Texas' 5 Best Local Places To Get Lunch For $10 Or Under In Houston

Houston is a city that flies under a lot of people's radar, despite the fact that it's home to an impressive skyline, world-class museums, and unique attractions like this green space bursting with quirky local art. It's also a terrific place to eat, with one of the most exciting and diverse food scenes in the country. From one of America's best Tex-Mex joints to top-notch Soul Food and this Gulf Coast seafood gem, Texas's largest metropolis has no shortage of great places to sit down for a meal. 

Houston is also a remarkably affordable city, and this is reflected in the menu prices in many of its local eateries. Sure, it's always possible to lay down big bucks for food, but if you're on a budget, you'll find that this sprawling Texas town boasts plenty of places to fill your belly with quality fare for less than $10 — especially at lunchtime. Whether it's a banh mi sandwich, a couple of tacos, a bowl of ramen, or a good ol' fashioned BLT, there is a wealth of lunch spots in Houston that are easy on the wallet, including these five.

While most people associate Cajun culture with Louisiana, the "Cajun zone" also spills across state lines into the scenic, underrated piney woods and bayous of East Texas. This means Houston is the perfect spot to scratch your itch for iconic dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, and crawfish étouffée. However, Cajun food isn't always cheap, which doesn't make it an attractive option as everyday lunch fare.

That said, it is possible to dive into the whirlwind of fiery and piquant flavors that Cajun food delivers without breaking the bank at Ragin' Cajun. This Houston institution has been serving up deliciousness from the bayou since 1974 and has kept at least one menu item affordable all these years: Red beans and rice with sausage. At the Richmond branch (4302 Richmond Ave.), a cup will run you $6, while a bowl comes in at an even $10. The Spring branch (1725 Wirt Rd.) is a dollar cheaper for both, making it well worth the drive. 

While the red beans and rice with sausage may be the best bang for your buck at Ragin' Cajun, you can also get cups of gumbo (shrimp or chicken), jambalaya, or crawfish étouffée for under $10, as well as two 10-buck salads: the R.C. house salad and the Caesar (add-ons extra).

Texas' Gulf Coast is home to a thriving Vietnamese-American community, so it should come as no surprise that their cuisine has become a vital part of Houston's food scene. The city has the third-largest Vietnamese population in the country, with hundreds of restaurants cooking up fragrant and savory Indochinese fare across the greater metropolitan area. And while Vietnamese cuisine is a world unto itself, it's most famous for these two iconic creations: pho and the banh mi sandwich.

As the name suggests, Cali Sandwich & Pho offers both, though Houstonians in the know go there especially for the banh mi. "The bread is crispy, the pork is smoky, and the mayo is some kind of mythical, fatty, rich concoction that does things that normal mayo doesn't do," wrote Chelsea Thomas in Infatuation, while Yelp reviewer Andrew C. raved, "My Dac Biet Banh Mi was DELICIOUS! Cut in half with layers upon layers of meat, seasoned pate, pickled carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, jalapeños. This is definitely on my Top 3 most delicious banh mis I've had."

The banh mi comes with a variety of filling choices, including BBQ pork, chicken, fish ball, and more. The prices range from $5.50 for beef to an astounding $3.25 for ham, pate, or tofu. The restaurant also has a number of other dishes for 10 bucks or less, such as grilled chicken and rice, pork chops and rice (both $9.99), Chinese-style stir fries with chicken, beef, or shrimp ($7.49 – $9.99), and a whole list of vegetarian options (including fried rice) all but one of which will cost you less than $10 tops.

If you're looking for a flavorful, satisfying, inexpensive meal, then a taqueria is always a good option. While Houston is lucky to be blessed with plenty of great, authentic purveyors of meaty goodness served in a small tortilla, the multiple award-winning Tacos Doña Lena has got to be near the top of the list when it comes to quality and value.

Established in 2020 by Magdalena "Lena" Cabrera, this family-run operation (there are two branches) specializes in street-style tacos, which go for just $2.75 each. The extensive topping list includes old-school standards such as barbacoa, carne ranchera, pastor, tripa (tripe), and lengua (tongue), as well as deeper cuts such as chicharron verde and tinga de pollo. There are also three vegetarian options: napalitos (cactus), calabacitos (zucchini), and soy pastor.

While the tacos may be the star of the show, don't sleep on the gorditas at Tacos Doña Lena. These handmade masa cakes are stuffed with your choice of meat, refried beans, mozzarella cheese, lettuce, and queso fresco, and cost just $5.50, making it one of Houston's best budget lunch choices (though you may be tempted to have two). You can also opt for sopes (also $5.50), small or large quesadillas ($5/$10), tostadas ($5), tacos gringos (served on a flour tortilla with a choice of meat, lettuce, tomato, and cheese) for $3.75, or spend $10 on a "chanclaso." This is Doña Lena's take on a huarache, a thick, sandal-shaped masa cake piled with toppings including meat, refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes, queso fresco, Mexican sour cream, and sliced avocado.

Food website Eater recently made a list of what they consider to be the best ramen in Houston, and Ramen Bar Ichi made the cut. While their rich, spicy, and savory noodle bowls have certainly garnered rave reviews online, they're priced between $13 and $15, which disqualifies them as truly cheap eats. However, ramen isn't the only thing on the menu at Ramen Bar Ichi. Its menu includes an array of other dishes that come in at less than 10 bucks, making it one of the city's ideal spots to pop in for a quality lunch that's also easy on the wallet.

Karaage is a kind of Japanese fried chicken known for its inner juiciness and crispy exterior, and Ramen Bar Ichi offers four variations, all for just $6.50. They also sell five kinds of takoyaki (pancake balls with octopus and drizzled with sweet sauce), fried squid legs, and six-piece sets of pork and beef gyoza (dumplings). You'll pay $6.50 – $7.50 for all of these dishes, though they're often ordered as sides with ramen, so the portions may not be enough to satisfy a big appetite. In that case, you can go with one of their rice bowls, where you can choose from differently-flavored pork, chicken, beef, mentai (fish roe), unagi (grilled eel), or salmon, all for well under $10. And if you're craving fried rice, Ramen Bar Ichi's black fried rice comes in at $9.95 and includes a fried egg on top.

When you talk about proper Houston institutions, Lankford's has to be in the conversation. Started as a mom-and-pop grocery store back in 1937, this family-owned establishment is most famous for its wonderfully gut-busting burgers, though they also serve up breakfast plates, classic Southern appetizers (think chicken crackling and fried green tomatoes), salads, sandwiches, milkshakes, and homemade-style desserts. They also keep their prices low, which makes them another one of the city's prime under $10 lunch spots.

Lankford's maintains a tried-and-true American comfort food tradition that may have you feeling as if you've stepped back in time. This is a greasy spoon with veteran servers who will likely call you "sweetheart" or "honey," and if you pop in for lunch, there are several options that won't blow your budget. The old-fashioned hamburger costs exactly $10 and is a fat beef patty topped with mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions. All the other burgers at Lankford's come in north of that price, but this half-pound behemoth should be enough to satisfy even the biggest of eaters. You can also get down with one of their sandwiches. A classic grilled cheese is just $4.75, while their BLT will only set you back $8.50. And if you really want to go deep into the center of comfort food bliss, Lankford's offers a chili dog. It only costs $6.00 and is topped with homemade chili, shredded cheese, and chopped red onion.

For more of Houston's culinary magic, check out one of America's tastiest Asiatowns for an unforgettable food crawl.