Top 5 cheap eats in North York
Published August 29, 2025 at 3:46 pm
Cheap eats are available in North York, but you’ll have to sort through the great variety of restaurants in the area to find the tastiest food for the most economical prices. Some of your best bets for an affordable meal are a wide range of Asian foods and hearty halal, but there’s a ton to discover in this huge neighborhood.
If you’re looking to try a bunch of cuisines in one go (and on a budget), try heading to one of the many food courts and malls in the area where inexpensive snacks and a selection of cuisines are abundant.
Here are some of the top cheap eats in North York.
5 – Kin-Kin
Looking to pick up a cheap snack on the go? This bakery is a great option for sweet or savoury pre-packaged buns you can swipe up in seconds for a couple of bucks and be on your way.
They also offer a great deal on dim sum, with an offer of six self-serve pieces for just $8. Choose from options like shrimp dumplings, pork dumplings, a variety of siu mai and sticky rice.
4 – Maki Mart
Each hand roll from this postage stamp store only costs a few dollars, but is packed with fluffy, sticky rice and fillings and is pretty hearty for the size. Options like avocado are the cheapest, but if you’re willing to shell out a little more you can get your hands on hand rolls with fresh-tasting scallop, ikura, fatty toro, salmon belly, lobster and even uni.
3 – Soul Made
Head to the food court at Emerald Park to find this gem that may seem a bit expensive at first, but not-so-secretly makes pressed “pocket sandwiches” for under $10 that will fill you up.
The sweet, dense bread they’re made with sticks to your ribs, and they come with yummy protein-packed fillings like tuna and corn, chicken or beef.
2 – Allwyn’s
The Emerald Park food court is also home to this go-to Caribbean joint which serves all kinds of affordable staples. Some of their best deals are on their sandwiches, with options like jerk chicken and patties on coco buns.
One of the better bargains is their sandwich of a meaty beef patty on a soft and fluffy coco bun with crunchy, creamy slaw, which rings in around $5 for a meal that will definitely keep you going.
1 – Kim’s A La Cart
Some of North York’s top cheap eats can be found in an unexpected place: the parking lot of an H Mart. Head around the side of the building to find this little stall selling a range of Korean snacks for rock bottom prices.
There are lots of options for cheap snacks like taiyaki, fish cakes and dumplings, but one of the best is their rice cakes doused in either teriyaki or spicy sauce, served on a skewer presented on a paper plate. The rice cakes are crisp on the outside and very chewy on the inside, soaking up the sweet teriyaki sauce.
