The Penny Pincher-Approved Guide To The Best Cheap Eats In Brisbane

The Penny Pincher-Approved Guide To The Best Cheap Eats In Brisbane

Bang for your bite

By Dinushka Gunasekara | 3rd June 2022

Maybe you spent a few more dollars than you meant to on Saturday night or that wishlist pair of boots you have your eye on needs a lot more deposits in your piggy bank to afford. Whatever the reason, when you need to feed yourself on a few gold coins, there are plenty of deals and specials out there if you know when and where to look.

We savvy savers have searched far and wide to find Brisbane’s best cheap eats, so you can live large and eat big like it’s payday every day, without hurting your bank account.

Did we miss someone from the list? Let us know here!

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Bisou Bisou

Fortitude Valley

Want a gourmet experience without the heavy pricetag? Head to Brunswick Street’s Parisian haunt during the week and enjoy a delicious express lunch. From 12pm to 3pm, you can dig into two courses for $48 or three courses for $58 with an ever-changing menu of indulgent options, like rotisserie pork collar with toffee apple puree or cured Ora King salmon rillette. P.S. you’ll even receive two hours of free parking! 

When: Monday to Friday

Website

The Boundary Hotel

West End

West End’s iconic watering hole has plenty of reasons to head on down for a feed. Start your week right with 40% off main meals on Mondays, two-for-one pizzas on Tuesdays, and $12 burgers all-day on Wednesdays. To wrap up the 9-5, head over for a special $25 lunch or dinner on Thursdays and $20 chicken parmas on Fridays. Or, if you’re hankering for a pizza, they’re $15 every day from 12pm to 2pm. 

When: Every Day

Website

Fritzenberger

Petrie Terrace, South Bank, Wilston

Get your hands dirty with Fritzenberger’s too-good-to-be-true deals! Head in before 6pm on Friday to Sunday and double park with a two-hour beer and wing package for only $48 per person. Mondays are all about you with $10 burger day, while Tuesdays prove that sharing is caring with two-for-one burgers. On Wednesdays, grab your silver coins for 50c wings all day long, or spend any weekday arvo sipping on $5 schooners from 3pm to 6pm.

When: Every Day

Website

Harajuku Gyoza

Brisbane City, South Bank

Load up on bites for less with $1 dumplings every Monday at Harajuku Gyoza, or enjoy twice the fun on Tuesdays with two-for-one gyoza plates. Wingin’ for something else? On Wednesdays you can dig into tebasaki peppered chicken wings for only 50c. 

When: Monday to Wednesday

Website

Mecca Bah

Newstead

Fancy a Middle Eastern feast for less? On Monday to Friday from 11.30am to 3pm, Mecca Bah is slinging an express lunch for only $20 per person, including your choice of house wine, beer, or soft drink. With a hefty menu to choose from, take your pick of garlic chicken kebabs, wild mushroom pizza, flame-grilled beef burgers, and more.

When: Monday to Friday

Website

El Camino Cantina

Bowen Hills, Chermside, South Bank

It’s a fiesta every day at El Camino Cantina! We’re talking $2 Taco Tuesdays, 10c Wing Wednesdays, and half-price Fajita Thursdays. Plus, if you’re feeling a little thirsty, El Camino also has a happy hour every weekday 4pm to 6pm – who said weekends were the only time to have fun?

When: Monday to Friday

Website

Beerhaus

Bowen Hills

Get your pub feed at King Street’s German locale and save! Their juicy burgers are $12 on Tuesdays, there are 1c wings on Thursdays, $1 wings all day long on Friday, and a Sunday roast with all the trimmings for a mere $20. Don’t mind if we do!

When: Tuesday to Sunday

Website

Tippler’s Tap

Fortitude Valley, South Bank

At your fave craft beer bar, you can enjoy a heap of weekly specials with your sips. Taco Tuesdays have $3 of goodness to get your hands on and Parma Wednesdays are only $18 for a heaping plate with a side of fries at both their venues. On Thursdays at the Valley and Sundays at South Bank, you can get a whopping 1kg of crispy wings for $25, while Sundays at the Valley and Thursdays at South Bank, they’re serving a four-hour slow-cooked pork knuckle with sides for the same price. 

When: Tuesday to Sunday

Website

Newstead Social

Newstead

A newcomer that’s already slinging the goods, Newstead Social knows the key to a great pub is excellent specials. On weekdays from 11am to 2pm, you can grab lunch for $17, whether you’re craving a crispy chicken burger, charred broccoli salad, or more. Once the sun sets, Monday nights have parmas for $17, Tuesday nights have $20 steaks, and as for Thursdays, it’s all about the ribs for $20. 

When: Monday to Friday

Website

The Montague Hotel

West End

At The Monty, your weekday lunch will only cost you $15 to $20, with a hefty menu to choose from featuring rump steak, chicken tender burgers with maple bacon, salt and pepper calamari, plus a whole lot more. Or, level up your Friday knock-off drinks with $10 starters from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. 

When: Monday to Friday

Website

Yums! Chicken

Paddington, Woolloongabba

Brighten up your Hump Day with 1kg of your favourite wings for only 10 bucks. With a bunch of flavours to choose from, we won’t blame you if this becomes your new Wednesday tradition. Dig into the deal on a regular basis – we promise we won’t judge!

When: Wednesday

Website

Red Hook

Brisbane City

New York is known for its street eats that will only cost you a couple of bucks, so it makes sense that this NYC-inspired burger joint is all about the cheap eats. On Tuesdays from 6pm, $10 will get you their Brooklyn cheese burger, Grandmaster Flash, or NYC Dog, while there are $1 wings on Wednesday nights. As for Thursday, double-down with two cheeseburgers and two fries for only $30.

When: Tuesday to Thursday

Website

La Stazione

Milton

Giddy up for an Italian feast at La Stazione! Tuesday dinner is served with $15 pasta or get your hands on $15 large pizzas every Wednesday night. Now that’s amore.

When: Tuesday and Wednesday

Website

Big Roddy’s Rippin’ Rib Shack

Fortitude Valley, South Brisbane

Whether you’re kicking it at Fish Lane or heading down McLachlan Street, Big Roddy’s has got you covered. Beat the Monday munchies with a $10 ribwich for lunch, tackle Tuesday with a $10 chicken burger, or celebrate the half-way mark with $1 Wing Wednesday. Thursdays have a $10 cheeseburger for lunch, on Fridays any burgers, fries, and a small drink are only $19.99, Saturdays see $10 dirty fries, and wrap it up on Sunday with a $10 breakfast burger. 

When: Every day

Website

Hai Hai Ramen

Paddington

Warm up your week at Paddington’s favourite ramen restaurant. On Monday and Tuesday from 5pm to 6pm all ramen and mazeman are only $10. Then, on Wednesday to Friday all sides are an easy $5 from 5pm to 6.30pm.

When: Monday to Friday

Website

Bird’s Nest Yakitori

Toowong

This Japanese eatery has plenty to celebrate with Monday chicken madness for $9.90, $25 Feed My Family Tuesday, 30c Wing Wednesday, and Thirsty Thursdays where you’ll get a free soft drink for every $15 spent. On Fridays, the fries are on them with every Asahi beer purchased from 4pm to 8pm and on Saturdays, chicken skewers are $2. Plus, kids eat free on Sundays!

When: Every Day

Website

Mucho Mexicano

Hawthorne, South Brisbane

Olé! Head on down to Mucho Mexicano for half-price Taco Tuesdays, Nacho Wednesdays with a jug of margarita for $49, or $16 lunch burritos every single day of the week. Plus, at the Hawthorne venue, kids eat free on Sundays.

When: Every Day

Website

Streetcorner Jimmy

Teneriffe

There are specials on the daily at Streetcorner Jimmy to keep you and your wallet very happy. On Mondays, there’s $20 bites and booze, $10 wings on Tuesdays with tempura cauliflower florets for the vegos, $20 pizza on Wednesdays, and a big ol’ $25 rump steak on Thursdays. Come Friday, you’ll be digging into chicken schnitty and sides for $20, while Sunday has all their burgers and hoagies for $15. 

When: Sunday to Friday

Website

Winghaus

Brisbane City

As expected, it’s all about the wings at Winghaus, with 50c classic wings every Monday to Friday from 5pm to 7pm, as well as $5 side dishes. Then clear your plans on the weekend, because bottomless wings are available every Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 4pm. That’s right – for $69, you can enjoy all-you-can eat buffalo wings, fries, and beer.

When: Every Day

Website

Il Posto

Paddington

The only thing that makes pizza better is when it’s cheap, which is why Il Posto offers $17 pizzas from 5pm to late on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Forget sharing – with a deal this good it’s an entire pizza for yourself. 

When: Sunday to Tuesday

Website

Baja

Fortitude Valley

Every Tuesday, the Los Tacos crew saunter their way over to Baja, and offer incredible gourmet tacos for only $6. Alongside margaritas and Mexican street snacks, it’s the perfect excuse for a cheeky Tuesday night.

When: Tuesday

Website

Fat Angel Sports Bar

Brisbane City

Forget your 9-5: Fat Angel Sports Bar will have you living it up all week long without breaking the bank. On Mondays, it’s all about the mates with two cheeseburgers and one jug of house beer for $40, or skip the drink on Tuesday with $10 burgers. Wednesday is wings, of course, and at Fat Angel they go for a single buck all day. On Thursday you can get your hands on classic hot dogs for $10, while Fridays have $1 tater tots!

Website

Want to feed your feed? Check out Brisbane’s most ‘grammable dishes here.

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Article by Dinushka Gunasekara

Notorious for turning a random encounter into a three-hour conversation and running across streets to pat a dog, Dinu is a curious girl who loves a good story. Her extensive knowledge of Donald Glover is yet to come to good use and she would do basically anything for a hash brown. Catch her bombarding her friends with articles she thinks they should read or spending way too much time creating the perfect playlist.