Best Cheap Eats in St Louis: A Local's Guide to Eating Well for Less
Revised July 17, 2026
Where are the best cheap eats in St. Louis?
You can eat well in St. Louis for around $10 or less. For tacos, Cherokee Street (La Vallesana, El Torito) and Taqueria Durango (Overland). For split-worthy delis, Gioia’s hot salami and Adriana’s (The Hill) and Blues City Deli (Benton Park). For comfort, the slinger at Courtesy Diner, Carl’s Drive-In (Brentwood), and Woofie’s hot dogs (Overland). Global bargains: Mai Lee, Cate Zone, Gokul (vegetarian Indian), The Vine (shawarma), Seoul Taco, and Gyro House. Iconic cheap treats: Ted Drewes concretes, C&K snoots, and the St. Paul sandwich at Fortune Express.
Keep reading ↓One of the best things about eating in St. Louis is how far a few dollars go. This is a city where you can get three street tacos for the price of a fast-food combo, split a foot-long Italian sub that feeds two, or sit down to a 24-hour diner slinger for under ten bucks. Great cheap food is everywhere here — you just have to know where to look.
And the range is the real joy. Cheap eats in St. Louis means Cherokee Street taquerias, Hill delis, North County hot-dog stands, South Grand shawarma, University City Chinese, a Korean-Mexican taco, and iconic local treats like a Ted Drewes concrete. You can eat your way around the world for the price of a single fancy entree.
This guide rounds up the metro’s best budget-friendly spots — genuinely delicious food where you can eat well for roughly under $10 to $12 a person — across the city and suburbs and across a dozen cuisines. Bring cash (some of the best spots prefer it) and an empty stomach.
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Taquerias & Tacos
Few things beat cheap tacos, and St. Louis delivers. On Cherokee Street, the city’s historic Mexican corridor, La Vallesana ($) does street tacos around $3-4, plus tortas on fresh French bread and house-made ice cream, and El Torito ($) — a taco stand inside a Mexican supermarket — slings barbacoa, carnitas, and al pastor for a couple bucks each. Out in Overland (North County), Taqueria Durango ($) is a beloved institution for big-portion birria and street tacos around $3. For a full deep-dive, see our guide to the best Mexican food in St. Louis. This is the cheapest great eating in town.
Sandwiches & Delis
St. Louis is a serious sandwich town, and a split sandwich is a budget secret weapon. On The Hill, Gioia’s Deli ($$) makes the iconic Hot Salami sandwich (a century-old recipe) — grab a foot-long and split it to stay cheap. Nearby, Adriana’s ($$) does famous foot-long Italian subs and Sicilian soups at lunch. In Benton Park, Blues City Deli ($$) is a landmark for New Orleans po’boys, muffulettas, and Italian beef. For a true bargain, Fortune Express ($) in St. Louis Hills makes the St. Louis-only St. Paul sandwich (egg foo young on white bread) for around $5-6. And in the suburbs, DD Mau ($) does fast-casual banh mi in Webster Groves and Maryland Heights.
Diners, Dogs & Comfort Food
For cheap comfort, St. Louis’s old-school spots are unbeatable. Courtesy Diner ($) — a 24-hour institution since 1935, on Hampton and Laclede Station — makes the definitive slinger (a burger patty, two eggs, hash browns, and chili, all on one plate) for around $9-11. In Brentwood, Carl’s Drive-In ($) is a cash-only, 16-stool 1950s gem for griddle burgers and house root beer in frosted mugs — a combo runs well under $10. And in Overland, Woofie’s ($) has done Chicago-style Vienna Beef dogs since 1977, with a loaded dog around $5-7. These are the timeless, wallet-friendly St. Louis classics.
Global Cheap Eats
The metro’s international spots are where cheap eating gets truly exciting. In Brentwood, Mai Lee ($-$$) — the city’s oldest Vietnamese restaurant — does lunch bowls of pho and vermicelli around $9-12. On Olive in University City, Cate Zone ($-$$) serves generous Dongbei (Northeastern Chinese) plates. For value vegetarian, Gokul ($$) does an all-you-can-eat Indian buffet, and on South Grand, The Vine ($-$$) makes shawarma and falafel plates in the $8-12 range. Don’t miss Sameem ($-$$), Missouri’s only Afghan restaurant, in The Grove. And in the Delmar Loop, Seoul Taco ($) does Korean-Mexican gogi tacos around $3.50-4, with K-Bop ($-$$) nearby for Korean rice bowls and Gyro House ($) for a 40-year-old gyro under $10.
Iconic Cheap St. Louis Staples
Some of the cheapest food here is also the most famous. Ted Drewes ($) on Route 66 has served its legendary frozen-custard “concrete” — so thick they hand it to you upside down — for nearly a century, and it’s a couple of bucks a cup. In North County, C&K Barbecue ($) serves the true St. Louis specialty of fried, sauced snoots at budget prices. The slinger at Courtesy is the definitive cheap diner plate. And a plate of toasted ravioli — the fried-ravioli appetizer St. Louis invented — is the perfect cheap bite to split at a bar or casual Italian spot. These are the flavors that define eating cheap and well in St. Louis.
Markets, Food Halls & Frozen Custard
A few more ways to eat cheap and well. The historic Soulard Farmers Market — open since the early 1800s — has vendor stalls turning out affordable prepared plates, produce, and snacks, especially on weekends. At City Foundry in Midtown, a food hall gathers a dozen stalls under one roof, so a group with different cravings can each grab something in the $8-12 range and share a table. And for the cheapest happy ending of all, St. Louis’s frozen custard tradition — Ted Drewes on Route 66, plus neighborhood custard stands all over the metro — delivers a genuinely iconic treat for just a few dollars. Markets, halls, and custard stands are proof that eating cheap here can also be an experience.
What St. Louis Cheap Eats Do Best
A few genuine strengths define the budget scene. Tacos are the ultimate cheap thrill, especially on Cherokee Street and in North County. Split-worthy delis — Gioia’s, Adriana’s, Blues City — let two people eat for one sandwich’s price. The slinger and the diner tradition deliver hot comfort at any hour for under $11. The metro’s global variety — Vietnamese, Chinese, Afghan, Korean, Mediterranean, Indian — means you can eat a different cuisine every day of the week on a budget. And the iconic local treats, from Ted Drewes to snoots, are cheap by design. Eating well here truly does not require a big budget.
Lunch Specials: The Bargain Hunter’s Secret
One of the best cheap-eats tricks in St. Louis is simply eating at lunch. Many spots that feel like a splurge at dinner offer lunch specials at a fraction of the price — a full plate of the same food, plus rice and a side, for well under the dinner tab. This is especially true at the metro’s international restaurants: Vietnamese pho houses, Chinese spots on Olive, Indian buffets, Thai kitchens, and Mediterranean cafes almost all run weekday lunch deals. The move is to save your fancier cravings for midday, when the prices are friendliest, and treat a nice sit-down lunch as the budget alternative to an expensive dinner. Your wallet will thank you.
How to Eat Cheap Like a Regular
A few tricks to stretch your dollars. Split the big sandwiches — a Gioia’s or Adriana’s foot-long easily feeds two. Bring cash to the taquerias and old-school spots like Carl’s (some are cash-only or cash-preferred, and it moves the line). Hit the ethnic corridors — Cherokee Street, South Grand, and Olive Boulevard in University City are wall-to-wall value. Go for lunch specials, which are often the same food at a fraction of dinner prices. And order the house specialty — the taqueria’s birria, the deli’s signature sub, the diner’s slinger — because that’s where the value and the flavor both live. Eat adventurously and cheaply; in this city they go hand in hand.
A Note on What’s Changed
One honest update for anyone chasing an old cheap favorite. Banh Mi So #1, the longtime South Grand banh mi bargain, has closed — so we point banh mi lovers to DD Mau instead. Pho Grand is now Grand Bistro (same space, new name). The King & I left South Grand for Richmond Heights. And House of India’s value buffet is now Sunday-only at a higher price, so we send buffet-seekers to Gokul. Restaurants change fast at the budget end, so a quick check before you go is always smart — and when a cheap gem wins you over, become a regular.
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Eating cheap in St. Louis isn’t a compromise — it’s one of the great pleasures of living here. For the bigger picture, see our guide to the best restaurants in St. Louis — then go grab three tacos, split a hot salami, or treat yourself to a concrete. The best cheap food in this metro comes from family taquerias, corner delis, and 90-year-old diners that never needed to be fancy — just good, generous, and honest. Go find your new regular spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
What food is St. Louis known for?
St. Louis has a distinctive local food identity: toasted ravioli (breaded, fried ravioli), the slinger (a diner plate of burger, eggs, hash browns, and chili), gooey butter cake, St. Louis-style thin-crust pizza with Provel cheese, the St. Paul sandwich (a Chinese-American egg foo young sandwich), snoots (fried pig snout), pork steaks, and Ted Drewes frozen-custard concretes. Many of these are inexpensive, making cheap eats a real St. Louis strength.
What is a slinger?
A slinger is a classic St. Louis diner dish: a hamburger patty topped with two eggs and hash browns (or home fries), all smothered in chili and often cheese and onions. It’s hearty, cheap (usually around $9-11), and traditionally eaten late at night or as a hangover cure. The definitive version is at Courtesy Diner, a 24-hour spot that’s been serving it since 1935.
Where can I get the best cheap tacos in St. Louis?
Cherokee Street, the city’s historic Mexican corridor, is the top spot — La Vallesana and the El Torito taco stand both do street tacos for roughly $3 or less. In North County, Taqueria Durango in Overland is a beloved institution for big-portion tacos and birria. These authentic taquerias are the cheapest great eating in the metro, and many prefer cash.
What are the best neighborhoods for cheap eats in St. Louis?
Three corridors stand out. Cherokee Street is the taqueria and Mexican-food heart. South Grand is a dense international strip with Vietnamese, Mediterranean, and more. And Olive Boulevard in University City is the authentic Asian corridor (Chinese, Korean, and beyond). The Delmar Loop and The Hill also pack in value with global fast-casual and split-worthy Italian delis. All reward a hungry, adventurous, budget-minded eater.
Is St. Louis a good city for cheap eats?
Absolutely — St. Louis is one of the better big cities for eating well on a budget. The cost of living is low, portions run generous, and the metro is rich with authentic taquerias, delis, diners, and global family restaurants where a satisfying meal costs under $10-12. Iconic cheap treats like Ted Drewes and the slinger round it out. You genuinely do not need a big budget to eat great here.
Written by a dedicated team of St. Louis locals who live, work, and play right here in the St. Louis metro. Founder Lane Forman and team are committed to building the region’s most trusted directory by verifying listings and connecting local businesses with loyal customers across Missouri and Illinois.