Dining out can get costly, especially if you want something tasty. However, it doesn’t have to hurt your wallet every time you go out to eat. There are lots of seriously amazing eateries around LA that are big on taste and servings but will not cost you a lot. 

Our Favorite Cheap Eats in L.A.

To help give you a good idea for where you can head to the next time you wish to get something good to eat that’s budget-friendly, we’ve rounded up 15 great places to head to:

Dino’s Chicken & Burgers – Pico Blvd

If you haven’t tried Dino’s Pollo Maniaco just yet, you should get on it ASAP. This dish is one of the best bangs for the buck dishes in all of LA and is quite an icon for hungry locals. What is it exactly? A hefty serving of charred half chicken on a bed of fries. As the name suggests, they also serve burgers, sandwiches, and salads. Yelp

Sarita’s Pupuseria – Grand Central Market

If you saw La La Land, you might have noticed a diner shot in the montage complete with neon lights and blue stools, you might be wondering what that place is and what they serve. Well, that’s Sarita’s Pupuseria at Grand Central Market, home to some of the best pupusas in LA.  

Pupusas are the national dish of El Salvador. They’re stuffed flatbread and can contain beef, chicken, pork, cheese, beans, or other veggies. Sarita’s Pupuseria is one of the best stops for these dishes as they’ve been serving up original recipes for 15 years now. Yelp

Dulan’s Soul Food – Crenshaw

In the mood for some Southern fried chicken or just about any soul food dish? Head off to Dulan’s Soul Food and you’ll get an excellent dish that you won’t easily find elsewhere in LA. With the king of soul food, Adolf Dulan, at the helm, this cafeteria-style eatery will certainly give you a great fix. Yelp

Spoon & Pork – Silver Lake

Serving their own takes on Filipino food, Spoon & Pork is making waves for its fantastic food and friendly prices. The LA Eater already hailed their Patita to be the best pork dish in the area and their other menu items often get honorable mentions by foodies and experts.  Yelp

Zam Zam Market – Hawthorne

They’re the best and they know it: that’s Zam Zam Market for you. How would they miss the fact that they serve some of the finest Pakistani grub in LA when they have a cult following? They’re a local favorite and you’ll find the tastiest biryani and lamb pulao on their menu. Yelp

MISASA – Mitsuwa Marketplace, Del Amo Fashion Center

Don’t let the name, MISASA, scare you off because this place, as what can be expected from a food court eatery, is very affordable. They serve rice bowls, curry, tempura, noodles, and other Japanese dishes at very friendly prices. The servings are sizable, too, so you’re sure to get a good fill.

Hasiba – Pico Blvd

Hasiba’s restaurant may be tiny but they pack a lot of flavor with their hummus and other Israeli classics. It’s a kosher-certified fast-casual cafe that is styled after the hummusiyas of Israel. Their most notable items are the variety of hummus they offer and their puffy pita bread which is made in-house. Yelp

Furnsaj Bakery & Restaurant – Granada Hills

Famed for their Lebanese flatbread sandwiches, you will not run out of options at this eatery as their menu contains over 70 items. If you can’t choose, go for the shawarma and chicken as they’re considered as some of the best in all of LA. Yelp

Me + Crepe – Pasadena

Originally from Vancouver, Me + Crepe is home to traditional Chinese breakfast items. So those who have not tried having Chinese for breakfast should check this place out. Their specialty is the jian bing or the Chinese crepe that comes with various fillings including Peking duck slices. They also have tea-infused egg and tofu pudding. Yelp

Corner Beef Noodle House – El Monte

If an ethnic cuisine restaurant is hailed as the best by the immigrants the dishes they serve are from, then you can be sure that you’re in for a treat. This is the case for the Corner Beef Noodle House as lots of locals of Taiwanese descent love this place. Yelp

Sonoratown – DTLA

Despite the numerous options for tacos in downtown LA, many would set out a few blocks away from the hustle and bustle of the area to get to Sonoratown. Many already waxed poetics over their tortillas and their carne asadas are also lovely. They also sell taco kits by the pound just in case you want to have a lot at home. Yelp

Monta Factory – Glendale

This diner may look like a regular eatery but their menu will offer you stuff that you might not have tried before. Home to Armenian dumplings known as manti, they have only recently turned into a ready-to-serve operation as they mostly sold wholesale food by the tray. In addition to their monti, they also serve sandwiches, soups, sides, and booreg. Yelp

Paper Rice – Pasadena

This Old Pasadena new offering offers classic Vietnamese dishes that you can tweak and make according to your own preferences. You get to build your own fresh spring rolls or bowls but you can also opt for their other ready-made items like banh mis and xoi chiens. Yelp

Surati Farsan – Artesia

Already an institution in Artesia, Surati Farsan is a grocery, bakery, and restaurant serving up some tasty and affordable Gujarati-style since 1986. They specialize in sweets and snacks as well as numerous mouth-watering vegetarian options. Yelp

Phnom Penh Noodle Shack – Long Beach

This family-run restaurant is one of the best places to enjoy comfort food in Long Beach. The dish their name is from, the Phnom Penh noodles, should not be missed, especially among first-timers. They also offer a wide range of fried bread that is perfect for pairing with their noodles. Yelp

Please note that while most restaurants have already opened their dining rooms, dining in should still be done with great caution. Checking in advance about the safety measures and protocols of a restaurant would be ideal.