Where can you get a delicious, inexpensive meal for under $15 in San Francisco? In a city where we’re constantly reckoning with sky-high housing prices and living budget-friendly lifestyles, it’s essential to have a few affordable restaurant ideas in your back pocket. We asked our Instagram followers for their favorite cheap eats in San Francisco and got some fantastic recommendations. Read on for an incomplete list of SF restaurants that give you the most bang for your buck, in no particular order. Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom for a map!
1. Saigon Sandwich
Saigon Sandwich is a must for fresh, tasty, and affordable bánh mi in SF — and these massive sandwiches run for just $5.50 each. Pick up your choice of Vietnamese sandwiches with fillings including roast chicken, roast pork, and meatball pork. Keep in mind that there’s usually a line, the restaurant is cash only, and you must order to go (Jefferson Park is only a 10 minute walk away if you want to have a picnic).
📍 Location: Little Saigon • 560 Larkin St San Francisco, CA 94102
2. Delancey Street Restaurant
If it’s homestyle burgers, sandos, and brunch items you crave, Delancey Street Restaurant is a must. Think 3-egg scrambles and eggs benedict with home-fried potatoes for under $10, grilled chicken sandwiches and Reubens for under $12, and pasta dishes and BBQ chicken for under $16.
Delancey Street Restaurant is a training school for the Delancey Street Foundation, which is the country’s largest residential self-help organization. The restaurant is run by Delancey residents and all tips are considered donations to help feed, clothe, and support the residents so that they may lead successful lives free of drug and crime.
📍 Location: Embarcadero • 600 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94107
3. El Farolito
This classic, local taqueria offers enormous portions and quality meat options for burritos, tacos, chiles rellenos, quesadillas, and more. A regular burrito with rice, beans, salsa, and meat comes to under $9, and the most expensive item on their menu (carne asada or alambres con camarones) barely cracks $15. It’s also a great late-night haunt, because the kitchen is open until the wee hours of the morning at most locations. Be advised that El Farolito is cash-only!
📍 Locations:
- Mission District • 2950 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
- Mission District • 2779 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
- Chinatown • 1230 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
- Excelsior • 4817 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94112
4. Good Luck Dim Sum
Get a stack of tasty dim sum to go at this cash-only neighborhood haunt in the Inner Richmond. Choose from a wide range of dumplings, cakes, and buns that come to just $4.20 for 3, meaning you can mix and match all you want to create your own unique plate. Don’t forget to take a look at the larger items which include a plate of spare ribs for just $9 and salted pork in bamboo leaves for $5.80.
📍 Location: Inner Richmond • 736 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118
5. DragonEats
Just about everything on DragonEats’ Vietnamese street food menu is $10 each. This includes sandwiches, rice noodle bowls, salads, and rolls with flavors like spiced chicken, roasted pork, roasted duck, teriyaki tofu, and pork meatball. Grab a Vietnamese iced coffee or a house-made lemonade and you’re good to go.
📍 Locations:
- Haight-Ashbury• 1671 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117
- Civic Center • 520 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102
- SoMa • 555 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94105
6. Golden Boy Pizza
Golden Boy is your quintessential late-night pizza joint. But even during waking hours, it still hits the spot with its fluffy, doughy squares available by the sheet or by the slice. A slice will run you between $3.50-4.50, and a 13″x9″ pan starts at just $12 and feeds 2.
📍 Location: North Beach • 542 Green St, San Francisco, CA 94133
7. La Oaxaqueña
This no-frills Mexican restaurant in the Mission is a must for $12.50 burritos, $15 tortas, and even giant tlayudas that serve 2 for just $19. La Oaxaqueña is especially memorable for its more unique menu items, which include jumbo grasshopper tacos, tarantula meat (on occasion), and piping hot Mexican hot chocolate (to which you can add guajillo chili powder and ginger for an extra kick).
📍 Location: Mission District • 2128 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
8. Kevin’s Noodle House
Phở Huỳnh Hiệp, also known as Kevin’s Noodle House, serves up quality Vietnamese noodle soups averaging between $12-14, which you can order in small, medium, and large sizes. Even the large combination rice plates with grilled pork chops, beef, and egg rolls come to under $15.
📍 Location: Outer Sunset • 1833 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
9. Lou’s Cafe
Lou’s Cafe specializes in gigantic sandwiches with a quarter-pound of Boar’s Head premium deli meat each. You can build your own sandwich for $10.85 or order from the gourmet menu, which averages around $12.50. Lou’s also serves up hearty breakfast sandwiches and gourmet salads.
📍 Locations:
- Central Richmond • 5017 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118
- Chinatown • 275 Battery St, San Francisco, CA 94111
- Financial District • 100 Pine St #102, San Francisco, CA 94111
- Parkside • 1508 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 9411
10. Pakwan Restaurant
Get your fill of Pakistani Indian food at Pakwan. The menu boasts large shareable plates including bengan bhartha for $12 and chicken biryani for $15. If you’re feeling fancy, you can spring for the meat curries at $15.99, but it’s easy enough to keep prices down with most other menu items topping out at around 12-13 bucks for a generous serving.
📍 Locations:
- Tenderloin • 501 O’Farrell St, San Francisco, CA 94102
- Mission District • 3182 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
- Balboa Park • 1140 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112