Best Cheap Eats in North York (2026)
You don't need to spend $30+ to eat well in North York. From $7 crispy burgers at Fairview Mall to $10 soup-filled fried bao going viral on XiaoHongShu, the neighbourhood is packed with spots where the price tag is small but the flavour is massive. We ranked the top 8 cheap eats under $20 with prices, what to order, and a budget crawl route around Yonge & Finch.
Quick answer: The best cheap eat in North York is Sang-Ji Fried Bao at 5461 Yonge St — 4 crispy soup-filled bao for $10.29. For the absolute cheapest meal, Bingz Crispy Burger at CF Fairview Mall starts at $7.25. For the biggest portion per dollar, Khorak Supermarket at 6125 Yonge St serves Persian platters that feed 1.5 people for $15–24.
Top 8 Cheap Eats in North York (2026)
Sang-Ji Fried Bao
5461 Yonge St, North York (Yonge & Finch)
$10 – $17 per dish
The viral budget king of North York. Sang-Ji's signature move is sheng jian bao — pan-fried soup dumplings with a crispy golden bottom, soft doughy top, and a burst of hot broth inside when you bite in. Four pieces for $10.29 is the best price-to-quality ratio on Yonge Street. The Duck Soup with Vermicelli is the sleeper hit — rich, warming, and absolutely massive for $17. Steps from Finch Station.
Google Maps →
Bingz Crispy Burger
CF Fairview Mall, North York
$7.25 per burger • $16–$19 combos
The absolute cheapest quality meal in North York at $7.25 for a crispy burger. Bingz takes the Chinese rou jia mo concept — shredded seasoned meat stuffed inside a flaky, griddled flatbread — and turns it into a fast-casual experience. The result is crunchy, savoury, and absurdly filling for the price. The 2026 Peking Duck Burger is a limited-edition seasonal hit. Perfect for a Fairview Mall shopping break.
Website →
Khorak Supermarket
6125 Yonge St, North York (north of Finch)
$15 – $24 per platter (feeds 1.5 people)
The volume champion. Khorak is technically a Persian supermarket, but the hot food counter in the back serves restaurant-quality kebabs at supermarket prices. One Koobideh platter ($19.99) comes with a mountain of fluffy basmati rice, grilled tomato, and buttery saffron — easily enough to feed two. The fresh-baked Sangak bread (hot from the oven) is a $3 must-add that elevates the whole experience. Budget king for groups.
Google Maps →
Chicken Quarter
York Mills Centre, North York (inside the subway station mall)
$11 – $15 per meal
Literally hidden inside a subway station mall. Chicken Quarter at York Mills Centre is the kind of spot you'd walk past a hundred times without noticing — but the office workers and commuters who know about it keep coming back for the perfectly rotisserie'd quarter chicken with crispy skin, golden fries, and a homemade gravy that tastes like it was made by someone's grandmother. At $11–15, it's the best hot lunch deal for the York Mills crowd.
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Allwynn's
Emerald Park, Yonge & Sheppard, North York
$8.99 – $15 per meal
The reigning king of the $10 lunch at Yonge & Sheppard. Allwynn's has been the consistent community staple for affordable Caribbean food in North York for years. Their stuffed jerk chicken patty sandwich at $8.99 is a massive, spice-packed handheld meal that office workers in the area swear by. No fancy decor, no Instagram hype — just genuine Jamaican flavour at a price that hasn't kept up with inflation (in a good way).
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Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu
5445 Yonge St, North York (Yonge & Finch)
$15 – $19 per set
The legendary Korean cheap eat of North York. Buk Chang Dong has been serving bubbling hot tofu soup in stone pots since before it was trendy, and it's still one of the most warming, satisfying meals you can get for under $20. Every set comes with rice and a generous spread of banchan (side dishes) that stretches the value even further. On a cold North York winter day, this is where you want to be.
Google Maps →
Good Luck HK Cafe
Yonge & Finch area, North York
$10 – $18 per dish
For late-night comfort food and Hong Kong nostalgia. Good Luck HK Cafe is a proper cha chaan teng — the kind of no-frills Hong Kong diner where you get crispy, peanut-butter-stuffed French toast drizzled in condensed milk alongside a silky cup of silk stocking milk tea. The Baked Pork Chop Rice is a hearty, budget-friendly dinner option. A staple of the Yonge & Finch corridor's late-night food culture.
Google Maps →
Chris Jerk
2570 Birchmount Rd, Scarborough
$18 – $21 per massive meal
Technically slightly above the "cheap" threshold at $18–21, but the portions are massive enough to be two meals. Chris Jerk's Jerk Chicken Shawarma Poutine is a TikTok-viral fusion dish that actually lives up to the hype — smoky jerk chicken over fries, gravy, and cheese curds in a portion that could feed a small family. The Oxtail Dinner is fall-off-the-bone tender. It's in Scarborough, but the 4.7-star rating across 4,000+ reviews tells you everything.
Google Maps →The Yonge & Finch Budget Crawl
Three stops, all within walking distance of Finch Station, total budget under $35. The most affordable food crawl in North York.
Sang-Ji Fried Bao (The Crispy Start)
Get: Share a plate of 4 Original Pork Baos ($10.29)
The vibe: Casual, fast, XiaoHongShu-famous. The crispy-bottom bao sets the tone.
Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu (The Warming Middle)
Walk: 3 minutes south on Yonge to 5445 Yonge St
Get: Combination Soon Tofu ($15) — share if you want to save room
The vibe: Bubbling hot stone pot, banchan spread, Korean comfort.
Bubble Tea Finish (Your Choice)
Walk: 2 minutes to any of the Yonge & Finch boba shops
Get: A milk tea to balance the spice ($6–8)
The vibe: Sweet finish, walkable, done in under 2 hours total.
Total budget: $25–35 for a complete multi-stop meal. Transit: TTC Line 1 to Finch Station — all spots within 5–10 minutes' walk.
Honourable Mentions
Punta Cana Haus (North York) — Dominican hidden gem gaining Reddit traction for authentic, budget-friendly plates. Still new enough that we're watching it closely.
One2Snack (8 Glen Watford Dr, Scarborough) — Malaysian-Singaporean classics: Char Kway Teow, Laksa, Hainanese Chicken Rice ($12–16). Local legend status with minimal online presence.
Northwest Chinese Cuisine (8 Glen Watford Dr, Scarborough) — Authentic Xi'an street food: hand-pulled Biang Biang Noodles, Lamb Skewers, Roujiamo ($13–17). Trending on XiaoHongShu.
Kin Kin Bakery (Sheppard Centre) — Stuffed buns under $5. The cheapest grab-and-go option in North York, featured in TikTok's "cheap eats under $5" videos (12K+ views).
Chat Bar (North York) — Popular BBQ skewer spot. 4.4★ with 1,800+ Google reviews. Be warned: weekend lineups are long.