Bright flavours, consistency, and lots of food for not a lot of money are what define the best cheap eats restaurants in Toronto. As a city built on the diversity, we also have a wide array of good-value restaurants.
They may not be a go-to for special occasions, but these restaurants are places where we can expand our culinary boundaries and often discover pleasant culinary surprises.
But cheap eats are not a free lunch. These are the eight restaurants in Toronto punching above their weight and offering very good food at a reasonable price. You can expect to eat well at any of them for less than $20.
Vesuvio's Pizzeria & Spaghetti House
Toronto is awash in pizza -- some of it good and some of it cheap, but rarely both. For $2.50 the rectangular pepperoni slice from Vesuvio's is easily the best deal in the Junction. From the just-oily-enough, crispy crust to the curled and browned pepperoni, this is a wallop of old school pizza nostalgia.
Get a crew together on a Friday evening and start your crawl at Randy's, the godfather of the Eglinton and Oakwood strip. The patties are a standout here (the chicken version is unusually good) and the oxtail curry makes for excellent sharing. After sundown, spread out and hit the street-side grill for more jerk chicken at Rap's and then around the corner to Seg'z for a snack and JR Sweets for Jamaican-style ice cream.
Noodles, regardless of their heritage, are one of the classics in the world of cheap eats. Hand-made and served in soup form, the spicy dan dan noodles from Sun's are the right combination of chewy and comfortable. Getting to watch the noodle-making theatre and the frenetic atmosphere of Pacific Mall are added bonuses.
If you're going to travel to a restaurant just for dessert, make it Crown Pastries in Scarborough. Owned by the Alsalha family, Syrian ex-pats from Aleppo who came to Canada almost a decade ago, this has become an east-end institution. Yes, there are several shapes of baklava (and they don't all have pistachios) but it's worth venturing down the case and trying some of the sweet and savoury cakes - often filled with cheese.
No matter how much its stock rises, no one seems to want to call the fried chicken sandwich a trend. (Maybe because that would mean it might go out of favour?) Rather than "peaked" let's say it has reached a gluttonous apogee at College Street's PG Clucks. And, sure, they have a take on a muffuletta and a sandwich with a cruller for a bun, but the classic with its pickles, slaw and sharp hot sauce is the best representation of the Nashville original.
Ready to level up? You can order a couple of the Clucks selections next door at Birreria Volo, the city's best beer bar.
Either by wrap or plate, with chicken or beef, this is Toronto's best Turkish doner. The whirring vertical spits groan with large slabs of meat, rather than the more mysterious pressed loaves some places spin.
It's easy to be impressed (read: overwhelmed) by the hearty portion sizes at Babos and miss the finer details. Why does the hot sauce taste brighter and more complex than usual? Because it's long-fermented, in-house, instead brought in. What's the mysterious wooden barrel perched on top of the Coke refrigerator? Oh, that's where the owner makes his own Ayran, a yogurt-based drink popular in Turkey.
Kensington's Mexican sandwich shop proudly waves the local sourcing flag by getting their bread from Blackbird and meat from Sanagan's - both within view of their front window. For a trip to San Cosme, the more accomplices the better, because it really is better to order a variety of the filling tortas and share them around. The Cubano (with the pork trinity of bacon, ham and adobo-braised shoulder) and the Cochinita (a Yucatan take on pulled pork) are both favourites. Save room for the refritos or esquites sides and for a churro as you head back out into the market.
History is a sign that a restaurant has found a way to sell good-value food in a way that is sustainable for them. After about a quarter century in Scarborough, Hopper Hut makes one of the strongest cases for this idea. A hopper combo (go with the coconut sambol side) is the best way to experience the glorious variety of this Sri Lankan specialty. Mutton curry and the banana-leaf-wrapped lampries are the way to go for heartier appetites. On the way out, grab a snack from the "short eats" counter for the road.