Cheap eats: Affordable Montreal restaurants

Whether you’re trying to save for a big purchase, or simply like your restaurants to be affordable, Montreal has plenty of budget-friendly options that will fill you up with good food at a reasonable price.

Cheap eats: Affordable Montreal restaurants
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Al-Baghdadi

1
1624, av Lincoln, Montréal, QC H3H 1G9

Think made-to-order manakish – topped Levantine flatbreads – baked in a brick oven, Middle Eastern desserts and shisha (hubbly bubbly). Go for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or a late-night snack. A favorite concoction of ours is the sujouk – spicy beef – man’ousheh with extra cheese; at $3.50, it’s a steal!

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Restaurant Boustan

2
19 Rue Sainte-Catherine Est, Montréal, QC H2X 1K3

Montreal’s favorite Lebanese shawarma pusher may have expanded of late, but the original Crescent location is still where it’s at. Get those famous shavings of spit-grilled beef in pita format for $5.25 and find out what all the fuss is about while keeping your bank account happy. A tidbit of advice for Concordia University students: save on food here so you can afford those lattes and mochaccinos.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Brigade Pizzeria Napolitaine

3
1428, rue Stanley, Montréal, QC H3A 1P7

Montreal has seen a slew of authentic Neapolitan-style pizzerias open of late. None of them emphasize customization and low pricing the way Brigade does. Start with one of their base pies and top if off with whatever tickles your fancy from Quebec ricotta and Italian provolone to cremini mushrooms and marinated eggplant. However, to keep your bill in single digits, stick to one of their bases.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Boulangerie Capanelli

4
4634 Rue Notre-Dame O, Montréal, QC H4C 1S4

This popular Italian sandwich and coffee slinger has certainly played a part in Saint-Henri’s rejuvenation in recent years. Stop by for fantastic, affordable sammiches made with the finest cold cuts and ingredients. A must-try is the meatball sandwich combining a zesty tomato sauce, provolone and seasoned veal polpette in ciabatta bread. Capiche?

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Coco Rico

5
3907, boul Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2W 1X9

Montreal’s first Portuguese rotisserie – around since the 70s – dishing out chicken, spare ribs and – of course – natas. A cheap, dependable option on The Main if you don’t feel like cooking. At $10.99 for the whole chicken, you’re competing with supermarket prices!

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Joe's Panini

6
1404, rue Drummond, Montréal, QC H3G 1V9

A 24-hour panini stand that’s been fixing up McGill students and others for decades, Joe’s is mostly known for its signature spicy grilled chicken sandwich, although the menu also includes various Italian deli cuts as well as a couple of out-of-place items such as gyros and burgers. With sammiches priced between $5 and $8, no wonder this place has survived as long as it has.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Restaurant Momesso

7
5562, ch Upper-Lachine, Montréal, QC H4A 2A7

The ultimate dude place, Momesso is a sports-themed submarine shop that’s been family-run since 1978. Order your sub with sausage, chicken, steak or pepperoni and match that up with a pint or pitcher of beer – nothing wrong with that! Go for the half-size 7-inch version for $6-$8 and you’re in business.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

UniBurger

8
302, rue Ontario E, Montréal, QC H2X 1H6

When the popular La Paryse closed in 2012, many were left longing for its iconic burger. It wasn’t long before Uniburger filled that commercial space to the satisfaction of burger lovers all over. You can’t go wrong with those simple classic burgers made with freshly ground 100% AAA beef. And when the priciest item on the menu sells for $7.49 – crossing over to fast food territory – you have a winning formula on your hands.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Cinko

9
1641, rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC H2X 3K3

A quint-dollarama of sorts, everything edible at Quartier Latin’s quirky Cinko sells for a flat fiver. This contemporary casse-croûte suggests a seasonal, international comfort fare with the likes of chili bowls, cobb salads, Portuguese chicken, tacos, burgers and hot dogs. UQAM students; rejoice!

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:
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514eats is two childhood friends turned opinionated restaurant bloggers that like to go out and talk about it. We are not self-proclaimed "foodies"; we simply love eating and drinking, and we thought we would share our findings, good or bad, with the hopes that somebody out there gets something useful out of them. We will go anywhere and we will say it like it is.
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