Time to pull in those belt-loops just a little tighter and stretch every last cent? You’re not alone. But economizing doesn’t have to mean brown bags and frozen dinners — far from it. Despite Wine Country’s plethora of fine dining establishments, there are also some solid deals for everyday dining throughout the region if you’re willing to expand your horizons a bit.
Think of it as a meal and a cultural education. Now that’s thrifty.
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Arrigoni’s Cafe: A fave lunch spot for the indecisive (and just plain bored), this downtown cafe offers up a daily salad “sampler” special for $8.95. And while nearly $9 is still steep for lunch, it’s easily enough for two light eaters or lunch-plus-a-late-afternoon-snack with rib-sticking daily specials like southwest chicken salad, waldorf, cold pasta with sundried tomatoes, cold ravioli salad or fresh fruit. 701 4th Street, Santa Rosa, (707) 545-1297.
Chelino’s: Mom and pop taco shop that’s a step above the usual burrito fare. Menudo and birria on Sundays, along with crispy, crunchy taco’s dorados (fried hard-shell tacos) with carne asada (under $3 each and way better than the Bell). 1079 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, (707) 571-7478.
Pupuseria Salvadorena: Crispy Salvadorian corn cakes filled with cheese, beens and other goodies are under $2 each and Yuca fries are a filling meal in themselves for under $5.1403 Maple Ave, Santa Rosa, (707) 544-3141.
Restaurant El Michoacano: Authentic Michoacano cuisine for the
adventurer who’s not afraid to ask for a menu translation. You will be
rewarded with excellent guacamole, quail enchiladas and savory refried
beans. 500 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa, (707) 546-4074.
Code 7-Mealtime: Taking its name from the police code for “Mealtime”,
this hot doggery’s menu is straight out of Mayberry –straightforward
dogs, sodas, chips, coffee and pie. Dogs are thin and snappy, with all
the fixin’s or without. Law enforcement get all the free coffee refills
they can drink. Consider it the safest lunch spot in Wine Country. 60A
Mill Street, Healdsburg, (707) 433-3377.
Walnut Park Grill: Central Petaluma stand that’s SoCo’s answer to
Taylor’s Automatic Refresher. Niman Ranch burgers, chili dogs and fish
tacos al fresco. 131 4th St., Petaluma, (707) 776-4737.
Mel’s Fish and Chips: Alaskan cod gets floured and battered to order,
then takes a quick trip through piping hot oil and onto your plate.
Same with the onion rings, which start as (gasp!) raw onions! Okay, the
fries start out frozen, but they’re still hella good and extra thick.
You can get a sample platter for $7.99 that includes fish, two prawns,
artichoke hearts and freshly made cole slaw, along with containers of
tartar sauce, ranch and chili sauce for your dipping pleasure. A
one-piece lunch of fish and chips is a thrifty $4.99. 1016 Hopper Ave.,
Santa Rosa, (707) 578-1954.
Lola’s Market: The deli stocks Mole Negro so authentic, even native
Mexican cooks rave about it. Not to mention carnitas by the pound,
lingua tacos and dulce de leche cake that puts Betty Crocker to shame.
1680 Petaluma Hill Road, Santa Rosa, (707) 571-7579.
Pho Vietnam: A favorite local dive for years, Pho Vietnam has recently
expanded it’s square footage, but hasn’t lost its funky charm. Service
is harried and ambiance is absent, but pho fans agree it can’t be beat
in the North Bay. Huge, cheap spring rolls with shrimp and peanut
sauce, vermicelli with bbq pork, veggies and lip-tingling fish sauce
make for a massive meal. 711 Stony Point Rd # 8, Santa Rosa, (707)
571-7687.
Simply Vietnam: Steamin’ hot pho, bbq pork spring rolls and vermicelli
noodles with lemongrass beef and prawns. 966 North Dutton Ave., Santa
Rosa, (707) 566-8910.
Sam’s for Play: A decent diner menu that gets extra points for treating
munchkins under 12 years old to a free junior-sized meal Monday through
Thursday after 4pm. Not to mention its the only place in town to
regularly find Hangtown Fry — an breaded oysters with eggs, onion,
bacon and parmesan cheese cooked frittata style ($10.95). 2630
Cleveland Avenue, Santa Rosa, (707) 528-2929 or 1024 Sebastopol Road,
Sebastopol, (707) 528-0506.
Ohana Hawaiian BBQ: If you can’t splurge for the Kalua pork plate lunch
($6.50), you can get a bowl of BBQ chick or grilled Spam Saimin
(noodles) for $3.75. 2150 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, (707) 571-8882.
La Luna Market: Though its hardly a secret to anyone who lives in Napa,
this funky tacqueria is a best bet for affordable grub in otherwise
tony Napa Valley. Big burritos, tortas and a full lunch to-go for under
$8. 1153 Rutherford Rd., Rutherford, (707) 963-3211.
What’s your favorite cheap eat? Tell me.
I heartily recommend La Tapatia’s Taco truck in Guerneville. Parked everyday(from around 11:30 a.m.) in the western corner of the Safeway parking lot,the very friendly guys cooking and serving you offer good values. We often share an XL Burrito-around $8.00. Their Quesadilla Supremes are also yummy and a full plate! I agree that the El Favorito in Sebastopol is terrific! I like the original one,too,on Sebastopol Rd.Two large tortas(sandwiches) with ingredients such as carnitas,carne asada,lengua,pollo and other meats and tasty horchata costs around $11.00 for 2 great meals.
Don’s Dogs at the Cafe Rio ,behind the Rio Theater’s Quonset Hut in Monte Rio has very good hotdogs,and include sauerkraut and many other condiments(included).Reasonably priced breakfast items,too.
I am a fan of Fu Zhou Chinese Buffet-across from the PD on Mendocino Ave. You can enjoy tasty dim sum,sushi,traditional Chinese dishes,fresh fruit and cheesecake,with tea-for $8.00 per person for lunch,and you will not need to eat any dinner!
So I have been searching out the cheap lunches in the North Bay (particularly Napa) and created whateverihadforlunch.com to review and recommend the good ones. You should check it out; there are some good, cheap places to eat there.
Black Bear Diner… tones of FOOD (2 meals on one plate) for super cheap! In Rohnert Park!
SoCo Cafe in Windsor. Great Pancakes!
Chicago Style Hot Dogs at the stockyard in Petaluma. Totally authentic and cheap.
Ah, I love Hang Ah Dim Sum in Santa Rosa! Wonderful fresh, cooked-to-order Chinese dim sum. Simply delicious & inexpensive!
HANG AH DIM SUM
Location: 2130 Armory Drive, Santa Rosa
When: Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations: Call 576-7873 for take-out or for large parties
Price range: Inexpensive to moderate, with dim sum items from $2.50 to $4.50 and entrees from $12 to $28 (for the special Peking duck)
Cafe Salsa in Cotati is a great place for cheap food. You can get a big plate of food for a really good price, and the food is very yummy!
Big Daddy’s Diner in Rohnert Park is a great family place with reasonable prices.
PEKING, the little Chinese place in Petaluma, behind Staples, just down an alley from The First Edition.
EXCELLENT, authentic Chinese. You’ll probably have enough left over to take home for lunch the next day.
They seem to do mostly takeout and delivery but there are a few tables in the front.
Code 7 Mealtime is NOT cheap. $4.00 for one plain hot dog. It looked and tasted exactly like a Caspar’s brand hot dog.
El Favorito in Sebastapol (this locations menu is much bigger than the others). Huge Dinner plates for $6.95 that can feed two. Try the Bistec or Pollo Encebellado…mmmmmm
GTO’s in Sebastopol, every Wed night, $5 burgers, $1 fries or onion rings, Toppings $1 and Happy hour all night….BUT make a reservation!
a Taco Truck near you
Lee’s noodle house is not bad and it is really cheap!
Lanna Khoom on Railroad Square, probably the best Thai restaurant, in SR, is expensive at night, but does lunch for 8 or 9 bucks. Motel Thai is about the same and almost as good.
Grocery stores have some of the best and cheapest ready-to-eat food around. Olivers does good sushi, soups, sandwiches, burritos, and bbq. The wood fired cheese or pepperoni pizza at Skyhawk Market is awfully good for $7. Pacific Market’s sandwiches are off the hook. Can’t remember the name, but the market in Glen Ellen does great deli.
Starks at happy hour – very cheap indeed, especially compared to prices in the dining room.
Try for yourself!
1010 Hopper Ave
Santa Rosa, CA 95403-1613
(707) 523-2358
http://www.leesnoodlehouse.com
It is on the corner of Hopper and airway by Mel’s fish and chips.
Where’s Lee’s Noodle House?
Where’s Lee’s Noodle House????
What about Lee’s Noodle House! I just went there yesterday for the 1st time and it was FABULOUS! The place was packed too so I can’t be the only one with this opinion! The service was great – and I was stuffed for only $6.50!
The Walnut Park Grill is in no way cheap at all.