As eating out gets more and more expensive in D.C. (from July 2025 to July 2026, local food prices went up 5%), our concept of a “cheap meal” has remained remarkably stable. Washingtonian magazine recently brought back what had been a yearly special feature, Cheap Eats, listing meals under $25 — but doesn’t even that sound expensive, in a D.C. of DOGE cuts, furloughs, SNAP benefit cuts, and rampant inflation?
Finding truly affordable dining in Washington requires cutting through marketing noise and algorithms, and identifying the neighborhood standbys that still prioritize serving healthy portions at honest prices. Thankfully, there are a multitude of budget-friendly options to help you preserve your capital in the capital. Here are seven trusted favs, serving everything from soul food to Lebanese kabobs to Peruvian chicken, all at or under $15 a meal — including, in a couple cases, a drink.
LOADED SAUCY PLATTER Leez Deli By Shemalis 📍4483 Connecticut Ave NW; 3301 New Mexico Ave NW #121 💸 $11.99, plus add-ons
Leez Deli is a convenient Mediterranean restaurant and neighborhood market, with locations in Van Ness and Cathedral Heights. Their highly customizable loaded saucy platter (including a number of vegetarian options) feels like two meals in one and will fill you up. For lunch, I normally get rice, fries, and chicken-beef combo with garlic sauce and spicy sauce, and it holds off cravings firmly into dinner. Even with water or a soda, you still come out under $15 with most versions of this dish.
Chefs Jessica and Alfredo Solisdreamed of bringing authentic Mexico City flavors to DC and in 2014, that dream was realized with the opening of El Sol Restaurante. Head to Logan Circle for the tastiest Carne Asada tacos in the district. Two delicious grilled chopped steak tacos with a side of rice or beans makes for a filling and flavorful meal.
ROAST BEEF AND CHEESE OVEN SUB Mangialardo's 📍1317 Pennsylvania Ave SE 💸 $13.50
Opened in 1953 and still family-owned, this Capitol Hill staple is an Italian deli dedicated to subs that easily defeat hunger. While Mangialardo's is famous for its “G Man” cold sub served with ham, salami, and pepperoni, this Muslim writer typically pivots for an equally large and delicious option: the roast beef and cheese oven sub. A chain restaurant who shall not be named claims it has “the meats”: Mangialardo’s has more. A standard half sub (around eight inches) functions as a heavy single meal or two lighter ones.
PERUVIAN HALF CHICKEN Peruvian Brothers 📍1280 4th Street NE 💸 $12.00
In the NoMa/Union Market area, transport yourself to Peru with a delicious — and filling — half-chicken (breast, wing, thigh, and leg) from Peruvian Brothers at La Cosecha Latin Market. The chickens are all-natural (no chemicals) and free-range, and the meal comes with signature sauces like the green huacatay and rocoto aioli. Unless you’re a competitive eating champion, it easily functions as two full meals or one massive, protein-heavy dinner. If you’re eating as a group, the whole chicken — which comes with three sides — is also an excellent deal, easily enough for a group of three at $35.
FRIED WHITING PLUS TWO SIDES Henry’s Soul Cafe 📍 1704 U St NW 💸 $11.99
This legendary U Street restaurant, opened in 1968 by the self-styled “King of Soul Food,” Henry E. Smith, has survived riots, Ronald Reagan, The Jordan Era Wizards, and many waves of gentrification. The satisfying fried whiting meal comes with two large fried-to-perfection fish fillets and your choice of two sides from among a delicious laundry list of options: cabbage, fresh greens, fried okra, mac and cheese, stuffing, string beans, candied yams and more.
CHEESEBURGER AND FRIES The Market Lunch 📍225 7th St. SE 💸 $13.90
With even fast-food burger chains now offering $8 burgers, the days of finding a cheap burger are drawing nigh. However, The Market Lunch comes to save the day with their classic cheeseburger option. As if you can ever have a burger without its companion, ordering fries still keeps you under $15.
THE BYBLOS SPECIAL Byblos Deli 📍 3414 Connecticut Ave NW 💸 $12.75
This beloved Lebanese restaurant not far from the zoo offers a vast menu of items under $15, but the best option for a first-timer would be the Byblos Special. The namesake meal is served with your choice of grilled chicken, gyro meat or kafta kabob alongside a side of fluffy rice, house-made hummus, tzatziki, and pita. The owner and chef, Marc El-Adas, keeps water and sodas priced at the same $1.50.
Tauheed Rahim II is a DC-based Grammy-nominated hip hop artist, dramatist, and writer rooted in a Memphis–Mississippi blues legacy. His nonfiction appears in the Oxford American, and his essay “Dear Queen” was a 2025 Best American Essays notable.
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