Highest-rated cheap eats in New Haven 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 New Haven 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.

Taqueria Mexico

1 / 30

#30. Taqueria Mexico

- Rating: 4.2/5 (168 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 850 South Colony Road Wallingford, Connecticut
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Taco Town

2 / 30

#29. Taco Town

- Rating: 4.2/5 (83 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 199 Boston Post Road Orange, Connecticut
- Categories: Tacos, Tex-Mex
- Read more on Yelp

Lean's Vietnamese Food Cart

3 / 30

#28. Lean's Vietnamese Food Cart

- Rating: 4.2/5 (23 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 367 Cedar St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Vietnamese, Food Stands
- Read more on Yelp

Moonrise Cafe

4 / 30

#27. Moonrise Cafe

- Rating: 4.2/5 (133 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2 Broadway North Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Sing Hee Restaurant

5 / 30

#26. Sing Hee Restaurant

- Rating: 4.2/5 (86 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 85 Middletown Ave. North Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

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Oh K-Dog

6 / 30

#25. Oh K-Dog

- Rating: 4.2/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 208 College St. Unit 7 New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Hot Dogs, Korean
- Read more on Yelp

Dragon Garden III

7 / 30

#24. Dragon Garden III

- Rating: 4.3/5 (108 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 117 Gulf St. Ste 3 Milford, Connecticut
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

Sabor Latino Deli

8 / 30

#23. Sabor Latino Deli

- Rating: 4.3/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 405 Main St. East Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Sandwiches, Spanish, Latin American
- Read more on Yelp

Sandwiches El Cubano

9 / 30

#22. Sandwiches El Cubano

- Rating: 4.3/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Long Wharf, Connecticut
- Categories: Cuban, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

Ay! Arepa New Haven

10 / 30

#21. Ay! Arepa New Haven

- Rating: 4.3/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 56 Broadway Island New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Mexican, Latin American
- Read more on Yelp

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Ixtapa Mexican Tacos

11 / 30

#20. Ixtapa Mexican Tacos

- Rating: 4.3/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Long Wharf Drive New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

Town Pizza Restaurant

12 / 30

#19. Town Pizza Restaurant

- Rating: 4.3/5 (40 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 25 Whitney Ave. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Pizza, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

Ali Baba's Fusion

13 / 30

#18. Ali Baba's Fusion

- Rating: 4.3/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 333 Cedar St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Middle Eastern, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

Lalibela Cart

14 / 30

#17. Lalibela Cart

- Rating: 4.3/5 (25 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Sachem & Prospect St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Ethiopian, Food Stands
- Read more on Yelp

G Cafe Bakery

15 / 30

#16. G Cafe Bakery

- Rating: 4.3/5 (32 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1177 Chapel St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Bakeries, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Clementes Pizza & Grill

16 / 30

#15. Clementes Pizza & Grill

- Rating: 4.3/5 (23 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1302 Whalley Ave. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Chicken Wings, Pizza, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Scratch Baking

17 / 30

#14. Scratch Baking

- Rating: 4.4/5 (298 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 84 Broad St. Milford, Connecticut
- Categories: Bakeries, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Taqueria Mexicana

18 / 30

#13. Taqueria Mexicana

- Rating: 4.4/5 (85 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 702 Boston Post Road West Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Hornets Nest Deli

19 / 30

#12. Hornets Nest Deli

- Rating: 4.4/5 (175 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 269 East Main St. Branford, Connecticut
- Categories: Delis, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Cafe Java

20 / 30

#11. Cafe Java

- Rating: 4.4/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 59 Elm St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Salad, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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Jasmine Thai Cart

21 / 30

#10. Jasmine Thai Cart

- Rating: 4.4/5 (53 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 250 Church St. Food truck stand Front of New Haven county courthouse New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Thai, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

Pitaziki Mediterranean Grill

22 / 30

#9. Pitaziki Mediterranean Grill

- Rating: 4.5/5 (441 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 170 Temple St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

Contois Tavern

23 / 30

#8. Contois Tavern

- Rating: 4.5/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 150 Nicoll St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Dive Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp

Grab & Go Empanadas

24 / 30

#7. Grab & Go Empanadas

- Rating: 4.5/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 20 Wheeler St. Hamden, Connecticut
- Categories: Empanadas, Bakeries, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Johnny Salami's

25 / 30

#6. Johnny Salami's

- Rating: 4.6/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 205 Food Terminal Plz New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Delis, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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Spuds Your Way

26 / 30

#5. Spuds Your Way

- Rating: 4.7/5 (67 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3500 Whitney Ave. Hamden, Connecticut
- Categories: Food Trucks, Sandwiches, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

The Soup Girl

27 / 30

#4. The Soup Girl

- Rating: 4.7/5 (126 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1242 Whitney Ave. Hamden, Connecticut
- Categories: Soup
- Read more on Yelp

Slice of New Haven

28 / 30

#3. Slice of New Haven

- Rating: 4.7/5 (21 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Food Trucks, Pizza, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp

Mike's Italian Deli & Grill

29 / 30

#2. Mike's Italian Deli & Grill

- Rating: 4.7/5 (65 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 16 Red Bush Lane Milford, Connecticut
- Categories: Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Corso's Deli & Subs

30 / 30

#1. Corso's Deli & Subs

- Rating: 4.9/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 702 Boston Post Road West Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Delis, Sandwiches
- 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.