NYCGuide

Where To Get Affordable Takeout In NYC

30 spots delivering great food for around $20 right now.
Where To Get Affordable Takeout In NYC image

photo credit: Kate Previte

Maybe you just bought a bunch of roundtrip tickets to make up for lost time or you decided to buy a horse with your friends because you like the way “equestrian” sounds. Whatever you’ve been up to lately, you could probably use some takeout that doesn't cost more than $30. Here are 30 great options.

The Spots

Burgers

Williamsburg

$$$$Perfect For:Casual Weeknight DinnerCheap EatsQuick EatsWalk-Ins
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Here’s something that should make your day: one of the very best burgers in NYC is available for delivery and takeout. It’s got a thick patty covered in spicy mint chutney, and it costs less than $18. You’ll find this burger at BK Jani—a Pakistani spot in Williamsburg that also serves a bunch of other grilled meats like kababs and lamb chops.


Usually, we like to eat on the back patio at this Bed-Stuy restaurant/bakery. But if you don’t feel like getting too far from your couch, have a Neapolitan pie and a side of broccolini delivered to your home.


In addition to ramen, curry, and their highly acclaimed mera mera soba, Cocoron is also offering frozen packaged broth and noodles for delivery. Place your orders online.


The unicorns at The Cloisters and the Campbell’s soup cans at MoMA are impressive, but they don’t hold a candle to the hot soppressata at Calabria Pork Store. Sausages cover the entire ceiling of this Arthur Avenue meat shop in the Bronx, and, while it looks like an exhibition, you’re allowed to touch the art here. Get a massive sandwich and a few different types of sausage to-go.


If grilled chicken is your thing, you can get a half or whole bird (with a variety of homemade sauces) from Purbird for less than $30. You can also get a variety of sides, which are maybe even better than the chicken.


A foil to-go box full of fried chicken and french fries might just be the kindest gift you can give yourself right now. If you’re near the Inwood location of John’s Fried Chicken, your crispy gift will come coated in a vinegar-based batter that’ll make every other fried chicken combo in your life seem forgettable.


Field Trip makes things incredibly simple. Just order a bowl of their food, then eat it. This Harlem spot specializes in rice bowls with everything from brisket and chicken to shrimp and salmon, and nothing costs more than $15. As an added bonus, you can easily balance one of these bowls on your lap while you watch TV with your roommate, your cat, or your roommate’s cat.


$$$$Perfect For:Quick Eats

This old-school Italian deli is the kind of place that makes you want to stop what you’re doing and make some pasta immediately. So place an order for whatever fresh pasta, sauces, and cheeses that Russo’s has available for takeout right now. And don’t forget to grab one of their Italian deli sandwiches.


For $7, you can get a few rolls of paper towels or an extra-large cappuccino—or you can go to Peppa’s and get a small portion of jerk chicken (which would be considered large by most standards). The chicken comes charred and smoky, and, for a few dollars more, you can make it a full meal with some sides like rice and plantains.


photo credit: Carina Finn

East Wind is known for its plump, excellent dumplings. If you’ve never tried them, you can now do so in your pajamas at home. Most things on the menu cost less than $10, so you might as well throw in a few pork belly buns, shrimp dumplings, and a Hong Kong hot cake. Their Carroll Gardens and Windsor Terrace locations are both open for takeout and delivery starting at noon. Go online to place your delivery order, or call 347-889-5717 for Carroll Gardens and 929-295-0188 for Windsor Terrace.


The next time you want to exchange $10 for a large amount of meat, cheese, and guacamole, order takeout from Taqueria Diana. Their Williamsburg, Midtown, and East Village locations are open daily, and you can find their hours and order through their website here.


This Thai spot in Nolita has everything from edamame and miso soup to seared salmon and flank steak with mashed potatoes, and nothing costs more than $22. Call 212-925-3310, or go online to place your pick up or delivery order.


If you’re near Domino Park in Williamsburg, and you’re looking for comfort food that won’t cost more than your new houseplant, Mekelburg’s Domino is your spot. It’s got all the produce, meats, and cheeses you need to fill your fridge, plus plenty of ready-made options like a hot chicken sandwich and a baked potato topped with creme fraiche, smoked cod, and caviar.


Takeout is often disappointing. But takeout from Taboonette—where portions are large, and the tahini flows like tap water—is never disappointing. This Mediterranean spot near Union Square is where you can get a big portion of some very good chicken shawarma or salmon over brown rice for around $15.


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Everything at this Peruvian restaurant comes in large portions, including things like ceviche, a whole rotisserie chicken with french fries, and a salad that will easily feed five adults. You can place your delivery or pick-up order online.


There’s a lot to love about the Malaysian dishes on the menu at this LES spot. But, for the purposes of this guide, we’ll just call out the fact that nothing here costs more than $15, and you can order takeout every day.


Bombay’s is one of our favorite casual lunch options in FiDi, and they offer a great delivery special that costs $17.95. It includes an appetizer and an entree, and it also comes with buttery naan that’s ideal for soaking up sauce.


If we had a guide to The Best Places For A One-Bowl Meal In NYC, Teranga would top the list. This uptown spot makes affordable West African-inspired grain bowls, and while we’re partial to their joloff bowl with salmon and black eyed peas, you can always just mix and match ingredients to make whatever you want. Just be sure to get the fried plantains.


Between all-day breakfast options like challah french toast and Middle Eastern dishes like hummus falafel, this Israeli restaurant has something for everyone. Plus, there isn’t a single item over $25 on 12 Chairs’ menu, so you may as well throw in a few pierogies for good measure.


Pye Boat Noodle in Astoria makes some exceptional Thai food, and, unsurprisingly, we’re fans of their boat noodles. But if for some reason you don’t want a big bowl of warm noodles in a slightly sweet broth with pork rinds and meatballs, there are a bunch of other options like pad kee mao and fried wings as well. Call 718-685-2329, or order online.


If you live near the Upper West Side, don’t overthink things. Order a pizza from Mama’s Too—preferably one covered in thick pepperoni cups or four kinds of cheese and cracked black pepper (their take on cacio e pepe). A whole pie will, admittedly, cost you around $30, but it’ll be an intimidating amount of food. Just place your order directly on their website.


After years of doing pop-ups around the city, Saigon Social officially has its own location on a sunny corner of the Lower East Side. They’re currently offering a menu of affordable Vietnamese dishes like a bowl of chicken pho, which has enough rich chicken broth, fresh cilantro, and spicy chilis to inspire you to stand up on your couch and do a power pose out of sheer adrenaline. Call 646-609-3202, or go online to place your order.


If you’ve never ordered from Patacon Pisao, take this opportunity to do so. This place specializes in patacones (sandwiches made with fried plantains), and their cubano version is a pork-filled masterpiece. The Elmhurst and Inwood locations are both offering delivery and pick up right now, and if you’re looking for something other than a patacon, there are also arepas and cachapas available.


Maybe there’s a void in your life, and the only thing that will fill that void is a big buffalo chicken sandwich. Order from Tiny’s on the Lower East Side. If buffalo chicken isn’t your thing, go for a tuna melt, a BLT, or a big chicken caesar salad. Order delivery or takeout by calling 212-228-4919.


Looking for something you can eat with one hand while you attempt to work from home with the other? Get an arepa stuffed with pernil, cheese, and plantains from Arepera Guacuco. They have locations in Bushwick (347-305-3300) and Bed-Stuy (718-387-2300), all of the arepas are $10 or less, and you can call directly for delivery.


Chances are, you want Pies ‘n’ Thighs right now. We know this, because we want Pies ‘n’ Thighs right now. A chicken biscuit sounds good, and we could also go for some fried chicken, cheese grits, and pecan pie. Order directly from this Williamsburg spot’s website, or give them a call at 347-529-6090.


If you don’t currently remember what a good Neapolitan pizza tastes like, call San Matteo on the UES. In addition to pizza, they also serve pasta, salads, and the magical pizza dough sandwiches known as panuozzi. Order by phone at 212-861-2434, or place an order directly on their website.


When Taim delivers a falafel platter, they wrap the falafel and pita separate from the salad and hummus, keeping everything fresh and warm. And that’s exactly the sort of care and attention you need in your life right now. Order a big platter, or just get a pita and a side of fries with saffron aioli. There are locations in Flatiron, Nolita, FiDi, LIC, Park Slope, and the West Village.


You could feasibly order breakfast, lunch, and dinner from The Uptown Garrison in Washington Heights. (We were thinking maybe chicken and waffles for breakfast, a chopped salad for lunch, and a meatball melt for dinner.) Once you decide what you want, call 917-261-4680, or find them online.


Maybe you’ve already ordered pizza one or two times this week. Do you really need more? If it’s from Best Pizza, the answer is yes. Get one of their large white pies with sesame-seed-covered crust. Then order a second, and put it in your freezer.


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