — and check hours, since several close a day midweek or on Sundays.

⚠ Verification in progress — we’re re-confirming these prices against each restaurant’s own menu. Check back soon.

🌉 Local Tacoma Meal Deals

We re-audited this page in August 2026 against each restaurant's own menu. Cards marked ✓ VERIFIED had their price read off an owner source (the restaurant's own site or its own ordering page). Cards marked ⚠ PRICE CHECK PENDING are places we believe belong here but whose owner menu posts no prices or was unreachable — the figures are our best read, so call before you count on them.

🍜 ⚠ price check pending

Vien Dong

40-Year Family Vietnamese · Pho & Wontons

A family-owned Vietnamese institution on S Yakima for over four decades — wontons made fresh daily, big bowls of pho, vermicelli and stir-fries, with vegan options handled intuitively. Despite rising costs they've kept prices genuinely low, so two eat well for around $18. As a longtime regular put it, when you see the prices you'll be blown away. Closed Tue.

📍 Tacoma, WA (S Yakima Ave)  ·  ⏳ Wed–Mon 9a–9p
🗺️ Map🌐 Site
🥖 ⚠ price check pending

Toast Mi Tacoma

Banh Mi Specialist · Proctor District

A tucked-away banh mi spot in the Proctor District with perfectly golden, crispy bread, fresh crunchy toppings and a great boba and drink lineup. Sandwiches are well-made and filling, so two eat for around $18 (ask for extra pickled veg and jalapeños). A calm, welcoming neighborhood favorite. Open daily 11a–6p.

📍 Tacoma, WA (N Proctor St)  ·  ⏳ Daily 11a–6p
🗺️ Map🌐 Site
🌮 ⚠ price check pending

Taqueria El Sabor

Best Mexican in Tacoma · Salsa Bar

Many locals call this S Mildred spot the best Mexican in the city — top-tier authentic tacos, generous portions, a self-serve salsa bar, and cooks who sing in the back because they love what they do. Tacos and plates keep two around $16, open 8am to 10pm daily. Clean, friendly, no buzz-in. A genuine hidden gem.

📍 Tacoma, WA (S Mildred St)  ·  ⏳ Daily 8:30a–10p
🗺️ Map🌐 Site
🫔 ⚠ price check pending

Taquería la Michoacana

$3 Tamales · Mission-Style Super Burrito

A no-frills South Tacoma taquería with huge $3 tamales (cheese-jalapeño or chicken-rice), a mission-style super burrito that San Francisco fans will recognize, the best birria tacos-quesadilla around, and three bomb house salsas. Two eat for around $16, open late. Order at the counter; everything tastes fresh. Open daily till 11.

📍 Tacoma, WA (S 38th St)  ·  ⏳ Daily 9a–9/11p
🗺️ Map
🌯 ✓ verified

Taqueria La Fondita

Torta de Birria · 6-Taco Plate

A Tacoma Ave taquería (and taco-truck favorite) doing a standout torta de birria, tender tripa tacos, guisados with rice and beans, and a 6-taco plate that lets two split the pork, chicken and steak. Quick service and great horchata keep two right around $20. A neighborhood staple for years. Open daily.

📍 Tacoma, WA (Tacoma Ave S)  ·  ⏳ Daily 10:30a–9p
🗺️ Map🌐 Site
🍔 ⚠ price check pending

Burger Seoul

Korean-American Burgers · Garlic Fries

A cult Korean-American burger joint on Division — bulgogi and Seoul burgers on buttery brioche with house pickles and an addictive sauce, plus super-garlic fries and thick shakes. Burgers are about $14, so two go ~$28; share one with the garlic fries and a shake to keep two near $20. Cooked to order, genuinely unique. Open daily.

📍 Tacoma, WA (Division Ave)  ·  ⏳ Daily 11a–9/10p
🗺️ Map🌐 Site
🍗 ⚠ price check pending

Kimchi Box

Korean Corn Dogs, Wings & Bowls

A South Tacoma Korean spot with mozzarella-pull potato corn dogs, garlic-pepper wings, kalbi short ribs, and bulgogi/popcorn-chicken bowls with rice, salad and kimchi. Portions are huge for the price (expect leftovers), so two eat for around $20, easily under if you split a bowl and an order of wings. Closed Sun.

📍 Tacoma, WA (Center St)  ·  ⏳ Mon–Sat 11a–8:30p (closed Sun)
🗺️ Map
🛺 ⚠ price check pending

Loak Toung Thai

"Best Thai I've Ever Had" · Generous Portions

A family-run South Tacoma Thai spot (4.8 stars) where the chef takes no shortcuts — same-day-fresh ingredients, intensely flavorful curries, larb and pad woon sen, and portions so large you'll take home leftovers. Two lunch specials feed two for around $18. A bit of a sketchy block, but the food more than makes up for it. Closed Mon–Tue.

📍 Tacoma, WA (Center St)  ·  ⏳ Wed–Fri 11–2:30 & 4:30–8 · Sat 11a–8p (closed Sun–Tue)
🗺️ Map🌐 Site
🌭 ⚠ price check pending

The Red Hot

Gourmet Dogs & Sausages · Huge Beer List

A beloved 6th Ave pub doing an assortment of gourmet hot dogs and sausages — the 6th Ave Strut, Ragin' Cajun, Rainier Reuben and a killer banh mi sausage — alongside one of the best beer lists in town and sides like mac and cheese. Two dogs and a side keep two around $18. Pub vibes, friendly service — note it's 21-and-over at all times. Open daily.

📍 Tacoma, WA (6th Ave)  ·  ⏳ Daily 11a–11p (Fri–Sat to 12a) · 21+ only
🗺️ Map🌐 Site
🥤 ✓ verified

Frisko Freeze

76-Year Drive-In · Burgers, Fries & Shakes

A Tacoma landmark since the 1950s — a classic walk-up drive-in slinging burgers (try the triple-patty), absolutely incredible crisp fries, thick milkshakes, even a fried-bologna sandwich, all at prices that won't sting. Two eat for around $16, open late (1am on weekends). No tables — eat in your car, the Tacoma way. Open daily.

📍 Tacoma, WA (Division Ave)  ·  ⏳ Daily 10a–12/1a
🗺️ Map🌐 Site
🍳 ⚠ price check pending

Little Jerry's

Seinfeld-Themed Diner · Big Breakfasts

A Seinfeld-themed diner on Park Ave with memorabilia on every wall, large portions and prices below most sit-down spots — "The Ticket" piles country-fried steak, eggs, bacon and a biscuit under pepper gravy, and the flattened-cinnamon-roll French toast is a thing. Two eat a big breakfast for around $18, with leftovers. Closed Sun.

📍 Tacoma, WA (Park Ave S)  ·  ⏳ Thu–Sat 7a–3p (days vary — check first)
🗺️ Map
🍲 ⚠ price check pending

Infinite Soups

Fresh Daily Soups · Local Bread

A downtown Tacoma soup specialist (4.8 stars) making a rotating lineup fresh every day — chicken pozole, corn chowder, three-cheese potato — served with bread from local bakers. Cups and bowls are cheap and hearty, so two eat a cozy, light meal for well under $20. Heads-up: cash or check only, and they'll let you sample first. Closed Sun.

📍 Tacoma, WA (Tacoma Ave S)  ·  ⏳ Mon–Sat 11a–7p (Sat till 5)
🗺️ Map🌐 Site
🍜 ✓ verified

Pho V&V

Two Small Pho $16.50

Tacoma's first MSG-free pho house, in South Tacoma. Its own menu prices small pho at $8.25 (two = $16.50) and banh mi at $6.25 (two = $12.50). Owner-priced.

📍 Tacoma, WA (S Tacoma Way)  ·  ⏳ Daily
🗺️ Map🌐 Menu
🍔 ✓ verified

Bomb Burger

Two Bomb Burgers $12

A 6th Ave burger counter doing fresh, never-frozen beef. The classic Bomb Burger — lettuce, diced onion, relish and mustard on a toasted bun — is $6.00 ($6.50 with American cheese), so two run $12–13; a double is $7.50. Two eat for well under $20 with fries to share. Owner-confirmed.

📍 Tacoma, WA (6th Ave)  ·  ⏳ Daily
🗺️ Map🌐 Menu
🍕 ✓ verified

Slice of Life Deli & Pizzeria

16-inch Pizza $17.99 · Split a Sub $13.99

A South End deli-pizzeria. Its own site prices a 16-inch cheese pizza at $17.99 (enough for two) and 12-inch subs — Italian, French dip, cheesesteak, meatball — at $13.99, big enough to split. Either way two eat under $20. Owner-confirmed.

📍 Tacoma, WA (South End)  ·  ⏳ Daily
🗺️ Map🌐 Menu

💡 Pro tip: All deals are community-verified but prices and availability change. Always check the restaurant's website or app before making a special trip — and if something's expired, flag it on our main directory so we can update it.

📍 Regional Chains

Chains from one corner of the country that made it to Tacoma — priced from their own ordering menus, nearest store on the card.

🍕 ✓ verified

MOD Pizza

One 11" Pizza Split Two Ways — $15.29, Unlimited Toppings

MOD fast-fires an 11-inch build-your-own pizza at one price however many toppings go on it — but the map first, honestly: there is no MOD inside the Tacoma city line. The nearest store is 17513 Canyon Parkway E, in Frederickson, in unincorporated Pierce County southeast of the city. The 11-inch MOD-size with unlimited toppings reads $15.29 there on MOD's own ordering system, August 2026 — $7.65 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 $16.54, 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 $16.58. 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 $7.18 and put the loaded 11-inch at $22.47, past the line, so drink water or drop to the $12.09 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.

📍 Nearest store — 17513 Canyon Parkway E (no store inside Tacoma)  ·  ⏳ Every day · one price, unlimited toppings
🗺️ Map🌐 Menu📊 Prices
🍕 ✓ verified

Jet's Pizza

$5 Off Any Specialty Pizza Online — Medium All Meaty $17.87

The Detroit-style original — Sterling Heights, Michigan, 1978, the chain that made the buttery, caramel-crusted square a national thing — keeps its Tacoma store on 49th Ave NE. The play is the $5 Off Any Specialty Pizzas deal built into the chain's online ordering menu: a medium All Meaty (pepperoni, ham, Italian sausage, bacon, hamburger) listed at $22.87 on our August 2026 read at the chain's Denver store and rang up $17.87 with the deal applied — under the line with room for tax, and a medium is eight big slices, plenty for two. It's a deals-menu item so it can rotate out — and if it does, texting your order to your store takes 15% off menu-priced pizza. Prices vary by store, so run the math at yours before checkout.

📍 Tacoma, WA (4125 49th Ave NE)  ·  ⏳ Online ordering deal · limited time
🗺️ Map🌐 Menu📊 Prices

🇺🇸 Also Valid Nationwide

These chain deals work anywhere in the country, including Tacoma.

🧀 ✓ verified

Buffalo Wild Wings

Pick 6 — Meal for Two from $19.99

The Pick 6 lets two people build a shared meal — choose six items across wings, tenders, and sides — starting around $19.99. A reliable two-for-$20 play at any BWW. Dine-in or takeout; pricing varies slightly by market.

📍 Nationwide  ·  ⏳ Ongoing
🗺️ Map🌐 Site

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