The Penny Pincher-Approved Guide To The Best Cheap Eats In Brisbane
Bang for your bite
By Style Journo | 9th June 2023Maybe 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. Perhaps your rent or mortgage has gone up, along with every other bill you’ve got coming in. Whatever the reason, there’s no shame in being frugal (especially when it comes to eating out), and while the cost of living seems to be perpetually increasing, there are still plenty of deals and specials out there if you know when and where to look.
So, save the degustation and cocktail swilling for your next special occasion; our savvy savers have searched far and wide to find Brisbane’s best cheap eats, so you can eat like it’s payday every day, without hurting your bank account.
By the way, we consider everyone in this list the best of the best! To make finding your next favourite that much easier, we’ve ordered the list alphabetically by suburb and also have filtering tabs for your convenience. Did we miss someone from the list? Let us know here! Hide the form
- All
- Brisbane CBD
- North Brisbane
- East Brisbane
- South Brisbane
- West Brisbane
- Gold Coast
- Noosa
- Sunshine Coast
- A - Z
- Z - A
Bisou Bisou
Fortitude Valley
Who said cheap eats in Brisbane had to be basic? Certainly not us! Head to Brunswick Street’s Parisian haunt during the week and enjoy a $25 lunch special from 11.30am to 5pm. With a main and drink included, you’ll be digging into the likes of roasted chicken and frites with bearnaise, steak frites with green pepper jus, or the hearty vegan bowl.
When: Monday to Friday
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 a $20 parmi on Mondays for lunch and dinner, or turn your visit into a fiesta with $20 margs and tacos also on Mondays from 11.30am to 5pm, or 5pm to 9pm. As for Tuesdays, get your hands on a $15 pizza for lunch or dinner!
When: Monday and Tuesday
Fritzenberger
South Bank and Wilston
Get your hands dirty with Fritzenberger’s too-good-to-be-true deals! Head in on Mondays for $12 burgers, or treat a mate with 2 for 1 burgers on Tuesdays. As for Wednesdays, stock up on gold coin because it’s $1 wings with buffalo, smokey bbq, and spicy Korean on the cards.
When: Mondays to Wednesdays
Harajuku Gyoza
Brisbane City, South Bank
Load up on bites for less with buy 1 get 1 free gyoza plates on Mondays and Tuesdays, or head in on Wednesdays and Thursdays for $15 bowls – all available until 3pm.
When: Monday to Thursday
Mecca Bah
Newstead
Fancy a Middle Eastern feast for less? On Monday to Friday from 11.30am to 3pm, Mecca Bah is slinging a lunch special starting from $25, 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
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. Want to up the ante? $20 will get you four tacos and an icy cold drinks on Tuesdays, or snag 20 wings and a drink for $25 on Wednesdays.
When: Tuesday to Thursday
Winghaus
Bowen Hills, Brisbane City
Get your wing fix on King Street and a whole lot more without breaking the bank! Mondays will see you grab 2 for 1 burgers, Tuesdays offer $20 steaks, and Wednesdays is when Winghaus hosts trivia with 50c wings to boot. On Thursdays, head in for $15 schnittys, plus enjoy wing hour on Monday to Friday from 5pm to 7pm with 50c classic wings and $5 side dishes.
When: Monday to Friday
Newstead Social
Newstead
Newstead Social knows the key to a great pub is excellent specials. On weekdays from 11.30am 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, Tuesday nights have $20 burgers with a choice of chicken or veggie, Wednesdays are all about $25 juicy rump steaks, and as for Thursdays, you can grab $20 parmys and schnitzels.
When: Tuesday to Thursday
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 wraps, caesar salads, plus a whole lot more. What’s for dinner? Get $20 rump steak on Mondays, $15 chicken schnitz on Tuesday, and your pub favourites for $18 on Wednesdays. To wrap up the week, bbq ribs are $25 on Thursday and $30 will get you a reef and beef spread on Fridays.
When: Monday to Friday
Yums! Chicken
Woolloongabba, Graceville
Next on our list of the best cheap eats in Brisbane? Yums! Chicken. Brighten up your Hump Day with 1/2kg or 1kg of your favourite wings for $10 or $15 respectively. With a bunch of flavours to choose from such as Southern crispy and Peri Peri inferno, we won’t blame you if this becomes your new Wednesday tradition.
When: Wednesday
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. Get your hands on $1 wings from 6pm on Wednesdays, with drool-worthy sauces like buffalo, barbecue, and the signature Red Hook glaze!
When: Wednesday
Big Roddy’s Rippin’ Rib Shack
South Brisbane
Head down McLachlan Street, where Big Roddy’s has got you covered. Beat the Monday munchies with a $10 pork 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 get a burger, fries, and a small drink are only $19.99, Saturdays see $10 dirty fries, and wrap it up on Sunday with a free drink when you order a full rack.
When: Every day
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
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
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
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 with cheap eats in Brisbane that don’t compromise on flavour.
When: Tuesday
Newmarket Village
Newmarket
Grabbing a bite on the go? You’ll find plenty of options at Newmarket Village. Whether you’re in the mood for a plentiful takeaway of fish and chips from Ocean Tucker or a fresh aburi roll from Sushi Edo, you’ll find fresh produce and flavours for less at this bustling village precinct. From the grab-n-go meal deal options at The Yiros Shop to the quick service dishes from Jackpot Dining, grab a deal without compromising on quality ahead of pay day.
Super Combo
Bowen Hills
Who said a drool-worthy burger had to cost you a pretty penny? Adorned with mini action figurines in a homage to retro video games, Super Combo is the nostalgic eatery with burgers starting from just $10.90. From the classic cheeseburger to the crispy fried and succulent chicken wings, there’s plenty to get your hands on here that won’t break the bank. Drawing inspiration from Street Fighter and global flavours, whatever you order at Super Combo is sure to pack a punch.
Ming Ming’s Kitchen
Wilston
Dreading that sad, boxed salad you brought for lunch? Switch things up and make your next mid-week meal fresh, delicious, and budget-friendly with Ming Ming’s Kitchen meal deals. Offering all your Vietnamese favourites infused with local produce, Ming Ming’s has a deal almost every day of the week. From their signature soup and dry Pho’s for only $16 on Tuesdays to bottomless chicken wings and prawn crackers on Mondays, and their $28 martini and bao buns deal every Thursday, there’s something to spice up every lunch break.
Bar Pacino
Brisbane CBD
For a hearty meal with generous sizes and even better prices, this Eagle Street icon is waiting. City slickers can take advantage of mid-week corporate lunch deals, as well as drink and share plate offers and cocktails of the month to quench your thirst. Got an event or a big group to cater for? Bar Pacino is your best bet, with function packages starting from just $30 per person, so you can throw an extravaganza without breaking the bank. With plenty of room to host you and yours across the outdoor balcony and intimate indoor tables, you can’t go wrong with Bar Pacino. As for the unbeatable views of the Brisbane River – priceless!
Claw
Bowen Hills
At King Street’s new crabshack, you can get your claws on half price wings on Mondays, a $20 steak on Tuesdays, a half price parmi on Wednesday, and 2 for 1 burgers on Thursday. Celebrate Friday with 20% off seafood buckets, or spend Saturday digging into the $39 big easy platter with corn chips, salsa, grilled corn, jalapeno poppers, chicken wings, and garlic bread. Oh, and did we mention? Sunday to Wednesday, kids eat free!
