Highest-rated cheap eats in Utica 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 Utica 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.

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Lukins Brick Oven Pizza

1 / 30

#30. Lukins Brick Oven Pizza

- Rating: 3.6/5 (53 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 640 Varrick St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Pizza, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

$#29. Tony\'s Pizza$

Tony\'s Pizza

2 / 30

#29. Tony\'s Pizza

- Rating: 3.7/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 23 Burrstone Road Utica, New York
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Breakfast At Tiffany's

3 / 30

#28. Breakfast At Tiffany's

- Rating: 3.7/5 (60 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7840 State Rte 5 Clinton, New York
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Boulevard Diner

4 / 30

#27. Boulevard Diner

- Rating: 3.7/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 24 Roosevelt Drive Whitesboro, New York
- Categories: Bakeries, Diners
- Read more on Yelp

Voss' Bar-B-Q

5 / 30

#26. Voss' Bar-B-Q

- Rating: 3.7/5 (84 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Oriskany Blvd. Yorkville, New York
- Categories: Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp

Raspberries Cafe

6 / 30

#25. Raspberries Cafe

- Rating: 3.8/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4784 Commercial Drive New Hartford, New York
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

China Wong

7 / 30

#24. China Wong

- Rating: 3.8/5 (20 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 601 Oriskany Blvd. Yorkville, New York
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

Top of the Morning Café

8 / 30

#23. Top of the Morning Café

- Rating: 3.8/5 (112 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 414 Trenton Road Utica, New York
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Bagel Grove

9 / 30

#22. Bagel Grove

- Rating: 3.9/5 (69 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7 Burrstone Road Utica, New York
- Categories: Bagels, Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

BBG's Beer Bites Games

10 / 30

#21. BBG's Beer Bites Games

- Rating: 3.9/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4951 Commercial Drive Yorkville, New York
- Categories: American, Arcades, Sports Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Charlie's Place

11 / 30

#20. Charlie's Place

- Rating: 3.9/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 8170 Seneca Tpke Clinton, New York
- Categories: American
- Read more on Yelp

O'Scugnizzo Pizzeria

12 / 30

#19. O'Scugnizzo Pizzeria

- Rating: 3.9/5 (180 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 614 Bleecker St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

Joel's Spanish Food

13 / 30

#18. Joel's Spanish Food

- Rating: 4.1/5 (30 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1225 Park Ave. Utica, New York
- Categories: Spanish
- Read more on Yelp

Pho Mekong House of Noodles

14 / 30

#17. Pho Mekong House of Noodles

- Rating: 4.1/5 (145 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 601 John St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Vietnamese, Noodles
- Read more on Yelp

Sunny Restaurant Asian Cuisine

15 / 30

#16. Sunny Restaurant Asian Cuisine

- Rating: 4.1/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 530 Albany St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Thai, Chinese, Cambodian
- Read more on Yelp

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Napoli's Italian Bakery

16 / 30

#15. Napoli's Italian Bakery

- Rating: 4.1/5 (29 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 412 Culver Ave. Utica, New York
- Categories: Bakeries, Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

El Barajo Restaurant

17 / 30

#14. El Barajo Restaurant

- Rating: 4.1/5 (21 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 672 Bleeker St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Dominican, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Holland Farms Bakery & Deli

18 / 30

#13. Holland Farms Bakery & Deli

- Rating: 4.3/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 50 Oriskany Blvd. Yorkville, New York
- Categories: Bakeries, Delis, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Capri Pizzeria

19 / 30

#12. Capri Pizzeria

- Rating: 4.3/5 (21 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 803 Utica St. Oriskany, New York
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Killino's Riverside Diner

20 / 30

#11. Killino's Riverside Diner

- Rating: 4.4/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9663 River Road Marcy, New York
- Categories: Diners, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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Trio's Pizza

21 / 30

#10. Trio's Pizza

- Rating: 4.4/5 (23 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 207 Main St. New York Mills, New York
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Willie's Bagel Cafe

22 / 30

#9. Willie's Bagel Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 219 North Genesee St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Bagels, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Greek Gyros Yorkville

23 / 30

#8. Greek Gyros Yorkville

- Rating: 4.6/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 260 Oriskany Blvd. Yorkville, New York
- Categories: Greek
- Read more on Yelp

Nina's Pizza

24 / 30

#7. Nina's Pizza

- Rating: 4.6/5 (140 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 100 Genesee St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

Tramontane Cafe

25 / 30

#6. Tramontane Cafe

- Rating: 4.6/5 (94 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1105 Lincoln Ave. Utica, New York
- Categories: Cafes, Bakeries, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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Craylee's

26 / 30

#5. Craylee's

- Rating: 4.6/5 (161 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 237 Bleecker St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Daniele 's

27 / 30

#4. Daniele 's

- Rating: 4.6/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1556 Mohawk St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Italian, American
- Read more on Yelp

Mello's Subs

28 / 30

#3. Mello's Subs

- Rating: 4.7/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 242 Genesee St. Utica, New York
- Categories: American, Turkish, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Karam's Middle East Bakery

29 / 30

#2. Karam's Middle East Bakery

- Rating: 4.8/5 (58 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 137 Campbell Ave. Yorkville, New York
- Categories: Bakeries, Lebanese
- Read more on Yelp

Zeina's Cafe

30 / 30

#1. Zeina's Cafe

- Rating: 4.8/5 (281 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 607 Varick St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Lebanese, Mediterranean, Turkish
- 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.

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