The best Detroit-area restaurants when you have $10 or less

Casa Amado Taqueria

2705 Coolidge Hwy., Berkley; 248-398-3294; casaamado.com

Casa Amado Taqueria chef-owner Amado Lopez left the fine-dining world to open this humble spot, where you can get a meal for under $10.

Mike’s Famous Ham Place

3700 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-894-6922

Mike Muftari opened his ham sandwich shop in 1974, and has changed pretty much nothing since then. You can get one of Mike’s classic sandwiches with ham, mustard, pickles, and cheese for about $7.

Sgt. Pepperoni’s Pizzeria & Deli

4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-7272; majesticdetroit.com

When hunger hits in Midtown, the slices behind the glass at Sgt. Pepperoni’s counter beckon. Slices start at $2.50, and you can get a personal 8-inch pizza for under $5.

The Turkey Grill

8290 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-872-4624; theturkeygrill.com

If you didn’t know, Detroit-style turkey is a thing, at least according to The Turkey Grill. At this turkey-centered restaurant you can get soup, salads, or a sandwich for $10.

Imperial

22828 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-850-8060; imperialferndale.com

Though this bar may have a swanky honky-tonk-style, its prices are cheap, with tacos priced at $3.50 each and Sonoran Hot Dogs under $5.

Breadless

2760 Larned St., Detroit; 313-488-4091; eatbreadless.com

This breadless sandwich shop is at the top of your budget, with some sandwiches priced at $9.75.

New Yasmeen Bakery

13900 W. Warren Ave., Dearborn; 313-582-6035

This local Mediterranean favorite offers foods like grape leaves, kibbeh, chicken shawarma, kebabs, and more for under $10.

Pie-Sci Pizza

5163 Trumbull St., Detroit; 313-818-0290; piescipizza.com

Pie-Sci specializes in unique pizzas, with quirky names like Pickle Rick Pizza, Notorious P.I.G., Jerky Boys, Smores, and more.

Supino

6519 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-314-7400 | 2457 Russell St., Detroit; 313-567-7879; supinopizzeria.com

So $10 might not get you an entire pizza, but you can get a few of Supino's slices (or a cannoli).

Honest John’s

488 Selden St., Detroit; 313-832-5646; honestjohnsdetroit.com

At Honest John’s you can have a decent brunch experience for under $10. They offer french toast, biscuits and gravy, a breakfast sandwich and a few other morning favorites for that price. The best part is a few of those items are also on their late night menu, so you can grab them then, too.

Taqueria Lupitas

3443 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-843-1105

Though located smack dab on Mexicantown's gringo-frequented strip, Lupita's caters to a back-home crowd, with rock-bottom prices. You can get a taco lunch with two tacos for $8.

Chef Greg’s Soul-N-The Wall

10009 Curtis St., Detroit; 313-861-0331

Akin to a Sloppy Joe, the Boogaloo Sandwich was a creation of Detroit’s former Brothers Bar-B-Que, which closed sometime in the ’90s. In 2007, Greg Beard opened Greg’s Soul-N-The Wall in Brothers’s former Northwest Detroit location, and revived the Boogaloo due to popular demand. Beard’s version is dubbed the Boogaloo Wonderland Sandwich, after Detroit songwriter Allee Willis, who co-wrote Earth, Wind, and Fire’s hit "Boogie Wonderland."

Louisiana Creole Gumbo

13505 W. Seven Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-397-4052 | 29216 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills; detroitgumbo.com

Louisiana Creole Gumbo has been a staple in Detroit since 1970. It might come as a surprise to some, but you can get a taste of the bayou like small servings of their jambalaya or gumbo for under $10.

Ernie's Market

8500 Capital St., Oak Park; 248-541-9703; erniessandwichshop.com

Yeah baby! For just $9 you can get Ernie’s "Monster" sandwich, stuffed with seven (!) different kinds of meats. And he’ll call you "baby!" while he makes it.

Hygrade Deli

3640 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-894-6620; hygradedeli.com

Since 1955, Hygrade Deli has been delighting tastebuds with its famous corned beef sandwiches, which you can get for under $10.

Checker Bar

124 Cadillac Square, Detroit; 313-961-9249; checkerbar.com

You can get a classic Checker Burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, cheese, and a bag of made-in-Detroit Better Made potato chips for just $8.

Green Dot Stables

2200 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; 313-962-5588; greendotstables.com

While critics accused this sliders spot as serving "culturally appropriated sliders with a side of gentrified fries" following a dispute with a Black former employee who alleges she was fired for making a joke about race, the fact remains that Green Dot has some of the fairest prices in town. You can score a couple sliders and a beer for less than $10.

Mexican Village

2600 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-237-0333 | 47350 Van Dyke Ave., Utica; 586-254-2290; mexicanvillagefood.com

While there are many Mexican restaurants in metro Detroit that we love, Mexican Village gets kudos for being Detroit’s oldest, established in 1957. You can get plenty of Mexican favorites for under $10.

The former White Towers (and those inspired by them)

Telway; 6820 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-843-2146 | Greene’s 24155 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington; 248-474-7980 | Brayz Hamburger; 22941 Dequindre Rd., Hazel Park; 248-542-8878 | Hunter House; 35075 Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-646-7121; hunterhousehamburgers.com | 33406 Five Mile Rd., Livonia; 734-427-3464; batesburgers.com

About a century ago, White Tower burger restaurants sprung up across the Midwest — before rival White Castle sued them for aping their style. Some of the chain’s classic white buildings remain in metro Detroit, and continue to sell sliders at classic prices.

Yemen Cafe

8740 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; 313-871-4349; yemencaferestaurant.com

This no-frills, halal eatery has sandwiches under $5 and $1 cups of soup.