You don’t have to spend a fortune to eat at some of the best restaurants in Pennsylvania. As all serious foodies know, there are many establishments combining amazing dishes with affordable menus.
We’ve taken some of the guesswork out of finding the most affordable and best restaurants in Pennsylvania. We’ve scoured lists of the best restaurants in PA and read visitor reviews. And we’ve looked at the menu items to combine the lowest prices and the highest customer reviews so you have the insider knowledge.
Tomato Pie Café — Harrisburg and Lititz
Tomato Pie Café combines artistic coffee and lighter, urban fare with great ambience. Established by the Fisher family, this restaurant takes delicious and locally sourced food seriously. One of its signature dishes is tomato pie (~$7.60).
Big Bowl Noodle House — State College
A cash-only restaurant, Big Noodle House is known for authentic Asian noodle dishes and bubble tea for less. Their Singapore Rice Noodle is a signature dish and under $8 for a big portion. The dish is a stir-fry of vegetables, shrimp, chicken, roast pork and rice noodles in a curry sauce.
Silantra Asian Street Kitchen — Lancaster
Listed as one of the best places to eat on Yelp, with more than 70 positive reviews, Silantra Asian Street Kitchen is known for its bowls and Scallion Pancake Wrap. Choose one for $7.55 and then choose the toppings and sauces you want to make it your own.
Jackson House — Harrisburg
Jackson House is known for its burgers and hand-cut fries. The restaurant’s signature burger is the Jackson, which only costs $6.60. Topped with melted American cheese, smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and a house sauce, this burger can be combined with salads or fries.
Noodle Head — Pittsburgh
If you have a hankering for Asian food and want affordable but delicious dishes, Noodle Head was chosen by Foursquare as one of the top 15 inexpensive places in Pittsburgh. Try a serving of pork buns or a big bowl of Sukothai noodles with pork, rice noodles, egg, peanuts, green beans, and a spicy lime broth for $6.
The People’s Kitchen — Bethlehem
Reserving the second spot under cheapest restaurants in Lehigh Valley on TripAdvisor is The People’s Kitchen. Reviewers raved about this cozy breakfast place that is well worth the wait to get in. Try a 2-stack buckwheat pancake for $4 or their mac and cheese with hickory-smoked bacon and maple sausage for $8.
Day by Day — Philadelphia
For lunch, Day by Day is a dream for the budget-conscious foodie. The chicken salad sandwich with avocado and bacon takes deli food to a new level for just $12 while the challah French toast is a great twist on a brunch classic for $11. Philadelphia Magazine selected this as one of the new restaurants to feature for its new and inexpensive eats articles, so you can be sure it’s great.
Faccia Luna Pizzeria — State College
This pizza place is known for their gluten-free pizzas, but their Char-broiled Chicken Breast Sandwiches are worth checking out, too. Seafood is especially good here and you can get a masterfully made meal of seabass or other fresh catches for about $18.
White Dog Café — Haverford, Wayne and Philadelphia
This farm to table restaurant serves Instagram-worthy dishes that are sure to delight every foodie. White Dog Cafe is a bit pricier than the other affordable PA restaurants on this list, but they do offer creative food combinations such as Yellowfin Tuna Tartar and the Wood Fired Shrimp. They also have several vegan dishes.
Oyster House — Philadelphia
With a name like Oyster House, it’s probably no surprise that oysters are a specialty at this seafood restaurant. What may surprise, however, is that during happy hour, oysters are only $1 each, meaning you can eat as much as you like.
Iron Abbey — Horsham
Iron Abbey is a gastro-pub with a fun menu. Gorett’s Original Sin is a mainstay here. For $16, Original Sin is a sandwich made with brioche bread and stuffed with smoked gouda, chorizo, filet mignon, ham, a fried egg and special gravy.
Squirrel Hill Café — Pittsburgh
Another Foursquare pick of one of the top 15 inexpensive restaurants in Pittsburgh, Squirrel Hill Café serves up affordable and generous portions of food. Their Deep Fried Hot Cheese Balls are famous and a steal at only $4.
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Feature image used with permission from Tomato Pie Café.