The Best Food in L.A. (On a Budget)

By: Sian Salazar ‘25 (Guest Blogger)

As a current college student who’s already (more than) breaking the bank just by attending USC, I know the importance of keeping your spending under a budget. But sometimes, after a long day of grinding in the library, or at the end of a week full of midterms, you just need to eat some real good food—food that you didn’t cook yourself and didn’t find in a dining hall. I’ve put together a quick list of places in Los Angeles with cheap, student-budget-friendly food.

Near campus

Spudnuts

What’s better than a 3am donut post-finals study session? That’s right, nothing. Spudnuts is fantastic not only because of their excellent donut selection but because of their hours. Speaking from personal experience, splitting a Strawberries and Cream Cronut and a Mango Smoothie from Spudnuts in the dead of the night is practically a spiritual experience. What’s more, Spudnuts is cheap, which is what makes it a student favorite. Their smoothies, their donuts, and even their breakfast sandwiches are all worth the trek, whether it’s during Fryft hours or not.

El Huero

El Huero is a cult classic: Anytime USC has a home game, whether it’s at the Coliseum or Galen Center, you can be sure that the crowd at El Huero will be just as thick as the crowd at the game. It’s for good reason, though: El Huero’s food is cheap, filling, and most importantly, yummy. Their vegetarian options are pretty good, too, I can personally vouch for that. El Huero is a USC staple for a reason.

Taco Zone

Taco Zone is the epitome of cheap LA street food—perfect for college students on a budget. If you wander off USC campus on the west side and follow the smell of perfectly sizzling carnitas, you will stumble across Taco Zone. Having one of their street tacos at least once is a must for any USC student!

Off campus

Thai Patio

Thai Patio is a little out of the way—you’ll need a car to reach the restaurant, which is located in Thai Town. In my opinion, though, the drive is definitely worth it. Thai Patio offers authentic Thai food for incredibly cheap. Their portion sizes are huge, and pretty much everything on the menu is under $15 (and can be shared with a friend!). If you manage to get their during lunchtime, they have lunch specials for $5.99. In Los Angeles, where a full-sized, filling meal for under $15, let alone under $10, is a rare find, Thai Patio is a must-try hidden gem.

Neri’s Casual Dining

Neri’s, found in Koreatown, offers a wealth of Filipino comfort food for super cheap. You don’t have to be Filipino to enjoy what Neri’s offer—you just need to have an appreciation of authentic comfort food for under $10. For those of you familiar with Filipino food, they offer everything from lumpia and pancit palabok to sisig, with most menu items coming in under $10 and everything under $15.

Street food in DTLA

If you don’t have access to a car but are still dying to get off campus for some good cheap eats, then taking the metro is your best bet. If you get on the metro and head straight downtown, getting off at 7th St Metro Center, you’ll find yourself surrounded by at least half a dozen different food trucks. The best part: They’re all cheap, and they’re all good. I’ve had some of the best quesadillas of my life for just $5 from one of these food trucks, and I highly recommend checking them out sometime.

Vegetarian quesadilla from a street food stand

Overall, Los Angeles is one of the best places in the world to be in if you love to eat good food—even if you’re a student on a budget like me!

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