Cheap, but good restaurants

OK, the economy is kicking our asses over here. And we have severely cut down on our going out budget, severely!

But, we would still like to eat out on the weekends, we just need to do it much cheaper. Last night we went to Red Hot and spend $60 for 3 of us and it was very enjoyable (Red Hot is my fave Chinese place in the nabe, hubby still prefers Tofu, but I won)!

But, we can't go there every weekend. Where else would you suggest? We already plan on going to Daisy's Diner sometime and getting burgers from 5 Guys, Steinhof's is a good one also. Hit me with other suggestions.

i can make a nice meal on a budget at olive vine. their lentil soup and hummus are delicious!

i just had mango (thai) the other day for the first time, and thought it was really good also.

bonnie's grill...?

Nana. Brooklyn Bread heros for $10 are easily two solid meals.

Bonnies is still a good bet for dine-in cheap burgers and wings.

La Taqueria still has enormous burritos that you can even split for under $10.

But I guess none of these are fine dinning. I still think for an upscale Manhattan atmosphere you can't beat Melt's at-the-bar burger and fries special. $10 and it's damn pretty in there.

Park Slope Ale House! Or Pizza Plus...they are so lovely, and sell cheap beer.

Mamacita wrote: Bonnies is still a good bet for dine-in cheap burgers and wings.

La Taqueria still has enormous burritos that you can even split for under $10.

But I guess none of these are fine dinning. I still think for an upscale Manhattan atmosphere you can't beat Melt's at-the-bar burger and fries special. $10 and it's damn pretty in there.

I won't go near Bonnie's!

la Taqueria is a good idea and have never tried Melt, will check them out.

new2hood wrote: Park Slope Ale House! Or Pizza Plus...they are so lovely, and sell cheap beer.

Don't like the food or service at Park Slope Ale house-but, it was a good thought pricewise.

Pizza Plus, we walked by there yesterday and were talking about how years ago (i am talking 15 at least), we used to eat there a lot and I said we should go there again. definitely going to check them out too!

Keep them coming people, i bet I am not the only one who can benefit from this thread.

city sub on bergen!!!!

Tonio's is decent enough price wise and food wise. 7th Ave Donuts will always stay below the $10-$13 level for entrees. Not bad entrees at that.

i also really like luscious up on 5th...

and cafe tapeo and canaille bistro seem to be a little more reasonably priced than some others...

also i love bogota latin bistro and don't recall that it's ever broken the bank...

So many better Italian places around that are better than Tonios...I would go to Pizza Plus for inexpensive food. I have to say that Red Hot was my favorite Chinese place but not since they reopened

Can't beat a couple tostadas from Los Pollitos on Douglass and 5th. I can fill up there under $10.

Went to Los Pollitos once, it was good, forgot about them.

Shame on you all for forgetting the mascot of Brooklynian eateries.

CARNEVIENTO!!!

The cheapest and most delicious roast chicken, beans and rice in brooklyn! Check out the link!

http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32346&highlight=

And where is Carneviento? Ah, I see Flatbush, Carlton and Park? So, in PH?

don't forget about Aunt Suzie's. They have plenty of choices at reasonable prices. And for those further south that are fans of La Taqueria just hit up Rachel's!

If you're careful, you can make a cheap meal out of more places than you think you can. Stick to the pasta, and drink water, at Al Di La, for example. Have a sandwich at Blue Ribbon.

James (I know....it's on Carlton....whatever) is doing half-priced burgers and drinks at the bar before 7:00 PM. That's one hell of a burger at one hell of a price, let me tell you.

We spend a lot more money on dinner in this city because of alcohol. Walk into a place with great drinks, and entrees in the teens, and having two drinks will lead to your alcohol bill equalling your dinner bill. I can down three strawberry caprioskas and a coconut mojito at Bogota in about five minutes if I'm not careful.

While I doubt Convivium, Applewood, Tempo, and Rose Water will ever fit the bill here, you'd be surprised at how far some restraint will take you just about anywhere else.

Cafe Steinhoff. This place is woefully under appreciated. And don't forget their $6 goulash Mondays.

If only the Ale House served better food! Although the wings are pretty decent.

thanks for the tip about James, JO518...i hadn't heard about that deal!

i love that place.

weird...I have found the Steinhoff food never as good as it should be, while the ale house's food is definitely a step above your basic bar fare.

Cafe Steinoff is a really good bargain. I really like their chicken paprika, which is $12. but sandwiches are mostly $9.

I also just went to Sidecar Bar & Grill for the first time this past weekend. We shared the fried oyster appetizer (mmm so good!). I had their Bahn Mi sandwich, which differs from the traditional Vietnamese version by using duck mousse pate (rather than the Vietnamese pork pate, which is more ham). It came on a really big ciabatta bread and was accompanied by a shot glass of cucumber juice. It was really good but too big for me to finish. and it was only $11. My bf had their fried chicken, which he said was good too. We sat at the kitchen bar and watched the cooking action. A bit frenzied but it appeared that a lot care went into the preparation.

Bar Toto also has good but cheap pizza and panini ($7-$9).

Java Indonesian Rijsttafel at 16th and 7th Ave is greasy but tasty. I think the rijsttafel is ~$40 for 2 people which includes more than enough food.

If you share a pizza at Bar Toto (6th Ave and 11th ) it will be a very reasonable dinner in a nice atmosphere.

If you share an appetizer (wings or quesadias) and an entree at La Cantina on 4th Ave and 12 street and get there in time for happy hour margaritas you will be get away pretty inexpensively.

El Viejo Yayo - 9th street between 6th and 7th ave. - good quality good
at fairly reasonable prices.

Yes - Bar Toto's pizzas are HUGE! I like the one with salad on top.

just curious LTS: why the put-down of bonnie's?

I was wondering the same thing. Bonnie's has the best burgers in Brooklyn and their service has always been outstanding even at their busiest.

Oooh, I forgot about Bar Toto. FANTASTIC call.

J0518 wrote: If you're careful, you can make a cheap meal out of more places than you think you can. Stick to the pasta, and drink water, at Al Di La, for example. Have a sandwich at Blue Ribbon.

James (I know....it's on Carlton....whatever) is doing half-priced burgers and drinks at the bar before 7:00 PM. That's one hell of a burger at one hell of a price, let me tell you.

We spend a lot more money on dinner in this city because of alcohol. Walk into a place with great drinks, and entrees in the teens, and having two drinks will lead to your alcohol bill equalling your dinner bill. I can down three strawberry caprioskas and a coconut mojito at Bogota in about five minutes if I'm not careful.

While I doubt Convivium, Applewood, Tempo, and Rose Water will ever fit the bill here, you'd be surprised at how far some restraint will take you just about anywhere else.

I agree with you about alcohol, that jacks up the bill a lot and we have cut that out.

Unrepentant Fenian wrote: I was wondering the same thing. Bonnie's has the best burgers in Brooklyn and their service has always been outstanding even at their busiest.

Went there once last summer after hearing rave after rave about their burgers and hubby and I love a good burger. not only did i think the service was horrible, but, I also thought the place was filthy. the floors (especially the floors!), the table, just everything skeeved me out. And, i was with hubby and a friend and they felt the same way.

I suppose it's just a matter of opinion, but I have yet to find anything at Bonnie's that I would go back for. I wish I liked it more, because there's something about the place that makes me want to go, but I've gone three or four times for different things and have been let down.

if it's a good burger you're jonesing without breaking the budget, sometimes hubby and i go to johnny mack's: we split a burger and fries, and a pear salad. plenty of food for 2, and enough $ left over to each have a pint

kitchenbar in south slope/greenwood heights also has lots of variety for not a lot of money.

I have always wanted to try Kitchenbar, will give it a try