There comes a time when even the most well-researched, the most agreed-upon, the most diverse restaurant list won't come in handy — and that time is pretty much every day.
Why, you ask? Because no matter how many restaurants are put upon that list, inevitably most will belong to the category of "special occasion" restaurant, the one that costs solidly into the triple digits for a meal for two. Which is why we were so excited to see Urbanspoon take on the most popular budget-friendly spots in Canada with their own list. The restaurant rating website surveyed the findings of the Canadian public in their "cheap eats" category (which means it falls into the lower range, without any specific monetary value attached) and published a pretty comprehensive overview of the country's offerings.
While so-called ethnic food — cuisine coming from Asian or Latin American countries — dominated the list, the all-American burger appears to be in fine form across our northern land as well. Add to that a healthy (though that's probably not the right word) dose of poutine and bagel shops, and the wide range of spots Canadians stop in on for lunch, snacks and more than a few dinners makes up an interesting culinary landscape.
But our favourite thing about this list? We can easily try out pretty much every place listed, and not have to worry about not making rent next month.
SEE: The 100 favourite cheap eat spots in Canada, according to Urbanspoon. Was your favourite missed out on? Let us know!
Favourite Cheap Eats In Canada
Brampton, ON
Mackay Pizza & Subs
Calgary, AB
Basil Ultimate Pho and Fine Vietnamese Cuisine
Boogie's Burgers
C B Drive Inn
Five Guys Burgers and Fries (Heritage Meadows)
Glamorgan Bakery
Golden Bell Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant
Holy Grill
Holy Smoke BBQ (Southeast)
Jelly Modern Doughnuts
My Favorite Ice Cream Shoppe
Peppino's
Peters' Drive-in
Pho Huong Viet
Raj Palace (Northwest)
Smashburger (Northeast)
Tubby Dog
Yann Haute Patisserie
Canmore, AB
La Belle Patate
Coquitlam, BC
Sushi California
Edmonton, AB
Drift Food Truck
Swiss Donair
The Burger Joint
Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt (Whyte Avenue)
Gatineau, QC
Edgar
Kelowna, BC
Latin Fiesta
London, ON
Prince Albert's
Thuan Kieu (London)
Mississauga, ON
Burrito Boyz - Port Credit
Montréal, QC
Arepera du plateau
Burger de Ville
Fairmount Bagel
La Paryse
Resto la Banquise
Rotisserie Romados
St-Viateur Bagel & Café (Plateau Mont-Royal)
Thé Mon Café
Ottawa, ON
Dirienzo's
Hintonburger
Kettleman's Bagel Co. (The Glebe)
La Bottega
Stella Luna Gelato Café
SuzyQ
Regina, SK
Milky Way Ice Cream
Richmond, BC
Bubble Queen
Saskatoon, SK
Thien Vietnam Restaurant
Yip Hong's Dim Sum Restaurant
Toronto, ON
Banh Mi Boys
Burrito Boyz - Entertainment District
Come and Get It
Don Don Izakaya
Grand Electric
Johnny's Hamburgers
Messini Authentic Gyros
Porchetta & Co
Real McCoy Burgers & Pizza
Salad King
Square-Boy Drive-in
Tacos El Asador
The Burger's Priest (The Beaches)
Vancouver, BC
Au Petit Cafe
Bao Chau Vietnamese
Bella Gelateria Handcrafted Gelato
Bon's Off Broadway
Cartems Donuterie
Guu Otokomae
Hawker's Delight
Japadog (Burrard & Smithe)
Jethro's Fine Grub
Kintaro Ramen 金太郞
La Belle Patate
La Grotta Del Formaggio
La Taqueria
La Taqueria Taco Shop
Meat & Bread (Gastown)
Miura Waffle Milk Bar
Mom's Grilled Cheese Truck
Motomachi Shokudo 元町食堂
Red Pagoda
Save On Meats
Soirette Macarons & Tea
Stepho's Souvlaki Greek Taverna
Sushi Nanaimo
The Famous Warehouse
Thierry Chocolaterie Patisserie Cafe
Viet Sub Vietnamese Cuisine
Vaughan, ON
Desserts Plus
Victoria, BC
Hernande'z (Yates St)
La Belle Patate
Pig BBQ Joint
Puerto Vallarta Amigos
Winnipeg, MB
Baraka Pita Bakery
Bridge Drive-In (BDI)
Burrito Del Rio Taqueria
Falafel Place
Kawaii Crepe
Lao Thai Restaurant
Original George's Burgers & Subs
Sargent Sundae
VJ's Drive-in