Eat Well, Spend Less

The Hub has never had more choices in cut-rate chow—but some values taste better than others. A smorgasbord of expert picks and sneaky strategies for the thrifty food-lover.

6/25/2009, 1:17 a.m.

Beyond Biggie Fries

Twenty-one superlative snacks for five bucks or less, plus a few freebies.

Beyond Biggie Fries for $5

Cheeseburger

Metropolitan Club (6-10 p.m. Mon.)
1210 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, 617-731-0600

Ten Tapas!

Masa (bar only, 5-7 p.m. daily)
439 Tremont St., Boston, 617-338-8884

Mini Maine Lobster Roll

Harvest (bar only, daily)
44 Brattle St., Cambridge, 617-868-2255

Mushroom, Onion, and Sage Flatbread

Rocca (bar only, 5-6:30 p.m. daily)
500 Harrison Ave., Boston, 617-695-2257

Chicken Empanadas

Tremont 647 (10 p.m.-midnight, Thu.-Sat.)
647 Tremont St., Boston, 617-266-4600

Squid Salad

Persephone (bar only, 4-6 p.m. daily)
283 Summer St., Boston, 617-695-2257

Tagliatelle with Shrimp and Tomatoes

Da Vinci (bar and lounge, daily)
162 Columbus Ave., Boston, 617-350-0007

Petite Filet Mignon Sandwich

Morton's (bar only, daily)
699 Boylston St., Boston, 617-266-5858

Crab Curry Bowl

Maxwell's 148 (Tue.-Sat.)
148 E. Central St., Natick, 508-907-6262

Wood-Fired Pizza

Sorriso (Mon. and Sat.)
107 South St., Boston, 617-259-1560

Beyond Biggie Fries for $3

Whipped Feta with Crackers

Sofra (daily)
One Belmont St., Cambridge, 617-661-3161

Grilled Beef Bahn Mi

($3.25) Pho Viet (daily)
1095 Commonwealth Ave., Allston, 617-562-8828

Grilled Lamb Chops

33 Restaurant & Lounge (bar only, Wed.-Sat.)
33 Stanhope St., Boston, 617-572-3311

Ricotta Sfizi

Dante (daily)
40 Edwin H. Land Blvd., Cambridge, 617-497-4200

Beyond Biggie Fries for $1

Charcuterie

Sel de la Terre—Back Bay (5-7 p.m. Mon.)
774 Boylston St., Boston, 617-266-8800

Duxbury Oysters

Lineage (bar only, 5-7 p.m. daily)
242 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-232-0065

Mini Burgers

Match (5-10 p.m. Tue.)
94 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, 617-247-9922

Glass of Burgundy

($1.75) Galleria Umberto (daily)
289 Hanover St., Boston, 617-227-5709

Al Pastor Taco

La Verdad (Tue.)
One Lansdowne St., Boston, 617-351-2580

Cheese Slice

($1.25) Haymarket Pizza (daily)
106 Blackstone St., Boston, 617-723-8585

Taquitos

Olé (bar only, 5-6 p.m. Tue.-Fri.)
11 Springfield St., Cambridge, 617-492-4495

Beyond Biggie Fries for Free

Tacos

Cactus Club (after 10 p.m. Sun.)
939 Boylston St., Boston, 617-236-0200

Alsatian-Style Pizza

Brasserie Jo (bar only, 5-11 p.m. daily)
120 Huntington Ave., Boston, 617-425-3240

Gougères

No. 9 Park (bar only, daily)
9 Park St., Boston, 617-742-9991

Garlicky Potato Salad

Taberna del Haro (daily)
999 Beacon St., Brookline, 617-277-8272

Corn Dogs

Union Bar and Grille (5:30-7 p.m. Mon.-Fri.)
357 Washington St., Boston, 617-423-0555

Photographs by Dave Bradley and Lisa Richov

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