Cheap Eats in San Francisco

Dining in San Francisco doesn’t mean you have go broke while eating or sell your soul before leaving for the city. There are plenty of delicious and cheaply priced restaurants that are just waiting for you to come in. Some of these come highly recommended.

Grubwithus

This social dining restaurant hosts meals nightly for 6-12 people with locations throughout the city. A 3-course, family style meal will run you approximately $30 with tax and tip included. Each day their website is updated with the dinner for the day and the price. Before stopping by make sure you reserve your seat online and pay for your meal. While at their site, you can also see the other “Grubbers” you’ll dine with.

Pakwan

This authentic Indian restaurant is located in the Mission and is mostly self-service. After getting in line and ordering your meal, you’re given a number. You pick up your own food, silverware and drink. You can get a most dishes for $10. They also have a vegetarian menu.

Yamo

This little hole-in-the wall restaurant also located in the Mission can get you a meal for under $7. Due to the limited counter space there’s frequently a line out of the door, but it moves quickly. You can choose form anything on their menu which holds all sorts of combinations of noodle bowls. These are made with fresh ingredients right in front of you.

Liguria Bakery

This corner bakery has been servicing San Francisco for 100 years this year and is located in the heart of North Beach. They only sell focaccia (flat oven-baked bread originating in Italy). but make it in a variety of flavors. They’re most popular being the pizza focaccia. However, plan to get there early because once they’re sold out – they close! It’s cash only but you’re likely to spend less than $10 on your focaccia. If you’ve got some cash left, head two blocks down to Molinaris’ Deli for some meat and make a delicious focaccia sandwich.

Don’t spend most of your trip at McDonalds skimming the dollar menu. Explore the restaurants around the city and try these delicious and affordable places.

Nichole is a senior at Middle Tennessee State University majoring in Journalism and double minoring in Global Studies and Political Science. She hopes to one day travel the world and learn how to say “where’s the toilet?” in as many languages as possible. While studying in her family’s homeland, Italy, she learned two very important lessons: there’s nothing better than eating blood orange gelato in front of the Pantheon and wine really is just grape juice.