Cheap eats in Albany under $10
Twelve places where two people can eat well for under $20 total, verified in the last six months.
Hot dog and fries on a paper tray at a downtown Albany counter
The under-$10 lineup
Gus's Hot Dogs on Broadway: $4 dogs, $6 combos, cash-friendly counter service since 1970. Bombers Burrito Bar on Lark Street: $9 giant burritos, $2 tacos on Tuesdays. El Mariachi on Hamilton Street: $3.50 street tacos, three fills you up. Ted's Fish Fry on Wolf Road: $8 haddock plate. Roll’n Rye on Wolf: $8 half-sandwich lunch with soup.
The counter and bakery route
Cardona's Market on Delaware Avenue: $8 Italian sub, get the sopressata. Placid Baker at Troy Farmers Market Saturdays: $5 pastry plus $4 coffee. Perreca's Bakery in Schenectady if you’re day-tripping: $6 Italian bread plus $4 tomato, best picnic ever. Honest Weight Co-op deli on Watervliet: $9 hot bar plate, endless options.
Ethnic value plays
Ala Shanghai on Wolf Road: $9 hand-pulled noodle bowls, best Chinese in the Capital District. Kim's One Stop Vietnamese Deli on Central: $8 banh mi that would cost $14 in Brooklyn. Emack & Bolio's on Lark: $6 ice cream cone (dessert only but too good to skip). Sunhee's at Troy market: $9 kimbap or rice bowl.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask before they set off on this one.
Bombers Burrito Bar on Lark Street: $9 for a burrito that feeds most people. Under $10 including tax.
Iron Gate Cafe runs $10 to $14 plates, over budget. For under $10, the Miss Albany Diner on Broadway does $8 breakfast platters until 2pm.
Yes for Ala Shanghai, Ted's Fish Fry, and Roll’n Rye. All three are genuinely the best of their category in the region, not just cheap.
Yes: four Bombers burritos at $9 each, water, and skip the drinks. Or Gus's hot dog combos at $6 apiece leaves you $16 for sides and drinks.
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