Exploring the Toronto foodie scene is one of the best ways to experience what this city really has to offer. Toronto is known around the country and the world as having some top notch restaurants but we all know that we can't always be splurging on expensive dinners each weekend.
If you're planning your next romantic date, family dinner or some time to catch up with your BFF it's always a good idea to know which restaurants won't make your jaw drop when you get the bill. Luckily, Toronto also has an abundance of restaurants that are super cheap but still offer an amazing meal.
So, whatever the occasion is that you're going out for dinner next, use this list as a bucket list of all the best restaurants in city that will keep you smiling even after the bill.
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Mother's Dumplings
Where: 421 Spadina Ave // Discovery District
@benitezjonathanPrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This dumpling restaurant is the best place to go to get the most bang for your buck. A plate of 10-12 dumplings will only cost you about $12! Two people can easily dine here for just over $20 for a full meal.
Wilbur Mexicana
Where: 552 King St W // King West
@jasminetksPrice: 💸
Why You Should Go: This spot serves up some of the city's favourite Mexican plates! Tacos here are under $5 each and their burritos are only $10! You can get a full platter of amazing food here easily for under $40.
Queen Margherita Pizza
Where: 1402 Queen St E // Leslieville
@curiocitytorontoPrice: 💸💸💸
Why You Should Go: This east end pizza spot is the perfect place for a casual yet romantic date night. An authentic Italian pizza here will range from $15-$20 which will put you exactly at the $40 mark for this one. But the price is totally worth it because these pizzas are delicious!
PG Clucks
Where: 610 College St // Little Italy
@iamafoodyPrice: 💸
Why You Should Go: This spot specializes in all things fried chicken! They make massive, delicious fried chicken sandwiches that are super cheap. You can get one of these amazing sandwiches for just $7!
Calii Love
Where: 367 King St W // Downtown Toronto
@caliilovecoPrice: 💸 💸
Why You Should Go: This is a great place to go if you're feeling like eating something green and clean! They specialize in delicious poke and smoothie bowls that are reasonably priced. A good sized poke bowl will only set you back about $13 each here.
Pray Tell
Where: 838 College St // Little Italy
@darlingfoodiesPrice: 💸💸💸
Why You Should Go: This super cute new bar/restaurant is the best place for a romantic date or a meal with friends. Their brunch plates only cost around $15 each but their dinner plates are more on the pricier side. Either way, their food is delicious and the space is beautiful!
La Palma
Where: 849 Dundas St W // Trinity Bellwoods
@nazknowzPrice: 💸💸💸
Why You Should Go: This spot has everything you could want, serving up coffee, meals and cocktails all day long. Some of their dinner plates are quite pricey but if you're smart about what you order you can easily get a meal for two people for under $40. Plus, the space is gorgeous!
Good Fortune
Where: 130 Eglinton Ave E // Yonge and Eglinton
@goodfortunebarPrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This spot is actually a bar that specializes in amazing cocktails and good vibes all around. But they also serve a menu of amazing food to go perfectly with your drinks like their classic burger, fries, wings and more!
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Mean Bao
Where: 167 Bathurst St // Queen West
@tastethesixPrice: 💸
Why You Should Go: Bao is such a simple, yet delicious version of a classic sandwich and this spot does it best. They offer a selection of different bao buns for just of $5 and dim sum for less than $5!
North Of Brooklyn Pizzeria
Where: 650 Queen St W // Trinity Bellwoods
@tofoodie2.0Price: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This pizzeria in Toronto does a classic pizza slice the best way. You can either choose to buy your pizza by the slice, or buy a full pie in either a small, medium or large size. The choice is up to you but either way you're guaranteed a delicious pizza for cheap!
District Eatery
Where: 303 King St W // Entertainment District
@ccarmen__Price: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This cute restaurant/cocktail bar is a great place to go to catch up with your BFF over a healthy meal and yummy cocktails. They serve everything from salads and bowls to pasta and sandwiches all with a healthy focus.
Lake Inez
Where: 1471 Gerrard St E // Little India
@areocatPrice: 💸💸💸
Why You Should Go: This is probably one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto. The food here is super unique and seriously delicious focused on Asian fusion flavours. The atmosphere of this spot is also super cozy and will make you feel like you're right at home.
Portland Variety
Where: 587 King St W // King West
@kateroberts0nPrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This cute restaurant is one of the best in Toronto's King West area. Their weekend brunch is definitely affordable for 2 people to dine as well as their dinners which are only slightly more expensive.
Square Boy
Where: 875 Danforth Ave // The Danforth
@queenie.bestPrice: 💸
Why You Should Go: This spot is basically an institution on The Danforth. They serve all your favourite junk foods from burgers to onion rings to souvlaki! You won't be disappointed with anything you try here.
Seven Lives Tacos
Where: 69 Kensington Ave // Kensington Market
Price: 💸
Why You Should Go: There are definitely no shortage of cheap taco spots but this one also prioritizes quality and quantity when it comes to their ingredients. They don't skimp on the filling and they only serve the best quality ingredients so you know you're getting your money's worth!
Moo Frites
Where: 178 Baldwin St // Downtown Toronto
@foodhopsPrice: 💸
Why You Should Go: This spot probably has the most unique and delicious fries in all of Toronto. The potatoes are thickly cut and seasoned to perfection. Their sauces and toppings offer a range of yummy flavours that you can't get anywhere else!
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850 Degrees Pizzeria
Where: 3455 Lake Shore Blvd W // Etobicoke
@laylasatim98Price: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This is a great west side spot if you're looking for an affordable but delicious pizza! Their huge pizza are all less then $15 which is perfect for a cheap dinner for two.
Monga
Where: 692 Yonge St // Downtown Toronto
@holeemoleyPrice: 💸
Why You Should Go: This amazing fried chicken restaurant will serve you your next favourite meal. They have 3 different flavours of their massive pieces of fried chicken that range from spicy to mild!
Bobbie Sue's Mac n' Cheese
Where: 162 Ossington Ave #3 // West Queen West
@foodiefadPrice: 💸
Why You Should Go: This cute west side mac n' cheese joint is where you should go for your next comfort food meal! They offer a menu full of different kinds of Mac n' Cheese in to-go boxes that are perfect for a picnic or a night in.
Lasa by Lamesa
Where: 634 St Clair Ave W // St. Clair West Village
@justinezeismanPrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This cute spot offers amazing Filipino plates. All of their dishes are super affordable ranging from $6-$18 depending on the kind of dish.
Hanmoto
Where: 2 Lakeview Ave // Trinity Bellwoods
@lai.steph_Price: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This is probably one of the top spots for late night eats in the city. They stay open until 2am every night offer amazing Japanese small plates perfect for sharing!
WVRST
Where: 609 King St W // King West
@tarochipzPrice: 💸 💸
Why You Should Go: If you're looking for a unique spot, take your dinner date out to this German sausage spot! They serve authentic German sausages paired with a massive selection of beers on tap.
Porchetta & Co.
Where: 545 King St W // King West
@tastetorontoPrice: 💸
Why You Should Go: This is a great place to stop in if you're just looking for a delicious but casual meal. This spot serves up Toronto's best Porchetta sandwich and you can tell by the picture that the size makes the $8 price tag 100% worth it!
Fat Pasha
Where: 414 Dupont St // The Annex
@maggszhangPrice: 💸💸💸
Why You Should Go: This Middle Eastern restaurant serves up some of your favourites like hummus platters, beef kofta, lamb shawarma and much more! Their plates are different prices but meant for sharing so you can definitely get away with going cheap at this restaurant.
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Dumpling House Restaurant
Where: 328 Spadina Ave // Chinatown
@sublime_enigmaPrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This Chinatown favourite is the epitome of cheap eats in the city. This spot is super popular and loved by many across the city because they serve delicious dumplings but they also have a huge menu of other Chinese favourites!
Avenue Open Kitchen
Where: 7 Camden St // Queen West
@lifeoftai_Price: 💸
Why You Should Go: If you're looking for super cheap and satisfying diner food, this is the place for you. They serve a hearty and delicious breakfast menu as well as other diner favourites like burgers and poutines. It's loved by everyone in the area because they take the time to make each meal faithfully delicious every single time!
The George Street Diner
Where: 129 George St // Downtown Toronto
@gingerrosefoodPrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This is a Toronto favourite because of their famous store front that's been around forever. They serve up amazing brunch items like eggs benedict, pancakes, omlets and more. They also serve delicious lunch items like burgers, monty cristo sandwiches, fish n' chips and much more!
Salad King
Where: 340 Yonge St // Downtown Toronto
@myhappyliltummyPrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: If you're a Thai food lover than this spot is definitely the place for you. It's loved by Ryerson students because it's right downtown and they serve up massive portions for cheap! You know you're getting amazing quality Thai food at this spot.
Chop Chop
Where: 771 Dundas St W // Trinity Bellwoods
@jnnfrchnPrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This restaurant in the Trinity Bellwoods area isn't your average Chinese joint. The space is super modern and cool and they serve some amazing food like their dumplings, beef noodle soup, ginger beef and more!
Jackpot Chicken Rice
Where: 318 Spadina Ave // Chinatown
@offthemenuPrice: 💸💸💸
Why You Should Go: This spot is a great place to go if you're looking to escape the winter cold and enter into a tropical oasis in the city. They serve South-East Asian plates like their famous jackpot chicken rice dish with floating chopsticks!
Adamson's BBQ
Where: 176 Wicksteed Ave // East York
Price: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: For all you BBQ lovers out there, this is the perfect spot for you. They serve Texas-style slow cooked meat that is literally finger-licking good. Get a massive plate of different kinds of BBQ for a super affordable price!
El Rey Mezcal Bar
Where: 2a Kensington Ave // Kensington Market
@elreymezcalbarPrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This fun and lively mezcal bar in Kensington Market is exactly where you need to go to get you Mexican food and drink fix! They serve amazing cocktails from their long list of tequilas and they have delicious plates like their empanadas, quesadillas and tostadas!
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Cut The Cheese
Where: 2901 Dundas St W // High Park North
@to_finestPrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: If you love all things cheese, this spot is for you. They serve up some insane grilled cheese and mac n' cheese creations that will have you drooling just looking at them. Try something from their regular menu like their guacamole, roast chicken and jalapeno grilled cheese or try something from their secret menu like their mac n' cheese stuffed grilled cheese!
Kaboom Chicken
Where: 722 Queen St E // Leslieville
Price: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This spot specializes in all things Korean fried chicken. Their number one seller right now is their ramen fried chicken burger that literally looks insane! They also offer dishes like their bubble egg waffle and fried chicken, kimchi cheese fries, or just pieces of fried chicken on their own.
Mr. Pide
Where: 800 Danforth Ave // The Danforth
@mpizzolatoPrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: Mr. Pide is a restaurant in Toronto's Greek Town that specializes in Turkish-style pies. Some of their amazing flavours include ground beef with egg, Turkish sausage and mozzarella cheese, Pastrami and mozzarella cheese and more!
King Slice
Where: 1598 Bloor St W // North High Park
@pi__noriPrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: If you love a classic pizza slice that's basically as big as your face, this is the spot to go in Toronto. They sell amazing pizzas by the slice or 5 different sizes of pizza pies!
New Toronto Fish & Chips
Where: 146 Fifth St // Etobicoke
@alicedleePrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: You really can't go wrong with a greasy and satisfying plate of fish & chips from time to time. But this spot in Etobicoke does it a little different by offering some unique choices. You can try their classic Halibut fish & chips, shrimp and chips, scallops and chips and more!
Gushi
Where: 707 Dundas St W // Chinatown
@mme_bonheurPrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This spot is a favourite in the city for delicious Japanese street food. They have a few locations across the city that serve up their classics, their Gushi chicken, Takoyaki, and Croquette all served in amazing flavours to choose from.
Burgatory
Where: 719 College St // Bickford Park
@jenamandaaPrice: 💸💸
Why You Should Go: This spot specializes in some seriously delicious gourmet burgers. Some of their insane creations include their old cheddar, bacon and BBQ sauce burger, their pickled jalapeno and hell sauce burger and their fried egg, guacamole and tortilla chips burger!
Honest Weight
Where: 2766 Dundas St W A // Junction Triangle
@astridjullPrice: 💸💸💸
Why You Should Go: This spot specializes in all things seafood! They serve some amazing dishes that are super affordable like their clam chowder, fish sandwich, mahi mahi ceviche, Ontario shrimp and more!
Rendering of AVATAR: Guardians of Eywa, a Magic Walk experience.Courtesy of Niagara Parks
Rendering of AVATAR: Guardians of Eywa, a Magic Walk experience.Courtesy of Niagara Parks
Rendering of AVATAR: Guardians of Eywa, a Magic Walk experience.Courtesy of Niagara Parks