The Cheap Sheet

Abu Nader Deli
This inconspicuous little storefront hides one of the Twin Cities’ best-kept secrets for home-cooked schwarma sandwiches, meat pies, cheese and spinach pies, baba gannouj, tabbouleh, and hummus served up in large quantities at gentle prices. Platters and combos are all in the $5 to $7 range, served with home-baked pita that comes out of the oven fresh each day. The best falafel sandwich in town, a two-fisted affair topped with homemade turnip pickles, is only $6. 2097 Como Ave., St. Paul, 651-647-5391

Band Box Diner
Recently remodeled, this Twin Cities institution does a great job with eggs, pancakes, and other breakfast fare, all at scarily low prices. Egg breakfasts start at just over $3 and are served up with some of the best classic home fries (they call them American fries), made with twice-cooked red potatoes. The small-patty, griddled burger is a diner lover’s dream. It’s served with fries for $4.50, or you can upgrade to a one-third-pound burger for $6.60.  729 S. 10th St., Mpls., 612-332-0850

Black Sea
Fans of full-flavored eastern Mediterranean cooking will love this small spot for Turkish food. A meze platter starts at $4.95, the plate groaning under the weight of all the hummus, feta, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage rolls, and olives. The stuffed grilled chicken, beef, and lamb gyro-style sandwiches are all under $4. Grilled shish kebabs are all under $7 (the lemony lamb or chicken skewers are awesome), and the grilled shish kebab combination for two, loaded with nearly every item on the menu, is only $13.95—and perfect for sharing. 737 Snelling Ave., St. Paul, 651-917-8832, blacksearestaurant.com

Buon Giorno Italia
All the local Italian markets deliver great bargains when it comes to low-frills lunch fare, but when quality is added to the equation, nothing beats Buon Giorno. Sandwiches, salads, cheeses, and salumi are displayed in a counter running the length of the store. Don’t miss the prosciutto-tomato-mozzarella sandwich, and on the way out, fill up the car with San Marzano tomatoes. Lunches are $7 or $8. 981 Sibley Memorial Hwy., Lilydale, 651-905-1080

Cheng Heng
No Cheap Eats compilation is complete without this little linoleum-and-fluorescent family-run Cambodian restaurant that shares space with a jewelry store. Giant steaming bowls of noodle soup and humble stir-fries and rice dishes are all under $10, most in the $6 to $8 range. A pair of fresh spring rolls is only $3, and the famous wok-tossed ginger chicken is only $6.95, meaning two can have a wonderful lunch, with fresh coconut juice, for less than $15. 448 University Ave., St. Paul, 651-222-5577

East River Market
The Rainbow Chinese folks have spun off a sibling: Nina Wong’s small grocery store and lunch counter serving home-style Asian cuisine. Only six seats are clustered around the small wok and griddle, and the menu features small appetizers (the Chinese-style, sweet-soy, glazed grilled wings are phenomenal, and just $5.25 for eight), fried rice, lo mein, chow fun, and noodle soups. Delicate steamed dumplings and peanutty scallion-topped cold sesame noodles always seem to be on special. The freshness factor is high; prices in the $5 to $9 range. 1500 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls., 612-676-1818

Everest on Grand
Yes, Virginia, there is a lunch buffet featuring rice, roti, pulao, dahl, pakora, and pyazi, plus four entrées, Nepali vegetarian and meat specials, a huge salad bar, chutneys, raita, and desserts all for only $9, including tax. And, yes, it is the only restaurant in town that serves both yak and goat, but Everest is also a superb choice for hungry diners looking for something unique. Try the steamed or fried momos, little dumpling pastries filled with your choice of tasty fillings. Team them with any of the curries, and you have a great meal for two for under $20. Everest also serves daalbhaat (a Nepali tasting menu) that includes dessert, for under $20. 1278 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 651-696-1666, hotmomo.com

Evergreen Taiwanese Restaurant
Connie Fan can be seen bustling in the kitchen every time the door swings open in this basement Taiwanese restaurant she and her family run. Evergreen serves the best pot stickers and stir-fried eggplant with basil in town, and the rest of the menu can hold its own with any home-style Chinese cookery. With more than 100 menu items (only two are over $10) and a cold appetizer selection that features twelve items that are almost all under $3, these prices are insane. Don’t skip the spicy garlic cucumbers, ginger-seaweed knots, or tofu-skin salad. (Closed Tuesdays.) 2424 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-871-6801

Ike’s Food and Cocktails
Ike’s delivers a nice-sized sirloin called the Roadhouse Steak. She comes topped with onions and mushrooms, served with fries, salad, and soup, all for $22.99. A deal and a half as far as we’re concerned. And still the cheapest and best steak dinner in town. 50 S. 6th St., Mpls., 612-746-4537

Joey D’s
Joey D’s has been making fans of Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwich happy for years. New owners recently took over, and loyal patrons wondered if the place would stay the same. It got better. Skip the filler and head straight for the beef sandwiches loaded with giardinera and dipped in beef gravy ($5.39). They’ll keep you sated all day. Ditto the signature Chicago dogs. Replete with sport peppers and celery salt, they’re only $2.45, but at lunch, a pair with a soda goes for $5.70. 3101 E. 42nd St., Mpls., 612-729-5507

Kramarczuk’s Eastern European Deli
This Nordeast culinary landmark has a delicatessen that has specialized for fifty years in Eastern European meats, cheeses, and baked goods second to none. If you are a first-timer, get the Kra-kowska or fresh Ukrainian sausages in the deli, then head to the dining room, where Orest Kramarczuk serves up heaping portions of stick-to-your-ribs food. Grilled sausage sandwiches are $6.39. The goulash plate is $7.69 and is served with pierogi, bread, and butter. Lunch platters with a drink are all under $10. 215 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls., 612-379-3018

Liberty Frozen Custard
Vicky and Steve Uhr set the bar as high as possible for their egg yolk–enriched natural custard, made at a slightly higher temperature and speed than ice cream to achieve the silky, dense structure that custard addicts crave. Kiddie cones are 90 cents; a Gulliver-sized four-scooper is only $2.20, a bargain of the largest proportions. Chocolate and vanilla custard are always available; flavors of the day are as eclectic as black raspberry or mango, and Italian ices are $1.15. 5401 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-823-8700

Louie’s Habit
From Highland National to Ikea to Gopher Bar to The Wienery, you can find great hot dogs at rock-bottom prices, but the best deal in town, considering quality, has to be the two-dog combo at Louie’s Habit. There are cheaper dogs to be sure, but Louie’s custom-made, griddled beef masterpieces come on a soft yeasty bun with coleslaw and pickles for $8 a pair or $10 if you want Louie’s pricey fries. 1179 Wayzata Blvd. E., Wayzata, 952-249-7700

Manny’s Tortas
Manny’s is getting so popular it’s hard to believe folks still don’t know about it. All the tortas are Cuban-style pressed sandwiches, in dozens of different combinations, all served on a wedge of baguette. For $6.95, Manny’s Special starts with a trio of ham, beef, and Swiss cheese, with lettuce, onion, avocado, jalapeños, chipotle mayo, and griddled vegetables. There is a second location in Mercado Central on Lake Street, and Manny’s will make its debut at the Midtown Exchange Building Global Market at Chicago and Lake next spring, which means if you haven’t tried one of Manny’s sandwiches, you will soon have no excuse left. 2700 E. Lake St., Mpls., 612-728-1778

Maverick’s
Maverick’s serves up some of the best and beefiest sandwiches in town. Don’t let the lunchtime line of cops and firefighters intimidate you—it’s a sign of quality! Pink and juicy roast beef or hot brisket served on butter-toasted rolls are Maverick signatures. We like to gobble a pair of jumbos, with hot beef jus for dipping. Others pile on all the fixings they can handle, courtesy of a well-stocked condiment bar. A regular combo is $6.69 and features a sandwich, soda, and crisp fries, or bump it to $7.50 and get a shake instead. 1746 Lexington Ave. N., Roseville, 651-488-1788

Pho 79
Quang Deli may have the best pho in town, but for the money, Pho 79 is your Vietnamese value king. Soups are all stuffed with noodles and traditional fillings, and, at just over $5 a bowl, they’re a steal. With more than forty-five soups and dozens of noodle salads, everyone can find a favorite (ours is #35, egg noodle soup with pork and shrimp wontons, bbq pork, and plenty of basil). The big secret is Pho 79’s chicken wings, which come eight to an order for $3.75—try the spicy ones, glazed in a sweet-hot Thai chili sauce. 2233 Energy Park Dr., St. Paul, 651-644-2327; 2529 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-871-4602

Pineda Tacos
Pineda fans argue endlessly about the merits of its different locales. The 311 Lake Street location is as gritty and visceral as any hole in the wall in town, but some fans swear the chicken in green chili or chipotle-braised pork is better there than at any other Pineda. The 2150 Lake location is bigger, cleaner, and built for volume, but lacks the charm of the other two. No matter—Pineda offers some of the best taqueria fare in town, roughly fifteen different beef, pork, and chicken braises and roasts, all served on tacos for under $2 or in burritos starting at $4.80. 311 E. Lake St., Mpls., 612-825-7466; 2150 E. Lake St., Mpls., 612-729-5320; 1304 Robert St., West St. Paul, 651-455-6833

Punch Neapolitan Pizza
Pizza may be the ultimate cheap eat. If thin Neapolitan-style pizza topped with San Marzano tomatoes and whole-milk mozzarella is your bag, then head to Punch, where a small Greco salad, a pizza Margherita, and tiramisu total under $20 and make a nice meal for two. Only St. Paul offers table service. 8353 Crystal View Rd., Eden Prairie, 952-943-9557; 3226 W. Lake St., Mpls., 612-929-0006; 704 Cleveland Ave. S., St. Paul, 651-696-1066

Red’s Savoy Inn and Pizza
At Savoy’s, the working-class antithesis of the elegant and airy Punch, you can get a ten-inch cheese pizza for $6.90 or a fourteen-incher for $9.90. The pizza almost implodes under the weight of all the cheese and the bold, big sauce. And it is true—they do sell a sauerkraut-sausage pizza ($9.47) that may be the most perfect bar food on the planet. 421 E. 7th St., St. Paul, 651-227-1437

Salsa a la Salsa
Only a few years old, Salsa a la Salsa may not be the cheapest place in town (it’s close) for Mexican, but it’s the best. At these prices, no one has an excuse. Appetizers and à la carte taqueria fare are all under $10. More sophisticated food is in the $9 to $12 range—the legendary chicken mole (served Puebla-style with two black bean tamales and rice) is only $9.59. But this is a restaurant, not a taco bar, so expect table service, a decent wine list, cold Mexican beers, and limey margaritas. Olé. 1420 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-813-1970

Shanghai Circus
Last year, Lund Food Holdings (Lunds and Byerly’s) began replacing the sad Leeann Chin kiosks with a modern pan-Asian quick-serve concept called Shanghai Circus, developed by Chicago’s Lettuce Entertain You. Traditional Asian street food, the Hong Kong–style steamed bun is one of the tastiest cheap and easy snacks imaginable. The bite-sized balls of tender dough are wrapped around delectable Chinese-style fillings—barbecue pork, teriyaki chicken, Thai curry chicken. The beauties are $1.29, six for $7.59. At Edina Lunds, lundsmarket.com, and Edina, Chanhassen, and Ridgedale Byerly’s, byerlys.com

Surabhi Indian Cuisine
Surabhi is the best all-around Indian restaurant in town, albeit one of the best-kept secrets. Be prepared to find loads of Northern and Southern Indian specialties, a dozen breads, and a real tandoor that produces charred and moist chicken, lamb, and fish—all for a mere pittance when you consider that every curry, masala, korma, and kebab on the menu can be ordered as part of a multicourse thali dinner with rice, chutneys, soup, dahl, bread, and dessert for between $10 and $13. Dosai and stuffed breads are all under $6, and the ubiquitous lunch buffet is only $7.95 during the week and $8.95 on weekends (expect the usual suspects). 9818 Aldrich Ave. S, Bloomington, 952-746-3663

Ted Cook’s 19th Hole BBQ
Stuff yourself silly on some of the best barbeque in the upper Midwest at Ted Cook’s. For $17.95, you and a friend can split a rack of wood-smoked, open-pit–fired spare ribs, plus slaw, bread, and a pile of thinly sliced “jo-jo” potatoes. Get a side of collard greens, a slice of pie, two plastic forks, and go softly into that good night because Ted Cook’s has nary a table in sight—it’s strictly carryout. We dare you to try to make it home without breaking into your bag of goodies. 2814 E. 38th St., Mpls., 612-721-2023

Udupi Café
It is impossible to drop big dollars at Udupi. All entrées are served in bountiful portions, most hovering under $10. Go with a few friends and stuff yourself with some of the best Indian food in town for a pittance. The lunch buffet is $8 during the week and goes up to $11 on weekends, when it expands from roughly fifteen dishes into a torrent of chaats, dahls, dosai, and other Southern Indian treats. The restaurant is vegetarian, but no carnivore I have ever taken to Udupi has noticed. 4920 Central Ave. NE, Columbia Heights, 763-574-1113, udupicafemn.com

West Indies Soul
The freshest and most flavorful island-style food in the Cities calls this place home. The small family-run cafeteria has the best jerk chicken and ribs in town, and some phenomenal island curries and stewed fish. All the platters are served with Texas toast and potato wedges or your choice of three rices, but fried plantains and coco bread also get thrown in, making West Indies Soul one of the best places for the most filling meals in town. Team up any of the entrées with a homemade ginger beer and a wedge of freshly baked sweet potato pie and you have a tropical bacchanal. Lunch and dinner platters start at $11. 625 University Ave., 651-665-0115, members.aol.com/westindiessoul

Wagner’s Drive-In
Still the best drive-in burger in town: ground chuck, griddled with onions, bunned, and returned to the griddle and covered, allowing the bun and burger to heat as one. (This is position #17, The Nesting Burger, in the culinary Kamasutra, and Wagner’s pulls it off as well as any place in the Cities.) A cheeseburger, fries, and large malt will set you back $7.51. Individual burgers are just $2.30. Hwy. 7 and Quebec Ave. S., St. Louis Park, 952-933-1857

Whole Foods Market
Go to the salad bar and look around. See row upon row of balsamic vinegar–glazed beets, chili-lime tofu, African cabbage sauté, and dozens of vegetable salads and sides. Create a series of dishes—for a weekday dinner, or as a time-saver when entertaining. At $7.99 a pound for perfectly grilled vegetables, this is the home cook’s ace in the hole. 30 Fairview Ave. S., St. Paul, 651-690-0197; 3060 Excelsior Blvd., Mpls., 612-927-8141