Best Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance Restaurants in Chinatown

Since 1986, Chiu Quon has been Chinatown’s go-to counter for Hong Kong–style buns, egg tarts, and festival pastries. Locals rely on it for cash-only, grab-and-go boxes of still-warm baked goods at prices that make repeat visits easy.

A late-night Hong Kong–style café established in 2008, Chi Cafe turns out an enormous menu of congee, noodle soups, and rice plates that stay comfortably under the $15 mark. Locals rely on it for dependable, after-hours comfort food when most of Chinatown has closed.

In Chinatown Square, BBQ King House has long specialized in Cantonese roast meats—ducks hanging in the window, crispy pork belly, and char siu sliced to order. Locals use it for quick rice plates and takeaway whole ducks that anchor family dinners and holiday spreads.

Saint Anna functions as both a Chinese bakery and Hong Kong–style cafe, pairing egg tarts and pineapple buns with congee, wonton noodle soup, and milk tea. It’s a sit-down option where you can make a full breakfast or light lunch out of bakery cases and short-order plates.

Tucked inside Chinatown Square, Yummy Yummy Noodles focuses on steaming bowls of Cantonese noodle soup, roast meats over rice, and clay pot specialties at everyday prices. It’s a go-to when you want a filling, sit-down meal without spending much more than a fast-casual spot.

Kajiken introduces abura soba—soupless ramen—to Chinatown, with chewy noodles tossed in garlicky house sauce and topped with chashu, egg, or keema curry. Part of a small Japanese chain, the Chicago outpost leans casual and affordable, making it a distinctive alternative to broth-heavy ramen shops nearby.

Tasty Place is a small, mostly takeout Cantonese cafe known for low prices and a menu that runs from congee and rice plates to classic Chinese bakery items. Regulars treat it as an all-day stop for quick breakfasts, late-night snacks, and boxes of buns to-go.

Tucked along China Place, New Great Wall BBQ turns out affordable Cantonese BBQ combos—crispy pork belly, soy sauce chicken, and roast meats over rice with soup and vegetables. It’s a practical option when you want Chinatown BBQ plates with generous portions and low-key counter service.

Just off Cermak in Chinatown, Sunlight Cafe serves congee, rice rolls, and classic bakery items from early morning through the day. It’s a no-frills option where breakfast is built from combo plates, Chinese donuts, and trays of breads at very modest prices.

Opened in 2018 on Cermak, Pho Cafe is a straightforward Chinatown pho shop where house special bowls, rare beef and meatball combinations, and bun bo hue anchor an affordable menu. Service and ambiance are simple, but it’s a practical move when you want a quick, filling Vietnamese meal near the Red Line.

Set just off the main Chinatown drag, The Noodle is a casual counter-service spot best known for large bowls of pho backed by a small roster of Thai curries and tom yum. It’s used more as an everyday noodle stop than a destination, with steady takeout traffic and value-focused pricing for students and neighborhood regulars.

Hidden in the basement food court of Richland Center, A Family in the Northeast specializes in Shandong-style pan-fried buns, flatbreads, and dumplings made to order. Portions are generous enough that one $10–$15 plate can easily satisfy a hungry diner.

Tai Ho Yee Food Company is a low-frills Cantonese BBQ shop at the southern end of Wentworth where whole roast pigs, ribs, and roast pork are ordered by the pound. It’s used heavily for takeout and special-occasion meats, with ribs and crackling skin carrying much of the appeal.