Here's the deal: you were laid off your job, just barely getting by on your unemployment check, tired of Kraft's Macaroni & Cheese - or Rice-A-Roni, also tired of ordering from the dollar menu at McDonald's ... you wanna eat out in restaurant for a change ...

Or maybe you're a college student with really limited funds ...

Or maybe you're a single parent and money is really tight ...

Where can you get a tasty dinner in a restaurant for under $10.00 ????

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I found a few good choices:

In Chinatown, I discovered CHINA KING at 922 Arch St. -- they have good Chinese combination plates (for DINNER, not Lunch!) from $5.25 to $6.60 ... for example I had the General Tso's Chicken Combination Plate with spring roll and roast pork fried rice for $5.95 - but I also had an individual Hot & Sour Soup for $1.75 extra and a can of Coca Cola for 75 cents extra. (Open till midnight!)

In South Philly, HARDENA restaurant at 1749 S. Hicks St. - Indoneasian Food. Exotic cuisine on a budget! I had a "mini Rijstaffel" with rice, a meat side dish, a chicken side dish, a fish side dish and a vegetable side dish - very yummy! With a can of coke this came out to exactly 7 bucks!

On Spring Garden is the kid friendly SPAGHETTI WAREHOUSE where on Wednesday there is a spaghetti and meatball special with garlic bread and salad for $5.95 (I think)

In University City a real bargain is the NEW DELHI restaurant and also the TANDOOR restaurant - both located at the corner of 40th St. and Chestnut ... they both feature an all you can eat Indian buffet and salad bar for something like $7.95

Do you know of great dining bargains out there? Let us know!

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"Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. I am large, I contain multitudes." -- Walt Whitman, Leaves Of Grass

any of the mexican places on washington ave/9th street. at veracruzana you can get 3 tacos for $5.00. two tacos filled me up, but if you're a guy all three will probably do it

the absolute cheapest, best meal ever is a big bowl of pho tai, 2 summer rolls and an iced coffee at any of the vietnamese places on washington - under $10 for everything. SO good!!

Any of the Pho places on Washington will do, and have more than just soup for that price.

If you're counting lunch specials, most chinatown places have great ones.

Maccabeam on 12th and Walnut has several good middle eastern sandwitches for around $6-7. I especially like the salad platter, which comes with hummus, babaganoush, and half a dozen other things plus fresh bread for about $7.

Taqueria La Veracruzana on Washington at 9th has 3 great tacos for $6, and similar deals for burritos and quesadillas.

In University City at the corner of Chestnut and 42nd is the Chestnut Restaurant, a new place that just opened up about 2 or 3 months ago. Just about every entree is under $10.

Especially good is the Middle Eastern salad platter which includes good portions of hummous, tahini, baba ganoosh, tabouleh and a basket of warm sliced pita bread for $6.95

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"Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. I am large, I contain multitudes." -- Walt Whitman, Leaves Of Grass

Great thread..

Love those Vietnamese spots on Washington ave...

I love to eat and hate to spend keep it coming people...

Saad's @ 45th and Walnut has delicious middle eastern food and awesome baklava. It definitely has the feel of a fast food restaurant, but the food is really tasty. I don't remember exactly how much things cost, but you could definitely have a good falafel for around 5 bucks (maybe less?)

Abyssinia @ 45th and Locust is my favorite for Ethiopian food. I suppose it could run a little pricey depending on how you order, but my husband and I split the vegetarian combo (and feel plenty full afterwards) and it end up costing less than $15 with tip for the two of us.

Maybe it doesn't qualify as eating out, but La Rosa Pizza @ Broad & Snyder is my favorite pizza in the city(esp the tomato pie). I used to work across the street at South Philly High and would run over to La Rosa for lunch almost daily. I'm not sure how to describe the pizza--sicilian, but not quite? Anyhow, it's good and cheap; less than $2 a hearty slice last time I was down there.

Can you tell me which one is your favorite? I want to patronize some of the places on Washington Avenue but haven't a clue.

You could always go to a diner and get brinner. Y'know...breakfast as dinner.

When I was a little kid, and we were especially dirt poor, Thursday night was brinner because my dad got paid on Fridays.

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Nam phong. On 11th at Wash.

The place next door looks like it would be cheaper but it's not. It's just dirtier.

Pho Ha at 6th & Wash., although I've heard some people say it's too dirty, sometimes a dirty pho place is exactly what you need.

Mexican? Try Jarocho at 13th & Ellsworth. BETTER than Veracruzana, IMO. (tacos con jalapenos rellenos, hello. Oh my!)

first, i second that Saads is dope. but i have had nothing but terrible experiences at Abyssinia. they move VERY slow. like not necessarily slow just they don't like you if you are not ethiopian slow. i've been there numerous times (because i lived around the corner and like ethiopian) and there was numerous times i was hte only person in there and it took no less than 15 minutes just to get water and our orders put in! and when i went up one time and asked them for service (again ther was like one other table in there) she told me "sit down american and wait." they just didn't seem to like me (and i am not a difficult person when it comes to waitresses/cooks/etc.....ive worked off/on in the industry too long to give people problems.) after the 3rd or 4th time of waiting EXCEPTIONALLY long times for food and to get what i could only see as attitude due to being obviously american (white guy in standard middle class garb) i have sworn that place off. go there if you have 3 hours to waste and you don't mind cold rude waitresses.
on the flipside........
i HIGHLY recommend Almaz Cafe on 20th just north of walnut for good ethiopian. they only have like 6 different dishes but the veggie platter is 8 bucks, you get a ton of food, its done very quickly and the people that own/operate are OUTSTANDINGLY nice.