Best of Brooklyn: Brooklyn’s 10 Best Cheap Eats for Under $10
Brooklyn might be pretty incredibly expensive, but there’s still plenty of great stuff to be found for under $10. Here’s our favorite food that’ll run you less than a Hamilton.
$1.50: Carnitas Tacos from Tacos El Bronco
The succulent pork in this taco is a real show-stopper—the best carnitas we’ve had in Brooklyn. But Tacos El Bronco gilds the lily by dressing its tacos with just the right amount of herbs and chopped onions, radishes and grilled scallions, so that when you take a bite, the condiments are so fresh they almost bite back.
4324 4th Avenue, Sunset Park
$2: Alcapurria from El Gran Castillo de Jagua
This is a pretty humble snack food on the surface… well, actually, never mind. It’s not even humble there; this alcapurria’s craggy and golden-hued exterior strongly hints at the piping-hot, immensely flavorful meat-and-potato filled wonders inside. It’s like the original hot pocket.
355 Flatbush Avenue, Prospect Heights
$3: Coconut Doughnut from Doughnut Plant
Hey, not every cheap eat needs to be a meal substitute. Sometimes you just want something sweet. And you could do a lot worse than this creamy, coconut-y treat.
245 Flatbush Avenue, Park Slope
$4: Falafel Sandwich from Hazar Turkish Kebab
We would gladly travel any distance for this perfect falafel, so we’re glad we only have to go to Bay Ridge. The pita is fluffy and fresh, crisp cabbage and juicy tomatoes burst with flavor, and tahini gives a sweet-salty tang. But the real star is the savory, crunchy on the outside, hearty on the inside falafel balls, which are perfectly spiced and oh so satisfying.
7224 5th Avenue, Bay Ridge
$5: Boquerones from Grand Army
While it’s totally possible to blow your budget at Grand Army (and you should totally choose a night to do so), if you’ve only got a few bucks to spare, try the amazing boquerones, featuring ultra fresh fish and a verdant sauce on a perfect rectangle of crunchy bread.
336 State Street, Boerum Hill
$6: Pork Roll from Court Street Grocers
Oh, wow. This sandwich. Very possibly the best breakfast sandwich in Brooklyn, this beauty is a gut bomb of runny egg and meaty pork roll, all with luscious melted cheese (we like to add a drizzle of Korean hot sauce because, hello, it’s amazing), smushed between a squishy potato roll. We’re drooling just thinking about it.
485 Court Street, Carroll Gardens
$7.99: Fried Lagman from Chayhana Salom
Fried noodles are slicked with oil and paprika, mingle with strips of beef and chunks of tender vegetables, and are topped with a sliced omelette in this ultra-filling Uzbeki dish that is even more of a deal when you consider the fact that one heaping serving can EASILY serve two.
1652 Sheepshead Bay Road, Sheepshead Bay
$8: Greens from Mr. Curry
This Indian pop-up in the Saltie sandwich shop has so many amazing dishes, from curries to biryani, and we recommend them all. But if you want to feel really virtuous (as well as thrifty!), just get a bowl of the greens, which pretty much melt in your mouth and are so, so much better than getting a kale juice.
378 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg
$9.50: The Veggie Island Bowl from The Food Sermon
As bursting with flavor as it is with cover, the veggie island bowl from the Food Sermon is one of those dishes that you almost hate to eat because it just looks so damned pretty. But, well: Get over that. Because the flavors are perfectly on-point, and the dish is about as immaculately conceived and executed a meal as you can get for ten dollars anywhere in the city.
355 Rogers Avenue, Crown Heights
$10: Toast Board from Concord Hill
And then there are those times when you just want some bread and meat and cheese. We strong suggest heading over to Concord Hill for a board of their delectable cheese and charcuterie, all accompanied by Sullivan Street Bakery bread. Sometimes it’s the simple things, you know?
374 Graham Avenue, Williamsburg