Picnic Cafe
1 / 30#30. Picnic Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (129 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1329 South 500th East Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp
Highest-rated cheap eats in Salt Lake City by diners
Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.
Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.
Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.
Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the Salt Lake City area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (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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Real Taqueria
2 / 30#29. Real Taqueria
- Rating: 4.5/5 (305 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1869 East Murray Holladay Road Holladay, Utah
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
Vosen's Bread Paradise
3 / 30#28. Vosen's Bread Paradise
- Rating: 4.5/5 (290 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 328 West 200th South Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Bakeries, Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
Los Tapatios Taco Grill - West Valley
4 / 30#27. Los Tapatios Taco Grill - West Valley
- Rating: 4.5/5 (76 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3252 West 3500th South West Valley City, Utah
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
Millcreek Coffee Roasters
5 / 30#26. Millcreek Coffee Roasters
- Rating: 4.5/5 (170 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 657 South Main St. Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches, Bakeries
- Read more on Yelp
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Plates & Palates
6 / 30#25. Plates & Palates
- Rating: 4.5/5 (226 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 390 North 500 West Bountiful, Utah
- Categories: Salad, Desserts, Soup
- Read more on Yelp
The Honeysuckle Coffee
7 / 30#24. The Honeysuckle Coffee
- Rating: 4.5/5 (61 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1588 South Main St. Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
Mediterranean Market & Deli
8 / 30#23. Mediterranean Market & Deli
- Rating: 4.5/5 (116 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3942 South State St. Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Delis, Mediterranean, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
Cafe Shambala
9 / 30#22. Cafe Shambala
- Rating: 4.5/5 (247 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 382 East 4th Ave. Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp
Nico's Restaurant
10 / 30#21. Nico's Restaurant
- Rating: 4.5/5 (155 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1458 West North Temple Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
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Thai Isaan
11 / 30#20. Thai Isaan
- Rating: 4.5/5 (133 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2644 West 4700th South Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Thai
- Read more on Yelp
Cesar's Tacos Mexican Grill Stand
12 / 30#19. Cesar's Tacos Mexican Grill Stand
- Rating: 4.6/5 (20 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 130 South 400th West Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp
Noor Restaurant
13 / 30#18. Noor Restaurant
- Rating: 4.6/5 (76 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1151 South Redwood Road Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Middle Eastern, Breakfast & Brunch, Somali
- Read more on Yelp
Luybochka
14 / 30#17. Luybochka
- Rating: 4.6/5 (38 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 959 East 3300th South Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Grocery, Russian
- Read more on Yelp
Tortas Y Jugos El Morelense
15 / 30#16. Tortas Y Jugos El Morelense
- Rating: 4.6/5 (146 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2470 South Redwood Road West Valley City, Utah
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
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Honest Eatery Downtown SLC
16 / 30#15. Honest Eatery Downtown SLC
- Rating: 4.6/5 (238 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 115 South Regent St. Ste B Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Acai Bowls, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
Gordo's Tacos and Beer
17 / 30#14. Gordo's Tacos and Beer
- Rating: 4.6/5 (165 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5470 South 900th East Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Tacos, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp
Town & Country Market
18 / 30#13. Town & Country Market
- Rating: 4.6/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2840 South Main St. Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Sandwiches, Delis
- Read more on Yelp
Suzy Thai Food
19 / 30#12. Suzy Thai Food
- Rating: 4.6/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4747 South Holladay Blvd. Holladay, Utah
- Categories: Food Trucks, Thai
- Read more on Yelp
El Dorado
20 / 30#11. El Dorado
- Rating: 4.6/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2301 South Main St. Bountiful, Utah
- Categories: Food Trucks, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
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El Cabrito
21 / 30#10. El Cabrito
- Rating: 4.6/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 956 West 1000th North Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
Tacos Y Mar El Paisa
22 / 30#9. Tacos Y Mar El Paisa
- Rating: 4.7/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 896 South State St. Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp
Buds
23 / 30#8. Buds
- Rating: 4.7/5 (515 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 509 East 300 South Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Vegan, Sandwiches, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp
Hruska's Kolaches
24 / 30#7. Hruska's Kolaches
- Rating: 4.7/5 (269 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2030 South 900th East Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Bakeries, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
The Red Food Truck
25 / 30#6. The Red Food Truck
- Rating: 4.7/5 (115 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Food Trucks, Peruvian, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
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Alpha Coffee Cafe - Salt Lake City
26 / 30#5. Alpha Coffee Cafe - Salt Lake City
- Rating: 4.7/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 111 South Main St. Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp
Vito's
27 / 30#4. Vito's
- Rating: 4.7/5 (315 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 100 South Main St. Bountiful, Utah
- Categories: Italian, Cheesesteaks, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
Vientiane Market
28 / 30#3. Vientiane Market
- Rating: 4.7/5 (55 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4090 West 5415th South Ste 122 Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Laotian, Thai, Fruits & Veggies
- Read more on Yelp
Fresh Donut & Deli
29 / 30#2. Fresh Donut & Deli
- Rating: 4.8/5 (418 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2699 South State St. Salt Lake City, Utah
- Categories: Donuts, Bakeries, Delis
- Read more on Yelp
Tacos Hidalgo
30 / 30#1. Tacos Hidalgo
- Rating: 4.8/5 (65 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 400 West South Temple Salt Lake City, Utah
- 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.
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