Sometimes, you just don’t feel like cooking. Or splurging on a pricey meal.  

Luckily, the Toronto food scene has you covered. Whether you’re craving crunchy tacos or slurp-worthy noodles, you can find dining gems across the city offering global meals for $10 or less before tax and tip. Yes. It’s possible!   

I love eating delicious food (some call me a foodie), and finding amazing deals. When a restaurant meets both of these needs, I know I’ve got myself a winner.

Growing up with parents who owned a Chinese restaurant in Manitoba, the notion of eating good food has been ingrained in me from a young age. Over the years, I’ve researched and gone through countless reviews on Yelp, BlogTO, and Toronto Life to find quality eats in TO, for the best bang for my buck. The caveat with all of my taste-testing? Even if it’s cheap, it has to taste good. No exceptions. 

To kick-off my first “Cheap Eats” post, I wanted to feature three eateries that offer a fulfilling meal at an unbeatable price. Venue and customer service-wise, you’ll want to keep your expectation levels at “moderate”. Remember—we’re in it for the food. All of the restaurants below are also cash only.

So put away your pots and pans, hit up your ATM, and get ready to discover some cheap eats in Toronto!

Completo

Location:  5 Coady Ave, Toronto, ON, M4M 1L2

Neighbourhood:  Leslieville 

Hours:  11:30 am  – 9 pm, Monday – Sunday

Tang’s Pick:  Tacos (3 house-made hardshell tacos with choice of steak, pork or chorizo. Topped with house hot sauce, jalapeno-lime crema, mashed avocado, refried beans, fresh salsa, and shredded cheddar.) 

Price:  $9.75 + HST and tip

The Deal-io:

This is a relatively new discovery for me, but dannng—Completo makes some mean tacos! I tried the chorizo tacos and they were jam-packed with flavour. I couldn’t tell what I liked most… The crispy shell, the juicy bits of chorizo, or the intoxicating mixture of jalapeno-lime crema and avocado. So good! And for $3.25 per taco, what more can you ask for?

I also tried the steak box (also, $9.75 + HST and tip). Hand-cut fries came topped with thin slices of beef, two sunny side eggs, house hot sauce, and tomato-cilantro salsa. Once I broke the egg yolk over the fries, the dish gave me serious poutine vibes. With that said, I wish I had added a side of avocado on top to give the fries some more creaminess. 

Just off of Queen Street East, Completo has little indoor seating. Aside from a few bar stools inside, most of the shop’s seating is outdoors. However, dine-in or take-out, the restaurant offers a variety of tasty options, including vegetarian and gluten free, and you’ll want to check it out for yourself.

Square Boy

Location:  875 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON, M4J 1L8

Neighbourhood:  The Danforth aka Greektown

Hours:  10 am – 1 am, Monday – Sunday

Tang’s Pick: Gyro on a pita

Price:  $5 + HST and tip

The Deal-io:

When you step into Square Boy, you get a side order of nostalgia with your hamburger or wrap. This no-frills diner in Greektown has been around for decades, and is a popular spot for a reason. Although the venue might not be much to look at, the line cooks know exactly what they’re doing and your order will come out delicious time and time again. 

I’ve tried the pork souvlaki on a pita ($5 + HST and tip), and my husband has had the half chicken with fries ($9.50 + HST and tip)—which he thought was a “tonne of food”. Both tasted great; however, we both favour the gyro on a pita.

The gyro on a pita is heaping with slices of well-seasoned meat, tomato, onion, and sauce. Honestly, based on the taste and amount of food you get, the price is unbelievable. It definitely surpasses any fast-food franchise. I also like how the price point makes the food accessible to almost everyone, and the different customers popping in and out add to the overall ethos of the diner.

King’s Noodle

Location:  296 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON, M5T 2E7

Neighbourhood:  Chinatown  

Hours:  9 am – 1 am, Thursday – Tuesday. Wednesday: Closed

Tang’s Pick:  Roast Pork Congee + Salted Donut 

Price: 

Roast Pork Congee = $7.95 + HST and tip

Salted Donut = $1.25 + HST and tip

The Deal-io:

You can’t miss King’s Noodle at the bustling intersection of Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West. Roast pork, duck, and other BBQ’d meat dangle from one front window, and Chinese cooks preparing noodle soup can be spotted in the other.

The menu at King’s Noodle is extensive and I’ve tried different dishes, like the beef flank noodle in soup ($4.75 + HST and tip). But my go-to order is congee with added roast pork (shhh… this is an “off-menu” order) and a side of fried donut (or youtiao). 

Congee is a popular rice porridge in Asia, and it brings me back to my childhood. When I visited China as a kid, I remember breaking up pieces of youtiao and adding it to my congee for extra flavour and texture, during breakfast. Although the congee base tends to stay the same (i.e. boiled down rice), the flavour profile changes based on the toppings you choose. For instance, at King’s Noodle you can order congee toppings such as prawn, sliced beef, chicken, cod fish, or pig’s kidney. Hurray for variety!

What’s your favourite “cheap eat” in Toronto? Share your foodie findings in the comments section below!