BY MICHAEL MUSTO | I’m a man of humble sensibilities who hardly needs a flashy restaurant to fulfill my culinary needs. Basically, I just want to eat! And so, through lots of experience, I’ve found a bunch of moderately priced (if not exactly dazzling-looking) eateries around town, and they’ve been as easy on my wallet as on my tummy. Here are 10 of the best cheap dives, for the eternal college student in you.

(Note: Click on each destination, in red and ALL CAPS, to visit their website.)

DELECTICA (564 Third Ave. at E. 38th St.; 212-338-0149) | This is a smallish neighborhood place, with just a few tables and some outdoor seating when the weather calls for it. It almost looks respectable, but I like it anyway. After all, the catering-style food is lovely, like $10.75 “signature sandwiches” (including one with prosciutto di Parma, mozzarella, roasted red pepper, basil, and olive oil and another with goat cheese, roasted eggplant, roasted zucchini, roasted red pepper, baby arugula, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil). The menu also includes tasteful entree bowls, Euro toasts, soups and sides. Delectica is an unpretentious comfort station for New Yorkers in the know.

GREEDY POT (1944 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard btw. 117th St. & 118th Sts.; 917-675-7676) | One of the most sensible destinations for Southern and Caribbean food, Greedy Pot offers oxtails, stewed chicken and other expected delights, all prepared with uptown zest. Brunch items include fish, grits and eggs for $16 and chicken and waffles for $17. The ambience is not exactly four-star—it’s a tiny place with limited counter seating and that’s it—but for the reliability of it all, it’s still one of my favorite Harlem finds.

HAANDI (113 Lexington Ave. at E. 28th St.; 212-685-5200) | Unassuming to the point of diveyness, Haandi is an unfailing place for tip-top Indian and Pakistani food that you pick up at the counter and bring to a cafeteria-style table (or home). My favorite is the “two meat special” that comes with a duo of carnivore-friendly items of your choice (the garlic chicken is highly recommended) with a veggie, nan, and rice, for $14.

ONE TWO THAI (153 E. 33rd St. btw. Lexington & Third Aves.; 646-918-6144) | A small Murray Hill charmer, One Two Thai is relaxed and delicious. One of my fave choices there is the Tom Yum soup (with galangai, lemongrass, and mushroom), which I top with shrimp. And the beef salad with celery, mint, scallion, chili, lime juice, and onions ($12.99) is so good that I’ve often made a lunch out of it.

PEPPA’S JERK CHICKEN (493 Second Ave. btw. E. 27th & 28th Sts.; 646-798-1395) | This no-frills hole in the wall has a petite counter where you can sit and dive into their $10 lunch special. (I go for the jerk chicken with cabbage, rice and drink. Smothered chicken and curry chicken are also offered.) It ain’t the Ritz, but the food is a treat.

RED HOUSE (203 E. 14th St. btw. Second & Third Aves.; 212-228-8288) | The best deal in town may well be the $8.95 lunch here, which includes an entrée, rice, and either a soup or soda. I usually go for the shrimp with lobster sauce with hot and sour soup and pork fried rice, but other dishes include beef with oyster sauce and pepper steak with onions. There is a small counter inside that fits a maximum of three people and only two small tables lurk outside, so most normal people take the food home or just order delivery. But I’m generally crammed outside, enjoying the yummy shrimp by myself.

STREECHA (33 E. Seventh St. btw. Second & Third Aves.; 212-677-7260) | Want to support Ukrainian culture? Find Veselka too slick for you? Go to the basement of East Village Chiropractic for this extraordinary eatery, which is so wonderfully informal it feels like it’s part of someone’s house. You go the register and order, then sit down, and pretty quickly, they bring the tray to your table. The food is cheap and amazing, like four-dollar borscht and $12 daily lunch specials, which have included pork tenderloins or whiting fillets, usually with potatoes or rice and a little salad. You’ll find yourself sitting with Ukrainian people in a joint celebration of their country’s heroism. Note: Streecha is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 5pm.

TACOS TIMES SQUARE (134 E. 27th St. btw. Lexington & Third Aves.; 212-889-9090) | The diviest of dives, with just a tiny counter and two outdoor tables, this taqueria defies its name and dares to be located in the East 20s. They serve cheap, decent Mexican—a chicken burrito is $11.75 and the “three taco deal” with shrimp is $14.50—and come on, “dive” isn’t always a bad word.

WO HOP (17 Mott St. btw. Mulberry St. & Bowery; 212-962-8617) | This legendary basement place—which has served old-fashioned Chinese eats since 1938—is so real that the workers are often spotted chopping vegetables at the next table. The menu is pretty expansive and includes a small soup for $3.75, shrimp lo mein for $10.50—and pricier items, too (crabs Cantonese style for $19.95). It’s cash only (no reservations) and is so authentically Chinatown-y that clubbies used to head there en masse for sustenance after their late-night jaunts.

ZUCKER’S BAGELS & SMOKED FISH (1065 Sixth Ave. btw. W. 40th & 41st Sts. [and other locations]; 212-671-2400) | The lunch special at this famed bagel joint costs only $10.25 plus tax and gets you a bagel sandwich with lettuce and tomato plus a small side of coleslaw and pickle and what’s more, a drink (soda, water or coffee). Every day, there’s a choice of two sandwiches, which include salmon salad, chicken salad, and roast beef and cheddar. It’s a fun decision to have to make!

Michael Musto is a columnist, pop cultural and political pundit, NYC nightlife chronicler, author, and the go-to gossip responsible for the long-running (1984-2013) Village Voice column, “La Dolce Musto.” His work appears on this website as well as Queerty.com and thedailybeast.com, and he is writing for the new Village Voice, which made its debut in April of 2021. Follow Musto on Instagram, via @michaelmusto.

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