11 BEST CHEAP Restaurants In Buenos Aires

Budget travel always revolves around saving on extra costs, especially around food. For those traveling to Argentina, I made a list of the best cheap restaurants in Buenos Aires, varying from grilled steaks to breakfast bagels. Keep reading for all of my favorites!

Last Updated: Apr. 18, 2023

Burgers at Burger Joint, one of the best cheap restaurants in Buenos Aires — Burgers at Burger Joint

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Hunting Down Cheap Eats In Buenos Aires

I picture grilled beef when I think of Buenos Aires. Woodfire Parrillas at the best restaurants in Buenos Aires roar at all hours of the day cooking delicious Argentinian steaks, sausages, and other delicious treats.

These grill restaurants offer amazingly delicious food but it’s going to cost you. Although plenty of restaurants offer budget or low cost options, it’s mostly the same types of food, making budget travelers suffer with the same meal over and over again.

I went on a hunt to find the best cheap eats in Buenos Aires trying to find delicious food options. I cover sit in restaurants, street food, and bakeries. Just because you want to eat cheap doesn’t mean you need to eat the same things!

How much is a cheap restaurant in Buenos Aires? Every eatery on this list will cost less than $10 USD per person with a good amount of food to make everyone happy. I think any budget traveler following this list will eat amazingly well with plenty of room left in the budget for an amazing steakhouse in Buenos Aires.

1. Burger Joint – Best Burger In Buenos Aires

Burger Joint transforms the casual burger into an extraordinary dish of inconceivable deliciousness. Don’t let the looks deter you. The ultra grunge appearance really adds to the charm with sharpie graffiti and partially torn stickers decorating the walls like a Chicago underpass taken over by chefs.

My taste buds desperately needed spicy food, so I ordered The Mexican, a grilled burger patty topped with jalapeños, guacamole, onions, tomatoes, cheese and their house made “hot hot” sauce. Like one hot isn’t enough. Sheesh.

From the first bite, I held back the urge to moan like Meg Ryan in THAT scene from When Harry Met Sally because this burger hit all the right spots. With my eyes rolling to the back of my head, I reeled it in and focused on the burger.

The grill gave the burger a backyard bbq feel that was firm around the edges but pink in the middle with a kiss of flame for the right amount of char. Of course, the spice hit hard but pulled its punches just enough to keep my mouth from going numb.

Don’t forget the fries! These beautiful creations are the best fries I’ve eaten in a very, very long time. Hand cut and fried to perfect gold brown deliciousness, these fries alone make the trip to Burger Joint completely worth it.

My wife and I went back several times during our stay in Buenos Aires because a burger, fries, and a drink cost roughly $9 USD. Not bad for the best burger in the city.

Burger Joint
Jorge Luis Borges 1766, C1414 CABA, Argentina

2. Chori – Must Try Choripan In Palermo, Buenos Aires

No trip to Buenos Aires would be complete without eating the famous choripan, a chorizo sausage grilled over wood charcoal then nestled in a soft bun and topped with chimichurri.

Argentinian chorizo is much different from its spicy counterpart most people recognize in Spain or Mexico. Here, it’s a deliciously juicy sausage resembling a bratwurst or kielbasa, but way better.

Chori gained a dedicated following over the past few years and even popped up on the Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil. If its good enough for Phil it’s good enough for me.

What makes Chori stand apart from the competitors are the varieties of sausage and toppings available. You can usually find choripan at steakhouses and grill restaurants, but at Chori, the sandwich is the main event.

My wife and I decided on the Cerdo Clasico and the Invitado. The Cerdo Clasico is a pork sausage with tomato arugula and oregano mayo. Basic, but juicy and satisfying. The sausage snapped nicely with every bite and the toppings helped even out the sausage’s fattiness.

The Invitado is made from a chorizo sausage by the trendy steak restaurant La Carneceria. This pork rib sausage came served on rustic country style bread, lettuce, tomato, onion, and chimichurri mayo. DELICIOUS. Definitely a step up from the Cerdo Clasico, the sausage popped with flavor with the bread and toppings coming together to make a sandwich anyone will adore.

Both choripans made me immensely happy and I have a new respect for the humble sausage sandwich.

Chori
Thames 1653, C1414 CABA, Argentina

3. Sheikob’s Bagels – Amazing NY Style Bagels

The CEC, BLT And Cream Cheese Bagels At Sheikob’s

Sometimes you need familiar favorites and one afternoon, my wife and I really needed that breakfast sandwich fix. You know that greasy, eggy, cheesy craving that only the right sandwich will bring.

Sheikob’s bagels came to the rescue with thick, house made New York style bagels that any food obsessed traveler will love. Even walking in feels like stepping into the Lower East Side of Manhattan at a beloved neighborhood bagel joint.

I wanted the CEC, the corned beef, egg, and cheese on an everything bagel, with my wife ordering the BLT on a plain bagel and a sesame bagel with a schmear of cream cheese.

The CEC was an epic sandwich for an epic craving. The corned beef hit the right characteristics with a meaty tang that mixed well with the seasonings on the everything bagel. The egg stayed a nice medium doneness with a loose, but not runny yolk which I appreciated since I hate the feeling of liquid egg running down my hands when I’m trying to focus on my sandwich.

Everything tasted better with the cheddar cheese, melting perfectly into every nook and cranny adding the necessary moisture and flavors to make a harmonious breakfast sandwich. Mission accomplished.

The BLT came out delicious with REAL American style bacon, ripe tomatoes, and crispy lettuce. Yes, finding real American style bacon abroad is actually challenging, so it was nice having that smokey bacon after being away from the U.S. for over two months.

Finally, the sesame bagel with a generous schmear of cream cheese. Nicely toasted with the aroma of warm sesame seeds, the bagel tasted wonderful with a nice crunch around the edges. The cream cheese had an amazing unique flavor and tasted different from a generic store bought brand. I’m not sure if it’s made in house, but the cream cheese was mild and extra creamy making the perfect pairing with the sesame bagel.

If you need that American breakfast bagel, you will find the perfect sandwiches at Sheikob’s bagels.

Sheikob’s Bagels
Uriarte 1386, C1414DAL C1414DAL, Buenos Aires, Argentina

4. Don Niceto – Best Cheap Grill Restaurant In Buenos Aires

A local spot on the west side of Palermo, Don Niceto is for adventurous travelers staying on a budget with a hankering for a great Argentinian grill. If Don Niceto served food in the United States, we’d call this a locals only hole in the wall, and I LOVED everything about it.

I sat at the main counter where the grill cook served me directly. He was skinny in his mid 50’s with thin long white hair that whimsically floated as he shuffled around the grill. He looked like a retired navy cook keeping the dream alive working the graveyard shift at the local Waffle House; worn down but still strong as nails. During my visit, he hustled around the grill and kitchen keeping a youthful enthusiasm while serving the regulars.

I ordered the Asado, sliced beef short ribs, which he promptly threw on the grill. As each piece came to the right temp, he slapped the meat down on the plate in front of me.

SO JUICY. I needed to slurp up the first bite to keep the liquid from running down my lips. I love how the Argentinians make grilled short ribs a priority. It’s one of my absolute favorite cuts because of the dense marbling that melts into the meat when cooked. With the hot wood fire grill, the edges crisped up with a slight char that gave a satisfying crunch with every bite.

Still hungry, I asked for a Morcilla, blood sausage, which ended up being my second favorite blood sausage in Buenos Aires next to El Preferido de Palermo. Cutting into the tight casing released a purple mixture of chunky fat, cooked blood, and green onion spilling onto the cutting board.

I mopped up goodness with some bread and relished in the deep flavors. Perfect in every way, I enjoyed the slight chew from the fatty bits with the complex mixture of spices with the green onion adding a nice contrast from the other strong flavors.

The best part? The Asado and Morcilla cost me $10 USD combined.

For a truly local grill experience, Don Niceto succeeds with delicious grilled meats that fit a tight budget.

Don Niceto
Cnel. Niceto Vega 5255, C1414BEM CABA, Argentina

5. El Gauchito – Best Cheap Restaurant In Buenos Aires

The best cheap eats I had in Buenos Aires came from El Gauchito, a literal hole in the wall with only a few tables outside on the sidewalk to accommodate hungry guests. I looked through the small menu and picked the Carne Empanada, Choclo Empanada, and Sandwich Super Milanesa.

The Choclo (Corn) Empanada gushed like a cream corn fountain when I took a bite forcing me to suck up the yellow filling before making a mess. Delicious with the right amount of texture, this tasted like the best creamed corn but baked into an amazing pastry.

The Carne (Beef) Empanada hit a home run with tender beef, onion, and potato making a hardy empanada bursting with flavor. With all the components, the beef empanada reminded me of a beef stew cooked down to a thick rich sauce with chunks of meat and potato. By far the best beef empanada I ate in Buenos Aires.

Lastly, the Sandwich Super Milanesa, a thin and crispy beef milanesa topped with cheese, ham, eggs, lettuce, and tomato served with a side of fries. The pictures don’t do the sandwich justice, but this could easily feed two people with enough flavor layers to keep the palate intrigued.

Although there is nothing fancy about this sandwich, it still tasted amazing with all the toppings. The perfect sandwich for refueling after a day exploring the city. For only $8 USD, the Super Milanesa can feed multiple people while keeping the cost low.

El Gauchito
Juan Ramírez de Velasco 1059, C1414 AQU, Buenos Aires, Argentina

6. Parrilla Polo – Best Cheap Steak In Buenos Aires

A complete locals spot, Parrilla Polo doesn’t have a table menu. You either know what they got or pick something from the ever changing chalkboard outside the restaurant. I walked in and saw two old Porteños occupying the tiny restaurant, watching the highlights from the previous day’s soccer game on the television. Yeah, this is my kind of place.

Although they offer most of the Argentinian classics, I went with a simple steak, fries, and a beer. A no frills lunch from a no frills joint.

Everything came out perfectly, and as I was expecting, the beef tasted awesome. A thin ring of fat lined the outside of the steak, which tasted nutty and melted in my mouth. The steak was thinner but still hit with huge beefy flavors affirming my lunch choice.

I gobbled down my steak with a spicy onion heavy chimichurri before venturing back out into the city.

For my whole meal, I paid $8.50 USD. Try eating a steak in the U.S. at that price.

Parrilla Polo
Carlos Calvo 287, C1102 AAE, Buenos Aires, Argentina

7. La Esquina del Antigourmet – Best Bang For Your Buck

For those working at Antigourmet, the restaurant is more than just a place for food, it’s a statement of honesty, creating simple and delicious dishes without the need for pretentious reviews or online hype. They aim their sights on making and eating amazing food.

For a second dinner, my wife and I decided to split a single sandwich to manage a late night hunger. Good idea right?

We ordered the Sangucha de Milga, a sandwich with fried steak, eggs, ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. The sandwich looked as big as my thigh. We couldn’t fight this portion size, but we needed to do our best.

I cut the sandwich in two and saw the infinite layers rolling down the middle. A sandwich of pure beauty. I unhinged my jaw for the first bites and a flood of flavor over took me with the crunchy beef, creamy cheese, salty ham, and saucy egg yolks.

Everything mingled together nicely and felt like a true antigourmet sandwich. NO frills, just delicious ingredients paired together for an epic sandwich experience. For about $8 USD, this is a sandwich easily meant for two or three people.

La Esquina del Antigourmet
Soler 5901, C1425 CABA, Argentina

8. Daniel Bakery – Best Pastries In Buenos Aires

If you love buttery, flaky pastries then Daniel Baker will be your go to bakery in Buenos Aires. Although these creations are made with Parisian level skills, at a cost of about $ 3 USD each, feel free to gorge yourself on these decadent creations.

My wife and I ordered the Hazelnut, the Pistachio, a latte, and an iced chai. Everything tasted wonderful and both pastries had their own unique characteristics with the Pistachio Croissant winning my heart.

Just tearing open the layers revealed intricate pastry work with puffy layers paired with a milky pistachio cream. The filling itself tasted like puréed pistachios and vanilla cream mixed with plenty of TLC.

Eating everything together tasted absurdly amazing with the buttery pistachio cream tasting heavy at first but evening out with the rest of the croissant. I consider Daniel Bakery one of the best bakeries in Buenos Aires and although its a bit out of the way, I recommend all food obsessed travelers to seek out these amazing croissants.

Daniel Bakery
Honduras 3714, C1180 CABA, Argentina

9. Pizzeria Güerrin – Best Pizzeria In Buenos Aires

For your pizza fix, I recommend a legendary institution that ranks amongst the best cheap restaurants in Buenos Aires, Pizzeria Güerrin. With a long standing tradition of baking the Argentinian al molde pizza, Güerrin becomes slammed with hungry people from around the city willing to wait in line for a delicious slice.

I ate my weight in Fugazzeta pizza in Buenos Aires, and Pizzeria Güerrin serves one of the best slices in the city. Freshly made and crisped in the oven for each slice, the Fugazzeta is an Argentinian creation with plenty of thin onions layered on top with a cheese pull so fantastic even a Ninja Turtle would blush.

I really enjoyed the Muzzarella, a simple slice made with tomato sauce and cheese. Delicious in its own way, bringing back some nostalgic flavors and reminding me of my elementary school pizza crossed with a freshly baked pan pizza from Pizza Hut.

Somehow the tangy sauce and melted cheese mixed with the heavily oiled dough created that long forgotten excitement of Pizza Day, the best day of the week for any American elementary schooler. I sucked down the slices like a starving eight year old, sometimes forgetting to properly chew.

I loved Pizzeria Güerrin, and at $3 USD a slice, you bet I’ll go again. If you want more pizza, I wrote a whole blog post about my favorite pizza spots in Buenos Aires that you should definitely check out.

Pizzeria Güerrin
Av. Corrientes 1368, C1043 CABA, Argentina

10. Mi Tio – Best Milanesa In Buenos Aires

For classic Argentinian fare, milanesas offer a delicious option that may just be one of the most perfect foods in Buenos Aires. Protein is pounded thin, breaded, and deep fried until golden brown and delicious. What’s not to love?

Restaurants usually default to beef, but in some cases, you can find a scrumptious chicken milanese on the menu. At Mi Tio in San Telmo, they make the best milanesas in Buenos Aires, rivaling the deliciousness of the pork schnitzels I ate in Prague last year.

The milanesa at Mi Tio tasted like crispy, juicy perfection with a breaded crust that stayed light and airy. Using just my fork, I cut off my pieces showing a true indication of a properly tenderized piece of chicken.

The lemon wedges were a must, adding a touch of acid to offset all the fat. No sauce needed.

At about $8 USD for a full plate sized chicken milanesa, I think Mio Tio definitely qualifies as one of the best cheap restaurants in Buenos Aires

Mi Tio
Estados Unidos 389, C1101AAG CABA, Argentina

11. La Piedad – Best Bakery In Centro, Buenos Aires

Argentinians understand bakeries. Throughout Buenos Aires, freshly baked goods line the windows at hundreds of bakeries showcasing artesian bread, sweet pastries, and super soft sandwiches.

After exploring the sights in Centro, I needed a snack, but something cheap and different from the usual food we’d been enjoying.

We stopped at La Piedad and grabbed a few of these sandwiches both made on crustless white bread. Although they looked simple, they are one of the best cheap eats in Buenos Aires and almost every bakery sells some sort of variety.

The egg, cheese, and red pepper sandwich was my favorite, tasting like an egg salad sandwich with marinated red peppers. The creamy egg and the vinegary red peppers complimented each other’s strengths with a decadent creaminess from the yolk contrasted by sharp acid from the pepper.

La Piedad offers more than just sandwiches selling freshly baked cakes and pastries. Stop in for a dessert or if you just need something to refuel your adventures around Buenos Aires.

La Piedad
Florida 31, C1005 AAA, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Conclusion: Buenos Aires Is Full Of Cheap Restaurants

I hope this list of the best cheap restaurants in Buenos Aires encourages you to visit the city and dive into all the delicious possibilities. From the best burger in the city to amazing grilled short ribs, I ate exceptionally well while keeping my travel costs to a minimum.

Whether you have plenty of money for expensive restaurants or you need to stay on a shoestring budget, these cheap places were absolutely delicious and I would gladly visit each again for my next trip to Buenos Aires.