With the cost of living in Canada feeling as expensive as ever, it’s comforting to know that you can still find plenty of cheap eats in Calgary.
Fortunately for anyone trying to save money, there are several budget-friendly restaurants across the city where you can grab tasty, affordable food for less than $10.
The great thing about Calgary’s dining scene is that cheap food doesn’t necessarily mean fast food chains, either. You can grab delicious dishes from unique restaurants that also happen to be budget-friendly.
From delicious sushi and mouth-watering burgers to artisan ice cream, these are 13 of the best cheap foods you can find in Calgary this summer that won’t cost you more than a tenner.
Kati rolls at Calcutta Cricket Club
Price: $5
Cuisine: Indian
Address: 1213 1 St SW, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: If you're looking for a stylish spot to fuel up on tasty food without breaking the bank, Calcutta Cricket Club is your spot. With its vibrant colours, eye-catching patterns, and gorgeous furnishings, it's easy to see why the restaurant won best restaurant design in Canada. Despite its sleek interiors, the restaurant's Indian cuisine is very affordable.
If you swing by on Sunday from 4 p.m. onwards, you can grab kati rolls for just $5. For those who aren't familiar with these delicious treats, they consist of flaky paratha bread stuffed with tandoori grilled meat or vegetarian fillings like paneer or potato masala.
Can't make it on Sunday? Not to worry; the rest of the week, the kati rolls go for just $9.
Slices of pizza at Cold Beer & Pizza
Price: $6
Cuisine: Italian
Address: 1019 17 Ave SW #102, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: Newly opened on 17th Avenue, Cold Beer & Pizza is an ultra-trendy, budget-friendly spot that sells Roman-style pizza and craft beers. You can grab a square slice and a pint at the counter, then head out to the patio to enjoy your meal.
There are plenty of pizzas to choose from, including the Shroom Party with mushrooms and whipped ricotta, the Tate Tot with potatoes, mozzarella, and thyme, or the Diablo with pepperoni, jalapeños, and hot honey. Slices go for just $6, or you can also order pizza by the metre or half metre.
Korean-style hot dogs at Hankki
Price: $6.50 to $7.50
Cuisine: Korean
Address: Multiple locations
Why You Need To Go: When you're craving something crunchy on the go, a Korean hot dog from Hankki is a good bet. The chain specializes in deep-fried snacks on sticks, as well as rice bowls topped with meats and veggies. There are several locations around the city, as well as in Banff and Lethbridge.
Hankki's hot dogs start at just $6.50 for the Original, which features sausage covered in crispy fried batter. Other options include a Mozzarella Hot Dog with just cheese and no sausage and the Ugly Potato Hot Dog with crunchy potato pieces. You can top your dog with an array of sauces, like ketchup, spicy mayo, or sweet chilli.
Banh mi sandwiches at Banh Mi Thi Thi
Price: $6 - $9
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Address: 209 1 St SE, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: For over 30 years, Banh Mi Thi Thi has been serving up delicious banh mi sandwiches, otherwise known as Vietnamese subs. The family-run hidden gem in Chinatown has a cult-like following of fans who can’t get enough of the wallet-friendly sandwiches.
The banh mi comes in various flavours, including sate chicken, sate beef, ribs, and assorted meat with pate. The meat is piled into a baguette and topped with fresh ingredients like cucumbers, pickled onions, carrots, and cilantro. The sandwiches are under $10, making them the perfect cheap meal or snack when you're hungry in the city.
Artisan ice cream at Village Ice Cream
Price: $6 - $10
Cuisine: Ice Cream
Address: Multiple locations
Why You Need To Go: Craving something sweet? Village Ice Cream has you covered. This Calgary-based company makes small-batch artisan ice cream sold by the cone, pint or sundae cup. There are 10 flavours available year-round, and others that are created seasonally with fresh ingredients.
Purists can go for classics like strawberry, vanilla or chocolate, while adventurous types can try unique flavours like peach jam or chocolate-dipped churro. A single scoop costs $6, plus an extra $1 for a waffle cone. Sundae cups cost $7.50 and pints cost $10. There are four Village Ice Cream locations across the city, making it easy for you to get your ice cream fix wherever you are.
Tacos at Tacos Mexico
Price: $6.50 - $8
Cuisine: Mexican
Address: 3725 Memorial Drive SE, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: When you’re craving affordable tacos, you can’t go wrong at Tacos Mexico on Memorial Drive. The small spot is consistently named one of the best Mexican restaurants in the city and for good reason. The food is fresh, the flavours are authentic and the prices are very reasonable.
Tacos Mexico makes 19 different tacos on a daily basis, so you can choose from an array of fillings. Meat lovers can try the al pastor, barbacoa or chorizo with potato. Vegetarians can opt for the bean and cheese or nopales tacos. There are also fish and shrimp tacos on offer. Prices start at $6.50 for an order of two tacos.
Fried chicken at Cluck n' Cleaver
Price: $3.75 - $5.75
Cuisine: Fried chicken
Address: Multiple locations
Why You Need To Go: Why hit up a massive multinational chain for fried chicken when you can get a crispy fried bird that’s just as tasty and affordable from a family-run spot? Cluck n’ Cleaver is brought to us by Canadian culinary superstar Nicole Gomes and her sister, Francine. All the chicken is sourced from Alberta farms and fried or roasted to perfection.
You’ll find plenty of chicken options on the menu, including chicken sandwiches, boneless bites and bone-in pieces. Drumsticks cost just $3.75 per piece, wings go for $4.25 per piece, and deep-fried chicken breast costs just $7.75. Mix and match pieces with equally affordable sides like coleslaw, fries or poutine to create a customized meal.
Sushi at Point Sushi
Price: $2.80 - $8.90
Cuisine: Japanese
Address: 116 2 Ave SW, Calgary AB
Why You Need To Go: You may have heard about conveyor belt sushi restaurants, but have you ever heard of a bullet train sushi joint? Point Sushi is a unique Southwest Calgary spot where you can order your sushi from a tablet, and the kitchen will send it speeding up to your table on a mini bullet train.
You’ll find all your favourite sushi dishes on the menu at Point Sushi, including toro nigiri, California rolls and spicy tuna hand rolls. There are also special rolls like the Rainbow Roll, which has tempura shrimp, salmon, mango, and avocado. The rolls start at just $2.80, so you can have a pretty economical meal if you don’t get too carried away.
Burgers at Peter's Drive-in
Price: $6 - $9.80
Cuisine: American
Address: 219 16 Ave NE, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: Peter's Drive-In is a Calgary classic that's been around since 1962. To this day, people still line up outside the spot on the Edmonton Trail to grab juicy burgers, fries, and milkshakes. The location is about as old school as you can get in the city, with prices to match.
A single burger at Peter's Drive-In will set you back just $6, which is not bad considering they're made fresh every day. The biggest burger on the menu is the Triple Cheese, which will only cost you $9.80. You can also grab a hot dog for $5.30, onion rings for $6.35, and milkshakes for $6.80.
Samosas at The Samosa Factory
Price: $10
Cuisine: Indian
Address: Multiple locations
Why You Need To Go: Samosas are the perfect grab-and-go snack, and only a few places make them better or cheaper than The Samosa Factory. An order of eight large or ten medium samosas will set you back just $10, and you can get them fried to eat right away or frozen to enjoy later.
The Samosa Factory offers a variety of flavours and fillings, including beef, chicken, veggie, spinach, cheese and butter chicken. In addition to the meat and main veggies, the samosas are packed with tasty ingredients like potatoes, onions, ginger, and fenugreek. For just an extra $2.50, we recommend ordering tamarind or mint chutney to dip the samosas in.
Mac n' Cheese at El Furniture Warehouse
Price: $9.85
Cuisine: Pub Food
Address: 107 Stephen Ave SW, Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: El Furniture Warehouse began as a dive bar in Vancouver where hungry patrons could grab wallet-friendly eats and drinks in a convivial environment. Now, there are over 20 locations across Canada, including one in Calgary on Stephen Avenue SW.
The menu at El Furniture Warehouse is packed with dishes that won't strain your wallet, like burgers, tacos, and salads. But one dish that's genuinely a crowd-pleaser is the Mac n' Cheese. It's a must-try, with its gooey three-cheese sauce, roasted red pepper, and crunchy cornflake and cheese topping, all for just $ 10.95.
El Furniture Warehouse website
Shawarmas and donairs at Cedars Deli
Price: $8.99 - $9.99
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Address: Multiple locations
Why You Need To Go: Who says cheap eats have to be bad for you? Cedar's Deli is all about fresh, healthy food that's also affordable. The Mediterranean dishes include hand-held bites like shawarmas, donairs and sandwiches. The small-size wraps start at just $8.99, which is a steal considering they're packed with meat, veggies and sauces.
You have several options, including a chicken shawarma, beef donair and falafel wrap. You can also mix it up with chicken and falafel together or a chicken and beef mix. If you're famished and are okay with splashing out, the medium sandwiches start at $10.99, and the jumbo sizes start at $11.99.
Dumplings at Deng's Dumplings
Price: $6.49 - $8.99
Cuisine: Chinese
Address: Multiple locations
Why You Need To Go: When Deng's Dumplings opened its flagship location on Rundlehorn Drive NE, business was slow. However, with a little boost from supporters on social media, the spot soon became one of Calgary's hottest dumpling spots. There are now two locations where you can get delicious and affordable dumplings.
The menu at Deng's Dumplings is pretty straightforward — order dumplings with pork, beef or veggies and have them either steamed or fried. An order of four steamed pork dumplings will set you back just $6.49, while the water-fried dumplings cost $8.99. For a bit more, you can have wonton soup for $10.99 or eight pieces of siu mai for $13.99.
Enjoy, Calgary!
