Two people behind the counter at Drogheria Fine. Right: Smash burgers from Mange Dans Mon Hood.
The cost of living may be on the rise in Montreal, but you can still indulge in some of the city's best eats without breaking the bank.
Whether you're a student frustrated with campus food prices or simply looking to save some money on a night out, Montreal's food scene has plenty of affordable options to satisfy your cravings.
From poutine and bagels to bánh mì and thali, here are some Montreal restaurants where you’ll not only eat well but for less:
Pushap
Where: 5195, rue Paré
Why You Need To Go: If you live around the downtown core, visiting this Indian restaurant near the Namur Metro station is going to be a trip, but it’s worth it. Grab one of their vegetarian thalis, which comes with chickpea or lentil curry, slaw, rice, and fried or baked bread. You only need to have one plate before you’re more than satiated, but you can spend the change on dessert if you want.
Drogheria Fine
Where: 68, ave Fairmount Ouest
Why You Need To Go: The oyster pail boxes of gnocchi from this Calabrian spot really stick to your stomach when you eat ‘em, making them plenty filling. They’re cooked in their own olive oil and pomodoro sauce and you can spend a bit more on parmesan and chili flakes, but it’ll still be one of the cheapest things you’ll ever eat in Montreal.
Wilensky’s
Where: 34, ave Fairmount Ouest
Why You Need To Go: This diner dates back to 1932 and eating here will feel like a trip back in time to when it first opened. Their sandwich, the Wilensky Special, is an all-beef salami and baloney sandwich served on a toasted Kaiser roll with mustard and cheese as an add-on. For just over $10, you can eat two of them.
Chalet Bar-B-Q
Where: 5456, rue Sherbrooke Ouest
Why You Need To Go: This NDG institution serving rotisserie chicken slow-broiled in huge ovens is always a solid bet for a plate. It comes loaded with chicken thigh, fries and sauce, and it’s pretty much all you need for a full-bodied meal. If you have any doubts, keep in mind they’ve been around since 1944.
Léché Desserts
Where: 640, rue Courcelle
Why You Need To Go: Going cheap doesn’t always mean going savoury. At this Saint-Henri bakery, you won’t be able to buy up a whole box of donuts for cheap, but you can get at least one or two within budget. They make some inexpensive sandwiches too, including a grilled cheese donut that you have to try at least once.
Mange Dans Mon Hood
Where: 1380, rue Jean-Talon Est
Why You Need To Go: This Villeray basement casse-croûte is perfect for when you’re looking for a solid burger on the cheap. Their smash style can either come as a classic with ketchup, mustard, onions, and pickles, or you can upgrade to the one with house sauce and more toppings. Getting cheese and hot peppers will cost you more, though.
Caribbean Curry House
Where: 6892, ave Victoria
Why You Need To Go: It’s hard to find a more filling meal than rotis from this Caribbean restaurant, where the chicken or vegetarian options won’t cost you over $10. You might expect a small portion at that price, but we’re willing to bet money you’ll be asking for a container to take the rest home.
Super Sandwich
Students stand in line at the dep sandwich station.
Where: 1115 rue Sherbrooke O, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1H3
Why You Need To Go: Known for feeding generations of McGill students, this restaurant in the Le Cartier building at the corner of Peel is fast and cheap. You can get a baguette filled with your choice from a long menu, including everything from cold cuts of roast beef and baloney to egg salad and crab meat. Spend your savings on a drink from the fridge, and you’re good.
St-Viateur Bagel
Where: 263, rue Saint-Viateur Ouest
Why You Need To Go: It’s not quite a restaurant per se, but you can’t really beat getting a half-dozen bagels from this institution and just going to town on them. If you also really want some cream cheese without breaking the $10 mark, you can buy day-olds and just warm them up.
Patati Patata
Where: 4177, boul Saint-Laurent
Why You Need To Go: When is this Plateau diner ever empty? At all hours of the day, bohemians and artist-types of all stripes are taking advantage of their supremely cheap food, whether it’s steamies, burgers and fries, or breakfast sandwiches. Don’t worry about any line-ups you see, though; most who come here eat quick and leave, so your turn will come.
Pizzeria No. 900
Where: (Multiple locations)
Why You Need To Go: This chain seems to be everywhere in town and with good reason. Their cheapest Neapolitan pizza is their $10 Marinara, which comes with tomato sauce, garlic, Sicilian oregano, basil, EVOO and pecorino romano. A few bucks more will have them load on way more toppings, but this option alone is worth it.
Marché Hung Phat
Where: 7099, rue Saint-Denis
Why You Need To Go: With bánh mì sandwiches for less than $7 that come with anything from a classic one with ham, Vietnamese pork bologna, and liver pâté or grilled pork patties, you’ll have enough left over to get some of the bubble tea from this Chinatown joint, too. They also have vermicelli bowls for under $10.
Brook
Where: 4900, rue Wellington
Why You Need To Go: Find a really good slice of pizza on the cheap—and we mean really good, none of that fuel-for-clubbing-at-midnight stuff—can be difficult in Montreal. At this Verdun pizzeria though, it’s both good and cheap. Two slices of basic cheese will go for less than $10, but if you’re feeling fancy, they’ll sell you a beer or wine to go with it.
Abu Elias
Where: 733, boul Cote Vertu Ouest
Why You Need To Go: Not every good cheap eat in Montreal is going to be found downtown. At this butcher shop and sandwich counter out in Ville St-Laurent, they’ve got all kinds of grilled sandwiches worth ordering, sometimes two at a time. Toss in some extra toppings and you’re set.
Montreal Chinese Crepes & Dumplings
Where: 37, ave Westminster N
Why You Need To Go: This place in Montreal West keeps things low cost with its jian bing (Chinese crêpes) which are at their cheapest when you either eat the traditional option or the one with bacon and eggs. It’ll get more expensive if you go for tempting options like fried chicken or spicy beef, but not by much and it’s worth the splurge.
Hot-Star Large Fried Chicken
Where: 1933, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest
Why You Need To Go: This Taiwanese chain made a lot of waves when it first opened in Montreal’s "Chinatown West," near the downtown Concordia campus. Just about everything on the menu breaks the $10 mark by a bit, but one thing doesn’t: Their original giant and gloriously greasy piece of fried chicken that comes in your choice of five flavours: BBQ, salt/pepper, spicy, seaweed and plum.
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