The University of Toronto St. George campus spans multiple city blocks which means its encircled by delicious cheap eats! With The Annex to the north and Chinatown to the south, there are plenty of affordable, student-friendly feasts to be had nearby.
Red Room
Cheap food, cheap drinks, and delicious Vietnamese coffee. What else is there to life? Red Room has an array of noodles – from pasta to chow mein for $9, and combo specials that include salads, wraps, and sandwiches for $7.50. You can also skip expensive coffee shops with their $2 espresso shots, $2.50 Vietnamese coffees, and $3 cappuccinos.
Address: 444 Spadina Avenue, Toronto
Phone: 416-929-9964
Est West Cafe
Est is one of those barebones, takeout spots that serves an obscene amount of food for a super affordable price. The place doesn’t limit itself to a single cuisine, with Souvlaki Chicken and Thai Chicken frequenting its “Today’s Special” menu for only $8!
Address: 700 University Avenue, Toronto
Phone: 416-506-0777
Fat Bastard Burrito
Free guac. Mexican Coca-cola. $7.39 burritos and $8 Quesadillas. Fat Bastard really has it all, and for a student-friendly price. Their custom burritos and quesadillas have a huge variety of fillings including baked chicken and pulled pork. For an extra dollar, try one of the specialty options such as roasted steak, tequila lime chicken, or sauteed shrimp.
Address: 187 College Street, Toronto
Phone: 647-348-5551
Mothers Dumplings
Another Chinatown gem, Mother Dumplings’ menu is based on the recipes of owner Zhen’s mother. Aside from dumplings, the spot also serves noodles, buns, Chinese pancakes, and much more. Just wholesome Chinese comfort food. 12 dumplings here only costs $8, and other cheap eats include the green onion pancake ($5), and beef steamed buns ($5).
Address: 421 Spadina Avenue, Toronto
Phone: 416-217-2008
El Furniture Warehouse
Home to a menu of $6 dishes, this boisterous bar in The Annex is a go-to for filling up between classes and blowing off steam on weekends.
Address: 410 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Phone: 647-350-7326
Pig Out BBQ
All your BBQ favourites at a price that you’ll fall in love with. Find pulled pork sandwiches and 5 oz burgers at Pig Out for only $7. Pulled chicken is also available for $9 and beef brisket for $10. For the lavish students night where meals have a budget of $15, Pig Out also has ribs and meat platters in that price range.
Address: 650 Spadina Avenue, Toronto
Phone: 416-792-6120
Salad Days
Just because you’re eating on Bloor, doesn’t mean you have to be poor! Salad Days offers custom salads for only $5. If you’re feeling hungry, make it a large for only $6.20. Select additional toppings like grilled chicken breast (+$3), smoked salmon (+$1.45), or tuna (+$1.45) without breaking the bank. They also have wraps for under $6 and a hearty lunch special, which includes grilled chicken or salmon, mashed sweet potatoes, and a Greek salad for $6.45.
Address: 20 Bloor Street East, Toronto
Phone: 647-436-9472
Address: 2 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Phone: 647-436-9472
Tasty’s Caribbean Cuisine
Inflation has hit Caribbean cuisine hard but Tasty’s has managed to keep its prices on the lower end. Find favourites like oxtail, goat curry, and jerk chicken for under $10. The roti dishes are under $8 for those on a super tight budget. And plantains are four for $1.25. Now, what can beat that?
Address: 405 Spadina Avenue, Toronto
Phone: 416-916-7888
Papa CEO Pizza
Full pizza pies for a little over $10? What’s not to love? But it doesn’t stop there. The pasta dishes are also super affordable. The beef and the veggie lasagnas are only $7.25 each, Spaghetti is under $7, and hot sandwiches filled with choices like veal, chicken breast, meatballs, or eggplants are only $5.50.
Address: 654 Spadina Avenue, Toronto
Phone: 416-961-2222