Everyone loves talking about $50 tasting menus and 1 month in advance reservations. If that’s what you’re into, great. But let’s be honest, most days we just want a meal that tastes good, puts the hunger at ease, and doesn’t wreck the week’s budget.
You’ve come to the right place.
No happy hour required, no special occasion needed, just 15 places around Columbus and Central Ohio where a full, satisfying meal costs less than a movie ticket.
If you eat out regularly and you’re tired of guides assuming everyone’s got $50 to burn on dinner, consider this THE article designed specifically for your bank account (and stomach).
Cheap Eats in Columbus and Central Ohio
1. Grandview Diner
648 Grandview Ave, Columbus, OH, 43215
Sharing a parking lot with a gas station has apparently convinced half of Columbus this place isn’t worth a look. Those people are wrong. Grandview Diner is quietly one of the best-value plates in the city. Just order the sub with fries for $7 and see for yourself.
2. Los Agavez Taqueria
3166 N High St, Columbus, OH, 43202
Yelp ranked this Clintonville truck the 45th best food truck in the entire country in 2025. That’s no small feat for a taco truck in Ohio. The birria tacos with consomé are the reason why: rich, hot, made to be dipped and devoured… and at $8, so is the torta.
3. India Oak Grill
590 Oakland Park Ave, Columbus, OH, 43214
Ask around Clintonville about the best Italian sub in the city, and this dive bar’s name comes up more than any actual Italian restaurant’s. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, which is exactly why it still flies under most people’s radar.
4. Los Guachos Taqueria
5221 Godown Rd, Columbus, OH, 43235 (multiple locations)
Six tacos al pastor for $9 is the kind of deal that should not still exist, and yet. Add BOGO tacos every Monday and a 22oz draft to wash it down, and you’ve got a strong contender for the best lunch value on this entire list.
5. Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace
248 S 4th St, Columbus, OH, 43215 (multiple locations)
The name on everyone’s lips when eating well for under $15 comes up in Columbus, and for good reason. Dirty Frank’s has been stuffing hot dogs into hungry mouths since 2009, and most people walk out having spent less than $10. If you need proof that a low price and great food aren’t mutually exclusive, this is it.
6. Ray Ray’s Hog Pit
4214 N High St, Columbus, OH, 43214
Owner James Anderson raises his own pigs for this Clintonville barbecue truck, and it shows. Pulled pork, brisket, ribs, all smoked low and slow… this is the kind of BBQ that’s landed on national TV and still costs less than takeout from a chain. Pro tip: stick with the pulled pork ($6.61) and a side of mac & cheese ($4.02).
7. Lan Viet Market
59 Spruce St, Columbus, OH, 43215 (inside North Market)
Tucked into a stall at North Market, Lan Viet is proof that a banh mi doesn’t need a full restaurant around it to be excellent. Fresh baguette, real pickled vegetables, and a price that makes it an easy answer for a weekday lunch downtown.
8. Halal New York Gyro
6157 Cleveland Ave, Columbus, OH
Taking direct inspiration from Halal Guys in NYC, this food truck serves portions so large you’ll be eating leftovers for two days. Most of the menu clocks in at $10 or less, which is the kind of math that makes a food truck worth tracking down.
9. Island Vibes
1558 Cleveland Ave, Columbus, OH, 43211
Jamaican cuisine, big portions, small prices. Choose between protein options like curry chicken, jerk chicken, red snapper, and fried tilapia, then add a side for just a couple bucks more. It’s a genuine taste of the Caribbean on the near east side, and it won’t make a dent to your budget.
10. Jack & Benny’s
2563 N High St, Columbus, OH, 43202
A campus institution since 1994, named after a defunct 1954 downtown diner that inspired the founder to open his own. The “Gutbuster” ($13) is the headline act, serving hash browns, potato pancake, bacon, ham, sausage, egg, and gravy, all on one plate. But honestly, everything on the menu here is a win.
11. German Village Coffee Shop
193 Thurman Ave, Columbus, OH, 43206
No frills, no fuss, just eggs, hash browns, and a coffee refill that never stops coming. This narrow German Village diner has been doing the same thing since the early ’80s, and the fact that it hasn’t changed is precisely the point. Order the Western Omelette ($10.50) and thank us later.
12. Club 185
185 E Livingston Ave, Columbus, OH, 43215
German Village’s answer to “I need food, and I need it at 1 a.m.” Club 185 has been slinging late-night bar food since 1956, and the smash burger and fried bologna sandwich ($8.50) have both earned cult followings for good reason. Open until 2 a.m., which matters more than any five-star review when you’re the one who’s hungry.
13. Kolache Republic
702 S High St, Columbus, OH, 43206
Kolache Republic doesn’t have its own storefront anymore. It now runs out of the kitchen of The Daily Growler during the mornings, before the bar itself opens. Still, the Czech kolaches (sweet and savory) and breakfast sandwiches remain a Brewery District favorite, and the switch to a bar’s kitchen only adds to the “you had to know to find it” charm.
14. Fat Baxter’s
1794 W Mound St, Columbus, OH, 43223
If you avoid the Hilltop because of all the fearmongering on social media, that’s your loss. Fat Baxter’s looks like someone’s house with a patio bolted on, and that’s basically what it is (which is exactly why it works). The owner cooks everything herself, and the 1/4 Lb. Coney ($5) and the Bax Burger ($10) are the move.
15. Mikey’s Late Night Slice
457 N High St, Columbus, OH, 43215 (multiple locations)
Started as a food truck in 2009, now a Short North institution that’s open till 2 or 3 in the morning depending on the night. New York-style, by the slice or whole pie, and unapologetically garlicky. If “late-night slice” is a category you need on this list, Mikey’s is the only correct answer.
Budget-friendly and Delicious DOES Exist
Whether it’s a Tuesday lunch, a 1 a.m. slice, or a Sunday morning cure, Columbus has more than enough places to keep your stomach, and your wallet, happy.
Save this list, share it with the group chat that always wants to split a bill four ways, and start working through it.
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