Do textbooks or summer vacation have your budget hurting?
Here are five fabulous picks for cheap eats for $8 or less. Prices are subject to change.
Nur Market & Restaurant
3565 E. Speedway Blvd. Ste. 171
Hidden in plain sight on Speedway, Nur Market also has a restaurant hidden in the back.
While the signature Lamb Shank ($15.99) and Goat or Lamb Roast ($15.99) are twice the price limit for the article, the Sambusas ($1.50) are less than a fifth of the way there. The triangular deep-fried pockets are filled with ground meat (lamb or beef?) and a piquant sauce packed with spices. The spicy tomato sauce on the side is worth slurping directly from the container.
The sambusas are sizable for the price too, so just two are enough to satisfy the average appetite.
For more information, visit nurmarketaz.com.
Greek House
1710 E. Speedway Blvd.
The addictive Feta Fries ($7.25) feature an addictive combination of tart-sweet lemon sauce, salty feta crumbles, and aromatic oregano. While deceivingly simple, the lemon-feta combo will strike a nerve and create a monthly craving that nothing else will satisfy.
For more information, visit azgreekhouse.com.
Bombolé Eatery
100 N. Stone Ave.
Only the Bombo Combo ($8.35) breaks the $8 limit for this article; every other menu item costs less.
Hearty empanadas are only $3.85 and come in four varieties: Aloo Matar Samosa, Matar Paneer, Butter Chicken, and Pork Curry. Breakfast varieties are also available, along with pasties ($3.85), gluten-free dossas ($3.85), and rice plates with daal and cabbage salad ($6.75).
What’s more impressive, they keep these low prices in a downtown location with a chic interior. Props to you, Bombolé.
For more information, visit eatbombole.com.
Barista del Barrio
1002 N. Grande Ave.
Instead of a single massive burro, Barista Del Barrio gives two smaller Breakfast Burritos in each order for $4.75. The burritos include potato, eggs, cheese, beans and your choice of bacon, chorizo, or sausage. It also comes with a side of potent, oregano-fragrant spicy salsa.
To go tortilla-less, get the Breakfast Bowls ($4.75) or the Vegan Tamale ($5.25).
Keep up with Barista Del Barrio on Facebook.
Rollies Mexican Patio
4573 S. 12th Ave.
You won’t go hungry with the generous portions at Rollies. The Picoso ($7.95) is a Sonoran chili fried chicken torta with habanero coleslaw and pickled onion served with fries (tots pictured above).
Keep up with Rollies Mexican Patio on Facebook.
To see additional affordable eating options, read:
Stay in the Tucson Foodie Loop
Weekly digest of new openings, events, and guides. No spam.
Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed 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 Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
