When money is tight, the first thing you cut from your budget doesn’t have to be eating out.
Everything is more expensive now, of course — according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices rose 9.1% in the year ending June — but Louisville actually has long-standing restaurants where you can order a meal on a budget.
Plus, with record heat waves, who wants to fire up an oven and cook right away?
Here are 10 local Louisville restaurants where you can eat for less than $10.
Bandido Taqueria Mexicana
423 University Boulevard; 2901 Goose Creek Road; bandidotm.com
This California-style taqueria has most of its menu under $12 and several locations in Louisville. Bandido’s signature burritos are around $12, but a basic burrito or burrito bowl is still tasty and will set you back $9.95. Cheese quesadillas are $7.25 and a meal of three tacos is around $9. Try a pollo asada burrito with grilled chicken, salsa fresca and guacamole ($9.95), a Bandido breakfast burrito with green chilaquiles, eggs, beans, cheese and sour cream ( $9.25) or three beef taco rolls topped with guacamole and cotija cheese ($5.50). ).
check cafe
1101 E. Burnett Avenue; checkscafelouisville.com
This neighborhood bar and grill has been around for 60 years. Check’s serves dozens of simple sandwiches ($4 to $12), as well as fish sandwiches, hand-rolled oysters, hot dogs and sides ($1.50 to $5). Popular items include Check’s classic club sandwich loaded with turkey, ham and bacon with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise, and the $5 Bratwurst. The highest price on the menu is a basket of 10 chicken wings for $16, and that’s likely due to the skyrocketing cost of chicken wings during the pandemic.
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Christi’s Cafe
12810 Dixie Hwy; christiscafe.com
This cafe on Dixie Highway serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with breakfast being served all day. You can grab a two-egg plate with various breakfast meats for $9-13 or an omelet for less than $10. The lunch and dinner menu starts with $9 fried entrees, hot wings ($11 to $100), soup, salads and wraps. There are a dozen sandwiches, all served with fries and a pickle, for less than $10. The burgers are a little more expensive, between $9 and $11.50. Try Christi’s Patty Melt with two slices of cheese, grilled onions and crispy bacon on Texas toast ($10) or the Chili Cheese Big Mouth Burger topped with homemade chili and grated cheese ($10.49). There is also a variety of dishes, sides and vegetable dishes to share with the family.
Restaurant Goose Creek
2923 Goose Creek Road; gcdiner.com
This traditional Southern restaurant has a menu full of affordable dishes, with entrees like Goose Creek meatballs ($10), soups and salads. Typical Goose Creek fare, like fried steak or chicken livers, will set you back $11-$15, but the BBQ pulled pork sandwich is $10, and fried cod, honey chicken salad and club sandwiches are all $11 and served with a side. . Goose Creek serves a lunch menu Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with dishes like chicken pot pie, fried chicken, salmon croquettes, and chicken livers under $10, and there’s also a Sunday brunch option.
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Lonnie’s Best Taste of Chicago
121 St. Matthews Avenue; lonniesbesttasteofchicago.com
This Chicago-style cafe has been serving affordable meals since 2001 with all your Chicago favorites: hot dogs ($4.09-$6.29), Polish sausages ($6.59-$8.29), burgers (4 $.19-$9) and Italian beef sandwiches ($6-$10.59). . There are also specialties like gyros with fries ($8.50), hot wingettes ($7.29), and pizza puff pastry ($4.59). The Wabash chili dog served on a poppyseed bun with homemade chili, mustard and chopped onions ($5) is popular, as is the Rush St. chili cheese dog with the same toppings and cheese hot melt ($5.49). Customers also love the Well St. Italian sausage, served on a six-inch roll topped with mustard, sautéed peppers and onions ($8.29).
Safier Mediterranean Deli
641 S. 4th St.; safierdeli.com
This Middle Eastern delicatessen offers daily specials in addition to its affordable menu. Appetizers like hummus or falafel with pita, spinach pies or lentil soup cost between $4 and $5.25, salads and vegetarian dishes like tabbouleh and mujadara cost between $6.50 and $8. $. The café offers traditional kebabs and shawarma as a sandwich wrapped in pita bread ($5.50-$7.50) or as a platter served with house salad, basmati rice and pita bread ($9.50-$ $18). Popular items include grilled tenderloin shish kabob skewer, chicken shawarma wraps made with marinated grilled chicken, and kafta kabob made with two skewers of ground beef with onion, parsley and spices.
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Shirley Mae’s Cafe
802 S. Clay Street; shirleymaescafe.com
This southern restaurant is only open Thursday through Sunday, but it’s worth stopping in for dinner. Chicken wings and fish are fried to order and all sides are prepared fresh as well. The menu is small but popular, with house favorite southern fried chicken wings, barbecued ribs, chitterlings, pork knuckle, pork trotters, meatloaf, fried fish and chops pork for $5 to $7 for protein only, $11 for a breakfast special or $12 for a dinner special with two sides and hot water cornbread. Build your own plate with real country sides ($3) and finish it off with a personal-sized cobbler, chess pie, pecan pie, or “B’nana Puddin'” ($5-$8).
Soupy’s
3027 Hunsinger Lane; soupys.net
This little store opened in 1995 and has since served over two million cups of soup. It’s known for its soup, obviously, but you can grab a soup and half a sandwich or a soup and salad combo for $8. Soup and a whole sandwich or burger combos are $9. The soups are sold in sizes ranging from one cup ($3) to one gallon ($39), in eight flavors, including the popular Cheesy Potato and Chicken and Dumplings soups. There’s chili with and without spaghetti, salads and sandwiches for less than $6. Finish your meal with a cookie or a cobbler or a fountain drink. You can not be wrong; nothing on this menu is over $9 unless you order a plot of soup.
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The fish house
1310 Winter Avenue; fishhouselouisville.com
Louisville locals love fried fish in sandwich and platter form. Fish House sandwich combos come with fries and coleslaw and cost between $6 and $10 depending on the type of fish you get (Schrod, Tilapia, Catfish or Haddock). There are also chicken tenders ($9), seafood dinners with fries and coleslaw ($12-$16), and sides like coleslaw, seafood chowder, pancakes potatoes and macaroni and cheese ($2-$5). Don’t forget to grab a donut (or three) to finish your meal. It’s only $1.50 for one or $4 for a plate of three fried desserts.
Pollo delicious
4222 Bishop Lane; yummypollo.com
This restaurant specializes in slow-grilled, Peruvian-style charcoal-grilled chicken paired with southern dishes. A quarter of dark or light meat with two sides and sauces will set you back just under $10, with half a chicken at $12 and a whole chicken meal at $23.35. Sides are small ($3) or large ($4.25) and include steamed vegetables, salad, cilantro-lime rice, and potato salad. Cookies, flans and alfajoresPeruvian sandwich cookies usually filled with dulce de leche round out the menu for $1.25 to $2.50 each.
Journalist Dahlia Ghabour covers food, culinary trends and restaurants in the Louisville area. Send tips on new places or story ideas to [email protected] or follow us on Twitter @dghabour.
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