NY · Cheap eats
The 10 best cheap eats in New York.
Cheap, and over the odds on quality. Harry's list is ranked by Worth It score: how much quality you get for what you spend, not just how little you spend.
New York's cheap eat mythology is real. The $1 pizza slice still exists and is still fine. The Halal cart on 53rd and 6th is not a tourist myth. Flushing's food court is the single best cheap-eat destination in America. Chinatown has soup dumplings and hand-pulled noodles at prices that make no economic sense. The city is expensive; the food doesn't have to be.
How Harry ranks cheap eats
Value is not just price.| Cheapest tier | The cheapest price tier, or the second tier when a real source confirms it and Harry rates the place Great Value or Cheap but Cheerful. |
|---|---|
| Worth It score | The ranking. It measures quality against price, so a high number means the place punches above its price class. Not just cheap; cheap for what you get. |
| Harry Score 70+ | Cheap eats still have to be good eats. Nothing under seventy, and nothing Harry rates a tourist tax, a false economy or paying for the scene. |
Harry's ten — New York
Ranked by Worth It score.- 01Tamal Express
mexican — 70 W 183rd St, Bronx
4.9 across 98 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; unusually good for what you'll pay.
Great ValueWorth It
83
Harry
93
- 02DupBopBro - Korean Rice Bowl
korean · vegetarian — 309 E Houston St Frnt#3, New York
4.9 across 235 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; ranked #624 of 15,733 locally on Tripadvisor.
Great ValueWorth It
83
Harry
92
- 03The Lunch Box
3 E 53rd St, New York
4.9 across 550 Google reviews; praised by NYT (NYT 100 Best NYC (2025)).
Great ValueWorth It
83
Harry
87
- 04Yori Box
korean — 1 Greene Ave, Brooklyn
4.9 across 174 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; unusually good for what you'll pay.
Great ValueWorth It
82
Harry
91
- 05Koji Chicken
tea-house · korean — 764 9th Ave, New York
4.9 across 931 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; more than you'd expect at this price.
Great ValueWorth It
82
Harry
90
- 06La Tête d'Or by Daniel
steakhouse — 318 Park Ave S
4.8 across 871 Google reviews; named by Eater and Condé Nast Traveller.
Great ValueWorth It
82
Harry
89
- 07Nova Pizza & Grill
pizza — 1739 2nd Ave, New York
4.9 across 95 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; unusually good for what you'll pay.
Great ValueWorth It
82
Harry
89
- 08SLICE ‘N SPICE DELI & GRILL
451 3rd Ave, New York
4.7 across 3.2k Tripadvisor reviews, and Google lands in the same place; praised by Travelers Choice (Tripadvisor Travelers Choice 2025).
Great ValueWorth It
82
Harry
89
- 09Sogno Toscano Cafe´& Wine Bar
italian · cafe — 508 W 28th St, New York
4.9 across 646 Google reviews, and Tripadvisor lands in the same place; OpenTable diners back it up at 4.9.
Great ValueWorth It
82
Harry
89
- 10Unregular Pizza
pizza — 88 Essex St, New York
4.9 across 915 Google reviews; unusually good for what you'll pay.
Great ValueWorth It
82
Harry
89
How this list is built Places across New York with a Harry Score of 70 or more in the cheapest price tier, or a confirmed second tier that Harry rates Great Value or Cheap but Cheerful. Nothing Harry rates a tourist tax, a false economy or paying for the scene. Chains with several branches get one entry. Ranked by Worth It score. No restaurant pays to appear. Scores last recomputed .