Orlando abounds in fantastic cheap eats – and here’s our latest roundup of 10 places to get lunch for less than $10. If you’ve got a 10 Under $10 recommendation, send it to [email protected].
Brooklyn Coffee Shop
912 N. Mills Ave., 407-704-1757, facebook.com/brooklyncoffeeshop
This new option in the heart of Mills 50 also serves food, despite the name. We like their shakshuka – eggs baked in a spicy red tomato-and-pepper sauce – served daily from 11 a.m. for $7, though $2 Empanada Mondays are also worth a look.
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This Belle Isle seafood joint is truly a hidden gem – you'll have to make your way inside a Sunoco on Conway to get your fix of super-fresh garlicky crustaceans. The crawfish tail po'boy is just $8.99 (Feeling flush? Splash out on blue crab for $12.99), but don't forget the mints before you get back to your desk.
Cindy's Café
2512 N. Orange Ave., 407-898-6878, cindyscafeorlando.com
Right across from Florida Hospital on North Orange Avenue, Cindy's slings superior Cuban fare. Give the tripleta sandwich a try for $8 – steak, oven roasted pork, ham, potato sticks and "mayoketchup" (a pink sauce made of, yep, mayonnaise and ketchup).
Croissant Gourmet
120 E. Morse Blvd., Winter Park, 407-622-7753, croissantgourmet.com
A tiny bit of France in Winter Park, which is rich in French restaurant options – but few as reasonably priced as this. The pressed veggie Provençal sandwich with pesto, tomatoes, mozzarella and roasted red bell pepper on baguette is just $7.90 and comes with a side salad. Salut, déjeuner!
Fat One's Hot Dogs
8001 S. Orange Blossom Trail, 407-634-0205, fatonedogs.com
Ex-boy band star Joey Fatone returned to Orlando to open a hot dog stand, and we gotta say, we like the dogs better than the tunes. For an extra-authentic local meal, get the Cuban dog ($4.99) with a 100 percent beef hot dog, Swiss cheese, pickles and yellow mustard.
Oh My Gyro
1150 W. State Road 434, Longwood, 407-960-4496, facebook.com/ohmygyro
You've got hard choices to make with your 10-dollar bill here. If you get the platter (a foil tray stuffed with chicken, gyro or falafel plus rice, salad and pita – for $6.99, you have enough left to also get a pistachio kulfi (Indian ice-cream pop) for $2.49. But if you get the sandwich – same meats and salad rolled up in a pita, but no rice – for $6.49, you can get a mango lassi ($2.99). Hmm.
Se7enbites Bake Shop
617 N. Primrose Drive, 407-203-0727, se7enbites.com
We featured Se7enbites once before – in the very first 10 Under $10, in fact – but since then they've moved, expanded, and added savory options. Give the grilled pimento cheese with bacon a try ($8.75): white and sharp cheddar, seasoned cream cheese and applewood-smoked bacon.
The Taste of Yucatan
1375 S. Semoran Blvd., 407-704-2248, thetasteofyucatan.com
There are so many choices here for a cheap lunch that it's time to pass up your usual burrito. Try a salbute (a deep-fried corn-tortilla taco with onion and avocado, $2.95) filled with cochinita pibil, or a panucho (a salbute with refried beans inside, $3.05) filled with rajas poblanas (poblano pepper with onion, mushrooms, corn and cream), and still have enough dinero for a tamarind agua fresca ($2.25).
Tin & Taco
40 W. Washington St., 407-425-4340, tinandtaco.com
This might be on your radar as an after-the-bars stop, but it's a treat for lunch too, if you're downtown. Get your choice of protein in a set of tacos, a burrito, a rice bowl, a wrap, a salad or "in the bag" (served in a bag of Doritos). Their most popular seller is the "Buffalo Soldier": shredded chicken, lettuce, celery, green onion, buffalo wing sauce, homemade ranch and blue cheese crumbles.
Tortas El Rey
6151 S. Orange Blossom Trail, 407-812-8334, facebook.com/tortaselrey
It is the cheapest and the best sandwich stop we know, and there's even a drive-through. Get a chorizo con huevo torta (Mexican sausage and egg sandwich) for $4.25. Still hungry? Pick up a huarache (fried masa with your choice of meat or veggie topping) for $3.25.
