Go a little too hard holiday shopping this year?
Here are five fabulous picks for affordable eats under $8. Prices are subject to change.
China Pasta House
430 N. Park Ave.
Not only do many of China Pasta House’s meals hover around $7.99, some don’t even break a dollar. You can even order a variety of appetizers à la carte without reaching $8.
Considering how much of the menu is house-made, including the noodles, China Pasta House just might be the best bang-for-your-buck in Tucson. Some of the dishes aren’t translated clearly, so here’s a little guidance for some of our favorites below.
Menu Highlights
- A14 Tea-Stewed Egg ($0.50) – egg boiled in black tea and special seasonings
- A1 Preserved Egg & Pork Gruel ($1.50) -minced salted preserved duck egg and roast pork in a rice porridge
- A6 Sweetened Bean Paste Buns ($1.50) – house-made steam buns, also known as bao, stuffed with sweet bean paste.
- A4 Pork Steamed Buns ($5.25) – 10 house-made pork and cabbage soup dumplings
- D6 Tomato & Egg Noodles ($6.49) – house-made noodles in a tomato and egg broth
- D12 Sauerkraut Shredded Pork Soup Noodles ($6.99) – house-made noodles in a pork broth, topped with pork and Chinese fermented cabbage
- B5 Leek & Pork Dumplings ($7.50 for 15) – house-made dumplings stuffed with leek and pork
- F2 Braised Pork Rice ($7.99) – cubes of pork braised in a star anise-spiced sweet soy sauce, served with white rice
For more information, call (520) 623-3334 or visit chinapastahousetucson.com.
Guilin Chinese Restaurant
4445 E. Broadway Blvd.
From open to 3 p.m. daily, Guilin offers a lunch special from $5.99 to $6.99 with a wider range of options than most Chinese restaurants in town. Not only is it actually good, but it also includes plenty of vegetarian and vegan options.
The specials include:
- Hot & sour soup or egg drop soup (50¢ extra for take-out)
- Egg roll or crab puffs
- Fried rice, white rice, or brown rice
Lunch Special Menu Highlights
- Garlic Chicken ($5.99)
- Chicken with Black Bean Sauce ($5.99)
- Twice Cooked Pork ($5.99)
- Black Mushrooms with Snow Peas ($5.99)
- Szechuan-Style Tofu ($5.99)
- Kung Pao Shrimp ($6.99)
- Curry Vegi. Chicken ($6.99)
For more information, call (520) 320-7768 or visit guilintucson.com.
El Sur
5602 E. 22nd St.
https://www.instagram.com/p/2wjkHRN8GG/
While tacos are hardly ever over $8 each, El Sur features a wide range of other hearty entrées under $8 with beans, rice, and tortillas.
Menu Highlights
- Huevos Rancheros ($6.99)
- 2 Chicken Enchiladas with Green Salsa ($6.99)
- Bistec Ranchero ($6.99)
- 3 Shrimp or Fish Soft Taquitos ($6.99)
- Pork Chop ($6.99)
- Chicken Mole ($6.99)
- 2 Chiles Rellenos Topped with Enchilada Salsa ($7.99)
- Chuck Steak (bone-in) ($7.99)
For more information, call (520) 748-1032 or visit elsurrestaurant.com.
TallBoys
600 N. Fourth Ave.
While most of TallBoys’ menu hovers around the $10 range, one item deserves a special shout-out.
The Bean and Rice Bowl ($7) features a generous portion of beans, rice, cheese, veggies, avocado, chipotle crema, pico, pickled onions, green onions, and cilantro.
For more information, call (520) 999-8269 or visit tallboysaf.com.
Vina Vietnamese Street Food
4230 N. Oracle Rd.
Vina lives up to the street food section of its name with a wide variety of menu options under $8. While the pho and chef’s specials are a barely over $8, the rest of the menu is under $8.
You can even build your own bowl in a Vietnamese fashion for $7.95; try it with rice vermicelli, lemongrass grilled chicken, and Vietnamese greens.
Menu Highlights
- Shrimp Summer Roll ($4 for 2) – rice paper roll with shrimp, rice noodles, greens
- Lemongrass Chicken Skewers ($4.95 for 3)
- Spicy Fish Sauce Wings ($5.50 for 5)
- Spicy Crispy Salad ($5.95) – crispy rolls, greens, rice noodles, nuoc cham
- Classic Banh Mi ($6.50) – chicken pate, steamed red pork, Vietnamese ham, head cheese, cucumber, carrot, daikon, jalapeño
For more information, call (520) 270-7779 or visit vina-vietnamese-street-food.business.site.
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.
