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Cheap Eats: These are the top budget-friendly US restaurants. No. 8 is in Central Florida

USA Today releases list of Best Cheap Places to Eat

Generic table setting at a restaurant (Pexels)

USA Today released its list of the best “cheap places to eat” in the country last month, featuring several restaurants in Florida.

The list excludes chain restaurants, which are defined as brands with at least 10 locations.

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Instead, it looks at “mom-and-pop joints slinging American comfort food,” taking into account factors like review numbers and ratings.

Mickey’s Subs in Tampa takes the top spot on the ranking, though Tacos 19 in Miami and Tampa Bay Empanadas rank at No. 2 and 4, respectively.

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However, the No. 8 spot belongs to a restaurant in Central Florida — Mediterranean Deli, located at 981 W. Fairbanks Ave. in Orlando.

As its name suggests, the restaurant offers a variety of Mediterranean cuisine, including gyros, chicken kabobs and falafels.

Going further down the list, other Orlando-area restaurants like Tacos My Guey (No. 14) and Pokekai A La Cart (No. 22) also rank within the top 100.

For the full ranking of budget-friendly restaurants, scroll down to the list below:

NameReviewsRatingsCityStateRanking
Mickey’s Subs4385.00TampaFL1
Tacos 193685.00MiamiFL2
Teatopia3505.00St. LouisMO3
Tampa Bay Empanadas3305.00TampaFL4
Cajou - A Plant-Based Creamery2095.00BaltimoreMD5
Blues City Deli2,2154.90St. LouisMO6
Varasano’s Pizzeria - Buckhead2,1544.90AtlantaGA7
Mediterranean Deli1,1574.90OrlandoFL8
Tacos Don Gera1,0804.90HoustonTX9
Czerw’s Polish Kielbasa1,0484.90PhiladelphiaPA10
Brick City Vegan1,0104.90NewardNJ11
Midway Classic Malt Shop9854.90San DiegoCA12
Balkan Treat Box9264.90St. LouisMO13
Tacos My Guey9224.90OrlandoFL14
Turtle Boat - Colorado Poki Salads9134.90DenverCO15
Uncle Sam’s Pizza8694.90New York CityNY16
Taste of Lebanon Restaurant8144.90ChicagoIL17
Leatherneck Club8124.90Las VegasNV18
MadMax BBQ (Food Truck)7824.90HoustonTX19
Thanh Tinh Chay Restaurant7384.90San DiegoCA20
Churromania The Galleria Mall6514.90HoustonTX21
Pokekai A La Cart6284.90OrlandoFL22
Heat Da Spot Cafe6084.90Washington, D.C.DC23
Brothers Cousins Tacos5764.90Los AngelesCA24
T-Loc’s Sonora5734.90AustinTX25
Frankford Corner Store & Deli5644.90PhiladelphiaPA26
Gyro Saj5454.90SeattleWA27
All Square5214.90MinneapolisMN28
3 Little Pigs Chi5194.90ChicagoIL29
Renuka’s Kitchen5104.90AustinTX30
Zaytoon Mediterranean Grill5024.90ColumbusOH31
BeanThru4884.90PittsburghPA32
Kasbah Moroccan Cafe4794.90PortlandOR33
GoodFellas Pizzeria of SunnySide4734.90New York CityNY34
BISTRO 60504714.90ChicagoIL35
Panzerotti Bites4654.90New York CityNY36
Semper Sliders4614.90NashvilleTN37
Streecha4244.90New York CityNY38
Beyer Deli4154.90San DiegoCA39
Halal Pizza & Grocery4104.90JacksonvilleFL40
Francisca Charcoal Chicken & Meats4064.90MiamiFL41
Raptor Canyon Cafe4034.90TucsonAZ42
Urban Burma3974.90DenverCO43
Eovaldi’s Deli3904.90St. LouisMO44
Edible Happy Pizzeria3884.90OaklandCA45
Chicago Paulie’s3704.90TampaFL46
OOZIE Mediterranean Restaurant3534.90Oklahoma CityOK47
Florish3504.90TampaFL48
Subito3464.90IndianapolisIN49
Miss Flower Hotpot3414.90HoustonTX50
Fitzgerald’s Lunch House3384.90IndianapolisIN51
Rise & Shine Biscuit Kitchen3374.90DenverCO52
Cafe Porche & Snowbar3194.90New OrleansLA53
Trieste Cafe3184.90MinneapolisMN54
Favela Brazilian Cafe & Travel Pub3064.90PortlandOR55
Donny’s Cafe3034.90San DiegoCA56
Twozone Chicken PNW2914.90PortlandOR57
AustinMed Break2874.90AustinTX58
The Mediterranean Chickpea2854.90TampaFL59
Island Fin Poke Company - Wesley Chapel2854.90TampaFL60
Ethio Coffee House2754.90NashvilleTN61
Naudi Signature Pizza2694.90ChicagoIL62
Dos Palmas Cafe2694.90San DiegoCA63
The Doughminican2664.90AustinTX64
Taqueria Ibarra2654.90Kansas CityMO65
Milpa2624.90Las VegasNV66
Garcia’s Hot Dogs2604.90IndianapolisIN67
The Portland Beef & Cheese Co.2594.90PortlandOR68
Shewhat Restaurant2564.90OaklandCA69
Old City Market and Oven2534.90Washington, D.C.DC70
Rodos Greek Taverna2514.90ColumbusOH71
Papa Frank’s2484.90AlbuquerqueNM72
Gyro SABABA2464.90SeattleWA73
Meat & Bread2434.90AustinTX74
Bake on the Run - Authentic
Guyanese Masterful Cuisines
2424.90PortlandOR75
AZN GSU Store Sandwiches Bowls Juice Bar2404.90AtlantaGA76
Bowls N Go/Healthy Foods2394.90San AntonioTX77
DittyDog2364.90AustinTX78
Persian Kebab2334.90PortlandOR79
Bis Bas Mediterranean Grill2284.90New York CityNY80
Bold Coffee Bar2274.90PhiladelphiaPA81
Al-Baik Shawarma & Grill2274.90PhiladelphiaPA82
Savor the Moment2234.90ClevelandOH83
Afghan Burrito2224.90OaklandCA84
Spring Cafe2154.90BaltimoreMD85
Early Bird Vegan2154.90PhoenixAZ86
Himalaya Vegan Organic Restaurant2154.90SacramentoCA87
Shewa Ethiopian Restaurant2154.90Washington, D.C.DC88
Green District Salads - Fountain Square2134.90CincinnatiOH89
HOTSWORDS2114.90AustinTX90
Mattie’s Foods2114.90Kansas CityMO91
Cucina Zapata2104.90PhiladelphiaPA92
Mammoth Poke2084.90ChicagoIL93
Sandra’s Kitchen Indian Cuisine2044.90BaltimoreMD94
Honest Pastures2044.90Virginia BeachVA95
The Lab Bistro Co.2004.90Virginia BeachVA96
Los Tacos No. 19,1914.80New York CityNY97
Gino’s Deli @ Stop & Buy3,4904.80San AntonioTX98
Angel2,8514.80New York CityNY99
Angie’s Restaurant2,7654.80RaleighNC100

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