Highest-rated cheap eats in Dayton 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 Dayton 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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Flavors Eatery

1 / 29

#29. Flavors Eatery

- Rating: 4.2/5 (91 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 865 East Franklin St. Centerville, Ohio
- Categories: Vegetarian, Wraps, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

La Michoacana Mexican Market & Restaurant

2 / 29

#28. La Michoacana Mexican Market & Restaurant

- Rating: 4.2/5 (30 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 748 Troy St. Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Mexican, Farmers Market
- Read more on Yelp

Jet's Pizza

3 / 29

#27. Jet's Pizza

- Rating: 4.2/5 (45 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2418 Esquire Drive Beavercreek, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Maggie's Place

4 / 29

#26. Maggie's Place

- Rating: 4.2/5 (21 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6515 North Dixie Drive Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Ritter's Frozen Custard

5 / 29

#25. Ritter's Frozen Custard

- Rating: 4.2/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2226 Wilmington Pike Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

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CedarLand Bakery & Restaurant

6 / 29

#24. CedarLand Bakery & Restaurant

- Rating: 4.2/5 (100 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4515 Linden Ave. Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Mediterranean, Lebanese
- Read more on Yelp

Taste of Jerusalem

7 / 29

#23. Taste of Jerusalem

- Rating: 4.3/5 (282 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3800 Colonel Glenn Hwy Fairborn, Ohio
- Categories: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Greek
- Read more on Yelp

La Raza Supermarket & Restaurant

8 / 29

#22. La Raza Supermarket & Restaurant

- Rating: 4.3/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2175 Imperial Road West Carrollton, Ohio
- Categories: Mexican, Grocery, Meat Shops
- Read more on Yelp

CJ Chan

9 / 29

#21. CJ Chan

- Rating: 4.3/5 (284 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 536 Wilmington Ave. Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Japanese, Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

Bourbon Street Grill & Cafe

10 / 29

#20. Bourbon Street Grill & Cafe

- Rating: 4.3/5 (90 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1043 Brown St. Ste 1 Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

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Classic Pizza

11 / 29

#19. Classic Pizza

- Rating: 4.3/5 (46 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7129 Taylorsville Road Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

Slyder's Tavern

12 / 29

#18. Slyder's Tavern

- Rating: 4.3/5 (183 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 836 Watervliet Ave. Rear Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp

Koffee Kup

13 / 29

#17. Koffee Kup

- Rating: 4.4/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 428 South 1st St. Miamisburg, Ohio
- Categories: Diners, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Las Penas Mexican Grocery & Restaurant

14 / 29

#16. Las Penas Mexican Grocery & Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (56 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 215 Byers Road Miamisburg, Ohio
- Categories: Grocery, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Pizza Dive

15 / 29

#15. Pizza Dive

- Rating: 4.4/5 (197 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4021 Dayton Xenia Road Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Pretzels, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

In-n-Out Java

16 / 29

#14. In-n-Out Java

- Rating: 4.5/5 (35 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2244 Wilmington Pike Kettering, Ohio
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

Debbie's Restaurant

17 / 29

#13. Debbie's Restaurant

- Rating: 4.5/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2620 Valley Pike Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: New American, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Warehouse 4

18 / 29

#12. Warehouse 4

- Rating: 4.5/5 (68 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3131 Wilmington Pike Kettering, Ohio
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Stoney's Munchie Bar

19 / 29

#11. Stoney's Munchie Bar

- Rating: 4.5/5 (80 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1929 East 5th St. Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: New American, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Charlie's Deli

20 / 29

#10. Charlie's Deli

- Rating: 4.5/5 (51 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 429 Troy St. Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Delis, Sandwiches, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

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Third Perk Coffeehouse And Wine Bar

21 / 29

#9. Third Perk Coffeehouse And Wine Bar

- Rating: 4.6/5 (42 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 146 East Third St. Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Wine Bars, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Yaffa Grill & Market

22 / 29

#8. Yaffa Grill & Market

- Rating: 4.6/5 (146 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 21 Alexandersville Road Miamisburg, Ohio
- Categories: Mediterranean, Grocery
- Read more on Yelp

23 / 29

#7. T4

- Rating: 4.6/5 (29 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9146 Dayton Lebanon Pike Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Bubble Tea, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

KupBop Korean Well Being Food

24 / 29

#6. KupBop Korean Well Being Food

- Rating: 4.6/5 (114 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3011 Woodman Drive Kettering, Ohio
- Categories: Korean
- Read more on Yelp

Burrito King

25 / 29

#5. Burrito King

- Rating: 4.6/5 (109 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2307 Valley Pike Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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Taquiera La Lomita

26 / 29

#4. Taquiera La Lomita

- Rating: 4.7/5 (27 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2721 Linden Ave. Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Street Vendors, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Disalvo Deli & Italian Store

27 / 29

#3. Disalvo Deli & Italian Store

- Rating: 4.7/5 (69 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1383 East Stroop Road Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Delis, Italian, Imported Food
- Read more on Yelp

The Sweet Retreat

28 / 29

#2. The Sweet Retreat

- Rating: 4.7/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2613 Smithville Road Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Food Stands, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

Taqueria Garcia Mobil

29 / 29

#1. Taqueria Garcia Mobil

- Rating: 4.7/5 (37 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1914 East Third St. Dayton, Ohio
- Categories: Mexican, Food Stands
- 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.