Burned through your cash buying rounds at the bar? Just forked over most of your paycheck to the landlord? We’ve all been there but just because you’re low on funds doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice “fun” altogether! You might need to get a little thrifty though, especially when it comes to eating out. That means sniffing out happy hours with food options as well as digging deeper on the menu at your favorite restaurants. We’ve put together this list of 50 foods to eat under $5 in Philly to keep the foodie dream alive on a budget. Your bank account might be empty but your belly certainly won’t be! 1. Miller’s Twist 2. Philly Pretzel Factory 3. John’s Water Ice 4. Weckerly’s 5. Famous 4th Street Deli 6. Rosa’s Fresh Pizza 7. Blackbird Pizzeria 10.SLiCE 11. Fu-wah 12. Taproom on 19th 13. BRU Craft and Wurst 14. Nick’s Bar & Grille in Olde City 15. Pizzeria Vetri 16. Sweet Freedom Bakery 17. Cake and the Beanstalk 21. Khyber Pass 22. Milkboy 24. Saad Halal 25. Marathon Grill 26. Loco Pez 27. Uptown Beer Garden 28. Sampan 29. Heffee Tacos 30. Dos Tacos 31. Milkhouse 32. So Crepe 33. Couch Tomato 34. Kermit’s Bake Shoppe 35. Ishkabibbles 36. Yakitori Boy 37. Bleu Sushi 38. Cheu Noodle Bar 39. Dim Sum Garden 40. Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House 41. Fountain Porter 42. Hip City Veg 44. Honey’s Sit ‘N Eat 45. Revolution Taco 46. Knead Bagels 47. Little Baby’s Ice Cream 48. Capofitto 49. Local 44 50. Beiler’s Bakery So what are your favorite bites that are $5 or less in Philly? Tell us in the comments below!
Follow Jennifer Logue on Twitter @jenniferlogue
Plain Salted Pretzel- $2
millerstwist.com
In the mood for something a little more decadent? Check out Miller’s Twist in Reading Terminal Market for their divine plain salted pretzel. Think Auntie Anne’s but homemade.
Single Pretzel- $.75
phillypretzelfactory.com
Yes this is a chain all around the Greater Philadelphia region but that just makes them even more convenient to get. At 75 cents a pop, you can bet your bottom dollar that your carb craving will be satisfied.
Medium Lemon Water Ice- $2.25
johnswaterice.com
Yes, we call it “water ice” here in Philly and John’s has been serving it up since 1945, using the same all-natural recipe: fruit, water, and sugar.
The black & white- $4 to $5
weckerlys.squarespace.com
You haven’t had an ice cream sandwich until you’ve sampled one from Weckerly’s. Their most popular is the black & white and prices vary depending upon location.
Rugalach- $4
famous4thstreetdelicatessen.com
Open since 1923, this Jewish delicatessen serves up sandwiches the size of your head but also has a few bargain menu items including their Rugalach.
Cheese Pizza Slice- $1.75
rosasfreshpizza.com
What if I told you your last few dollars could feed you and a person in need? At Rosa’s Fresh Pizza it can. Their delicious cheesy slices are $1.75 each but if you donate $1, it buys a slice of pizza for the hungry.
Balboa Pizza Slice- $3.50
blackbirdpizzeria.com
You can eat vegan and cheaply in Philly too! Blackbird Pizzeria on 6th street offers steaming hot slices of vegan pizza for under $5. My personal favorite is Balboa which is topped with roasted cherry tomato, seitan sausage, baby arugula, pumpkin seed pesto, tofu ricotta, chilli flakes, olive oil.
8. Pizza Brain
Kira Turston Pizza Slice- $4.25
pizzabrain.org
Aside from being home to the largest collection of Pizza memorabilia in the United States, Pizza Brain makes delicious pizza. Try a slice of Kira Turston which is on a red pie with mozzarella, smoked bacon, hint of brown sugar, red onion, oven-roasted brussels sprout.
9. Lorenzo’s and Sons Pizza
Slice of Cheese Pizza- $3.50
lorenzoandsons.com
You can’t come to Philly without a slice of Lorenzo’s famous pizza. The portion is huge so you might need to be rolled out the door after you’re finished.
Slice of Sausage & Peppers pizza- $4
slicepa.com
A summer favorite that comes with mozzarella and provolone cheese capped off with Maglio’s sausage, fried long hots and fried red bell pepper.
Banh Mi Tofu Hoagie- $4.30
fuwahminimarket.com
In business since 1982, there is one word for fu-wah’s banh mi tofu hoagie and that is f-r-e-s-h.
Roasted Beet Burger- $5
taproomon19th.com
On Mondays, all burgers are ½ off all day. The Roasted Beet burger comes in at $5 even topped with fried goat cheese, mixed greens and preserved lemon vinaigrette.
Käse Spätzel- $5
bruphilly.com
During happy hour, the Käse Spätzel is a steal at $5. Think of it as German mac and cheese but this one comes with caramelized mushroom, onion and muenster.
Pulled Pork Sliders- $5
facebook.com/nicksroastbeefoldcity
Your happy hour just got happier with these $5 pulled pork sliders.
Rotolo- $4.50
pizzeriavetri.com
Food critic Craig Laban called this dish his “morsel of the year” in 2013. It’s mortadella and ricotta wrapped in pizza dough that is baked and topped with pistachio pesto.
Salted Caramel Cupcake, $4.50
sweetfreedombakery.com
This is the city’s first gluten-free, vegan and allergy-free bakery. Don’t worry, it’s all delicious. A customer favorite is the salted caramel cupcake.
Flourless Chocolate Cake, $2.75
cakeandthebeanstalk.com
Looking to satisfy your sweet tooth? This whimsical Center City spot has something for everyone, including vegan options. I WOULD INLCUDE ONE SPECIFIC ITEM
18. Metropolitan Bakery
Croissant, $2.95
metropolitanbakery.com
Finding a good croissant outside of France can be challenging but you won’t be disappointed here.
19. Termini Brothers Bakery
Ricotta Cheese Cannolo, $4
termini.com
In case you didn’t know, the singular for cannoli is cannolo, especially for the purpose of this article. We can only afford to eat one to keep it under $5.
20. Federal Donuts
Chocolate Eclair Donut, $2.50
federaldonuts.com
Oh the sweet life! This chocolate eclair donut is worth every glorious calorie.
Fresh Popped Benton’s Bacon Grease Popcorn- $5
khyberpasspub.com
Topped with cajun seasoning. Don’t worry, there’s a vegan buttered popcorn too!
Milkboy Corndogs- $5
milkboyphilly.com
Another happy hour special with jalapeno cheddar bratwurst dipped in buttermilk cornmeal batter and served with cactus mustard.
23. The Little Lion
Southern Poutine- $5
thelittlelionphilly.com
During happy hour, The Little Lion’s southern poutine, which includes farmers cheese, pork belly and fried egg, is a steal at $5.
Falafel Sandwich- $4.50
saadhalal.com
You get 3 falafel balls with lettuce, parsley, lebanese pickles, tomato and tahini sauce wrapped in pita bread.
Vegetarian Chilli- $5
eatmarathon.com
Here’s a low budget lunch option! And healthy, too.
Chorizo & Potato Taco- $2.75
locopez.com
This Fishtown taqueria has loads of taco options to choose from in case you’re not feeling the chorizo, even meatless varieties.
MexiCorn- $5
facebook.com/UptownBeerGarden
Another happy hour bargain, the MexiCorn, which is corn with a special blend of mayo, sour cream and fresh cilantro, pairs perfectly with your favorite draft.
Kim Chee Fried Rice- $5
sampanphilly.com
During their daily happy hour, you can score a bowl of satiating kim chee fried rice at a bargain, which comes mixed with shrimp, scallot, and a sunny side egg.
Tijuana Poutine- $5
facebook.com/Heffe-Taco
While Heffe Taco makes “tacos that don’t suck” their Tijuana poutine is a must try too, with Mexican chili fries, waffle fries, chilli – fried egg, salsa rosa, sour cream, radish onion and jalapeno.
Yucca Fries- $3.50
dostacosphilly.com
Yucca fries are out of this world good and what makes this deal even better is that you can get an order of guacamole with your yucca fries for only $1.50! The whole shebang is $5 baby.
Classic Grilled Cheese- $4.25
themilkhouse.com
Nothing beats the comfort of a gooey grilled cheese. You might be broke but at least you can eat your feelings.
So Caramel Crepe- $5
socrepe.com
What’s light, sweet and melts in your mouth? The So Caramel Crepe, that’s what! The salted caramel is homemade, too.
Homemade Cup of Soup- $3.69
thecouchtomato.com
It also comes with your choice of a homemade roll, crackers, or croutons.
Chai Cinnamon Bun- $3
kermitsbakeshoppe.com
What’s better than a cinnamon bun? A chai cinnamon bun!
Small “Best” Fries- $4
ishka-philly.com
These fries are free of trans fat and cholesterol at this South Street mainstay. You can also score a side of Onion Rings here for $4.50.
Agedashi Tofu- $5
yakitoriboy.com
This fried tofu appetizer is a tasty meat-free option with tempura sauce, scallions, and spicy radish.
Scranton Roll- $4.95
bleusushi2pa.com
Get the best part of the salmon (the skin!) in a roll with cucumber and unagi sauce for under $5.
Rangoon- $5
cheunoodlebar.com
Get this fried pastry filled with goat cheese, cream cheese and grilled scallion topped with almond romesco sauce for five bucks during happy hour.
Fresh Pork Moon Cake- $3.25
dimsumgardenphilly.com
This Chinatown staple has loads of cheap bites on the menu, but this one “takes the cake!”
Egg and Vegetable Noodle Soup- $4.50
nanzhounoodlehouse.com
What’s warm, filling and yummy? This soup.
Cheeseburger- $5
fountainporter.com
Sometimes you just want an awesome burger – no fries needed. In these situations, go here.
Sweet Potato Fries- $4.75
hipcityveg.com
But sometimes, you want to get your serving of veggies without the meat. Sweet potato fries count, right?
43. Tattooed Mom
Turkey Corn Dog on a Stick- $3.50
tattooedmomphilly.com
If you’re looking for affordable bites matched with artsy ambiance, Tattooed Mom has your name, well, “tattooed” all over it.
Fava Bean Soup- $3.50
honeyssitneat.com
May the odds be forever in your fava. Okay, that was bad but this soup is sure to warm you up on a cool summer night.
Empanadas- $3
therevolutiontaco.com
They have a new variety of empanada at Revolution Taco with root beer infused bacon, dates, cream cheese, thyme, almonds and honey but the spinach one is also delish!
Bagel with Spread- $3.50
kneadbagels.com
Bored with your usual bagel? Try this black sesame one from Knead with sweet potato curry cream cheese. Mind is blown.
Scoop of ice cream in a cone, $4
littlebabysicecream.com
Little Baby’s has the most imaginative collection of flavors we’ve ever seen and even offers non-dairy options, too. Balsamic Banana, anyone?
Melanzane Meat Balls, $5
capofittoforno.com
Melanzane means “eggplant” in Italian and on Capofitto’s menu, it means eggplant meatballs. At happy hour, they’re only $5.
Chicken Fried Corn on the Cob, $5
local44beerbar.com
This West Philly beer bar has some yummy noshes to pair with your drafts, including the chicken fried corn on the cob.
Handrolled donut- $.95
facebook.com/beilersdonuts
The donuts at Beiler’s are legendary and super affordable. Try the mocha creme or salted caramel. It won’t break the bank to buy two but you may need to spend some more time at the gym.
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