Poor and Hungry: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Cheap in Memphis
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There are some cities where it's nearly impossible to dine out while broke, but Memphis is not one of those cities. Here's the official I Love Memphis guide to eating on the cheap.
This list is a work in progress, so if you know of a special, all-you-can-eat night or some other cheap food (think less than $10), leave it in the comments and I'll add it to the list.
Lunch Specials
Downtown:
- Thai Bistro (Cordova and downtown): Appetizer and entree less than $10, Monday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- Pearl's Oyster House (299 S. Main): All specials are $8 or less, Monday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- T.J. Mulligans (all locations): Your choice of daily lunch special for $7.95, or half of a hotdog with two topings, $6.95.
- Elliott's (16 S 2nd): All sandwiches and wraps are less than $10, and many are less than $5.
- Bleu (221 South 3rd): The daily chef's lunch special is $11, which includes tax and iced tea.
Midtown:
- Pho Hoa Binh (1615 Madison): all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for $5.79.
- Bosco's (2120 Madison): $8 express lunch, item changes daily.
- Little Italy Pizza (1495 Union): All New York-style slices are less than $3.
- Jasmine (916 S Cooper): Lunch entrees with an egg roll, dumpling and soup, less than $9.
- India Palace (1720 Poplar): All-you-can-eat lunch buffet, $8.95 for adults, $4.95 for kids.
- Fino's (1853 Madison): Fino's has a box lunch speical that's $7.50 for a cold sandwich, pasta salad, chips and cookies.
- Celtic Crossing (903 S. Cooper): Daily lunch specials, $5.95 each.
South Memphis:
- Coletta's (1063 S. Parkway): Get a 6" pizza, lasagna or spaghetti plus salad and a drink for $7, Monday – Friday until 4 p.m.
East Memphis:
- Grove Grill (4550 Poplar): A different $9 lunch special every Monday – Friday.
- Dan McGuinness (4698 Spottswood): Your choice of one of three daily lunch specials for $6.95, Monday – Friday, 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Ryu (5137 Summer): Hibachi with your choice of meat for $10 or less, or two or three roll sushi combos for $14 or less.
Suburbs:
- Mama Mia's (255 New Byhalia): two one-topping slice and a salad or breadsticks and a drink, $6.99. Or, just get a one-topping slice or $2.79.
- Eat Well Sushi (2965 N Germantown Road #102): Eat Well is a little pricey at dinner, but during lunch, their buffet is more or less the same for half the price – $10.68 for adults.
All-You-Can-Eat
- Dino's Grill (645 N. McLean): All-you-can-eat spaghetti, $7.50, Thursdays, 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Hi-Tone Cafe (1913 Poplar Ave.): All-you-can-eat wing night, Mondays, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. (wash it down with a $1 PBR draft).
- Buccaneer (1368 Monroe): All-you-can-eat wings on Wednesday nights, $8.
- Chow Time (all locations): Memphis' most mind blowing soul food / Chinese buffet is $7.19 at lunch and $9.49 at dinner for adults.
Weekly Specials
- Trolley Stop Market (704 Madison): Different specials every weekenight. Tuesday is taco night.
- B.B. Kings (143 Beale): $1 per rib bone from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
- Papa Pia's (83 Union): Half price pizzas every Wednesday night.
- Dan McGuinness (4698 Spottswood): Fish and chips, $5.95, every Thursday, all day long.
- Patrick's (4972 Park): Patrick's has special lunch and dinner menu items that change every Wednesday.
- Spaghetti Warehouse (40 Huling): Score a bowl of spaghetti with your choice of sauce plus salad and breadsticks for $5.
- R.P. Tracks (3547 Walker): One special menu item every day of the week. Tuesday is Philly day!
- Celtic Crossing (903 S. Cooper): Two-for-one Fish and Chips on Tuesdays means that you can feed two people for $11.50.
- Onix (412 Main St.): Tuesday is two-for-one wing night.
Cheap, All the Time
- Earnestine and Hazel's (531 S. Main): Soul Burgers are always $6.
- Lee's Fresh Sushi (6646 Poplar): Sushi rolls are always less than $10 at Gas Station Sushi.
- Memphis Pizza Cafe (all locations): Half sandwich and half dinner salad, $6, all the time.
- Jim's Place (518 Perkins Extended): The food menu at the bar during happy hour has four options that are all $7.50 or less.
- Caritas Village (2509 Harvard Ave.): Caritas is a non-profit community space that serves simple, delicious lunches and dinner every day. Plus, it's a non-profit, so there's no tax.
Have I left your favorite special off the list? Leave it in the comments and I'll add it.
1:41 pm
ok, it's $10.86 but eat well sushi & grill has to be in there for the all you can eat sushi lunch. Bargain and none of the usual buffet feel.
1:59 pm
The original Wangs Mandarin House at Park & Ridgeway lunch buffet is $6.50
2:06 pm
Half a Hot Dog?!
2:21 pm
Simialar to Eat Well, there is also Ichiban in Cville, which is ~$8 for buffet lunch, including sushi, Chinese food, etc. There is also Corky's buffet on Wednesdays for a cheap price, and an all you can eat Mexican buffet at Su Casa.
2:52 pm
Don't forget $5.95 Fish and Chips at Dan McGuinness all day Thursdays!
3:21 pm
Flying Fish has All You Can Eat Catfish on Wednesdays and All You Can Eat Oysters on Sundays. http://flyingfishinthe.net/.
Bleu Downtown has lunch specials. http://www.downtownbleu.com/.
Spindini does half price pizzas on Mondays. http://spindinimemphis.com/
High Point Pizza does cheap pizza by the slice for lunch M-F. I am pretty sure they are $2.
4:04 pm
I think the Flying Fish Downtown has 50 cent oysters on Sundays.
4:15 pm
Spindini has half price pizzas and wine bottles on Mondays!
4:48 pm
Finos is my favorite cheap eats spot in Midtown. Half sandwiches (which are huge) are around $5 or less – and super delicious!
6:05 pm
I love this blog topic! Here are a few of mine… Celtic Crossing is cheap everyday. Lunch specials are 5.95. Tuesday is 2 for 1 Fish night so 11.20 divided by 2! My other is Sidestreet. They have a lot of cheap options anyway. BUT on Tuesday you get 2 pasta dishes and an appetizer for $20 a couple. Then on Wednesday, you get 2 steaks, 2 salads, an appetizer for $28 a couple.
8:10 pm
What about the weekends? Are there any specials for those of us who only dine out on Saturdays?
10:03 pm
Caritas Village in Midtown. http://www.caritasvillage.org/menu.html It's an non profit so there is no sales tax too.
6:23 am
Dixie Cafe. Lunch everyday……6.29: Entree and 2 sides, rolls and cornbread. East Memphis on Poplar. 10 minutes or it is free!
7:34 am
Onix, Tuesday all Wings are 2 for 1
9:26 am
I went to Jack Magoo's (on Broad Ave., right beside Broadway Pizza) and they have a new lunch special with $5 burgers and $1 fries, so for $6 you get a great meal. *Tasty burger, folks!* Their menu is awesome and pretty price conscious anyway, though.
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6:55 am
Tom's BBQ on Getwell (and Rains) has great food, reasonable prices, featured on foodnetwork twice!
6:57 am
http://www.tomsbarbq.com/
10:32 am
Don't forget COSTCO $150 Footlong Hotdog and Coke. One of the cheapest places to eat in town.
10:32 am
Sorry $1.50
12:42 pm
Don't think you mention it, but on Tuesdays Celtic has a buy-one get-one fish and chips deal. It's pretty cheap, if you and your buddy split the cost of the one lunch. :]
12:54 pm
Logans roadhouse has happy hour specials including a HUGE platter of nachos (enough for two plus) for $5 and super cheap other foods!
1:01 pm
$4.99 Breakfast Special at The Cupboard in Midtown served from 7am-11am daily
1:04 pm
The Flying Saucers all have lunch specials, and I believe they are around $6.99. Usually consisting of a sandwich, chips and salsa, and a soda.
1:35 pm
I have fond memories from 2003 of good and cheap lunches at the Little Tea Shop (we went there more than once). The Cupboard Two was also good; sadly it has since shut but they have a Midtown Cupboard that may be worth investigating.
Ellen's Soul Food, Alcenia's and The Gayhawk I have heard good things about; we also managed to do Leach's Family Restaurant sadly that one is another now gone.
1:39 pm
Brent, is that after the $ 55 membership? I'd say a $ 56.50 hot dog and coke is a great price.
2:31 pm
Mulan in the Cooper Young District has several lunch specials, but my fave is your choice of soup or salad with two sushi rolls for $9.
Also, Aldo’s Pizza Pies just opened Downtown on Main and has great East Coast style pizza by the slice under $4. A slice of cheese pizza runs about $2.65. Good size slices!
For a taste of fine dining without the price, Itta Bena offers $3 appetizers during Happy Hour M-Th.
3:20 pm
Don't forget us "Lowbrows." Tops Bar b que has a sandwich combo (sandwich, 2 sides and a drink) for about $7. Jack Purdles has a snack box (2 pieces of chicken, frie, biscuit, and gravy) for $6, I think. They are two local chains I love.
2:54 pm
$5.00 spaghetti and meatball dinner every Tuesday at the Green Beetle. 4pm-close.
5:58 pm
Qdoba on Germantown Blvd has $1 tacos on Tuesday nights. (limit: 6)