Cheap Eats

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Ichiban

1449 University Avenue, Hillcrest, 619-299-7203
Bento Box B, $9.50

Compartmentalized trays called bento take the place of plates at this funky but clean eatery in Hillcrest that attracts a colorful mix of patrons. Young, old, couples, singles, they all line up to eat Japanese food at bargain prices. It’s best to come early: By 7 p.m., this place is bustling—the few tables inside and outside on the sidewalk are usually full, but they clear quickly.

Order Bento Box B, pick up your chopsticks, and feast on five slices of raw fish such as tuna and snapper in one small compartment; fried shrimp, scallops and salmon in a second compartment; a sliced California roll with tartar sauce in the third; steamed rice in the fourth; plus miso soup on the side. If you’d rather make a meal of sashimi only, order the Mixed Sashimi Plate: 10 pieces, $9.50. You get fresh raw tuna, salmon, snapper and fried shrimp, along with sticky rice, salad and a terrific miso soup.

Los Dos Pedros 2

723 Turquoise Street, Pacific Beach, 858-488-3102
Combination 11, Carne Asada, $6

Los Dos Pedros 2 may be little more than a wrought-iron front door, a counter, a grill and a sink, but it’s an institution in its neighborhood. Joel Rubio has been turning out good, cheap Mexican food at this location for 18 years, seven days a week, day and night (until 3 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays). Rubio makes 16 types of burritos, including machaca chorizo, each $3.23; five types of tacos, including fish, for $2.60 each; three types of enchiladas, two for $4; and 20 combinations, all $6. Combination 11 is a big helping of carne asada, two 14-inch tortillas, rice and beans.

When you pick up your order, be sure to sample the grilled jalapeños sprinkled with salt, free for the taking in a basket on the counter.

Beef ’n’ Bun

2477 Fletcher Parkway, Fletcher Hills, 619-465-0767
Junior Burger, 99 Cents;
Half-Pounder, $2.69;
Chocolate Malt, $2.50

The really good ones have staying power. The sign in the window at the Beef ’n’ Bun says, “40 Years of Great Food. Thank You!” Actually, it was 40 years last May. Back in ’61, they knew how to make a burger and a real malted milkshake. They still do. Of course, the menu’s expanded some. You can also get a hefty chicken sandwich for $3.10; an old-fashioned BLT for $1.99; crispy fish ’n’ chips, with the best tartar sauce in the territory, for $4.90. And breakfast—any breakfast sandwich (ham, sausage or bacon) with potato cakes and orange juice—for just $2.79. When Dick Grider first opened the place,
it was the Beef ’n’ Bun Whistle Stop Café. That was before a new sign ordinance forced him to lop off half the words.
Nonedible special: vintage car shows, on the first, third and fifth Saturdays of the month, at 6 p.m. in the parking lot.

JV Mexican Food

1112 Morena Boulevard, Bay Park, 619-276-0758
Roast Pork Burrito, $2.85

Auto mechanics from across the street, University of San Diego students from up the hill and families living in the area all find their way to this Mexican restaurant tucked in an obscure convenience center. Drive too fast and you’ll miss it. Patrons come for the saucer-size sopes, mounded high with chicken or beef, $2.50; and menudo, red or white, made fresh every day, $3.70 a quart. But they’d be fools to leave without tasting JV’s hefty roast pork burrito, easily 8 inches long and 11¼2 inches thick. Inside are big chunks of tender, flaky pork and just the right amount of rice. Give it a squeeze of fresh lime juice, take a bite, and you’re transported to hog heaven.

Papa Gus

698 North Coast Highway 101, Leucadia, 760-944-9168
Caribbean Delight, $5.50

A local favorite for years, Papa Gus offers a compelling menu of Cuban and Caribbean specialties at incredibly affordable prices. Most dishes, like the Caribbean Delight and the whole-wheat Caribbean burrito, each $5.50, involve some combination of black beans, plantain bananas, Jack cheese and avocado. Papa’s Delight, another favorite, consists of picadillo (ground turkey meat), rice, black beans and plantains, $5.50. And the hearty Cuban black bean soup, topped with melted Jack cheese, onions, avocado and sour cream, is a meal in itself for $5.50.

Papa Gus also is known for its breakfast burritos, $4-$5.50, and incredible smoothies, which range from the health-conscious Power Blaster, $4.25, with fresh fruit and yogurt, to the sinfully decadent Espresso Smoothie, $4.25, with espresso, Mexican chocolate and vanilla or peanut-butter ice cream.

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