The Culinary Criteria

So let’s start with the parameters. We wanted to keep it local, and we wanted them to not necessarily be part of a chain. We can’t pretend a Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwich for $4 doesn’t belong on a ‘best’ list.Haters gonna hate – but what about a Quarter Pounder with Cheese from McDonald’s that for matter? Also, some our selections are representative of the place, i.e. Red Pearl. That place has too many dishes. How about Beef with Jalapeños from there? It’s incredible, and it’s just under $10. We decided instead to feature Vegetable Chow Mei Fun. It was a tough call.

Related to Red Pearl, we felt kind of bad for not including Mr. Chen’s on Green Springs. Again, a tough call. That place is just about as good, and deserves its props as much as anywhere in town. Maybe next year. But we can say that its street (Green Springs) houses the most places for cheap eats. 18-A at Pho Que Huong on Green Springs didn’t make the cut but it was close. Sabor Latino on Green Springs? It didn’t make it either, but it was debatable. We decided not to rank them. It’s just too hard. I can tell you the Taj’s Buffet for only $7 is number one with a bullet for best place to eat when you’re hungover. Number one for a cheap, quick, lunch if you work downtown is Dos Hermanos. Eight bucks will get you one ceviche, two tacos and a diet coke (no tax).

One other roundabout qualifier is the location. We wanted to spread it around town. But regardless of location we believe these are some pretty strong selections to launch our first Top 10. There’s no honorable mention, but we did feel bad for excluding a few. There are a couple of places where the hummus is ridiculous that we didn’t list. There was a big debate in the burgers category. It needed its own category. There are way too many desserts that could have been included, and we scrapped any and all breakfast items even though the everything bagel with plain cream cheese from Crestline Bagel is a serious contender. We felt bad for all of the dishes that were just over $10. Think about how many great menu items around town are around that $11-$12 range. Well, that’s about it. On to the list.

Top 10 Dishes Under $10

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Vegetable Chow Ho Fun at Red Pearl, $8.99

A few years ago, the Red Pearl was a relative secret. Not anymore. Redecorated a couple of years ago, it has a relatively and surprisingly elegant atmosphere, especially for a spot on West Valley. While it’s more than $10, try the cumin lamb as well.

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Stuffed Eye Round Sandwich from Kool Korner, $8.10 (L)

Many people may be surprised we didn’t choose the Cuban. Both are pressed and have fantastic bread. This sandwich features chorizo and beef, while their traditional Cuban is roasted pork and ham.
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Fried Catfish at Piggly Wiggly, $8.99/lb

Available only on Fridays, it’s quite an accomplishment to be called the best fried catfish in Birmingham. We thought about including their fried chicken, instead, which is some of the best in town as well.
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Lunch Buffet at Taj India, $8.79

If there’s a place in town where we have a hard time pulling ourselves away from the table, it’s the Taj. The bread is incredible and there may not be a better deal in town. We know several people from India that say their buffet doesn’t compare to their menu items, which may be true. But we can’t get enough of the spinach, chutneys, bone-in dark meat chicken, lentils, etc. etc.
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Blackened Chicken Sandwich at Otey's, $9.25

The best chicken sandwich in town. It’s a bold claim. What separates this sandwich is the slaw that’s loaded on it. Get half onion ringsand half fries with it.
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PBLT at Snapper Grabbers Land & Sea, $9.95

Land & Sea is the new restaurant with a butcher shop next to Snapper Grabber’s on 31 in Vestavia. This is their twist on a BLT with their house-cured pork belly replacing the bacon. It comes on artisan bread, local greens and garlic infused mayo.
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Pho Tai Nam at Saigon Noodle House-280, $9.99

We put in 280 because there was some confusion between it and the now-closed Avondale location. There was never any comparison between the two, and they became separated before Avondale’s closing. The Pho Doc Biet is actually a bit better, but it’s just above $10 and some of its ingredients may be a bit adventurous for an average western palate. We instead featured the Pho Tai Nam, which has beef brisket slices.
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Pad Thai at Blue Pacific, $8.00

There are certainly some people who think the Pad Thai at Surin belongs on this list. Maybe it does. But how can we exclude a spot that serves Thai food from a former gas station? Located on Lorna, Blue Pacific’s Pad Thai is a beautiful plate with its waffle shaped egg topping, and tastes great as well.
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Posole at El Loco Taco, $9.99

Posole Soup (sometimes spelled differently) is a Mexican semi-spicy pork soup with hominy. The red base is not tomatoes, but mild peppers finely blended with the spices and broth used to cook the pork. And it’s legit! It’s the condiments and sides that make this soup so good. They include cabbage, onions, cilantro, radishes, peppers and avocado.

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Philly at T-Bones, $7.50

This place has a dedicated following, and people swear by their Philly. T-Bones has moved from being by the Western on Highlands, then Center Point now to their Southside location and their customers seem to go wherever they go. What makes their Philly so good is the light, slightly crispy fresh bread.
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Top 5 Under $5

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Chili at Gilchrist, $4.50

Available only in colder months, this is the best chili in town. Even better with chopped onions and cheese.
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Ceviche at Dos Hermanos Taco Truck, $3.50

Getting ceviche from a taco truck may sketch some people out, but it’s actually really good and really fresh. They proudly past a 99 score from the food inspector on their window. Regardless, we’ve had this dish dozens of times and it’s never been bad.
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Cheeseburger at Chris Z's, $4.60

The Z burger is extra meat and pushes the price north of $5. The regular, which we featured, is the perfect size. Their special sauce makes the difference.
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Carnitas Tacos (2) at Gordo's, $4.40

Some people think the tortillas are better at Dos Hermanos, but Gordo’s loads you up on the meat. Plus their salsa bar has so many options including radishes, and sometimes an avocado salad, when available, for free.

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Everything Bagel with Regular Cream Cheese at Crestline Bagel, $3.75

New Yorkers may not think Birminghamians know how to do a bagel, but Crestline Bagel does. This place can get busy on the weekends, as it’s really popular well beyond the Crestline limits.