By Jonah Wurtzel and Near White,
Staff Writers.
With restaurant prices constantly rising and the pockets of students often bearing paltry loads, many of us struggle to find affordable options when hungry and searching for delectable eats. Thankfully, there remain plenty of options in our city for the frugal diner. In fact, almost every sort of cuisine is represented amongst Santa Rosa’s cheap restaurant scene.
Across from Courthouse Square and just a hidden staircase away from a sports bar lies some of Sonoma County’s best Thai food in a restaurant called Thai House. For 30 years, owner Natta Mahana has served plate after plate of Thai classics, such as Panang Curry and Drunken Noodles. Their Lunch Special Combination (a plate featuring the customer’s choice of two entrees, one side, rice and salad for just $15) is a favorite of customers who hope to save.
The ultimate challenge for the indecisive eater, the Mitote Food Park features a rotating lineup of food trucks, usually showcasing four at a time. From Oaxacan fare to Mexico City-style street food, every variety of Mexican cuisine is available at Mitote. Though the trucks range in affordability, it’s never difficult to find at least one truck with superb al pastor or suadero tacos for less than $3 each.
Tucked between a coin laundry and a smoke shop in an unassuming strip mall, Thuan Phat has been serving delicious Banh Mi for years. The Vietnamese sandwich, a combination of grilled chicken or pork, shredded carrot, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, mayo and pate—all served on a crisp French baguette—is done to a tee in this off-the-beaten-path joint for $7 apiece.
Juanita’s Taqueria is across the street from one of the most popular shopping centers in Sonoma County, so, more often than not, it gets missed despite its beautiful pink and green decor. It is best known for its $2 Tuesday tacos; therefore, its other food options are often overlooked. “Their tamales are good, but the price makes them even better,” said sophomore Aspen Vannucci-Pierce. With inviting deals like these, Juanita’s is well worth a visit.
Sonoma County’s only Ethiopian restaurant, Absynnia, is popular for its sampler platters, which feature six hearty portions of traditional Ethiopian dishes such as shiro, misir and doro wat. These platters, which will often leave customers with leftovers for days, only cost around $20.
A Santa Rosa institution, Roseland’s Pho Vietnam has served bowls of piping-hot pho, a traditional Vietnamese soup, for decades. With its aromatic, well-spiced broth, pho is the perfect meal for an under-the-weather diner or on a chilly day. This dish is remarkably affordable at Pho Vietnam, with a medium bowl costing $13 and a large $14.
With such a wide variety of cheap food available in Santa Rosa, foodies need not fear for a blow to their pockets when their stomachs begin to rumble.
