The Vitals: the spot: Birrieria Gonzalez multiple locations in Los Angeles, tested and approved in Compton CA the eats: everything, tacos de birria de res, dorado tacos, mulitas, basically whatever you feel with birria de res the bucks: $2 a taco and the tacos are fat(for LA street tacos), plan on spending $7-$10 to be stuffed the full nelson: my first run at birria de res and it lived up to the hype
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The Vitals: the spot: Dan's Hamburgers multiple locations in Austin TX the eats: Double Medium Cheeseburger the bucks: $6.04 the full nelson: an Austin classic hamburger joint that sizzles up a true working man's lunch
I started Bang for your Burger Buck to tell the world about places like Dan's Hamburgers: an honest refuge for the Working Man's Lunch. That's how Armando Fernandez, a Cheap Eats fan and Instagrammer described when it when he treated to me to a Dan's Hamburger lunch a few weeks ago. Anyway you slice it, at Dan's Hamburgers, you are gonna be set for one cheap and tasty lunch. (more…)
The Vitals: the spot: Kingfish 337 Chartres St. New Orleans LA 70125 the eats: Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, Jambalaya Risotto, Shrimp n Grits, Ribeye steak(special) the bucks: $9, $12, $22 and market price respectively(around $30-$35) the full nelson: one of the few restaurants in New Orleans I have gone to more than once
New Orleans is my favorite food city in America. I love Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Austin and Los Angeles but Nola is just the gem that rises above them all. I lived in LA for 20 years which included numerous weekend excursions to San Francisco. Because of that, the cities I regret not living in, especially during my 20s, are Chicago, NYC and Nola. When one factors cost, food and character, New Orleans rises above the rest. In 2017 I had the pleasure of spending two weeks in New Orleans shooting Spring Baking Championship Season 4. Armed with a decent per diem(more than a day on Cheap Eats), I went to town in New Orleans and ate to my heart's content. Kingfish was the kick off Nola restaurant bender and one of only two places I ate at twice in those two weeks. In those two visits, I went deep into the menu. Just how deep? Well . . read on to find out! (more…)
The Vitals: the spot: P.J. Clarke's 915 Third Ave NY NY 10022 the eats: The Clarke Burger the bucks: $19.95 the full nelson: An age old NYC burger classic priced like 21st century NYC real estate
P.J. Clarke's has got history. Surrounded by skyscrapers in Midtown Manhattan, P.J. Clarke's has been open for business since 1884. If you have ever seen the movie Gangs of New York, you might remember the ending when the camera widens out from the gravestones to a wider shot of a New York skyline that fast forwards through time; starting with almost nothing then swelling with height and density. That growth continues today and effects not just the real estate but also cherished burger institutions. To eat at a burger restaurant that has been immortalized by Nat King Cole and Mad Men is a real treat and worthy of your bucks. But is the P.J. Clarke's Burger alone worth a near $20 price tag? Read on to find out! (more…)
The Vitals: the spot: Republic Diner ATX 1401 E. 7th St. Austin TX 78702 (behind Kammok Gear Shop) the eats: Slammer the bucks: $6.75 the full nelson: a deceptive simple smashed burger that slips in umami and a 4oz patty for under $7
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The Vitals: recipe: Chicken Báhn Mì (Vietnamese style sandwich) difficulty: easy health rating: healthy - but watch the calorie count on the bread you use. time: 30 minutes + 4 hour marinade time(can marinate up to 24 hours)
I literally made this 
The Vitals: the spot: Pietro's 232 E. 43rd St. New York NY 10017 the eats: Shells a la Nat, New York Strip Steak for two, Caesar salad with bacon the bucks: $26, $106, and $16 respectively, plan on $100 a head with a stiff drink in the mix the full nelson: historic NYC steakhouse that twists the traditional line up with pastas, parms and a bacon laced Caesar salad.
Pietro's has been on my radar since 2007, when I came across a tasty blog called Beef Aficionado that sang the praises of an old school Italian Steakhouse in Midtown Manhattan. I love steak. I love to make it at home and I love to order it at restaurants. And I love the idea of a steakhouse. But, being the thrifty foodie that I am, time and time again I find myself disappointed in the Steakhouse experience. I mean, in the end of the day it just ain't that big of a deal for me to buy a pricey steak at a top shelf butcher and still spend a fraction of what I would at a steakhouse. Yet I keep going back and dropping more than I probably should for a beefy over the top dinner. Well, that you will certainly find at Pietro's my friends. (more…)
The Vitals: the spot: Otherside Deli 1104 W. 34th St Austin TX 78705 the eats: The Roddy the bucks: $11 the full nelson: The first pastrami sandwich that has made me miss LA a little less
In the weeks leading up to my imminent departure from Los Angeles in the summer of 2015, I made sure to eat at as many of my favorite haunts as I could. Knowing that I couldn't get to them all, I made a special emphasis on foods that I knew would be in short supply in the Lone Star State. Falafels, Baja style fish tacos and delicatessen fare topped the list. Sure, one can find a respectable falafel in a city like Austin, but just not in the same frequency as one can find them in the city of Angels, or with the same variety; Israeli, Lebanese and Armenian options abound when it comes to scoring a Middle Eastern hush puppy. As far as deli fare as concerned, I knew I would be in dire straits. So I made sure to hit up Langer's delicatessen: home to the best pastrami sandwich in the universe. Yes, it's better than Katz in NYC. Langer's magnificently crafted pastrami sandwich, whose rye bread is just as perfect as the hand carved slices of pepper smoked beef, was worth a flight back to LA in my opinion. And I held to that opinion for years now, right up till about last week. (more…)
There is a movement happening in Texas to declare tacos the official state food. I see a good case for that, although brisket is a strong contender as well. In California, I think making the taco the official state food would be nothing short of a slam dunk. Sure, Southern California is the birthplace of the fast food burger and up in San Francisco, a whole style of burrito awaits you. Still, North or South, big city or quiet surf side town, tacos rule in California and the Santa Barbara Taco scene is no exception.
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The Vitals: recipe: Al Pastor tacos difficulty: medium health rating:healthy time: 1 hour + marinade time
<scroll down for ingredients and instructions>
As much as I love scouring the country for Cheap Eats, I love grilling at home just as much. My preference is to cook over a "live fire", which for me is hardwood charcoal. These days I have a backyard, so lighting up a grill is pretty easy but back when I lived in a loft, I had to deal with a shared gas grill. And that is where I learned the importance and power of marinades. If you have ever had Al Pastor, the Mexican cousin to Shawarma and Gyros, you know it is one of the tastiest taco fillings there is. Now traditionally, like Shawarma and Gyros, the meat is cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Like most of you, I don't have one of those, so the notion of cooking Al Pastor at home seemed like a smokey daydream. Then Cheap Eats went to Las Vegas and I was taught the method marinating and grilling al pastor. And believe me, this Al Pastor taco recipe is worth trying at home.
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