Highest-rated cheap eats in Baltimore 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 Baltimore 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.

Elkridge Deli Cafe

1 / 30

#30. Elkridge Deli Cafe

- Rating: 4.3/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6325 Washington Blvd. Ste G Elkridge, Maryland
- Categories: American, Breakfast & Brunch, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Aviation Deli & Grill

2 / 30

#29. Aviation Deli & Grill

- Rating: 4.3/5 (84 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6938 Aviation Blvd. Ste B Glen Burnie, Maryland
- Categories: Delis, Sandwiches, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Yog Crepes Waffles and Frozen Yogurt

3 / 30

#28. Yog Crepes Waffles and Frozen Yogurt

- Rating: 4.3/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6053 Falls Road Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Creperies, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Bubble Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Station North Arts Cafe Gallery

4 / 30

#27. Station North Arts Cafe Gallery

- Rating: 4.3/5 (90 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 131 West North Ave. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Art Galleries, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Choi's Chicken & Trout

5 / 30

#26. Choi's Chicken & Trout

- Rating: 4.3/5 (60 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3436 Annapolis Road Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Cheesesteaks, American, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Best places to live in the Baltimore metro area

Giovanna's Italian Kitchen

6 / 30

#25. Giovanna's Italian Kitchen

- Rating: 4.3/5 (128 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7401 Harford Road Parkville, Maryland
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Adamm's Airport Deli

7 / 30

#24. Adamm's Airport Deli

- Rating: 4.4/5 (95 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 891 Elkridge Landing Road Linthicum Heights, Maryland
- Categories: Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Zauq Halal Kitchen

8 / 30

#23. Zauq Halal Kitchen

- Rating: 4.4/5 (116 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6669 Security Blvd. Woodlawn, Maryland
- Categories: Halal, Chicken Shop, American
- Read more on Yelp

Soup's On

9 / 30

#22. Soup's On

- Rating: 4.4/5 (249 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 11 West Preston St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Vegetarian, Soup, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Belvedere Bagels and Grill

10 / 30

#21. Belvedere Bagels and Grill

- Rating: 4.4/5 (110 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1023 North Charles St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Movies and TV shows casting in Baltimore

Daily Sushi

11 / 30

#20. Daily Sushi

- Rating: 4.4/5 (144 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1842 East Joppa Road Parkville, Maryland
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Seafood, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp

Pastore's Italian Delly

12 / 30

#19. Pastore's Italian Delly

- Rating: 4.4/5 (56 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 8646 Loch Raven Blvd. Towson, Maryland
- Categories: Desserts, Salad, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Los Mariachis Mexican Restaurant

13 / 30

#18. Los Mariachis Mexican Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (53 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2227 Eastern Ave. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Koba Café

14 / 30

#17. Koba Café

- Rating: 4.4/5 (202 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 644 East Fort Ave. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Blacksauce Kitchen

15 / 30

#16. Blacksauce Kitchen

- Rating: 4.4/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 401 West 29th St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Caribbean, Smokehouse, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

Taqueria el Sabor del Parque

16 / 30

#15. Taqueria el Sabor del Parque

- Rating: 4.4/5 (228 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2901 Eastern Ave. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Diablo Doughnuts

17 / 30

#14. Diablo Doughnuts

- Rating: 4.4/5 (397 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7698 Belair Road Ste 101 Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Donuts, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

The Wine Merchant

18 / 30

#13. The Wine Merchant

- Rating: 4.5/5 (84 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 10741 Falls Road Lutherville Timonium, Maryland
- Categories: Beer, Wine & Spirits, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Deven's Deli

19 / 30

#12. Deven's Deli

- Rating: 4.5/5 (53 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1 Ferndale Road Glen Burnie, Maryland
- Categories: Delis, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Cafe On the Square

20 / 30

#11. Cafe On the Square

- Rating: 4.5/5 (55 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 11 South Paca St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Koco Food Truck

21 / 30

#10. Koco Food Truck

- Rating: 4.6/5 (90 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Ashland Ave. & North Wolfe St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Food Trucks, Korean
- Read more on Yelp

Sophia's Place

22 / 30

#9. Sophia's Place

- Rating: 4.6/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1641 Aliceanna St. Broadway Market Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Pitamore

23 / 30

#8. Pitamore

- Rating: 4.6/5 (165 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 30 Light St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

Mediterranean Halal Food Cart

24 / 30

#7. Mediterranean Halal Food Cart

- Rating: 4.6/5 (223 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2 Hopkins Place Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Street Vendors, Halal, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

Yomna's Halal Gyro Cart

25 / 30

#6. Yomna's Halal Gyro Cart

- Rating: 4.6/5 (81 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 92 Market Place Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Halal, Food Trucks, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

Taneytown Deli

26 / 30

#5. Taneytown Deli

- Rating: 4.7/5 (129 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 807 Frederick Road Catonsville, Maryland
- Categories: Delis, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Ovenbird Bakery

27 / 30

#4. Ovenbird Bakery

- Rating: 4.7/5 (257 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 300 South Exeter St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Bakeries, Bagels, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Morning Mugs Coffee

28 / 30

#3. Morning Mugs Coffee

- Rating: 4.7/5 (115 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 15 West Hughes St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Cafes, Bakeries
- Read more on Yelp

Harmony Bakery

29 / 30

#2. Harmony Bakery

- Rating: 4.8/5 (231 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3446 Chestnut Ave. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Gluten-Free, Bakeries, Vegan
- Read more on Yelp

Moo Moo Cows

30 / 30

#1. Moo Moo Cows

- Rating: 4.9/5 (209 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 926 Light St. Ste 1 Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Hot Dogs
- 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.