Highest-rated cheap eats in San Antonio 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 San Antonio 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.

Mad Mack's Burger

1 / 30

#30. Mad Mack's Burger

- Rating: 4.6/5 (266 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3023 South Presa San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Burgers, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

Tacos N Salsa

2 / 30

#29. Tacos N Salsa

- Rating: 4.6/5 (479 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5123 North Loop 1604 West San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Super Pollo Asados

3 / 30

#28. Super Pollo Asados

- Rating: 4.6/5 (103 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4927 Walzem Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Panaderia Jimenez & Coffee Shop

4 / 30

#27. Panaderia Jimenez & Coffee Shop

- Rating: 4.6/5 (85 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1846 Fredericksburg Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Bakeries, Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Con Huevos Tacos

5 / 30

#26. Con Huevos Tacos

- Rating: 4.6/5 (196 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1629 East Houston St. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Biggest sources of immigrants to San Antonio

Miss Chickpea's Cafetal

6 / 30

#25. Miss Chickpea's Cafetal

- Rating: 4.6/5 (151 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 8002 Callaghan Road Ste 106 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Vegan, Bakeries, Donuts
- Read more on Yelp

Barrio Barista

7 / 30

#24. Barrio Barista

- Rating: 4.6/5 (494 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3735 Culebra Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

DelliGatti's Sandwich Shop

8 / 30

#23. DelliGatti's Sandwich Shop

- Rating: 4.6/5 (148 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 13465 Wetmore Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Delis, Salad, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

TK Teriyaki Kitchen

9 / 30

#22. TK Teriyaki Kitchen

- Rating: 4.6/5 (126 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 422 North General McMullen Drive Ste 101-102 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Japanese, Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

Mama's Kitchen

10 / 30

#21. Mama's Kitchen

- Rating: 4.6/5 (66 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 504 West Hildebrand Ave. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Closest national parks to San Antonio

Tacos N Salsa

11 / 30

#20. Tacos N Salsa

- Rating: 4.6/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 10222 Huebner Road Ste 108 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Maria's Cafe

12 / 30

#19. Maria's Cafe

- Rating: 4.6/5 (195 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1105 Nogalitos San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Mexican, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Sweet Yams

13 / 30

#18. Sweet Yams

- Rating: 4.7/5 (441 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 218 North Cherry St. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Soul Food
- Read more on Yelp

Olgitas Molino

14 / 30

#17. Olgitas Molino

- Rating: 4.7/5 (84 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1603 North Panam Expy San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Paciugo Gelato Caffè

15 / 30

#16. Paciugo Gelato Caffè

- Rating: 4.7/5 (440 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 340 East Basse Road Ste 111 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Gelato, Coffee & Tea, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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

Frozen Dreams

16 / 30

#15. Frozen Dreams

- Rating: 4.7/5 (114 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6719 Westfield Blvd. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Burgers, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

South Alamode Panini & Gelato Company

17 / 30

#14. South Alamode Panini & Gelato Company

- Rating: 4.7/5 (327 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1420 South Alamo St. Ste 102B San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Gelato, Italian, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Brevity Coffee

18 / 30

#13. Brevity Coffee

- Rating: 4.7/5 (251 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 8802 Huebner Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Food Stands, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp

El Chivito Tortas Ahogadas

19 / 30

#12. El Chivito Tortas Ahogadas

- Rating: 4.7/5 (273 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 204 Crossroads Blvd. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Naco Mexican Eatery

20 / 30

#11. Naco Mexican Eatery

- Rating: 4.7/5 (121 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2347 Nacogdoches Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Food Trucks, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Ezekiel's Tacos

21 / 30

#10. Ezekiel's Tacos

- Rating: 4.7/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 13535 Babcock Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

Fat Tummy Empanadas

22 / 30

#9. Fat Tummy Empanadas

- Rating: 4.7/5 (347 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2922 West Commerce St. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Empanadas, Argentine
- Read more on Yelp

Tacos El Takin

23 / 30

#8. Tacos El Takin

- Rating: 4.8/5 (102 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 13131 El Sendero San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

Danny Boy's Hamburgers

24 / 30

#7. Danny Boy's Hamburgers

- Rating: 4.8/5 (140 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1537 West Summit Ave. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Filé's Burgers

25 / 30

#6. Filé's Burgers

- Rating: 4.8/5 (173 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 543 Ceralvo San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Burgers, fast food, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

Loncheria El Popo

26 / 30

#5. Loncheria El Popo

- Rating: 4.9/5 (109 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6557 San Pedro Ave. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Woo Ri Teahouse

27 / 30

#4. Woo Ri Teahouse

- Rating: 4.9/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4009 Broadway San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Korean, Bubble Tea
- Read more on Yelp

PB&J with Tay

28 / 30

#3. PB&J with Tay

- Rating: 4.9/5 (129 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5335 Mccullough San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Sandwiches, Comfort Food
- Read more on Yelp

Taquitos Mexico

29 / 30

#2. Taquitos Mexico

- Rating: 4.9/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7491 Grissom Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

Nelson's BBQ

30 / 30

#1. Nelson's BBQ

- Rating: 5.0/5 (73 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7327 North Loop 1604 West San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: Barbecue, Food Trucks, Southern
- 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.