I'm on the road everyday for work, so I am always up for a new lunch spot. I'll get this thread going with the lunch specials at El Caribe on N. Lamar. Great lunch menu starting at $5. I usually get the 2 main items and 2 sides for $5.95. Main Items include enchiladas, burritos, tacos, fajita tacos and tostadas. The sides include 2 kinds of rice, 2 kinds of beans, chips & queso, salad and something else I am forgetting. If I'm real hungry I'll get one beef burrito and one chicken burrito, and double queso. One hell of a lunch plate. They also have some of the best salsas in Austin.
I had House Park Barbecue again today for lunch, it cost me about 8 bucks for a plate and tea, and it was great.
Lunch Special @ Hoa Hoa in Dobie Mall: soup, rice, 2 entrees (sweet n sour chicken, beef w/ broccoli, etc.,) egg roll/chicken wing, & fortune cookie. Hell yes. Stir-Fried Udon @ Noodleism
-Sambet's: Boudin sandwich, red beans & rice, and an Abita Root Beer (actually $11) -Enchiladas Y Mas: #5
I don't know. How much do you want to eat? Are you looking for a "sit down" place or just for food? Are you entertaining business contacts or is this just to satisfy your lunch needs? There's a place on Koening Lane called Taqueria Jalisco between Lamar and Burnet. It's pretty cheap and the food is your average Tex/Mex fare. It ain't bad. If you're simply looking for food, there's a taco cart that operates roughly at Guadalupe and Airport Blvd. that'll give you tacos for a good price. Also, there is a nice hole in the wall place on Airport at about 50th St. that makes some pretty good food. I think it's called the Tamale House. Other than that, and as a Capitol guy, I can only suggest El Mercado at 17th and Lavaca. They have a decent lunch special. There's this other place called the Chicken Bowl but I could never get my friends and coworkers to eat there because they seemed to be scared of the place.
el caribe is really good. my favorire lunches under $10: el regio: half a roasted chicken. whole roasted onion, rice, beans, 6 corn tortillas, and two kinds of salsa: $6.50. ruby's: two chopped beef sandwiches, $5, every day. 1/4 lb elgin sausage, 2 sides and a drink (and they have foutain rc, which kicks ***), $7.25 on tuesdays shoal creek saloon: crawfish poboy, ~$9. probably the best lunch in austin at any price. if i'm not travelling through central texas for que, which i try to do one friday afternoon a month, kicking off work at noon and a crawfish po boy & fries on the back patio with several fireman's 4's is my friday afternoon of choice. milto's: gyro and a greek salad las manitas: cheese enchiladas michocan, combo plate, and the picadillo chalupa plate greek place on 7th & colorado by the federal courthouse: combo plate or the huge salad with gyro chicken artz: baby back rib plate -- ithink they are the special on thursdays -- could be wrong though sambet's: crawfish po-boy or three side combo madam mam's: any curry dish fran's: double meat, double cheese and onion rings (although i usually feel like passing out after eating this so i don't eat it very often). little deli: beef taco special, crawfish etoufee special, muffaletta (i think the specials are once a month) kitchen door: meatloaf sandwich or chicken salad sandwich man, after going back and reading that list, it seems like i should be real fat but somehow i'm not.
top notch is usually below $10 to fill ya up. taco shack posse east use to hit up Bert's BBQ this list could really go on a long ways.
While it's not lunch, on Thursdays after 4p Shoal Creek Saloon has a honkin' big bowl of mudbug etouffe for $ 5.59 (comes w/ 3 wedges of French bread). Chicken Bowl - my bud who is the saddle maker @ Capitol Saddlery next door swears by 'em. If you do stop in, tell them Ca$h @ the saddle shop sent'cha & see if this gets you anything bonus. Cash says they've never once seen a rat or a roach due to them.
Pok-E-Jo's large chopped beef sandwich combo is a pretty damn good value. I get mine with a Shiner bottle and a side of baked potato casserole for about $8.50
I thought Chicken Bowl closed and it turned into Hog Island Deli. Is it still there? La Playa Taquaria on East 7th past Pleasant Valley and Springdale is the best food for under six bucks.
On Lavaca as you head N (it's a one way), you've gotcher... Hog Island Deli Chicken Bowl Capitol Saddlery So, no... not closed & not the Hog Island (who has, IMO, an expensive menu for lunch fare even though it's in a pricey real estate location).
i'll add a big bowl of pho tai nam at kim phung, $5.60. had one for lunch today. maybe not the best thing around, but for <$6, a great deal.
Korea House off Anderson Lane. $5.95 for Bul-Gol-Gi, Chicken BGG, or Pork BGG and comes with soup, rice, a side, and 5 or 6 of the small Korean side dishes. Or you could go for the sushi lunch special, 6pc nigiri and 6pc roll (salmon, tuna, or cali) for $6.95. Best sushi deal in town.