The 8 Best Toronto Restaurants For A Cheap Meal Under $20, According To Top Chefs
Here's what to order👇.
A person at Gus Tacos holding a taco. Right: Thai food from PAI.
You can find plenty of delicious meals at Toronto restaurants across the city, but it's a bigger challenge to find something that's both tasty and cheap, especially if you've only got a $20 bill on you.
But it doesn't always have to be that way. There are ways to get a great meal for a low price in the city, and we're not talking about buying a meal from a fast food restaurant like McDonald's or Burger King. We're talking about the meals that'll impress a top chef in Toronto at prices that won't make your wallet cry.
Narcity spoke with several top Toronto chefs and restaurateurs about where they go in the city for cheap and delicious eats, and they had a lot of wisdom to share about the city's food scene.
Executive Chef Andrea Tranzillo from Stelvio, Chef Nuit Regular and Jeff Regular from PAI and Kiin Toronto, and restaurateur Janet Zuccarini from Gusto 54 Restaurant Group all told us where they like to grab a meal for less than $20 in the city.
Here are the best cheap restaurants in Toronto according to top chefs and restaurateurs.
Chef Nuit Regular and Jeff Regular
Chef Nuit Regular and Jeff Regular are the co-founders of PAI, Kiin, Chaiyo and SukhoThai. This couple has brought Toronto some of its hottest Thai cuisine and even received Michelin recognition for Kiin in Toronto. But where do they go when looking for cheap Toronto eats outside of their restaurants?
Que Ling
Address: 248 Boulton Ave, Toronto
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Why You Need To Go: The power couple recommends Que Ling as a great place for cheap and delicious eats. The Vietnamese restaurant has been a staple in Toronto's East Chinatown for over 25 years.
"We love the bánh cuốn from Que Ling. We love the simplicity of the dish but it has such great textures and flavours," they told Narcity.
Bánh cuốn are Vietnamese rice rolls and at Que Ling, and they cost around $9.
Tropical Joe's
Address: Various locations
Cuisine: Caribbean
Why You Need To Go: When Chef Nuit Regular and Jeff Regular aren't eating Asian cuisine, you can find them at Tropical Joe's, a Caribbean restaurant with various spots in Toronto.
"When our daughter was young, she loved coming to Tropical Joe's and they would always remember her, it was always a family tradition to go to Tropical Joe," they told us.
"Our favourite is the oxtail, which is so hearty and comforting."
The cost of oxtail at Tropical Joe's starts at $8.75 for a small portion.
Dine & Dim
Address: 633 Gerrard St E, Toronto
Cuisine: Chinese
Why You Need To Go: Dim sum anyone? Toronto has many restaurants that serve dim sum, so it definitely helps to get a chef recommendation if you're looking for the cheapest and best option.
The Regulars told Narcity that Dine & Dim in Toronto is one of their top cheap eating spots in the city.
"I love that whenever you go out for dim sum, you can order a few dishes and have a full meal for less than $20. We often go to Dine & Dim because it's in our neighbourhood and it's so convenient for us to drop by for a quick bite before we head to work," they shared.
Janet Zuccarini
Janet Zuccarini is the CEO and owner of Gusto 54 Restaurant Group, which includes Trattoria Nervosa, Gusto 101, Gusto 501, Azhar, Cafe ZUZU, PAI, Kiin, Chubby's Jamaican Kitchen, Selva, and Chaiyo By PAI.
Table Fare + Social
Address: 81 Bay St., Toronto
Cuisine: International
Why You Need To Go: One of Zuccarini's best spots in the city for cheap eats is Toronto's newest Table Fare + Social food hall.
It's a dining experience where people can grab food from different restaurants and enjoy them within the space. It's basically an elevated food court or food hall.
The food hall has Chaiyo by PAI, Misoya, Friday Burger Co, Aloette Go, and In Good Spirits, each offering something different.
"I'm really excited about the opening of Table Fare + Social and think it will quickly become a great staple in the downtown core. They have so much to offer and really elevate counter-service without making it stuffy," Zuccarini told Narcity.
"Chaiyo by PAI is obviously a personal favourite, you can't beat Chef Nuit's Khao Soi, but they also have great mix n' match plates that are really approachably priced. In Good Spirits are also serving up delicious cocktails there, and Ramen Misoya is perfect for warming up on a fall day," she added.
Gus Tacos
Address: Multiple locations
Cuisine: Mexican
Why You Need To Go: Gus Tacos serves up delicious bites from $5 to $12 each, ranging from tacos to quesadillas and burritos.
"Everybody loves a good taco, and my favourite right now has to be Gus Tacos. They use really fresh ingredients and produce, and the barbacoa is melt-in-your-mouth. They have several locations throughout the city too, awesome to see a local business growing," Zuccarini shared.
Gus Tacos Menu
Burger Drops
Address: 116 Atlantic Ave, Toronto
Cuisine: Burgers
Why You Need To Go: Zuccarini says Burger Drops it's a great place for cheap food.
"One of my favourite burgers in the city is Burger Drops, which uses really delicious locally sourced sustainable beef in all their patties," she shared.
Burgers start at $8.50, with fries going for $6. That means a burger with fries can cost you $14.50, which is certainly a steal.
We've also visited Burger Drops and it's the closest thing Torontonians have to a Shake Shack burger.
Chef Andrea Tranzillo
Chef Andrea Tranzillo was born and raised in Italy, where he studied at Serramazzoni Hotel and Restaurant School and later worked at Michelin-starred restaurants like L'Erba del Re and Strada Facendo in Modena, Italy.
Now, he's the executive chef at the Italian restaurant Stelvio in Toronto.
Fonda Lola
Address: 942 Queen St W, Toronto
Cuisine: Mexican
Why You Need To Go: If you love tacos and Queen Street West, then you've probably come across this Mexican restaurant. The menu is filled with cheap eats and delicious drinks. They also have a cute patio and a vibey dining room.
Chef Andrea Tranzillo said he "love[s] all of their tacos, but the Chicken Poblano is my favourite."
The Chicken Poblano is $20. This dish consists of Chipotle marinated chicken, Morita pepper and cilantro.
PAI
Address: Multiple locations
Cuisine: Thai
Why You Need To Go: Chef Nuit Regular and Jeff Regular, who are mentioned in this article, are some of the people behind the restaurant.
PAI is undoubtedly a fan-favourite In Toronto for its Northern Thai dishes. Canadian Actor Simu Liu raves about this place often and Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard also paid a visit while he was in town for TIFF 2023.
Chef Andrea Tranzillo also had great things to say about the Thai restaurant.
"Chef Nuit needs no introduction. I cannot even pick a favourite. I love all of her dishes," Chef Tranzillo told Narcity.
You can get bites that start around $8 and up to $26.
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
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