17 Budget-Friendly But Delicious Eats In Brooklyn
New York City has a reputation for charging high prices for everything under the sun, including rent, daycare, entertainment, and of course, food. Yet somehow, as if by magic, the city continues to offer incredible, affordable food to anyone willing to dig a little deeper. The quality of the food is necessary for survival – in a city with some of the finest restaurants in the world, few establishments can survive for long unless they have something unique or exceptional to offer.
But it's a little harder to explain how a restaurant can keep prices down. One factor could be location and associated rent rates: Brooklyn and any borough that is not Manhattan, which has the highest rent prices, is likely to charge lower rent to a restaurant, enabling it to then charge less on the product it offers, at least in theory. This is why we've focused on Brooklyn for this list of delicious budget-friendly eats, along with the fact that the borough has been a culinary behemoth for decades now. We did this by looking at our favorite Brooklyn eateries and determining whether their menus offered a good number of options that were under $20, with an eye to ending up with a bill of less than $30 per person, total.
Frankel's Delicatessen & Appetizing
This is one of the top old-school delis in the city as a whole, and one of the best Jewish delis in the US, according to many professional reviewers. It seems to retain its high standing thanks to consistent attention to quality materials over the years. For instance, you can put your sandwich on slices of challah baked in-house or on a classic rye. The hand-carved pastrami is routinely praised by professional and amateur reviewers alike.One reviewer called the pastrami, egg, and cheese sandwich on a challah bun "Perfectly balanced, rich, and just messy enough in the best way."
Prices stay low because the fare is casual: Most sandwiches are under $20. The pastrami, egg, and cheese sandwich, at $15.25, is especially well-liked. The brisket, which you can sample in an egg and cheese sandwich for the same price as the pastrami one, is made from an old family recipe.
(718) 389-2302
631 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Fedoroff's Roast Pork
In New York you can dumplings from the high mountains of Tibet and injera from the valleys of Ethiopia. So, you surely don't have to go all the way to Philadelphia to get a good Philly cheesesteak. The cheesesteak at Fedoroff's starts at just over $12 per sandwich, while other delectable-looking items on the menu go for $14-18 for a pork and egg roll and less than $7 for a large cup of fries in pure lard.
But glowing Google reviews (and the restaurant's name) point to the best item on the menu here as being the roast pork sandwich. At around the same price as the cheesesteak sandwich, it comes with a rosemary jus that patrons seem to love almost as much as the meaty filling.
(347) 384-2222
178 N 10th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Werkstatt
This restaurant may give the appearance of a fancy-ish sit-down restaurant, but nothing on the menu is above $28, with most dishes falling right around the $20 mark. That's because the food remains fairly casual, focusing on popular Austrian fare.
Classic dishes, like the schnitzels, for $24 tops, or the kielbasa, for $20, will fill you up without breaking the bank, though the same dishes in Manhattan might have cost you a great deal more due to location alone. But if those aren't enough, you can (and should) order the big soft pretzel with a cheese and paprika dip ($13), which the restaurant claims is the best in the city according to NYMag, and which Google reviewers have repeatedly praised as being the best they have ever had.
(718) 284-5800
509 Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11218
Yemenat
This spot has snagged a coveted Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide for good value cooking. Most mains are around $20 or less, in part because the restaurant is located in Bay Ridge, outside of the usual hustle and bustle (and more expensive rent) of mainstream Brooklyn. The price belies the top-quality and size. Legendary food critic for the New York Times, Pete Wells, gave Yemenat two stars partially on account of the portions, which are large, often made more filling by rashoosh flatbread, and have outstanding quality, according to professional reviewers and Google foodies alike.
One of the most frequently mentioned items on the menu is an affordable appetizer called shafoot, a yogurt-soaked bread that's hard to find elsewhere. Meanwhile, Google reviewers seem to absolutely love anything that comes with lamb, especially the haneeth, though you can find this protein in the more affordable options across the menu.
(718) 491-5600
7721 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Hainan Chicken House
Named as one of the best restaurants in all of New York by the New York Times in 2025, Hainan Chicken House has been praised widely for its tasty, aromatic rice, and for its poached chicken, of course, which has been described as having an ideal consistency and flavor.
That is not to say that the restaurant doesn't offer other great foodstuffs as well, if chicken isn't your thing. Expect an excellent char siu pork belly, for instance, and a delicious prawn noodle soup. But also bear in mind that the Hainan Chicken House menu is somewhat limited compared with other Malaysians restaurants, by design. Chef Hann Low modeled after the hawker culture of Southeast Asia. This may explain why Hainan Chicken House has managed to keep its prices so reasonable, with typical menus items hovering around the $16-20 mark for entrees.
(347) 365-3864
4807 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220
Ba Xuyên
Some say Ba Xuyên serves the best banh mi in all of New York City, though it's hard to say which one of the many options can take the top spot. It offers 11 different banh mi, including classic varieties with crispy bread and some form of pork, and a sandwich with sardines and chili sauce. Prices here are especially low, with many reviewers saying the bill comes in between $10-20. The location is slightly out of the way, in Sunset Park, and is mainly for take-out, which likely keeps the rent down. Ba Xuyên is cash only.
What makes this place stand out is the attention to quality ingredients. The bread is made by Neri's bakery, an institution in Port Chester known for making high quality, fresh baked goods. Meanwhile diners can order its banh mi according to the spice level they prefer.
(718) 633-6601
4222 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
WINNER
Winner Bakery is one location of a Brooklyn-popular brand. It shares a building with the affiliated Runner Up, which is the fine dining jewel in the crown. That one won't fit the criteria for this list (despite a very reasonably $50 prix-fixe menu), but Winner Bakery has some budget-friendly options of high-quality that go for $20 or below.
Winner Bakery breakfast sandwiches are popular, with Google reviewers raving about the English muffin egg and cheese sandwich, which is $9 without ham. One reviewer said it will keep them "coming back forever." Winner's exceptional bakery, particularly its sourdough breads, are offered in different varieties every day of the week. Plus, sourdough croissants devised by pastry chef Ali Spahr, cost just $5 each. The lunch menu begins to get a bit pricier with sandwiches ranging from $13 to $18, but the fresh pulled rotisserie meat on the chicken salad sandwich promises bang for your buck..
367 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
RAS Plantbased
Meat tends to be more expensive than veggie-based dishes on restaurant menus, which may be why this veggie-forward restaurant is able to keep its prices relatively affordable, with the rice bowls it is known for being under $20. The only place on the menu where you might find high prices is the platter section, but even then, the $40 dish is designed to serve two. But affordability doesn't necessarily translate to limited quality, especially not at RAS Plantbased, where the vegan Ethiopian dishes are as sophisticated as can be.
The rice bowls are packed with flavorful ingredients, with fresh spices like turmeric, cumin, and basil taking center stage, complementing the collard greens, cabbage, and carrots in a way that will make you feel like you're not missing meat in the least. Ambiance is also a positive factor here: It's colorful and cheerful and makes a great date night spot.
(718) 622-6220
739 Franklin Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Taqueria Ramirez
Taquerias are built to be pretty affordable eateries, but it's not every day that you find a taqueria that can rival some of the best restaurants in New York. This is the case with Tacqueria Ramirez, which has received a New York Times Critic's Pick, among other accolades, in part because of its mastery of the fly shaker, a little-known cut of meat also called suadero. It is a thin muscle found between the skin and the ribs.
The restaurant has built a reputation on preparing excellent tacos with suadero, which it cooks slowly until tender. Fly shaker often comes at a lower price point than other meat cuts, which probably helps to justify the low prices of this taqueria. Another reason is that Taqueria Ramirez only serves this one dish (tacos with various fillings, like pork, beef, tripe, and the aforementioned suadero), but when it tastes so good, who needs anything else?
94 Franklin St, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Court Street Grocers
One of the greatest things about sandwiches is that they can be incredibly satisfying and sophisticated without being too expensive (usually). This is the case with Court Street Grocers, which has a number of locations throughout the city, with its main one being in Carroll Gardens, on Court Street.
The sandwich shop specializes in making its own takes on familiar classic sandwiches using quality bread, often from bakeries around the city. For instance, there is a Rueben made with roasted broccoli and comeback sauce on Orwasher's rye bread, while the Vegitalian is like an Italian, but with roasted sweet potatoes. And don't miss out on the transcendent tuna cranberry sandwich, the Tunaberry, which adds cranberry apple sauce and horseradish mayo to the mix. Despite all this creativity, the prices for most sandwiches still come in below $20.
Multiple locations in New York
Lagham Express
The chef at this Kyrgyz place learned to cook from his father, also a chef, and he now offers a great introduction to Central Asian food you need to try. The food is made fresh to order, with quality ingredients, including hand-pulled noodles with lamb. The place also gets credit for having a bright, inviting space and a wide range of dishes, most of which fall under the $20 mark, possibly, in part, because the Lagham Express is located near the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, far from the madding crowd.
The diverse range os dishes is likely due, in part, to the diversity of the staff: In addition to the Kyrgyz chef, there is a Kazakh owner and cooks from Uzbekistan. The result is a menu packed with central Asian delights, like samsas, meat-filled pastries that cost $5 a pop here. Google reviewers have repeatedly called them fluffy and tasty, with one person calling them the best samsas in the city. Likewise, they have been described as fresh and soft. Others have noted the generous portions and excellent service.
(718) 232-0525
6201 20th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11204
Smorgasburg
This seasonal foodie playground is open from April to October with locations in Williamsburg and Prospect Park. It is basically a street market for foodies in the park, where diners can walk up to whichever counter serves the cuisine that strikes their fancy. While prices can range widely depending on what you get, this casual, open-air set-up ensures there are also plenty of reasonably priced meals, such as the Destination Dumplings that come at less than $13 for 5 pieces as of January this year, or the arepas from Palenque Empanadas & Arepas, which start at $8 if you were to order them from GrubHub.
Vendors can change year-to-year, with some returning multiple times, but recent restaurants have included Birria LES, which serves a taco for $5 and dumplings around $8. Jimchi, is another regular vendor, its menu offers Korean delicacies for about $20 per person and includes small batch kimchi. Toastieland us a frequent destination for Smorgasburg diners who want to enjoy a three cheese sandwich for about $10, or a rainbow one for three dollars more. Basically, if you can imagine a food, Smorgasburg probably has it, and for a good price, too.
Multiple locations in New York
Cheeni
Cheeni is an Indian place with a neighborhood feel and reasonable prices to go with it: Near every dish, even evening mains, are under the $20 mark. People especially love the egg paratha, which comprises scrambled eggs on a paratha flatbread with a selection of house-made chutneys. It comes to a nice and easy $9 a dish.
Other notable meals here include the phuchka, which is made of spicy potatoes in a semolina shell, and the crispy paneer and tamarind date vinaigrette salad, served with house paneer croutons. If you were so inclined, you could have every meal at Cheeni; it's open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner.
(347) 365-4015
485 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11216
Ultra Fine Diner
Diners are known for offering affordable fare, and Ultra Fine Diner, despite the pseudo-fancy name, is no different. Here you can get a good fried chicken sandwich and plenty more for less than $20, though it also does have some menu items that are more expensive. Overall, the Southern comfort theme, complete with home cooking items, helps to keep prices low.
Patrons especially love the masa pancakes served with spicy honey butter, which are naturally gluten free and only cost $15 a dish. Other Southern delicacies on the menu include grits, biscuits and gravy, and sweet tea. Although the diner is relatively new, it has already started to make a name for itself, having been featured briefly in Grub Street (specifically for its quality as a cheap eat), and The Infatuation.
198 Lewis Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221
Juici Patties
Juici Patties may be part of a nationwide fast-food chain, which may help to keep prices extraordinarily low (at just under $5 a patty), but it still managed to generate long lines outside its door when it opened a location on Fulton Street, and for good reason. The menu is firmly Jamaican, serving handmade pastries filled with typical Jamaican seasoned meat.
People especially love the chicken curry patty and the classic beef, which can be purchased alone or in combos. If you just need a little snack or pick-me-up, the single patty, at $4.25 is just the thing. or you can make a meal of it and go for the combo, which includes six patties at $24, including beef, chicken, or spinach. Patties can be ordered in greater bulk with an order of a dozen bringing the price of a single patty down to just under $4.
Multiple locations
Aloha Alley
Not only does this restaurant have plenty of items on the menu that cost less than $20, but it's also in a prime location, in DUMBO, close to the waterfront and beautiful views of Manhattan. This may in part be because the fare is casual: Much of the menu comprises poke options in various forms, including salmon with mango and sweet onion. These hover around $16, unless you want to level up the size from 8 oz to 16 oz, which almost doubles the price.
Other options include the loco moco, a combination of beef patties with mushroom gravy and eggs, chicken in a teriyaki glaze with rice, and the Longanisa sausage with eggs. A myriad of Google reviews have great things to say about the place: One reviewer called Aloha Alley the best Hawaiian food they'd ever had, while another said it "reminded me of the food at home in Hawaii."
(347) 889-5080
40 Main St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Don Udon
This tiny space –- of only 13 seats -– probably keeps overhead low, allowing it to charge very reasonable prices on its menu. This may also be because the restaurant serves pretty much only udon, and only a handful of rice dishes. Almost all meals are under $20, which is not unusual for an udon shop.
But not all udon shops can boast a high level of quality. Don Udon serves very good food, with the noodles being so tasty that one of the best dishes on the menu is also the simplest: The Kake Udon are simply dashi broth with udon and a smattering of scallions. The tastiness of the broth plays a key role here, with one Google reviewer noting how "the light citrus (maybe yuzu) balanced out the depth and savoriness of the broth itself," and another calling the broth the best in New York City.
(347) 365-6388
634 Park Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Methodology
We started by looking at the top eateries in Brooklyn based on professional reviews such as the New York Times, backed up by amateur reviews, such as Google. We then went through those restaurant menus one by one to determine which spots offered menus where most of the dishes (if not all) came in at $20 or under. The idea was that a person could dine at these budget-friendly spots at a cost of $30 per person, in total, including a beverage and maybe an appetizer or snack, and feel full and satisfied. In short, we focused first and foremost on the best food, and then we considered which of those food establishments also offered affordable dishes.