5 Fabulous Cheap Eats Under $8 in Tucson, Volume 2


January 16, 2019
a man wearing a hat
By Jackie Tran
By Jackie Tran

You don't need a Hamilton to afford one of these meals.

Still recoiling from holiday shopping?

Here are five fabulous picks for local cheap eats that are $8 or less. Prices are subject to change.

Aqui Con El Nene

4415 N. Flowing Wells Rd.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlEHJ71A-as/

Only two items on El Nene’s menu are over $8.

The Papancha ($7) is a potato stuffed with cheese, bacon, mushrooms, and your choice of meat.

Meat choices include carne asada, pollo, adobada, or a mix of the meats. Go for the carne asada; it’s the strongest meat option there.

For more information, visit elnenetacos.com.

D’s Island Grill

3156 E. Fort Lowell Rd.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn2Y_AuDCTg/

From 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday – Friday, D’s offers their $5 lunch special with your choice of curry, jerk, or brown stew chicken.

Additional affordable items include the Jerk Burger Combo ($7.99), Jerk Chicken Tacos ($5), and Jerk Beef Quesadillas ($5.50).

For more information, visit dsislandgrill.com.

Red Desert BBQ & Catering

918 W. Prince Rd.
Loaded Tots at Red Desert BBQ (Credit: Jackie Tran)
Loaded Tots at Red Desert BBQ (Credit: Jackie Tran)

For a heaping meal, order the Pulled Pork Loaded Tots/Fries ($7.50). The crispy potatoes are topped with pulled pork, smoked Gouda cheese sauce, barbecue sauce, sour cream, scallions, and raw jalapeño.

That cheese sauce though.

For more information, visit rdbbq.com.

Time Market

444 E. University Blvd.

Pizza slices are around $4, depending on the toppings. The slice size is also generous and the wood-fired crust is magnifique.

If you jump up to the $8 mark, order the exceptional Caprese Sandwich on a baguette with arugula pesto, tomato, house-made mozzarella, extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic, and basil, or the Hummus Plate with house-made flatbread, dolmades, hummus, quinoa tabbouleh, tomatoes, and cucumber.

For more information, call visit timemarket.xyz.

Urban Pita

345 E. Congress St. Ste. 135

The Chicken Shawarma at Urban Pita is one of the best aromas on East Congress Street downtown. Trust your nose and get the Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce Sandwich ($7.75 for the regular size).

Falafel ($6) fragrance isn’t unleashed until you split them open but is also worth an order.

On the lighter side, get the Tabuli ($7.50) — a combination of Italian parsley, onions, tomato, bulgur, lemon juice, and olive oil.

For more information, visit urbanpitaaz.com.

To see additional affordable eating options, read 5 Fabulous Cheap Eats Under $8 in Tucson, Volume 1.

Upcoming Events

View all events
Double-click this headline to edit the text.
This is a block of text. Double-click this text to edit it.
Double-click this headline to edit the text.
This is a block of text. Double-click this text to edit it.
Double-click this headline to edit the text.
This is a block of text. Double-click this text to edit it.

Article By

Jackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon...

Related Stories