Copyright Boston.com
In this economy, we could all use a budget-friendly guide to area restaurants. Finding affordable dining options in Greater Boston isn’t easy. With rising prices, scoring a meal under $20 — one that’s actually delicious — has become more of a challenge than ever. Thanks to inflation, high rent, tariffs, and other factors, a simple work lunch can cost a downtown diner $25. Double that for dinner, and expect to empty your wallet if your bill has any alcohol on it. When you step outside in Greater Boston, you’re bound to pay a premium. But that doesn’t always have to be true. Though the field of great meals under $20 may be narrowing, there are still restaurants serving up tasty plates of food at an affordable price tag. And let’s face it: in this economy, it feels more relevant than ever to share our collective budget restaurant recommendations. That’s where Boston.com comes in. Over the next several months, we’re exploring Greater Boston suburbs to find and share the best budget bites in each town or city. To start, we’re headed to Somerville. The quirky suburb is known for its arts, culture, and thriving food scene. The city is home to James Beard Award-nominated Sarma — considered one of Greater Boston’s best restaurants — and other eateries like Field & Vine and Celeste regularly make “Best of Boston” lists in local and national publications. Our first guide may be our most challenging, but there are still plenty of options within Somerville’s borders. Buenas 1 Bow Market Way, Somerville Also a Boston Globe budget food pick, diners aren’t stretching their budget when they go to Buenas for empanadas and hot dogs. One empanada is $5, depending on whether it’s a classic flavor (like their ham and cheese) or a special (past editions have included an impossible big mac and crab rangoon flavor). These may seem more costly than your average empanada, but owner Melissa Stefanini strives for quality when preparing this Latin street food. Like those crab rangoon empanadas? It’s made with real crab. “They’re too cheap for what I’m putting into them, but that’s OK,” Stefanini said. Under $20 meal recommendations: Buenas currently offers a weekday lunch meal deal for $11.11, which gets you an empanada, a pasta salad, and a drink. Or similar to the Wendy’s 4-for-$4 meal deal, customers can get four classic flavor empanadas for $4 each, if they pay in cash. Carolicious Multiple locations This Venezuelan restaurant — now with three locations and a Boston Public Library pop-up — keeps its menu simple and consistent. There are arepas, bowl versions of those arepas, and one appetizer (tequeños, or cheese sticks). Owners Carolinas Salinas’ and Carolinas Garcia’s favorite dish turns the pabellon, Venezuela’s national dish, and turns it into a bowl topped with pico de gallo. “Pico de gallo [isn’t] in Venezuela, but we think the acid and freshness of tomato makes our bowl pretty nice.” Under $20 meal recommendations: A bowl, such as the recommended pabellon, will cost you around $13, which includes more food than the arepas. Sometimes there’s even enough for leftovers. Dakzen 195 Elm St., Somerville Davis Square’s Dakzen has become a staple in the Somervillian diet, with its flavor-popping Thai street dishes. Some menu items are recognizable, like Pad Thai and gyoza, but its original owners started the business in 2018 with a goal to make their menu more authentic. Under $20 meal recommendations: It’s really hard to beat the prices at Dakzen, where most dishes start at $12.95, and most proteins don’t even cost extra. In this case, go for the Khao Soi, and if you’re willing to splurge, add crispy pork belly for an additional $4. Ebi Sushi 290 Somerville Ave., Somerville Affordable sushi does exist at businesses that aren’t grocery store prepared food aisles, believe it or not, and at Ebi Sushi, you’re getting higher-quality cuts of fish prepared into rolls, nigiri, or sashimi. Under $20 meal recommendations: There are several ways you can eat sushi at this Union Square spot on a budget, including the lunch maki pick-two combo for $15.99. In need of an easier meal for dinner, pick between tuna, salmon, and yellowtail for five pieces of sashimi ($18). Highland Kitchen 150 Highland Ave., Somerville This neighborhood bar and restaurant has been serving Southern-influenced comfort food and slinging ice-cold beers since 2007, and it’s even mostly affordable for a weekday dinner or date night. Expect a slight wait, but once you’re seated, you’re in for friendly hospitality and a filling meal. Under $20 meal recommendations: You’ll need to stick with the sandwiches at Highland Kitchen to leave with a $20 bill, but it’s a good thing that Highland Kitchen’s sandwiches are big, come with plenty of fries, and are tasty. Order a chicken sandwich ($15) either plain, buffalo fried, or Nashville hot — which comes with a warning. Or splurge a little more on the HK double cheeseburger ($18), voted one of Boston’s best burgers. Kelly’s Diner 674 Broadway, Somerville You won’t find too many spots these days like Kelly’s Diner, a two-piece dining car that makes classic, greasy goods for breakfast and lunch. You’ll almost certainly spend under $20 at Kelly’s, but not with a debit card — this decades-old eatery is cash-only. Under $20 meal recommendations: For a hearty plate of comfort food, order Kelly’s special, which comes with three eggs, two slices of bacon, two sausages, toast, and home fries for the low price of $6.49. Koshari Mama 585 Somerville Ave., Somerville The best way to keep your menu less expensive? Leave meat off of it, Koshari Mama owner Sahar Ahmed said. “When you have the world of plants you can play with, it can be very affordable.” Protein fiends, don’t you worry: dishes like the signature Koshari pack enough protein in it that you’ll be full for at least 8 hours, according to Ahmed. Under $20 meal recommendations: The Koshari, also Egypt’s signature dish, is Ahmed’s go-to. The dinner portion rings up right at $20, but you can get the lunch portion day and night for $14. She also recommended the lentil stew with a side of rice or bread, $8 for lunch and $10 for dinner. Taco Loco Mexican Grill 46 Broadway, Somerville East Somerville is home to some true budget-friendly staples for diners looking for heaping offerings of Mexican, Salvadoran, and Brazilian cuisines. But what Taco Loco does best, despite its name, is its made-to-order pupusas. Under $20 meal recommendations: You already know we’re going to say the pupusas — a griddled cake stuffed with cheese and beans, and is El Salvador’s national dish — and here’s why: they cost $3.50 a piece, and you likely won’t need more than two or three given the larger pupusas served at Taco Loco. Tu Y Yo 858 Broadway, Somerville There are plenty of budget-friendly Tex-Mex options around Greater Boston, but for authentic Oaxacan food at affordable prices, Tu Y Yo is your best bet. “These are the dishes that, if you go to Mexico, you will find,” said Edwin Perez, part-owner of Tu Y Yo and Abuela’s Table in Jamaica Plain. The menu features traditional options like grasshopper tacos and enchiladas covered in a rich mole sauce. Under $20 meal recommendations: Perez said the enchiladas ($18.95), which comes with three enchiladas and a side of beans and rice, is one of Tu Y Yo’s most popular dishes. But his go-to is usually the fish tacos ($17), and the restaurants brunch menu is one of Somerville’s best bargains, with most of the dishes priced under $14. Vinal Bakery 222 Somerville Ave., Somerville English muffin breakfast sandwiches are the focus of this bakery and cafe. “You’ll see a lot of the same ingredients used in different ways. It keeps our prep more minimal, and at the same time, we have less waste,” owner by Sarah Murphy said. Get a sandwich as simple as the American Classic — just eggs, cheese, and salted butter — or go for a seasonal option sometimes topped with bratwurst patties or beer cheddar English muffins.
