I don't have to tell you this, but it's expensive out there.
In the last few years, real estate prices have soared, airfare has gone up and groceries have gotten pricier. Sometimes you just want to support a local restaurant and enjoy a tasty meal without breaking the budget.
That's where we come in.
For $9 or less, you can build your own cheeseburger, get a Korean-style chicken sandwich or enjoy a quarter gallon of albondigas. Here's where!
Monster Sonoran Hot Dogs in American Eat Co. serves a slew of birria creations, including this grilled cheese sandwich.
$8 birria grilled cheese from Monster Sonoran Hot Dogs
Sonoran dogs are in the name, but Monster Sonoran Hot Dogs might be better known for their birria. Located inside food hall American Eat Co., Monster Sonoran has been around since 2018 serving up birria inside and on top of hot dogs, tacos, quesadillas, ramen and tots.
But we're here to talk about the birria grilled cheese. It doesn't come with a side, but you don't need one. The $8 sandwich is FILLED with flavorful birria and gooey cheese. You can also get a foot-long Sonoran hot dog for $8.
Location: American Eat Co., 1439 S. Fourth Ave.
For more information, visit Monster Sonoran Dogs' Instagram page.
$8.49 chicken sandwich and fries from Oh My Chicken
This hidden gem tucked into Park Place Mall's food court has some of the best Korean fried chicken tenders in town, with a second location expected to open later this year in midtown.
Chef and co-owner Myungjin Choi spent two years perfecting his chicken from a recipe he used in Korea. The crispy chicken is tossed in your choice of sauce, from sweet chili to garlic soy, served with fries.
Although their four-piece chicken tender meals are $10.99, their chicken sandwich comes with a side of fries and is $8.49. The sandwich comes with two small chicken tenders topped with lettuce, tomato and pickled cabbage, drizzled in a sauce of your choosing.
Location: Park Place Mall food court, 5870 E. Broadway; and coming soon to 2745 N. Campbell Ave.
For more information, visit Oh My Chicken's Instagram page.
Alvernon Donuts has donuts and fried chicken.
$7.99 fried chicken at Alvernon Donuts
You might not expect to find fried chicken at a doughnut shop, yet here we are.
Alvernon Donuts serves crispy and juicy fried chicken courtesy Genuine Broaster Chicken, a nationwide equipment brand that's been around for six decades. I'm someone who usually needs a condiment with a meal, but the chicken is flavorful enough to forgo a dipping sauce.
And it's cheap! The dark meat four-piece is $7.99, but if you like to mix sweet and savory, you can get a single doughnut for $1.59 along with a $3.99 chicken breast or $2.59 thigh with a $1.99 drumstick or $1.79 wing. If you don't want a doughnut, you can get sides of macaroni salad or potato salad, which are $2.19 for a small. The chicken was available when I walked in on a Saturday afternoon, but it's recommended to call ahead to place your order: 520-326-3307.
The doughnuts are tasty, too, light and sweet.
Location: 1450 S. Alvernon Way
For more information, visit Alvernon Donuts' Yelp page.
Pictured is China Pasta House’s pork and soy bean paste noodles.
Noodles under $9 at China Pasta House
If China Pasta House wasn't on the edge of the bustling University of Arizona campus with hundreds of reviews on Yelp and Google, I'd call it a hidden gem. It may not be hidden, but it's definitely a gem.
The restaurant has more than a dozen noodle dishes on the menu and all but one are under $9. Mixed vegetable noodles, cucumber and shredded chicken, pork and soybean paste — there are a lot to choose from.
If you're a dumpling fan, you can get 15 for $9 or less, with fillings like pork, shrimp and veggies. Several rice dishes also come in under the $9 price point. I love the house special fried rice.
Location: 430 N. Park Ave.
For more information, visit China Pasta House's website.
The burnt ends sloppy Joe at Mr. K’s BBQ is priced under $9.
$8.50 burnt ends sloppy Joe at The Original Mr. K's BBQ
When you walk into Mr. K's, you'll notice a hanging menu with block letters, wood paneling surrounding the seating area and friendly staff ready to explain the plates if you're a new visitor.
The burnt ends sloppy Joe is the only sandwich under $9, but the four others aren't priced much higher. While it doesn't come with a side, the two hamburger buns are packed with so much meat — the burnt ends from pulled pork and beef brisket — that you probably wouldn't need one.
But if you're looking to splurge above the $9 budget, four ounces of mac n' cheese is about $3 and it's worth the trip alone.
Location: 6302 S. Park Ave.
For more information, visit The Original Mr. K's BBQ's Facebook page.
A gallon of menudo gets poured for a to-go order on Feb. 1, 2022, at Tanias 33.
$9 soups from Tanias 33
Tanias 33 has been around for more than four decades and it's since become a west-side icon with their award-winning menudo and giant burros that have earned the name B. Rex.
When you think of our 100-degree days, soup might not come to mind. But really, there are no rules. No one says you can't enjoy soup in summer.
Tanias 33 serves their menudo (red and white) seven days a week, along with eight other soups including albondigas, caldo de queso and two vegan options. For $9, you can get 32 ounces of your favorite soup.
Location: 614 N. Grande Ave.
For more information, visit the Tanias 33 website.
The quarter-pound BYO burger at Serial Grillers includes free toppings like lettuce, tomato, grilled onions and pickles.
$7.75 cheeseburger and a side from Serial Grillers
In 2012, brothers William and Travis Miller opened a food truck to sell their cheesesteak-style sandwiches. In the decade-plus since, Serial Grillers has grown into several brick-and-mortars, new concepts and a menu of a whole lot more than cheesesteak.
If you can't tell by the name, Serial Grillers has horror-themed titles for its menu items: a salami sandwich dubbed Silence of the Lambs, a cheesesteak called Pennywise, a salad called Candyman. Burgers, calzones and pizza are also on the menu.
For $7.75, you can build your own juicy quarter-pound cheeseburger with free toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions and pickles. For an extra cost, but still under the $9 budget, you can add on a sauce like chipotle mayo or top your burger with mushrooms or pepperoni. Burgers come with a side of coleslaw, potato salad, carrots or a small bag of chips.
Eight-inch one-topping pizzas also come under budget at $8.75 🍕
Location: 5975 E. Speedway; 1970 W. River Road; 7585 S. Houghton Road; 5660 W. Cortaro Farms Road
For more information, visit Serial Grillers' website.
Millie's Pancake Haus is located inside Trail Dust Town, offering breakfast favorites.
$7.95 breakfast favorites from Millie's Pancake Haus
Sometimes you just want a classic breakfast. As Millie's Pancake Haus puts it, "we offer no-nonsense food at down-to-earth prices." And they're right.
Tucked inside the Western favorite Trail Dust Town, Millie's Pancake Haus plays the part with its wooden booths that have heart-shaped cutouts, and the charming tea kettles and porcelain plates that hang on the wall.
For $8.95, you can get a plate of hashbrowns, two eggs, toast and your choice of a meat. A cheese omelet with toast and hashbrowns also comes under the $9 price point. Three à la carte potato pancakes are $6.50 and they come with apple sauce and sour cream.
A stack of three pancakes ranges from $7.25 to $8.75, depending on the flavor you want. The chocolate chip pancakes are a dream.
Location: 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road
For more information, visit Millie's Pancake Haus' website.
Tuxon Chix offers wings in 11 flavors, including the pictured Nashville hot.
$9 wings or a $5 sandwich at Tuxon Chix
From the wings to the chicken tenders to the fries, everything is crispy at Tuxon Chix. The eatery opened earlier this year near Tucson Medical Center. It's clad with Joe Pagac murals out front and a drive-thru that wraps around the building.
For $9, you can get six chicken wings in one of 11 flavors that range from Nashville hot to lemon pepper. All of the chicken sandwiches — there are nine of them — are also priced at $9 or less.
The classic sandwich, which comes with mayo, pickles and lettuce, is only $5. That's less than the chicken sandwiches at fast food chains like Wingstop and KFC. It's $4 to add a side of fries, and an extra 50 cents will get you a drink.
Location: 5524 E. Grant Road
For more information, visit Tuxon Chix's website.
The Taco Chino, aka a bean taco, along with the salsa bar, is only $1 at Tacos Apson.
Tips and honorable mentions
We have three other installments of this series on our website, but they were written so long ago that many of the menu items have gone up in price. The following spots were mentioned in previous stories and still offer filling meals under the $9 mark, according to their online menus:
- Slice & Ice — whole pizzas and sandwiches
- Pappoule's — bowl of avgolemono soup
- Bobo's — combo breakfast plates and omelettes
- The Quesadillas — quesadillas and Sonoran hot dogs
- Banhdicted — bánh mì
- Caravan Grill — chicken shawarma sandwich
- Tacos Apson — bean tacos are $1!
A few pro tips: You can often find tacos and Sonoran hot dogs under $9. While there are countless options in Tucson, here are three to get you started: El Chivo de Oro, El Sinaloense and Amelia's Mexican Kitchen. Lots of no-frills breakfast spots also have meals under $9, including weekday and early bird specials. Try Joe's Pancake House, Gus Balon's and Frank's Restaurant.
