Rent is rent, so the food budget is where I try to be smart. Looking for the spots where you walk out full and happy for under fifteen bucks, no tourist markup.
Tacos, banh mi, whatever, as long as it is genuinely good and does not empty the wallet. Drop your go-to cheap eats.
Downtown makes this easy. Grand Central Market if you skip the hyped stalls, a torta from the Mexican counter is basically two meals for like eleven bucks. Villa's Tacos when the wait isn't crazy. I eat down here for cheap constantly, it's my whole routine.
Always tacos for me. Leo's truck at La Brea and Venice does al pastor off the trompo, four of those and you're stuffed for under ten. On my side of town Tacos Villa Corona in Atwater has a breakfast burrito that holds me the whole day. Zero markup.
Westside pick from me, Sunny Blue does these omusubi rice balls that run about five bucks and fill you up more than they should. Kabob Time on Venice too if you want a real plate for cheap. I grab one heading home a lot, good call for a Saturday night when cooking sounds like too much.
If you're really counting dollars go banh mi. Banh Mi My Tho in the Valley is a few bucks and legit great, and there's decent ones closer on the Westside too.
Broke weeks that plus a coffee is my entire lunch and I'm fine till dinner. Way under fifteen.
Ktown is built for this. Sun Nong Dan if you feel like spending a little more, but the actual cheap play is the little places doing kimbap plus a soup for under ten. Han Bat sul lung tang is the comfort spot for me. Eating well and cheap beats paying for the vibe.
That’s the one place I am looking forward trying. Just a couple more months and it’s happening. Another one will be Pink's Hot Dogs.
