09-07-2025
Boston's best cheap eats: 19 places to grab a bite for $20 or less
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Bova's
Bova's
Erin Clark/Globe staff/File
This iconic 24-hour bakery has no end of Italian sweets, but don't sleep on the savory offerings, including thick Sicilian slices and arancini, gooey in the center and the size of a fist. But the real stars are the half-calzones, $12 (if you order in person) but hefty, stuffed with chicken parmesan; sausage, pepper, and onion; spinach and cheese; and more, all enveloped in a golden, glistening crust. One makes two meals, at least.
Address:
134 Salem Street, North End
Phone:
617-523-5601
Find online:
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Buenas
Empanadas at Buenas
Adam DeTour for The Boston Globe. Food styling by Sheila Jarnes.
Argentinian-American owner Melissa Stefanini — a transplant from Los Angeles, like her Buenas partner Sebastian Galvez — started selling empanadas because she couldn't find authentic ones close to home. Purists will be happy with her classic ground-beef-and-onion version, but creativity, and affordability, is what makes Buenas shine: trios of moon-shaped dough — stuffed with everything from saucy Frito pie bursting with enchilada sauce, to chicken and waffles, and even Cinnamon Toast Crunch — can be had for about $13, and make the ideal lunchtime sampler.
Address:
1 Bow Market Way, Unit 14, Somerville
Phone:
Not available
Find online:
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Dolma Mediterranean Cuisine
Dolma Mediterranean Cuisine
Shakshuka, red lentil soup, dolma (stuffed peppers), and other specialties are on the menu at this Turkish restaurant in Brookline. Yesim Otsuz, from Antalya, Turkey, along the Mediterranean coast, cooks the food of her homeland for guests, who can sit at tables inside or out.
Address:
5 Kendall Street, Brookline
Phone:
617-487-5852
Find online:
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Dumpling House
Dumpling House
Come with a small and hungry group and be prepared to share. The staff are efficient and professional, buzzing through this perennially busy Cambridge staple with plates of piping hot fresh dumplings. It would take months to move through Dumpling House's entire menu. But to start, order up braised eggplant, steamed soup dumplings, and Szechuan dried crispy spicy chicken.
Address:
950 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Phone:
617-661-8066
Find online:
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El Peñol Restaurante
El Peñol Restaurante
Lane Turner/Globe staff/File
Almost nothing is over $20 at this trio of Colombian restaurants in East Boston, Brookline, and Revere. The dishes range from crisp, compact beef empanadas (a savory steal at $1.50), to cornmeal-crusted stewed chicken turnovers ($3.50), to thinly pounded fried chicken drenched in a velvety mushroom cream sauce, enough for three people at just $17. It's friendly and family-run; Marina Balvin opened the first restaurant in 1998, and her family still oversees the kitchens. The staff hasn't changed much, and neither have the prices.
Address:
54 Bennington Street, East Boston
Phone:
617-569-0100
Find online:
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Evergreen Eatery + Café
Evergreen Eatery + Café
We have mixed feelings about letting this secret out, but here goes: Evergreen, right off the Orange Line's Green Street Station, is a delicious and affordable spot with something to delight everyone. The egg and cheese breakfast sandwich on an English muffin comes in under $5 — and is exponentially better than the similar offering at a certain ubiquitous local chain. A weekend splurge is the Golden Avocado Toast, with hard-boiled eggs and balsamic glaze, at about $13. There's ample seating, including a biergarten-style patio that fits couples, friends, families, and groups. It's the perfect spot for Jamaica Plain's eclectic mix of residents — or a quick to-go bite on your way downtown.
Address:
154 Green Street, Jamaica Plain
Phone:
617-477-9573
Find online:
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Flavor Boom!
Flavor Boom!
Lane Turner/Globe staff/File
In a lunchtime landscape of assembly-line bowls, Flavor Boom! breaks the mold with tall cartons of rice, vegetables, and meats from around the world — Indonesian-inflected, milky beef rendang; Thai-inspired shrimp curry; a garlicky Moroccan blend of stewed eggplant and chickpeas. Founder Jim (Jun) Tao is a compulsive traveler; he's been around the globe and longed to recreate the healthy, cheap fast food he devoured on his trips. These one-tub meals are about $11: cheaper than a plane ticket (and most sandwiches), and a transportive midday pick-me-up. In addition to a downtown location, find outposts in Jamaica Plain, Kendall Square, and Watertown.
Address:
155 Milk Street, Downtown, and other locations
Phone:
857-330-2846
Find online:
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Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe
Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe
Adam DeTour for The Boston Globe. Food styling by Sheila Jarnes.
Gene Wu's hand-pulled noodles had already won a following when he opened this, his second restaurant, in 2013. (He now has branches in Woburn and Westford as well.) They are magnificent: thick, chewy, rustic, and topped with chili oil, cilantro, and drifts of raw garlic or cumin-laced lamb. You can also get them in steamy soups. The Downtown Crossing restaurant serves flatbread sandwiches (hence its name) for around $6, plus spicy lamb skewers, and other specialties from Wu's native Xi'an.
Address:
86 Bedford Street, Downtown Crossing
Phone:
617-482-1888
Find online:
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Gyro City
Gyro City
Jonathan Wiggs/Globe staff
Gyro City achieves velocity with some of the best (and, importantly, largest) gyros in Boston. Fast and affordable, the sandwiches feature tender meat, crispy fries, and delicious sauces — tzatziki with pork and mustard sauce with chicken. Other classics such as the Greek salad, the souvlaki, and the spanakopita are also hits, or venture deeper into the menu for under-the-radar gems like the kolokithokeftedes (zucchini fritters) or gemista (stuffed pepper and tomato).
Address:
183 Chestnut Hill Avenue, Brighton
Phone:
617-903-4248
Find online:
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Hemlock Grill
Hemlock Grill
Barry Chin/Globe staff/File
You don't have to play (or even like) golf to go wild over Alex Sáenz's restaurant inside the Robert T. Lynch Municipal Golf Course, which is open to the public. A 1930s clubhouse with wood paneling is the setting, though you can sit outside overlooking the links. The chef is known for his fried chicken sandwich ($13), fish and chips ($16), pulled pork ($12), and more — all at prices you don't usually associate with food at the 19th hole.
Address:
1281 West Roxbury Parkway, Chestnut Hill
Phone:
617-879-5687
Find online:
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Hot Box
A pretension-free ode to an only-in-Massachusetts rivalry: South Shore bar pizza versus North Shore roast beef. Bar pizza is the burnt-edges exemplar of the form, coated to the edges with burbling mozzarella and cheddar; the roast beef here is best savored 'Arbeez' style, piled onto a griddled roll and folded into puddles of American cheese sauce. Take either to go from Bow Market for under $15.
Address:
1 Bow Market Way, Unit 6, Somerville
Phone:
617-284-9600
Find online:
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Life Alive Organic Cafe
Life Alive Organic Cafe
Herbaceous, umami-packed ingredients tie together the grain bowls, wraps, and noodle soups that have made this local vegetarian chain a staple for the health-conscious. Finish your meal with a fruit smoothie or cold pressed juice; it's affordable fast-casual fare at its most nourishing. There are locations around the Boston area, as well as more in Dedham, Lowell, and Salem.
Address:
765 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, and other locations
Phone:
617-354-5433
Find online:
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M&M Barbecue
M&M Barbecue
Adam DeTour for The Boston Globe. Food styling by Sheila Jarnes.
Maurice and Marion Hill (they're the M&Ms) started the family barbecue business in 1982, but their grandson Geo Lambert took over and took it to new heights with his food truck, catering business, and, since 2020, his restaurant inside Dorchester Brewing Co. The ribs, brisket, and pulled pork are justifiably famous – and make their way into towering sandwiches like the Geneva Ave (brisket, pickled onions, smoked cheese sauce) and Columbia Rd (pulled pork, crushed red peppers, pickled red cabbage). But don't ignore the mac and cheese, barbecue baked beans, and other sides. Salads and a plant-based chicken sandwich are on the menu, too.
Address:
1250 Massachusetts Avenue, Dorchester
Phone:
617-307-7674
Find online:
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Mi Pueblito Restaurant
Mi Pueblito Restaurant
Vincent Alban for the Boston Globe/File
The bonus at this family-friendly East Boston gem is that it offers delights from three culinary traditions. Mi Pueblito's Mexican food, such as the chiles rellenos and fajitas, is sublime, as are Guatemalan and Salvadoran dishes including a cheese and loroco pupusa that has an intoxicating aroma from its edible flowers. There's also a wide range of breakfast dishes at each of the restaurant's two locations.
Address:
333 Border Street, East Boston, and other location
Phone:
617-569-3787
Find online:
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Pho Viet's
Pho Viet's
Josh Reynolds for the Boston Globe/File
Originally located at Super 88 food court near Boston University, Pho Viet's settled into a nearby storefront several years ago (and there's a second location in Newton Centre). But it's still run by the Tran family, and counter service is just as fast. The Vietnamese menu is interlaced with some Chinese and Thai ideas. When it's hot out, go for cooling fresh spring rolls, rice vermicelli bowls, and a plump bánh mì.
Address:
1022 Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline
Phone:
617-562-8828
Find online:
Related
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Pure Cold Press
Pure Cold Press
Looking for a fast casual place in Coolidge Corner with omelets, sandwiches, salads, and pizza – packed with fresh ingredients? We've got you covered here in Coolidge Corner. The restaurant's name, Pure Cold Press, suggests a trendy juice bar, but it's much more than that. Owner Haim Cohen's all-Kosher menu includes shakshuka, a spicy Asian quinoa wrap, and a burrito with vegan Impossible meat. Grab take-out or, in a room filled with local artwork and colorful plants, share smoothies with a friend or feed the family.
Address:
326 Harvard Street, Brookline
Phone:
617-487-8948
Find online:
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Shanti
Shanti
Handout/File
Savin Hill boasts some great restaurants, and one of the oldest spots in this close-knit Dorchester neighborhood is this cozy and serene eatery that has been serving reasonably priced Indian and Bangladeshi fare for more than 25 years now. The space — much like its other location in Roslindale — has an intimate old-world feel, making for a great date-night experience where diners can choose from outstanding takes on aromatic biryani, red-hot vindaloo, and smoky tandoori chicken, in what could be one of the quietest restaurant spaces in all of Boston.
Address:
1111 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, and other location
Phone:
617-929-3900
Find online:
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Sullivan's Castle Island
Sullivan's Castle Island
David L. Ryan/Globe staff/File
It's not officially the end of winter in Boston until Sullivan's opens on Castle Island. Enjoy a juicy burger or snappy Kayem hot dog (add chili and cheese, because why not?) while taking in the gorgeous views, all without breaking the bank. Don't miss the hand-cut onion rings, and top off your meal with a soft-serve ice cream. The iconic food stand has been around for more than seven decades, and there's a reason for the constant lines out the door. Find a sister location in Hanover.
Address:
2080 William J. Day Boulevard, South Boston
Phone:
617-268-5685
Find online:
Boston Globe Best of the Best winners for 2025 were selected by Globe newsroom staff and correspondents, and limited to Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and Brookline. We want to hear from you:
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