We’re journalists. Eating while driving, or at a desk while writing, is a staple of our workday.
And while inflation has put plenty of restaurants out of reach for many, we’ve found a few gems around town that still come in clutch on those days you forget to pack a lunch.
Our office is downtown, so our choices might be slightly skewed towards the south side of the city. The challenge was this: it has to be $10 or under (pre-tax, thanks to some lobbying by an unnamed reporter), it can’t be a national chain, and obviously, it needs to be a real, sustaining meal that won’t leave you stealing candy from your neighbors at the office next door after you finish.
Here are a few of our favorites.
Bean, rice and cheese burrito from Adrian’s.
The first thing you should know about Adrian’s is that they make their own flour tortillas in-house. The walk-up spot on First and Belmont has been around for more than 45 years, inspired by migrant farmworkers’ food traditions.
I’m not a vegetarian, but I’ve been craving a simple bean, rice and cheese burrito at lunch since I could grab one for $1.99 at Reedley’s Burrito Express during my high school years.
It’s a hard burrito to mess up, but ratios are important, as is getting the basics right. Adrian’s nails this on all fronts: rice is always soft and flavorful, beans that aren’t overcooked, and just enough cheese to add the right salt to the equation, without overshadowing the rest. They always throw in a small red salsa which adds a perfect amount of heat to each bite. And if you need meat, their bacon breakfast burrito has never failed me.
— Danielle Bergstrom, executive director and editor-in-chief
Jumbo Burger from Triangle Drive-In.
When someone tells me how good a burger is, my eyes usually go blank as my mind wanders towards having to do laundry later. It’s not that I don’t love a good burger, it’s just that, in my experience, there’s a sub-10 percent chance that whatever fancy burger someone recommends is actually going to be better than an In N Out burger. In N Out tends to be where I eat 98% of my burgers, usually on a road trip somewhere.
Most people seem to think that the key to a great burger is making it HUGE, or loading it up with fancy stuff, or, these days, making it extra smashy and crispy (smashburgers are an improvement over the giant meaty ones, certainly, but this trend too has probably had its day). Nobody thinks about construction. If you ask me, the whole point of a great burger is to get all the good stuff in one convenient bite. Stop overloading it, the balance is the thing!
Long story short, I’m not a guy who rhapsodizes burgers and I’m even less of a “retro diner” person, but Triangle Drive-In’s burger is the rare one that I’d actually prefer to In N Out’s. I’d go so far as to call it a burger good enough to weather all manner of ’50s nostalgia and doo woop music for.
What makes it so special? Probably that it doesn’t try to do anything special. Sesame seed bun, shredded lettuce, tomato, thin-sliced white onion, crinkle cut pickle, and burger sauce – your standard, classic burger ingredients, just in perfect balance. The flat, composed construction makes it taste decadent without it being an actual mess. Certainly it’s very similar to a classic In N Out burger, but the burger-cut pickles and that distinct flavor that you only get from a patty cooked over open flame put it over the top. You can really taste the char.
–Vince Mancini, contributing food editor
Two fish tacos from Don Tacha.
I tried Don Tacha for the first time in 2018 and have been a fan ever since. My go-to order was initially their arrachera tacos, but at some point I decided to try the fish and was immediately hooked. They’re topped with the perfect blend of tomato, cilantro, onion, cabbage, crema and salsa verde. A tangy crema served on the side brings it all together.
This could be up for debate, but I’ll go ahead and say that two fish tacos are enough of a lunch meal for me. Other tacos on their menu are $3.50, $3, and .99 (yes, you can still find cheap tacos in this day and age). If you want a four or five taco lunch order under $10, that is more than doable at Don Tacha.
Eating with friends and willing to up your budget? I’d also recommend their asada fries ($15). Don Tacha makes their fries from scratch and they are filled to the brim with carne and other toppings. Gluttonous, but delicious.
When friends from out of town visit, I tend to plan our time together around eating and drinking and Don Tacha is always on the itinerary. There’s nothing better than a true family-run establishment with great prices and incredible food.
— Isabel Santos-Gonzalez, director of operations
Not one, but two sopes from La Piedad.
Nowadays, it can seem hard to get what you want in the midst of the uncertain day-to-day monotony. What’s it gonna be today?
There’s no question when it comes to La Piedad. It’s a small market with a butcher shop and a restaurant that offers reliably delicious, homemade Mexican cuisine. For just ten bucks after tax, you can get a plate with two generously portioned sopes.
Two soft yet firm gorditas (like a puffy tortilla) get topped with your choice of protein, shredded lettuce, crumbly queso fresco, diced tomatoes and Mexican sour cream. When they give you your food, it comes with green and red salsa and a fork and knife to help you dig in.
Lots of things can be unreliable or uncertain, but as someone who’s been frequenting this establishment on Butler for more than a decade, I can tell you that there’s a good reason why I keep coming back, and it’s not just the price tag.
And for the same price, you can also get a plate of four tacos. Too many tacos? You can get a plate with rice, beans and either two tacos or some rolled up, fried tacos topped with the same combo of condiments as the sopes.
— Diego Vargas, education equity reporter
The breakfast burrito at La Cocina de Mamá.
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