The Tuscany Grille
1 / 30#30. The Tuscany Grille
- Rating: 3.7/5 (27 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3557 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: New American, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
Highest-rated cheap eats in Burlington, North Carolina by diners
Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.
Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.
Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.
Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the Burlington area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (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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Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q
2 / 30#29. Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q
- Rating: 3.7/5 (93 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1372 Tiki Lane Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: American, Barbecue, Chicken Shop
- Read more on Yelp
Zack's Hot Dogs
3 / 30#28. Zack's Hot Dogs
- Rating: 3.7/5 (178 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 201 West Davis St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Hot Dogs, American, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
Skid's II
4 / 30#27. Skid's II
- Rating: 3.8/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1833 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
Carver's Restaurant
5 / 30#26. Carver's Restaurant
- Rating: 3.8/5 (42 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3352 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: New American, Breakfast & Brunch, Salad
- Read more on Yelp
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Golden China Restaurant
6 / 30#25. Golden China Restaurant
- Rating: 3.8/5 (80 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 202 South Main St. Ste A Graham, North Carolina
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp
King Chef
7 / 30#24. King Chef
- Rating: 3.8/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2948 South Church St. Ste 101 Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Chinese, Chicken Shop, Soup
- Read more on Yelp
Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant
8 / 30#23. Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant
- Rating: 3.9/5 (60 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2763 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp
Jack's Barbecue
9 / 30#22. Jack's Barbecue
- Rating: 4.0/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 213 West Main St. Gibsonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp
TickleMyRibs
10 / 30#21. TickleMyRibs
- Rating: 4.0/5 (120 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1183 University Drive Ste 101 Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp
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Reno's Pizza & Italian Restaurant
11 / 30#20. Reno's Pizza & Italian Restaurant
- Rating: 4.0/5 (68 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 119 East Main St. Gibsonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
Taqueria Guerrero
12 / 30#19. Taqueria Guerrero
- Rating: 4.1/5 (48 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 921 South Main St. Graham, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
El Burrito Loco
13 / 30#18. El Burrito Loco
- Rating: 4.1/5 (69 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3263 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
Biscuitville
14 / 30#17. Biscuitville
- Rating: 4.1/5 (21 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2230 Maple Ave. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Breakfast & Brunch, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
Biscuitville
15 / 30#16. Biscuitville
- Rating: 4.1/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 669 Huffman Mill Road Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Southern, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
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La Casa Dorada Mexican Restaurant
16 / 30#15. La Casa Dorada Mexican Restaurant
- Rating: 4.1/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 128 West Main St. Gibsonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
Southbound Sandwich Works
17 / 30#14. Southbound Sandwich Works
- Rating: 4.2/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3328 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, Salad
- Read more on Yelp
Mykonos Grill
18 / 30#13. Mykonos Grill
- Rating: 4.2/5 (172 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2253 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Greek
- Read more on Yelp
Pete's Grill
19 / 30#12. Pete's Grill
- Rating: 4.2/5 (32 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 137 Piedmont Ave. Gibsonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Barbecue, Breakfast & Brunch, Soul Food
- Read more on Yelp
Happy Garden Chinese Restaurant
20 / 30#11. Happy Garden Chinese Restaurant
- Rating: 4.3/5 (51 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 233 Burke St. Gibsonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp
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Burch Bridge Cafe
21 / 30#10. Burch Bridge Cafe
- Rating: 4.4/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2303 Burch Bridge Road Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American
- Read more on Yelp
El Carbonero
22 / 30#9. El Carbonero
- Rating: 4.4/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 517 West Elm St. Graham, North Carolina
- Categories: Salvadoran, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
Biscuitville
23 / 30#8. Biscuitville
- Rating: 4.4/5 (21 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2619 Alamance Road Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Breakfast & Brunch, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
Danny's Cafe
24 / 30#7. Danny's Cafe
- Rating: 4.4/5 (48 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 110 West Front St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: American, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
The Old Sharkey's Grill
25 / 30#6. The Old Sharkey's Grill
- Rating: 4.4/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 203 South Anthony St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
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Pano's Cafe
26 / 30#5. Pano's Cafe
- Rating: 4.4/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1218 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Salad, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
Tangent Eat+Bar
27 / 30#4. Tangent Eat+Bar
- Rating: 4.5/5 (134 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 116 West Lebanon Ave. Elon, North Carolina
- Categories: Bars, American, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp
Mixed Rice
28 / 30#3. Mixed Rice
- Rating: 4.5/5 (96 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3258 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Korean
- Read more on Yelp
Taqueria El Chimuelo 2
29 / 30#2. Taqueria El Chimuelo 2
- Rating: 4.5/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1118 Vaughn Road Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
To the Moon and Back Frozen Treats
30 / 30#1. To the Moon and Back Frozen Treats
- Rating: 4.9/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1692 Hwy 68 North Ste A-B Oak Ridge, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Food Trucks, Comfort Food
- 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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