memorable cheap eateries

[kalispice]

Bay Area Cheap Eats

• Bear Ramen: Superb kim chee fried rice and curry ramen for a grand total of $11. (Berkeley, CA)
  
• Tea Station: Boba made with quality tea (not churned out like a factory, Tapioca Express style). They also serve yummy Chinese snacks like steamed tea dumplings. (various CA locations)
  
• Little Lucas: You haven't had a real sandwich until you've tried a Little Luca's sandwich. Dutch Crunch piled thick with your choice of meat and veggies, it's the spicy secret sauce that makes the difference. $9 for a humungous sandwich plus a side of macaroni salad that is meal enough for two. (San Bruno, CA)
  
• Top Dog: For a girl who despises hot dogs, I won't turn away a lemon chicken dog from this joint. (Berkeley, CA)
  
• Spices II: Here you can order hot pot with different flavored broths, as well as delicious morsels of battered chicken and peppers and a side of mapo tofu that'll make your mouth burn. (San Francisco, CA)
  
• Tu Lan: One of Julia Child's favorite restaurants, this hole in the wall--and I really do mean hole in the wall; This place is dirtier than a nightclub bathroom--serves enormous portions of tasty fried rice, chow mein, and other vietnamese/chinese dishes. A grand total of $18 bought four meals: dinner and a lunch of leftovers for two. (San Francisco, CA)
  
• Naan n' Curry: I'm a person who seriously dislikes Indian cuisine, but the dishes here are really good, especially the chicken/lamb tikki masala. (San Francisco, CA)
  
• Zachary's Chicago Pizza: I'm not a fan of deep dish pizza, but man is this place good. (various east bay locations)
  
• Everett & Jones Barbeque: Soul food supreme: chicken, ribs, collard greens cooked in bacon, cornbread, potato salad... ok, so it's not the healthiest restaurant, but hey. Somethimes good food is worth sacrificing the waistline. Mmmmm. Just thinking about it makes me drool. Live music and microwbrewed beers; this place is great for large groups. (various east bay locations)
  
• La Mediterenee: Ok, this is not a super "cheap eat," but it is the only place I will go for mediteranean food. Around $10-12/entree, and you have to get an appetizer of hummus and baba ganoush for $5. (San Francisco, CA)
  
• Ti Couz: Not a particularly "cheap eat" either, but they serve a great cheese plate and superb dinner and dessert crepes (there are two S's in dessert, because you always want more!) San Francisco, CA
  
• Sonoma Chicken Coop: At $15/person for a meal of salad, main course, and dessert, this place is on the higher end of "cheap." But excellent quality food, including a chocolate fondue as a dessert selection! Live music during dinner and a patio with a fire place makes this an ideal place to take a first date. (San Jose, CA)
  
• Cheeseboard: This delicious pizza joint only sells one kind of pizza each day, by the slice and whole. But you can't go wrong with toppings like garlic, mushroom, goat cheese, and basil. YUM. (Berkeley, CA)
  
• Shanghai Dumpling House: One of my favorite places for soup dumplings and fried potstickers. (Millbrae, CA)

So. Cal Cheap Eats

• Tito's Tacos: Located in Culver City, the best tacos (and guac) north of Mexico. These tasty little tacos must've been deep fried in some addictive substance. The week I moved back to the bay area from LA, I ate at Tito's Tacos 3 times, knowing it would be my last for a really long time. (Culver City, CA)
  
• Versailles: I miss the lemon garlic chicken with black beans and plantains. Mmmmm. I still have yet to find a good Cuban restaurant in SF. (various So. Cal locations)
  
• Natalie Thai: My favorite restaurant for chicken pad see ew. (Culver City, CA)
  
• Johnnie's Pastrami: Generous portions of hot pastrami squished in between two slices of bread making a sandwich so thick you can't open your mouth wide enough to bite it. Served with a huge pickle. Their fries are great and always fresh too. (Culver City, CA)
  
• Shin Sen Gumi: Every single person I have brought here turns into a regular. No doubt because you'll have the best meal of your life that $7.50 can buy (ramen with a side dish of fried rice, pork and egg over rice, or spam masubi), served by a bunch of really hip Japanese waiters. (Costa Mesa, CA)
  
• California Chicken Cafe: No one can beat the chinese chicken salad here. Add a side of roasted red potatoes and you've got a meal fit for a king. (various So. Cal locations)
  
• Pink's Hot Dogs: Another hot dog place can get me to deny my non-hotdog-luvin' values. Delicious chili dogs and fries served here--if you can get through the line that wraps around the block (Los Angeles, CA)
  
• Lala's: Oooh la la, great Argentinean cuisine served here, not to mention it's a fun date place (Los Angeles, CA)

Miscellaneous Cheap Eats

• Edison Diner: Breakfast anytime of the day. Even at 4am after a long night out in NYC. California really needs some good diners. Denny's is not a diner. (Edison, NJ)
  
• Sichuanese Chinese: a yummy little chinese joint in Chinatown, Seattle that I used to frequent. They serve the tastiest fried dumplings and spicy string beans. (Seattle, WA)
  
• Curry House Coco Ichibanya: Maybe because Nor. Cal doesn't have many curry houses, I really miss this place. Curry over ramen, curry over rice, you name it, they'll put curry over it. (Honolulu, HI)
  
• ONO Hawaiian Foods: This was the best Hawaiian food that I found in Waikiki. My favorite was the chicken steamed in ti leaves (or chicken lau lua). I tried to get frozen chicken lau lau at an Asian market once and it just wasn't the same. (Honolulu, HI)
  
• Leonard's Bakery: If I could figure out how to make malassadas here on the mainland, I'd be a millionare. Krispy Kreme can't compare to these tasty deep fried delights. (Honolulu, HI)
  
• Peet's Coffee and Tea: This isn't an eatery, but if you are a coffee connoisseur, stop by Peet's to taste absolutely the best cup of joe ever. But wait: if you taste Peet's, you Starbucks people just might be converted for life. Quality is the word here. (various U.S. locations)
  

to be continued...