25 Toronto Meals Under $10 That Still Exist

Yes, Toronto still has real food for less than $10. But you need the exact restaurant and the exact order. Walking into any cheap-looking place and hoping for the best no longer works.

Our best everyday pick is the roughly $5 cold-cut banh mi at Banh Mi Nguyen Huong. The best hot plate is Golden Patty's $8.99 jerk chicken with rice in Kensington Market. The best whole pizza is Pizza Tazza's 10-inch pizza with one topping for $8.99.

The main catch is tax. Most prices below are menu prices before tax. A $9.99 item usually costs more than $10 at the register. Portion sizes also vary. We call out every light meal, weekday deal and cash-only counter so you know what you are getting.

Prices were checked on August 31, 2026. Menus change fast. Check the linked menu before making a long trip.

The quick list: 25 Toronto restaurants with food under $10

Restaurant	Exact order under $10	Price checked	Area	Portion truth
Banh Mi Nguyen Huong	Cold-cut banh mi	About $5 to $6	Chinatown and Wilson	A proper lunch for many people
Pizza Tazza	10-inch pizza with one topping	$8.99	Mount Dennis	A whole small pizza
Allwyn's	Jerk chicken sandwich	$9	Queen and Spadina	Filling sandwich, not a rice plate
Golden Patty	Jerk chicken with rice	$8.99	Kensington Market	One of the few real hot plates here
Manpuku	Curry udon	$8.50 at a current price check	Village by the Grange	Hot bowl with a seat nearby
Hey Noodles	House special cold noodles	$8	Chinatown	No meat or extra protein included
Mom's Pan-Fried Bun	Braised beef noodle soup	$9.99	Chinatown	Full bowl, but service can be uneven
HoGa Oriental Cuisine	Fish katsu plate	About $8	Financial District	Full lunch, weekdays only
Fearless Meat	Chicken fingers with fries	$9.99	Upper Beaches	Full meal before tax
New Kalyani	Roti with chicken curry	$9.99	Scarborough	Strong value and a full order
Sultan BBQ & Grill	Chicken biryani Monday special	$8.49	Scarborough Village	Deal-day meal
Fresca Pizza and Pasta	Penne arrabbiata	$8.95	College and Robert	Full pasta order
Ha Gow Dim Sum House	Chicken noodle soup	$8.75	Danforth East	Full bowl
IKEA Restaurant	Plant balls or falafel	$8.99	IKEA locations	Full plate, store menus can vary
VietBites	Grilled pork banh mi	$7.99	Cabbagetown	Filling sandwich
Banh Mi Khong	Classic banh mi	$7.99	Jane and Bloor	Filling sandwich
Egg Club	Egg Club sandwich	$8.20	Several locations	Breakfast or light lunch
Square Boy	Hamburger, fries and pop	About $8	East Danforth	Full old-school combo, cash only
Johnny's Hamburgers	Cheeseburger	About $5.70	Victoria Park and Sheppard	Burger only, cash only
Caribbean Queen of Patties	Large beef patty in coco bread	About $5	Bloordale	Large snack or light meal
Patties Express	Two patties and a pop	About $5.90 plus tax	Several locations	Light meal
Fahmee Bakery	Patty in coco bread	$5	Malvern	Light meal, add a second patty for $8.50 total
Juicy Dumpling	Six steamed pork soup dumplings	$6.48	Chinatown	Light meal for a hungry adult
Latin World	Five daily special tacos	$5 before tax	Bloorcourt	Only on the named deal day
El Sazón de la Tía Flor	Five Tuesday or Wednesday tacos	$5	O'Connor and Amsterdam	Deal-day meal with small tacos

What we count as a meal under $10

This guide uses the listed menu price before tax. That is how restaurants advertise prices, but it is not always what leaves your wallet.

We use three honest labels:

• Full meal: A hot plate, bowl or complete order that should satisfy an average adult.
• Light meal: Enough for a small lunch. A hungry person may need more.
• Deal-day meal: The price works only on a certain day or during a current promotion.

Delivery does not count. Markups, service fees, delivery charges and tips destroy a $10 budget. Order at the counter or pick it up.

The best real meals under $10

These are the strongest choices when you want more than a patty or a snack.

1. Golden Patty: the best hot plate under $10

Golden Patty's current pickup menu lists jerk chicken with rice for $8.99. The shop is at 187 Baldwin Street in Kensington Market.

That is the deal most old Toronto cheap-eats lists are trying to describe. It is a hot rice plate, not half a sandwich dressed up as dinner. Golden Patty also lists jerk chicken, jerk pork and curry chicken sandwiches in coco bread for $6.25. A stuffed patty is $6.50, or $7.50 in coco bread.

The room is basic and the menu is built for speed. That is part of why the price survives. Go for the $8.99 jerk chicken and rice when you want a proper meal. Choose the patty only when you need something fast.

Verdict: This is our best full hot meal in central Toronto. Start here.

2. Pizza Tazza: the current $8.99 pizza answer

Pizza Tazza's official menu lists a small 10-inch pizza with six slices and one free topping for $8.99. The address is 878A Weston Road.

This is not an $8.99 slice combo. It is a whole small pizza. That makes it one of the clearest full-meal deals in the city. Extra toppings, dipping sauce and delivery will raise the price.

It is not near downtown, so the deal makes sense for Mount Dennis and Weston residents. Crossing the city to save a few dollars on pizza does not.

Verdict: Best whole pizza under $10. Go if the location works. Do not confuse it with Pizza Pizza's expired $8.99 offer.

3. Manpuku: the best cheap bowl downtown

Manpuku is inside Village by the Grange at 105 McCaul Street. Current 2026 price checks found curry udon at $8.50 and a basic ramen at $9.99.

Manpuku feels more like a meal than most downtown options on this list. You get a hot bowl and food-court seating. There is no table-service tip and no pressure to buy a drink.

Not every bowl is under $10. Larger dishes and extras cross the line. Read the board before ordering because Manpuku's menu changes.

Verdict: Best central option when you want hot food and a seat. The curry udon is the smart order.

4. Hey Noodles: an $8 bowl with one big catch

Hey Noodles at Spadina and Dundas lists house special cold noodles for $8.

The price is real, but the cheap bowl does not include meat or another protein. Most of the restaurant's better-known noodle bowls now cost around $14 or more. Do not walk in and assume the whole menu is cheap.

Choose this when you want spicy, chewy noodles and do not need meat. Add-ons can erase the bargain.

Verdict: Good $8 vegetarian noodle fix. Skip it if you need a heavy lunch.

5. Mom's Pan-Fried Bun: full soup for $9.99

Mom's Pan-Fried Bun has locations at 185 Dundas Street West and 266 Spadina Avenue. A current menu lists braised beef noodle soup and tomato-broth noodles with fried pork chop at $9.99. Eight pan-fried pork dumplings are $6.99.

The noodle soup is the stronger meal. The dumplings are cheaper, but they are a lighter order. The shops can feel cramped, and recent customer reports describe uneven food temperature and texture. This is useful food, not a polished restaurant experience.

Verdict: Order the $9.99 soup when you need a full Chinatown meal. Do not expect careful service or a relaxed room.

6. HoGa Oriental Cuisine: the Financial District's rare $8 lunch

HoGa is in the lower level at 121 King Street West. Current August 2026 counter reports put the fish katsu plate near $8, with several combination plates below $10.

This is an old-school weekday food-court counter. It is mainly useful to office workers. Hours are limited, the line can move fast and cash is the safest payment plan.

The value is unusually strong for King Street. The problem is that HoGa has a thin online presence, so the counter board is the final source.

Verdict: Best Financial District deal if you work nearby. Do not make a weekend plan around it.

7. Fearless Meat: chicken fingers and fries for $9.99

Fearless Meat's official menu lists chicken fingers with fries for $9.99 at 884 Kingston Road. It also lists a Beach Burger for $9.99 and a peameal sandwich for $8.99. Several breakfast sandwiches cost $5.99 to $7.99.

This is one of the few under-$10 orders that looks like an ordinary fast-food meal. The chicken fingers and fries are the fullest choice. The burger and peameal sandwich are better if you need food you can carry.

The $9.99 options go over $10 after tax. That is the catch.

Verdict: Best Upper Beaches choice. Get the chicken fingers and fries for quantity.

8. New Kalyani: roti and chicken curry for $9.99

New Kalyani's current menu at 723 Kennedy Road lists roti with chicken curry for $9.99. A roti with two vegetable curries is also $9.99. Four set idlis or four Jaffna dosas are $7.99.

This Scarborough counter has some of the most filling choices in the guide. The roti and curry order is the safest first pick. The idli or dosa order is cheaper and works well for breakfast or a light lunch.

App prices can differ from the counter. Check before paying.

Verdict: One of the best value meals in Scarborough. Pick the chicken curry unless you want vegetarian food.

9. Sultan BBQ & Grill: excellent deals on the right day

Sultan BBQ & Grill's official specials at 3452 Kingston Road include chicken biryani for $8.49 on Monday, chicken pulao for $8.49 on Wednesday and haleem for $9.99 on Friday. The weekend halwa puri special is $9.99.

This is a deal-day restaurant. The exact day matters more than the name of the place. Visit on the wrong day and the order you planned may cost more.

The chicken biryani is the strongest value. A $6.99 beef or chicken kebab wrap is easier to carry but less complete.

Verdict: Go Monday for biryani. Skip the trip if you cannot confirm that day's special.

10. Fresca Pizza and Pasta: cheap pasta beats the famous slice

Fresca's current menu at 302 College Street lists penne arrabbiata for $8.95. Lasagna, spaghetti with meatballs and puttanesca sit at $9.95.

Fresca is better known for its large garlic-brushed pizza slice, currently reported around $5 cash. The slice is huge, oily and popular. It can also come with a line. The pasta is the more honest full meal.

Verdict: Get the penne when you are hungry. Get the slice when speed matters more than balance.

11. Ha Gow Dim Sum House: soup below the line

Ha Gow Dim Sum House's current menu near Donlands and Danforth lists chicken noodle soup for $8.75, beef brisket noodle soup for $9.49 and congee for $7.50.

The beef brisket soup is the best order here. It stays below $10 before tax and feels like lunch. Dim sum can become expensive when you add several small plates, so do not build a mixed order if the budget is strict.

Verdict: Best east-end soup deal. Choose one bowl and stop there.

12. IKEA Restaurant: a real plate, if you are already there

IKEA Canada's recent restaurant menu lists eight plant balls for $8.99, eight falafel for $8.99, plant-based nachos for $6.99, cod balls for $9.99 and chicken tikka for $9.99. Check your store's restaurant page because menus can vary.

The food is predictable, the room has seats and families are welcome. It is also inside a furniture store. Nobody should take a long TTC ride just to eat IKEA falafel.

Verdict: Use it while shopping. It is good value, not a Toronto food destination.

The best sandwiches and burgers under $10

Toronto's under-$10 budget survives best in bread. These options are portable and easy to order. Some are full lunches. Others need a realistic appetite check.

13. Banh Mi Nguyen Huong: the best everyday deal

Banh Mi Nguyen Huong has a Chinatown shop at 322 Spadina Avenue and another location near Wilson. Current price checks put a cold-cut banh mi around $5 to $6, depending on the location and ordering method.

The sandwich has bread, meat, pickled vegetables and herbs. It is more balanced than a plain pizza slice and does not depend on a coupon or weekday special. Online delivery prices can be higher than the shop price.

A hungry adult may want two sandwiches. If one is usually enough for you, this is the best repeatable deal in the guide.

Verdict: Our top everyday pick. Buy at the counter and skip delivery.

14. Allwyn's: the Queen West Jamaican place you are thinking of

Allwyn's current pickup menu lists a jerk chicken sandwich for $9, a patty in coco bread for $5 and a patty with coco bread and slaw for $5.50. The shop is at 404 Queen Street West, almost exactly at Queen and Spadina.

This is almost certainly the cheap Jamaican place people remember on Queen West. The rice-and-peas plates are no longer under $10. They now start around $11.50. Old articles that call the plate an under-$10 meal are out of date.

The jerk chicken sandwich is the best complete order. The patty and coco bread is the cheap option when you need a fast bite.

Verdict: Best under-$10 choice around Queen and Spadina. Get the jerk sandwich, not the now-pricier plate.

15. VietBites: a strong $7.99 banh mi east of downtown

VietBites' official menu at 246 Gerrard Street East lists grilled pork, honey chicken and an all-in banh mi for $7.99. Pork floss with pâté is $6.99, and fish cake is $7.49.

This is the practical Cabbagetown and Toronto Metropolitan University option. The grilled pork is the safest first order. The all-in version gives you more variety without crossing the limit.

Verdict: Best banh mi east of Yonge on this list. Choose it when Spadina is out of the way.

16. Banh Mi Khong: the best west-end banh mi choice

Banh Mi Khong's official menu at 12 Jane Street lists tofu for $7.50, a classic banh mi for $7.99, chicken or pork for $8.50 and beef for $8.99.

The price is higher than Nguyen Huong, but the Jane and Bloor location saves west-end residents a long trip. The classic is the best value. Beef is the most expensive and leaves no room for anything else.

Verdict: Choose it for location, not for the city's lowest banh mi price.

17. Egg Club: a good breakfast sandwich, not a full-day feast

Egg Club's current menu lists the Classic at $7.10, the Egg Club at $8.20 and Meat Lovers at $9.30. The chain has several Toronto locations.

The sandwiches are soft, neat and easy to eat on the move. The Egg Club is the best balance of price and substance. A hash brown costs extra and pushes some orders past $10 before tax.

This is breakfast or a light lunch. It is not enough for every hungry adult.

Verdict: Best clean breakfast-to-go option. Skip the combo if the budget matters.

18. Square Boy: old Toronto value, basic food

Square Boy is at 875 Danforth Avenue. Current August 2026 price reports put a hamburger, fries and pop around $8. A cheeseburger alone is roughly $5.60. Bring cash.

The deal is real, but the burger is simple. This is not the city's best smash burger. It is a surviving old-school counter where a complete fast-food order still costs less than many single burgers elsewhere.

Verdict: Go for price and nostalgia. Do not go expecting premium beef or polished service.

19. Johnny's Hamburgers: cheap, famous and divisive

Johnny's Hamburgers is at 2595 Victoria Park Avenue. A current March 2026 price check put the hamburger at $4.95 and cheeseburger at $5.70. The official site confirms the menu but does not show prices. Bring cash and expect takeout.

Johnny's has loyal fans, but much of the love is nostalgia. The burgers are thin and straightforward. Some people adore the old charcoal-grill taste. Others will wonder why they travelled so far.

Verdict: Try it if you live nearby or want old Toronto burger history. Square Boy is the better full-combo value.

Patties, dumplings and taco deals under $10

These are not all full dinners. They are still useful because the price is clear and you can build a light meal without spending $15.

20. Caribbean Queen of Patties: the biggest patty meal on the west side

Caribbean Queen of Patties is at 1294 Bloor Street West near Lansdowne. A current June 2026 price check found a large beef patty in coco bread for about $5.

The patty is larger than the standard convenience-counter version. In coco bread, it can work as a light meal. The shop is small and the online menu is limited, so confirm the counter price.

Verdict: Best patty choice in the west end. Go for size, not a fancy room.

21. Patties Express: two patties and a pop near $6

Patties Express has several Toronto locations. A current Queen Street price report lists one patty at $2.39 plus tax, or two patties and a pop at $5.90 plus tax.

Two patties can cover a quick lunch. They are not the same as a rice plate or noodle bowl. The chain is useful because it is fast and has more than one location.

Verdict: Best emergency lunch downtown. Do not call it a full dinner.

22. Fahmee Bakery: still alive, but not on Lansdowne

Fahmee Bakery now operates at Malvern Town Centre, 31 Tapscott Road. Its current menu lists a patty in coco bread for $5 and a single patty for $3.50. One of each costs $8.50 before tax.

The old 222 Lansdowne Avenue location is closed. That matters because many older cheap-eats posts still send readers there.

Verdict: A very good Malvern snack meal. Do not travel to the dead Lansdowne address.

23. Juicy Dumpling: six soup dumplings from $6.48

Juicy Dumpling's current menu at 280 Spadina Avenue lists six steamed pork soup dumplings for $6.48, six pan-fried pork soup dumplings for $7.90 and four pan-fried pork buns for $6.50.

The old cheap noodle-soup recommendation no longer works. A baby noodle soup is now listed at $10.38. Stick to one dumpling order if you want to stay below the line.

Six dumplings are enough for a light lunch. They are not a large dinner.

Verdict: Best cheap Chinatown snack meal. Add anything and the budget disappears.

24. Latin World: five $1 tacos on the right weekday

Latin World's official ordering menu at 1229 Bloor Street West lists a different $1 taco special through the week. Recent listings include chorizo Monday, carnitas Tuesday, pastor Wednesday and tacos de canasta Friday.

Five tacos cost $5 before tax on the special day. Regular tacos are listed at $6.99 each, so the weekday and filling are not small details. Confirm the special before going.

Verdict: One of the city's best deal-day lunches. Terrible choice if you arrive on the wrong day.

25. El Sazón de la Tía Flor: $1 tacos on Tuesday and Wednesday

El Sazón de la Tía Flor's current menu at 1549 O'Connor Drive lists $1 tacos on Tuesday and Wednesday, with several fillings available.

The tacos are small. Order five or six for a light meal and you still stay under $10 before tax. Lines and sold-out fillings are possible when a deal is this cheap.

Verdict: Best east-end taco deal. Go early and only on a confirmed deal day.

Popular Toronto cheap eats that are no longer under $10

Old cheap-eats articles age badly. These names are still repeated, but their current prices do not meet this guide's rule.

Pizza Pizza's $8.99 pizza is gone

Pizza Pizza once promoted a medium pizza for $8.99. Its current official offer is called Buck a Slice. A 10-inch small is $10 and a 12-inch medium is $12 at participating locations.

Pizza Tazza is the current $8.99 whole-pizza answer. Pizza Pizza is not.

Loga's Corner is still good, but not under $10

Loga's Corner remains a useful Parkdale momo shop. Current full orders are generally around $14 to $15. It can still be good value. It does not belong in an honest under-$10 meal list.

Banh Mi Boys has crossed the line

Banh Mi Boys' current menu lists many grilled meat sandwiches around $11. The tofu banh mi sits at $10 before tax. The sandwiches may be good, but Nguyen Huong, VietBites and Banh Mi Khong are better for this budget.

Bolet's Burrito is no longer a $10 meal

Current online listings put most Bolet's Burrito options around $12.50 to $13. That is still less than many downtown burritos. It is not less than $10.

Shah's Halal plates now cost much more

Current online menus list rice plates around $15.99. Old posts calling them a $10 meal should be ignored.

The Well's under-$10 event is temporary

The Well sometimes runs a Well Fed Under $10 promotion. It can be useful near Front and Spadina, but it is not a permanent menu. Check The Well's current events page before relying on it.

How to keep a $9 meal from becoming an $18 order

Buy at the counter. Delivery is the fastest way to ruin every deal in this guide.

Check whether the menu price includes tax. Most do not. A $9.99 taxable meal will usually cost about $11.29 after Ontario HST.

Skip the drink. Toronto tap water is safe, and bottled drinks often cost $2.50 to $4.

Ask before adding toppings or protein. A $2 add-on can move an $8 bowl past the limit.

Bring cash for Square Boy, Johnny's and any old food-court counter that may not accept your card.

Check the day at Latin World, El Sazón and Sultan BBQ. Their strongest deals are not everyday prices.

If you have $15 instead, use it. The selection becomes much better. Our guide to affordable family-owned restaurants in Toronto is more useful when you can spend $15 to $25. If you need several low-cost meals each week, meal prep for one in Toronto will save more money than travelling across the city for a deal.

Our final ranking

Best everyday deal: Banh Mi Nguyen Huong. It is cheap, central and does not need a coupon.

Best full hot meal: Golden Patty's $8.99 jerk chicken with rice.

Best whole pizza: Pizza Tazza's $8.99 10-inch pizza.

Best downtown bowl: Manpuku's curry udon, when the current board still shows $8.50.

Best Scarborough meal: New Kalyani's $9.99 roti and chicken curry.

Best weekday stunt deal: Five $1 tacos at Latin World.

Most overrated for this budget: Johnny's. It is cheap, but nostalgia does much of the work.

The deal to stop repeating: Pizza Pizza's old $8.99 medium pizza. It is gone.

Frequently asked questions