Everything is expensive these days. Gone are the date night dinners for under $50, and I don’t even want to think about what it costs to feed a family on a night out in Boise.
Luckily, there are still options for cheap, delicious, and locally made food. We rounded up some of our favorite restaurants you might not have heard of serving dishes for under $10.
Downtown Boise: Pub Fare, Dumplings, & Sushi
It’s true, you can find food for under $10 downtown! And I’m not only talking about JD Bodega’s two hot dogs for $4 deal.
The requisite croquetas will push you over the $10, but Bar Gernika’s chorizo, grilled cheese, burgers, and soup and salad all provide budget-friendly options at this City Cast Boise-favorite central downtown Basque pub.
The new Korean street food restaurant at the corner of the historic Adelmann Building serves mostly sides like dumplings for under $10, though their lunch specials are just north of double digits. Seoul Street does a great boba, so a boba tea, joomukbap (try it with kimchi), and musubi spam rice wrap make a perfect small lunch or snack.
Zee’s is not only a hidden gem rooftop but delightfully cheap with all their sandwiches and breakfast items below $10.
This sushi is Americanized and per roll isn’t the best in town by far, but it is cheap and quick, with a lot of good vegetarian options.
Shawarma a lá Food Land Market. (Blake Hunter / City Cast Boise)
The Bench: Empanadas, Kabab, & Baguette
Not only does the Bench’s quality and diversity of food rival (if not best) downtown’s, it’s cheaper across the board.
For fresh empanadas at a steal, look no further than Tango’s, which also serves sandwiches and burgers for less than $10. If you’re new to empanadas, I recommend trying one classic Argentinian version like cuzco (vegetarian), el puerco (with pork), and gaucho (with beef) before branching out to, say, the mac and cheese empanada.
This Mediterranean restaurant and grocery store has platters over $10, but a ton of options like tikka, kabab, shawarma, and hummus sides that you can mix-and-match on a budget.
Can’t stop, won’t stop referring people to this Vietnamese deli connected to Fred Meyer on Franklin and Orchard Streets for their báhn mì (baguette) sandwiches. I recommend the house special, pork loaf, or rotisserie chicken sandwiches, especially for a picnic.
This is a Vista Bench staple for many parents because of their breakfast burritos and burgers, but those are cheap enough you should try the French toast sticks, too. They also have a location out near Micron on Federal Way.
West Bench: Grilled Chicken, Quesadillas, & Noodles
The Bench is simply too big and has too many options not to split it up! Here are cheap options north of Emerald Street, and east of Orchard and 36th Streets.
For a cheap and delicious quesadilla (or enchiladas, tacos, or tamales), try this Mexican market and restaurant on Fairview Avenue. They also occasionally have pan dulce!
I can’t vouch personally, but trusted sources say Wok-Inn Noodle is tasty and quick, and their lunch specials are very budget friendly.
A friend recently introduced me to Fiesta Chicken, and as a grilled chicken lover I don’t know how I ever went without. Their enchiladas, tacos, and burritos are all great, but maybe best of all are their family platters: 12 pieces of chicken and three large sides for $20-25.
Almost all of Cobby’s half sandwiches fall under $10, but their seasonal specialties are also worth the splurge. They’ve got two locations, one on Chinden Boulevard and another on Overland Road.
Broadway & East: Fresh Bread, Cheap Pizza, & Burgers
I maintain that Broadway Avenue restaurant scene unjustly flies under the radar, but most of my favorites there fall outside of a ten buck limit — except for these.
It doesn’t get better than Zeppole’s whole sandwiches priced under $8, especially on their housemade bread. Hot sandwiches are a little more, but peak at $11.
You know I had to include Boise’s go-to cheap, by the slice pizzeria, but Broadway Avenue also has a great pizza deal with Idaho Pizza Company’s lunch buffet.
BFC’s best location might be at Bown Crossing, and only their bison burgers top $10. Your fries will put you over budget, but those you can split.
