Skip to content

10 Meals for Under $10 in Charlotte

Sal’s Pizza Factory 
Laurel Market 
Brooks’ Sandwich House 
Johnny Burrito 
Jack Beagle’s 
Coco and the Director 
Original Chicken & Ribs
Little Village Grill
Taipei Express 
Midnight Diner
two slices of pizza with sausage and pepperoni from sal's pizza in charlotte
Sal’s Pizza Factory 
sandwich with ham, avocado, tomato, lettuce, and other greens from laurel market in charlotte
Laurel Market 
burger with cheese, lettuce, and a tomato from brook's sandwich house in charlotte
Brooks’ Sandwich House 
burrito with beans, rice, chicken, and greens from johnny burrito in charlotte
Johnny Burrito 
philly cheesesteak from jack beagle's in charlotte
Jack Beagle’s 
english muffin sandwich with egg, sausage, and cheese from coco and the director in charlotte
Coco and the Director 
wings, fries, hushpuppies, mac and cheese, and collard greens from original chicken and ribs in charlotte
Original Chicken & Ribs
gyro from little village grill in charlotte
Little Village Grill
orange chicken, rice, and an egg roll from taipei express in charlotte
Taipei Express 
cake slices from midnight diner in charlotte
Midnight Diner

Eating a meal without spending a ton of money seems so hard these days, and eating cheap while still having great quality seems even harder. Well, we went to work and put together a list of ten different places where you can get a wonderful meal and manage to stay under a $10 budget. From Chinese and Mediterranean to pizza and burgers, below you’ll find some awesome local restaurants serving up great quality meals for super cheap every time! 

 

Photo credit: Yelp.com
Photo credit: Yelp.com

Sal’s Pizza Factory 

3723 Monroe Rd, Charlotte, NC 28205
(980) 219-7108

We’re starting the 10 meals under 10 dollars series off strong with the beloved Sal’s Pizza Factory! This is a great place for takeout or delivery. From philly cheesesteaks to wraps, salads, and hot and cold sandwiches, you can get a filling meal here for well under $10. Try a delicious buffalo chicken or chicken caesar wrap served with french fries for just $9.95. Or go for a footlong ham and cheese sandwich for only $8.50. If you want to split a pizza with a friend and stay to that $10 budget, order a large cheese pizza, calzone, or stromboli for a whopping $7.75 each. NY style pizza is always tasty, but it’s even better when it’s this cheap. 

 

Photo credit: Yelp.com
Photo credit: Yelp.com

Laurel Market 

114 Cherokee Rd, Charlotte, NC 28207
(704) 347-4989

At this lovely Charlotte favorite, there are only a handful of items on this menu that exceed $10 so you have tons to choose from! Here, they’re known for serving up all kinds of breakfast and lunch sandwiches. Try one of their breakfast sandwiches like the Mercado with two eggs, apple smoked bacon, chipotle pepper spread, and pepper jack cheese for only $6.50. Or stop by for lunch and try their RBC sandwich with roast beef, cheddar cheese, red onion, tomato, lettuce, and horseradish mayo and deli mustard all for just $9.50. They always use the freshest ingredients from their bread to the meats and veggies. There’s something for everyone to love at this one stop shop. Check out this great little deli on your next lunch break for a handful of a sandwich! 

 

Photo credit: Yelp.com
Photo credit: Yelp.com

Brooks’ Sandwich House 

2710 N Brevard St, Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 375-7808

Brooks’ Sandwich House is a Charlotte staple and once you try it, you’ll understand why. This no frills, cash only spot has been serving the area for decades. They’re known for their hot dogs and hamburgers and you can get them any way you like. They’ll recommend getting your order “all the way” which means your dog or burger will be covered in chili, mustard, and onions! Get a double cheeseburger for under $8. Just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean they skimp on the size of the patty. They also offer a number of sandwiches like a BLT and chicken filet for $5. Make sure to order one of their great sides like the onion rings, chips, french fries, nachos, or slaw for just a couple bucks. The line gets long here at Brook’s so head on over and get yourself a good old fashioned burger for real cheap.

 

Photo credit: Yelp.com
Photo credit: Yelp.com

Johnny Burrito 

301 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28282
(704) 371-4448

If you’re from Charlotte, odds are you’ve heard of this burrito spot. Johnny himself says if you don’t like your meal, he’ll buy it for you, so that’s saying something! All of their regular burritos, which are still hefty sized burritos, are $8-$9. Or if you are super hungry, they have a big burrito for $10-$11. If you pay cash, they offer 50 cents off your total. They also serve delicious nacho salads for around 10 bucks and it is so much food you could probably make it last two meals. They have tons of fresh ingredients to fill your burrito with and they make a delicious vegetarian burrito as well. This is another great local spot to check out for lunch, but it gets super busy so if you’re in a hurry, check them out before or after the lunch rush. 

 

Photo credit: Yelp.com
Photo credit: Yelp.com

Jack Beagle’s 

3213 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 334-5140

This NoDa spot is the best for so many reasons. For starters, they have some kind of deal every day like $2 tacos on Tuesday and $3 mimosas all day long on Saturday and Sunday. They have a killer breakfast here with some of the best biscuits around. Go for the chicken tender, egg, and cheese biscuit for just $4.50. They also serve omelets for $8-$9 as well as breakfast burritos, french toast, and eggs benny all under 10 bucks. They keep the deals coming for lunch and dinner with their famous mac and cheese for $6 along with their delicious waffle fries and hot dogs. This spot turns into a bar at night though so come back and late night here and jam out to a live band on the back patio. There is fun all around to be had at Jack Beagle’s. 

 

Photo credit: Yelp.com
Photo credit: Yelp.com

Coco and the Director 

100 W Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202
(704) 353-6003

This Uptown coffee shop is the perfect place to grab a coffee to start your day, or bring your laptop and get some work done here. The atmosphere is super calm and relaxing and a really great place to hang out if you have the time. Their coffee is spot on, with so many options and flavors, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for. Get a classic drip coffee for under 3 bucks, or get something a little more fun like a dirty chai for just under 5 bucks. Food wise, they have tons of yummy pastries like muffins, croissants, banana nut bread and more coming in at anywhere from $3-$6. If you want more than just a bite, try one of their breakfast sandwiches like the sausage, egg, and cheese on an english muffin for $6. Coffee and a tasty breakfast sandwich is hard to come by for cheap these days, so check this spot out!

 

Photo credit: Yelp.com
Photo credit: Yelp.com

Original Chicken & Ribs

1100 Beatties Ford Rd, Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 332-2902

This mom and pop spot is great for picking up some hot, fresh southern classics like fried chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens and more. Everything is made to order, so go ahead and call in what you want so you don’t have to wait too long, but it will be worth the wait. They offer chicken meals like the 3 wings and a roll for just under 7 bucks. Another great option is the pulled pork BBQ dinner served with potato salad and a roll for $9.95! Great food, portions, and flavor and it won’t break the bank. They’ve got tons of other options like chicken nugget meals, popcorn shrimp, and tons of sandwiches to choose from so check them out and see what all the fuss is about! 

 

Photo credit: Yelp.com
Photo credit: Yelp.com

Little Village Grill

710 W Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202
(704) 347-2184

Another perfect spot for take out conveniently placed in Uptown serving up all kinds of Mediterranean goodness! This is a place you can count on being served a super flavorful, hot, and fresh meal every time. Their lamb and beef gyro with lettuce, tomato, onion, and taziki sauce is one of the best in the area and only $5.25! It almost seems too good to be true, but it’s not. Nothing on this menu costs over $7 so you have your pick from salads, sandwiches, burgers, pitas and more. Stop by for lunch and sit outside or take it back to the office with you to enjoy.

 

Photo credit: Yelp.com
Photo credit: Yelp.com

Taipei Express 

731 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC 28207
(704) 334-2288

A really good Chinese spot can be hard to find, so once you do, you gotta hold on tight! If you don’t already have a favorite spot for take out in Charlotte, you will soon. Taipei Express is serving up really tasty, nice portions of all the Chinese classics you crave. Order a cup of wonton soup and some vegetable lo mein for right around 9 bucks. Or try one of their dinner specials like the orange chicken plate served with your choice of white, brown or fried rice. It has never been easier to eat fresh, hot, tasty Chinese for such a great price.

 

Photo credit: Yelp.com
Photo credit: Yelp.com

Midnight Diner

115 E Carson Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203
(980) 207-3641

Who doesn’t love a good diner? They’ve got options galore and all super fairly priced. One of the best parts about this diner? It is old school and really gives you that 50’s diner vibe which definitely adds to the experience. For breakfast, you can find egg plates, waffles, breakfast sandwiches and more all under $10. For lunch and dinner, you’ve got tons of sandwich options like turkey and swiss, BLT, chicken salad, and several others all for around 8 or 9 bucks. You can also get a classic cheeseburger here for about $9. Or go a la carte and order a couple of different sides and call that a meal. The midnight diner is awesome, open all day everyday, and will serve you a wonderful meal every time.