Highest-rated cheap eats in Merced by diners

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.

Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.

Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.

Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the Merced area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (out of 4) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

Mario's Taco Shop

1 / 29

#29. Mario's Taco Shop

- Rating: 3.8/5 (42 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 801 Martin Luther King Jr Way Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

La Casita

2 / 29

#28. La Casita

- Rating: 3.8/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 770 West 14th St. Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

TOGO'S Sandwiches

3 / 29

#27. TOGO'S Sandwiches

- Rating: 3.8/5 (67 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1511 Bell Drive Atwater, California
- Categories: Sandwiches, fast food, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Houa Khong Restaurant

4 / 29

#26. Houa Khong Restaurant

- Rating: 3.9/5 (136 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 85 East 13th St. Merced, California
- Categories: Thai
- Read more on Yelp

Los Gordos

5 / 29

#25. Los Gordos

- Rating: 3.9/5 (138 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6698 North Winton Way Winton, California
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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Jose's Taco Shop

6 / 29

#24. Jose's Taco Shop

- Rating: 3.9/5 (83 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3250 G St. Merced, California
- Categories: Latin American, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

El Asadero Taco Shop

7 / 29

#23. El Asadero Taco Shop

- Rating: 3.9/5 (356 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3532 G St. Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Marie's Mexican Kitchen

8 / 29

#22. Marie's Mexican Kitchen

- Rating: 3.9/5 (118 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 259 West Main St. Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

La Morenita

9 / 29

#21. La Morenita

- Rating: 4.0/5 (137 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1352 West 13th St. Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Hao's Kitchen

10 / 29

#20. Hao's Kitchen

- Rating: 4.0/5 (95 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1500 Yosemite Pkwy Merced, California
- Categories: Noodles, Soup, Cantonese
- Read more on Yelp

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Cortes Tacos

11 / 29

#19. Cortes Tacos

- Rating: 4.0/5 (25 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 15TH West 15th St. Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

Ostioneria Guadalajara Restaurant

12 / 29

#18. Ostioneria Guadalajara Restaurant

- Rating: 4.1/5 (34 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1220 West 16th St. Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Frosty Queen Express

13 / 29

#17. Frosty Queen Express

- Rating: 4.1/5 (115 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1725 Yosemite Pkwy Merced, California
- Categories: Burgers, fast food, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Noah's Vietnamese Fusion Cuisine

14 / 29

#16. Noah's Vietnamese Fusion Cuisine

- Rating: 4.1/5 (477 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1327 West 18th St. Merced, California
- Categories: Vietnamese, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Wired Internet Coffee Bar

15 / 29

#15. Wired Internet Coffee Bar

- Rating: 4.1/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 450 West 18th St. Merced, California
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

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Tacos El Pollo merced ca

16 / 29

#14. Tacos El Pollo merced ca

- Rating: 4.1/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 371 South CA-59 Merced, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

Tacos Hidalgo Taco Truck

17 / 29

#13. Tacos Hidalgo Taco Truck

- Rating: 4.1/5 (109 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 550 East Main St. Merced, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

Joe On the Go Cafe

18 / 29

#12. Joe On the Go Cafe

- Rating: 4.2/5 (148 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2806 G St. Merced, California
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Chinese Kitchen

19 / 29

#11. Chinese Kitchen

- Rating: 4.2/5 (116 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1853 Bellevue Road Atwater, California
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

Gateway Pizza-N-Subs

20 / 29

#10. Gateway Pizza-N-Subs

- Rating: 4.2/5 (57 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1220 V St. Merced, California
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

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El Palmar Taqueria

21 / 29

#9. El Palmar Taqueria

- Rating: 4.2/5 (130 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1127 Martin Luther King Jr Way Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

H & W Drive In

22 / 29

#8. H & W Drive In

- Rating: 4.3/5 (536 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 121 West 16th St. Merced, California
- Categories: Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Marco's Tacos

23 / 29

#7. Marco's Tacos

- Rating: 4.4/5 (25 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 99 East Donna Drive Merced, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

Sub Shop

24 / 29

#6. Sub Shop

- Rating: 4.5/5 (167 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1844 Bellevue Road Atwater, California
- Categories: Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Donut King's

25 / 29

#5. Donut King's

- Rating: 4.5/5 (262 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 260 West Main St. Ste A Merced, California
- Categories: Donuts, Sandwiches, Bubble Tea
- Read more on Yelp

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Little Oven Pizza

26 / 29

#4. Little Oven Pizza

- Rating: 4.6/5 (530 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 433 West Main St. Merced, California
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Carniceria Y Taqueria Superior

27 / 29

#3. Carniceria Y Taqueria Superior

- Rating: 4.6/5 (62 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1725 West Hwy 140 Merced, California
- Categories: Mexican, Latin American
- Read more on Yelp

The Frappe House

28 / 29

#2. The Frappe House

- Rating: 4.6/5 (126 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2777 East Nees Ave. Fresno, California
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bakeries, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Jeff's Cuisine

29 / 29

#1. Jeff's Cuisine

- Rating: 4.7/5 (271 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1135 Bellevue Road Atwater, California
- Categories: Filipino
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 388 metros.