Best Cheap Eats in San Francisco

The banh mi are well-regarded for their outstanding taste, fresh ingredients, and perfectly balanced flavors, with particular recognition for the bread's texture.

“Amazing Banh Mi! Everything about it was amazing.”

Service is frequently described as friendly, sweet, and welcoming, contributing to a positive customer experience.

“The worker was sweet !”

The atmosphere is consistently described as a small, unpretentious, to-go joint with limited or no seating.

“No frills atmosphere (and service)”

The restaurant is lauded for its generous portions and affordable prices, offering first-rate value for money.

“Generously sized banh mi for $9.”

The food is well-regarded for being delicious, flavorful, and well-prepared, with a focus on homestyle Japanese dishes. Specific highlights include the beef curry, udon, teriyaki chicken, and sushi.

“Just, everything. Trying this place just once is not enough!”

Service is remarkably friendly and personal, with owners frequently remembered by name and treating customers like family. The staff is noted for being welcoming and energetic.

“Amazing service.”

The vibe is that of a small, friendly, and bustling neighborhood takeout spot, characterized by the warm interactions with the owners.

“A very sweet husband and wife serving”

The restaurant offers excellent value, with generous portions of delicious food available at very low prices, making it a standout for affordability in San Francisco.

“Best value in SF hands down.”

The food is well-regarded for its authentic Cantonese style, freshness, and delicious flavors, with many dishes highlighted as first-rate.

“Authentic, super delicious and fresh. The inside of this restaurant is nicely lit and very clean.”

Service is generally described as friendly, delightful, and prompt, though some signs suggest staff were under pressure during busy periods.

“The service was very prompt and attentive, and the atmosphere very relaxing.”

The atmosphere is noted as cute, cozy, and pink, creating a pleasant and fun dining experience.

“The interior is cute and pink all over. It's a vibe”

Diners consistently find the prices to be top-notch, especially given the generous portion sizes.

“You can see the pride in product in this hard-working woman-owned business. The food: spectacular! The portions: Ginormous.”

The food is well-regarded for its bold flavors, generous portions, and high-quality ingredients, with burritos and quesadillas being particular highlights.

“The best burrito in town.”

Service is generally efficient and friendly, though specific mentions of outstanding service are infrequent and older.

“Friendly staff”

The atmosphere is described as having a Mexican feel, with a bar area, but it is not a primary focus for diners.

“Mexican feel to it”

The restaurant offers first-rate value with large portions at very fair prices, making it a highly cost-effective option.

“Great value, huge burritos”

The food is well-regarded for its delicious flavors, particularly the al pastor tacos and burritos, with generous portion sizes.

“Amazing food with stellar service”

Staff are frequently described as sweet and providing stellar service, contributing to a positive customer experience.

“The sweetest staff”

As a food truck, the vibe is casual and functional, located in a gas station parking lot.

Customers consistently highlight the outstanding value, with large portions and reasonable prices making it a great steal.

“A real bang for your buck”

The sushi is well-regarded for its outstanding freshness and high quality, often compared favorably to more expensive sit-down restaurants.

“Absolutely best sushi I've had”

Service is generally friendly and efficient, particularly for a grab-and-go establishment, though order management can be an issue during peak times.

“Staff were friendly and attentive”

The atmosphere is functional and geared towards quick takeout, lacking a traditional dining ambiance.

“No frills takeaway sushi”

Diners consistently highlight the outstanding quality of sushi relative to its price, often described as a great deal.

“Quality to price ratio”

The banh mi sandwiches are well-regarded for their delicious flavors, fresh ingredients, and perfectly toasted bread. Specific meats like BBQ pork and tofu are frequently highlighted.

“One of the best Bánh Mì”

Staff are frequently described as friendly, sweet, welcoming, and accommodating, contributing to a positive customer experience.

“Super sweet friendly service”

The restaurant is described as a small, cozy, unpretentious, and cute little shop, often noted as a 'hole in the wall'.

“Tiny hole in the wall restaurant”

The sandwiches are consistently noted as being very affordable, with many diners highlighting the excellent price-to-portion ratio.

“SO reasonably priced ($7!!)”

The banh mi sandwiches are well-regarded for their authentic flavors, generous fillings, and perfectly crispy or soft bread, with many diners calling them the best they've had.

“Best sandwich I've ever had”

Staff are frequently described as kind, friendly, and amazing, contributing to a positive overall customer experience.

“Great service and authentic Vietnamese food”

The atmosphere is functional and geared towards quick service, with limited seating noted by one diner.

“Has just two seats”

The restaurant is lauded for its excellent pricing, with many diners highlighting the affordability of combos and sandwiches.

“Great price for the sandwich”

Pizza is well-regarded for its delicious, fresh ingredients and flavorful, well-executed crust, with the clam and garlic and pepperoni slices being particular highlights.

“Clam and garlic is INSANE!”

Service is generally friendly and efficient, though some diners note a lack of approachability or occasional slow queues.

“Service was lovely as well!”

The restaurant offers a lively, authentic San Francisco street food experience, often enjoyed in nearby parks.

“Authentic city feel.”

The pizza is widely considered to be an excellent value, with generous portions and affordable prices for the quality offered.

“Incredible value!”

The sushi is well-regarded for its excellent freshness and quality, with many diners calling it the best they've ever had. The fish is expertly prepared, and dishes like the salmon miso and matcha cheesecake are frequently highlighted.

“The fish is phenomenal, fresh”

Service is frequently described as friendly, attentive, and genuinely warm, with staff often going above and beyond, such as offering complimentary items or securing lost belongings.

“Service was amazing and so was the food”

The atmosphere is often described as cozy, cute, intimate, and relaxing, with pleasant decor and music contributing to a welcoming ambiance.

“Cute decor, amazing cheesecake”

Diners consistently find the prices to be very reasonable, especially given the high quality of the sushi and other dishes, making it an outstanding deal in the city.

“Very reasonably priced sushi”