The 14 best cheap eats in Adelaide

Chatkazz in Lightsview dishes out street food from the North and South of India, with most of its 200 spicy delights priced under $30. Feeling peckish? Go for the samosa sandwich, brimming with cheese, chutney and tomato sauce; scoop up the chole bhatura (chickpea curry) with fried Indian bread, or nibble at one of the 25 dosas from the south.

Order the: Crispy paper dosa.

Price: Dosas from $16.40, curries from $13.40

The north-western suburb of Woodville Gardens and its adjoining Hanson Road are home to the highest density of Vietnamese restaurants in Adelaide. The area is scattered with no-frills hotspots that plate up delectable, home-style cookery, including one that keeps us coming back for more – Café Thu Ngan. Not only do they whack together some of the best bánh mì in Adelaide, but a vast selection of soups, noodles, rice, stir-fries, desserts, snacks and everything in between. Café Thu Ngan’s menu is lengthy, to say the least, and there are plenty of mock meat options too for your token vegan friends – and we mean plenty. 

Order the: Fully-stuffed bò chay (vegan beef-lemongrass bánh mì), or an extra-large bowl of steaming bún bò huế (spicy beef noodle soup). 

Price: Rolls from $8, noodle soups from $16

Frequented by the omnivorous and herbivorous alike, Ferryden Park’s Mai Kitchen has grown to become a Vietnamese institution over its ten years in business. The casual, neighbourhood eatery is relatively plain and simple – somewhat bare-bones – but that’s just part of the experience. All of Mai Kitchen’s time and energy is spent concocting spectacular, home-style cookery that’ll drift your mind and soul to faraway lands. Typically, a 30-page menu poses as a bit of a red flag, but it’s evident that Mai has each and every dish down to a tee.  Plus, if you’re cutting down on meat, best believe there’s a veggie replacement waiting at the flip of a page. You’re spoiled for choice at Mai Kitchen.

Order the: Tuck into staples, including the chim cút (spiced quails), cá kho tộ (caramelised fish pot), beef phở (noodle soup), bánh xèo (prawn and herb pancake) and gà kho gừng (ginger clay pot chicken).

Price: Main dishes from $17.90

What began in Prospect as a humble falafel takeaway has grown into a 65-seater venue in St Morris, featuring an expanded menu of Mazen and Sahar El-Baba’s home cuisine. Still maintaining their affordable prices, Falafel Station's new kitchen allows them to go beyond their vegetarian roots, now serving lamb skewers, grilled chicken, and kafta alongside stuffed vine leaves, veggie fritters, fattoush salad, and spinach triangles. The highlight? A large woodfired flatbread oven turning out fresh manoush with more than 12 toppings, from za’atar and cheese to sujuk. 

Order the: Zaatar man'ouche with labneh.

Price: Fresh woodfired bread from $3.50, man'ouche from $8, traditional pan meals from $18

You said ‘via vai’, Italians say ‘coming and going’ or ‘bustle’ – aptly named considering you’re bound to return to Via Vai Pizzetta and Focaccia Bar that sits along the bustling CBD thoroughfare of Currie Street. The hole-in-the-wall bakery of sorts fires up the oven daily to bring you house-made, sourdough focaccias, hand-held pizzas that are on-the-go-friendly, and hunks of tiramisu for a cheeky pick-me-up, too. Via Vai kicks it old-school, all while putting their own spin on the ever-present sandwich craze – traditional Italian cheeses and deli meats wedged between not just any old bread, but indeed bouncy focaccia. 

Order the: The roasted eggplant focaccia with semi-dried tomatoes, whipped feta and rocket, as well as the salami sopressa focaccia with nduja, pecorino sardo and turmeric-pickled zucchini.

Price: Pizzetta from $9, focaccia sandwich from $13

Uncle Authentic Chicken Rice on Waymouth Street is undoubtedly plating up some of the cheapest eats in Adelaide. For just $13.80, you can tuck into traditional or crispy skin chicken rice, which has been slow-poached for ultimate succulence, alongside fragrant rice and a bowl of piping-hot chicken broth. The Singaporean and Malaysian hive offers a whole lot more than just chicken and rice though – observe the chefs who are on full display as they rustle up mega bowls of potent laksa for $15.80, sauteed greens in exchange for $3.80, and $5 shallot pancakes, too. Uncle Authentic Chicken Rice’s fit-out may be contemporary, but the blue plastic crockery doesn’t lie, and the broths will have you slurping every last drop. 

Order the: Traditional chicken rice. 

Price: Chicken rice from $13.80, laksa from $15.80

It’s all about cheap (but very cheerful) street food at Chaska Chaat Ka, located to the north of Adelaide’s city centre on Prospect Road. Authentic dishes from various pockets of India grace the entirely vegetarian menu, calling to those who are up for trying something new. They've got momos (steamed dumplings) from northern India, Bombay street-style sandwiches and pav bhaji, south Indian idlis and dosas, plus chaat that takes you back to Delhi. 

Order the: Chole bhature – a chickpea curry served with pillowy, puffed-up deep-fried bread. 

Price: Starters from $3.99, curries from $12, momos from $11

Contemporary Japanese Deli may be small in size, but it puts up a fairly sizeable menu of donburi rice bowls, bento boxes, katsu curries and of course, ramen. Their popular and affordable bento boxes offer a feast of options, from teriyaki and karaage chicken to yakiniku beef, tempura prawn and veg, or tonkatsu pork. The Japanese-style katsu curry is pure comfort food, while more than ten hearty ramen bowls come in at under $20. 

Order the: Japanese-style katsu curry. 

Price: Bento box from $16, ramen from $13

Indonesia is one of Australia’s closest neighbours, and anyone who’s travelled the distance knows that the nation’s food comes close to unmatched – it’s herbal, spicy, sweet, sour, and most of all, downright delicious. Here in Adelaide, we’re fortunate enough to have Pondok Daun Restaurant, a low-key Indonesian eatery in the CBD serving up real-deal plates that deliver on both quality and quantity. Expect to get stuck into chicken nasi goreng (fried rice), beef rendang (curry), whole fried tilapia fish and five fried wontons, all for great prices. Pondok Daun also pulls through with the goods when it comes to traditional veggie dishes, aka – they provide an entire vegan menu.

Order the: Whole fried tilapia fish. 

Price: Main dishes from $15

Fancy a day by the seaside snacking on some sensational eats in the sunshine? Look no further than Port Adelaide’s La Popular Taqueria – said to be one of the best Mexican restaurants around. The team aren’t playin’ at La Popular Taqueria either – corn tortillas are handmade each and every day (with a good wad of elbow grease of course), which are a hallmark of the eatery’s dang tasty tacos. House-made guac is too, a key ingredient, along with tender frijoles (black beans). Dive right into chicharrón (pork crackling with red salsa), cochinita tacos (oven-braised pulled pork with all the herbs and spices), cachete de res tacos (slow-cooked beef cheek in three-chilli salsa), and Baja-style cauliflower tacos – all for wildly low prices. Let the Mexican mess drip upon the 100-year-old, salvaged timber table tops from the neighbouring Port Admiral Hotel – dinner and a bit of history.

Order the: Cochinita tacos. 

Price: Tacos from $11.

Popular among students and city workers on a mission for an equally quick and tasty lunch stop, Sit Lo is the ultimate one-stop-shop. With three outposts across Bank Street, Waymouth Street and UniSA’s City West Campus, the micro Vietnamese eateries already know you’re tight for time. At first glance of the menu, you’ll notice there’s not one single item above the $20 mark – almost unheard of in this economy – and at a second glance, you’ll lock into some flavoursome bites that are sure to make you salivate. It’s never not a good idea to opt for the $15 tofu and shiitake mushroom noodle bowl, thịt kho trứng (caramelised pork and egg rice), beef phở (noodle soup), as well as the almighty foot-long, grilled chicken bánh mì. Stay on high alert with a Vietnamese iced coffee for eight pennies, where both dairy-free and lactose-tolerant folk can share a common ground – coffee grounds, that is.

Order the: Bánh mì with pork and chicken.

Price: Bao buns for $7, bánh mì from $10, pho from $16

From a passion for pizza and the love for a family member who developed a nasty gluten intolerance (Italian sacrilege), Rocco’s Wood Oven Sourdough Pizza was born. The Kidman Park and Fulham Gardens pizzerias rise to the occasion with their long-fermented, FODMAP-friendly dough – meaning your wheat-sensitive pals won’t miss out on all the oozy fun. Rocco’s takes pride in their no-soggy-bottom pizza pies, and you can get your hands dirty with 13 different 12-inch discs. Go tell your touchy tummy friends.

Order the: Number One Son with garlic prawns, white sauce, mozzarella, baby spinach and a drizzling of herb oil. 

Price: Pizzas from $12.90

It’s always the restaurants that don’t seem to give elaborate social media marketing a second thought that are packed-out night after night. And we’re here to talk about Ying Chow Chinese Restaurant – just in case it hasn’t popped up on your newsfeed lately. The long-standing, dinner domain radiates on the outskirts of Adelaide’s Chinatown with its fluorescent lighting and chatter-filled eating room – the awards wall dating back to 1994 is hard to miss too. Ying Chow is no doubt one of the best Chinese establishments in Adelaide, and just one whiff will have you hopelessly devoted to the deep-fried, braised, roasted and wok hei-ed fare. 

Order the: Peruse the laminated menu and land on the BBC (broad beans, bean curd and chutney), Shanghai noodles, salt and pepper eggplant, red vinegar ribs, tea-smoked duck and regional pancake with Chinese custard, which is just enough for two.

Price: Starters from $7.50, mains from $20.80

This old-school Italian joint serves pizza and pasta all day, just like nonna used to make. Their lunch menu is a wallet-friendly wonderland, with affordable toasted sandwiches, soups, pizzas and pasta all starring on the menu. Come lunchtime, the neighbouring deli draws a crowd for its fresh paninis. There are nine to pick from, with fillings like smoked salmon, dill and mascarpone; prosciutto, mozzarella and sliced tomatoes; or the mysterious weekly special. 

Order the: Spaghetti carbonara for breakfast (it hits). 

Price: Soup from $13, sandwiches from $13, pasta from $20