Cheap Food Critic

307 Kearny St
San Francisco, CA 94108

Mon-Thu 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Fri 11:00 am – 6:00 pm

I was back in San Francisco again and was craving some Japanese food. I did a quick search online and one of the first places to come up was Muracci’s. I’ve had Muracci’s before down in the Silicon Valley area but from what I remember it was pretty expensive. So it was a surprise to me when this place came up on my search for cheap Japanese food.

The San Francisco location is pretty tiny. It’s pretty much a togo place but there are about eight bar seats if you are in a bind. I came here for a togo order after work so i wasn’t too worried about seating. I wanted to get the Beef Curry and a side of the Curry Pan (or curry bread) but there were sold out of both. Pretty disappointed I ordered the Chicken Curry hot (spice-wise). My disappointment was quickly relieved once I started eating the scolding hot and spicy curry. You really can’t even taste the meat so getting chicken, beef or something else doesn’t even matter. It just adds a little extra texture to the super awesome curry. Although not the biggest portions it should be enough to leave you satisfied and at about $8.50 for the entire meal you really can’t complain.

This place was so damn good I came back for dinner the next night as well. This time I got the Chicken Katsu Breast Curry for $10.25 after tax. This meal came with the same delicious curry but the Katsu really adds to the texture and really soaked in the curry flavor. I will defiantly go back for this again. Also, these guys were sold out of the Curry Pan again. I’m going to have to head here for lunch next time to get this elusive curry bread.

For curry this is the place to hit up in San Francisco. It makes it all the better that it’s super cheap. Those of you that have been to San Francisco know how difficult to find cheap food, but I think I found a spot. Even if you get the curry bread and the curry chicken with rice it would still be cheap.

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Stars (861 Ratings)

839 Clay St
San Francisco, CA 94108

So you are in San Francisco and you want some good Chinese food, where do you go? Well, there’s tons of great places here for sure like R&G Lounge but my favorite here is Capital Restaurant. These guys are known for their Pepper Fried Chicken Wings; which they self-proclaim to be famous for. I normally don’t believe restaurants when they hype themselves up for being famous for whatever reason but these guys definitely did not disappoint.

Of course I had to order up some of the wings when I was here. An order comes with 10 wings or so and is covered in slices of jalapeno peppers (actually not that spicy though). The wings are fricking huge and are probably genetically overgrown but who cares there’s more meat. The outside is super crunchy without the excess batter like some places. There’s a nice saltiness and jalapeno flavor to the wings. The inside is always cooked perfectly and is piping hot. Be aware though it does take a little longer if you order the wings because its takes a while to fry up these giant chicken wings. An order of these wings are about $7 after tax

I’ve also tried the Beef Chow Fun and the Egg Tofu with Ground Meat. The Chow Fun is not the best I’ve had but it’s still not bad. The Egg Tofu with Ground Meat on the other had is top notch. Some of the best tofu dishes I have ever had. Either one will run you about $8 after tax.

Probably the best value in this area. Save yourself a few bucks and get some of the best cheap Chinese food in San Francisco.

Note – Cash only

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Stars (300 Ratings)

123 Ewing Dr
Nashville, TN 37207

Tue-Thu 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Fri 12:00 pm – 4:00 am
Sat 2:00 pm – 4:00 am

I heard about Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack from Esquire magazine’s website for being in the running for the “Most Life-Changing Fried Chicken in America.” Ezell’s in Seattle ended up winning that honor but I wanted to see if the people at Esquire were right (it’s actually voted by the people not Esquire, so it’s more of a popularity contest).

As much as I enjoy Ezell’s fried chicken these guys have something very special going on here. But because of the location I can imagine people not wanting to come here. The single storefront location is located about ten minuets north of downtown Nashville in a pretty sketchy part of town. Buildings in the area are pretty decrepit (including the one that Prince’s is located in) and the people hanging around the area are characters to say least. I’ve been to worst places (like Newark, New Jersey) and was never scared for my life. You just have to mind your own business. I would however, recommend you get your food to go.

When you arrive in the restaurant you will probably see a crowd of people (normally half locals and half tourists) sitting and standing around waiting for their food. Make your way through them to the second counter where it opens up to the kitchen to place your order. Now remember your order number and find a place to stand/sit for the next 30-45 minutes. No joke. It’s going to be awhile. You maybe thinking is that worth it? Well, I would not be taking the time to write about it if it wasn’t.

So, what about the food? Well, in short…its amazing. I got the half chicken (hot) for $11. I’ve never had anything like this fried chicken before. It was saucy like chicken wings but still had crunch like normal fried chicken. I got my chicken “hot” and it was pretty hot even for me. So if you can’t handle heat get it mild or medium spiciness. Your order also comes with some Texas toast that helps to soak up some of the oil and sauce as well as a few slices of pickles (don’t know why these are included). The half chicken would have stuffed two people easily. I would also recommend you just get the quarter chicken for $5. That will fill you up plenty.

If you can deal with horrible service, long waits, and the shady neighborhood you will be treated to one of the best fried chickens you will ever have.

Note – If you want to spend less time in the store try calling ahead to place your order.

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Stars (151 Reviews)

932 N Kenmore St
Arlington, VA 22201

Mon-Sun 11:00 am – 10:00 pm

I don’t know why there are so many Peruvian Chicken places in the DC area but I’m not really complaining…this stuff is awesome. My favorite place in this area (along with Anthony Bourdain) is El Pollo Rico.

Conveniently located right by George Mason University it’s easy to get to by train. They also have a good sized parking lot but it stays pretty full during lunch and dinner rush. Inside the restaurant there are tons of tables and seats. However, during lunch time you will have to poach a table as people finish eating. When ordering there are now two lines, one for cash and one for credit card. If you have cash you can normally cut your time in line by half.

My last trip here I had the quarter chicken with fries and rice. Nothing really special about the rice or fries but when eaten with the green or white mayo sauce I could not stop eating. The chicken was probably one of the best pieces chicken I have ever had! The skin was nice and crunchy while the meat was super moist and juicy. There was also some type of seasoning over the skin that gave the chicken a little salty flavor. Add the green sauce to the chicken and you have the makings of an awesome lunch or dinner. My only compliant was that I need more of those sauces…I finished all the ones they gave me but still had some chicken left over. The total for my whole meal was just over $10.

Note – Don’t forget to bus your own table

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 (548 Ratings)

900 Rainier Ave
Seattle, WA 98144

Mon-Fri 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sat-Sun 11:00 am – 2:00 am

20815 67th Ave W
Lynnwood, WA 98036

Tue-Sun 11:00 am – 9:00 pm

After having Peruvian chicken in the DC area I remembered we also have a really good place in Seattle.  San Fernando Roasted Peruvian Chicken in the Rainier/MLK area just outside of the International District is Seattle’s answer to Peruvian food.  All of the other Peruvian restaurants I’ve been to focus the menu on the roasted chicken.  Here at San Fernando they have roasted chicken also but its the other items that I would keep coming back for.  A lot of the food is a mix of Asian and Hispanic food (including the Arroz con Pollo and the Tallarin Saltado listed below).  So far I’ve tried the following items:

• Papas Rellenas – which is mashed potatoes stuffed with seasoned meat, formed in the shape of a mini football, and than fried.  Papas Rellenas is good for a very filling appetizer.
• Arroz con Pollo – which is quarter chicken with seasoned rice (taste kind of like curry fried rice).  My favorite at this place!
• Tallarin Saltado – is a sort of like a Peruvian chow mein, spaghetti noodles fried with chicken, tomatoes, and peppers.
• Arroz Chaufa – Peruvian fried rice!  Don’t order this expecting Chinese fried rice.  There are similarities for sure but there are different seasoning used in this fried rice.  I really like the huge chunks of chicken and the moistness of the rice but come here with an open mind and try it yourself.
• Lomo Saltaldo – Fries and white rice with sauteed beef, red onions, and red peppers.  Sounds simple but it is seasoned amazingly well.

Notes – Come here ready to eat with your fat pants.  They really load up on food here.  Also, don’t forget to try both the sauces.  Both add a little something special to the food.  If you can’t do spicy avoid the orange one, it’s habanero.

Update – I finally had a chance to get back to the Lynnwood location and get a few pictures of the place. The food is exactly the same as the Rainier location but a tad bit more expensive (about a dollar).

Seattle (Rainier) Location:
Yelp – 4.0/5.0 (53 Reviews)

Lynnwood Location:
Yelp – 4.0/5.0 (51 Reviews)

5240 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041

Sun-Wed: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Thu-Sat: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm

I read a Zaget review online claiming this place had better Peruvian chicken (pretty much roasted chicken) then the better known El Pollo Ricco. Being too far from El Pollo Rico I was excited to give this place a try. The chicken was juicy and flavorful but the sides were complete disappointments. I had the half chicken with salad and Peruvian potato salad for about $8.50 after tax. Both were pretty bland and not worth the stomach space. I could have also gotten the fries or yucca as sides (which I assume would have been better) it’s pretty difficult to mess up fried starches. The green sauce and white sauce were very good though. If I was in the area again I probably would come back but skip the sides and just get the chicken and fries or yucca.

The location itself is very large. Tons of seating and parking especially compared to El Pollo Rico.

Long story short, I don’t think this place was better than El Pollo Rico . However, it was still a good, healthy, and cheap lunch. Definitely worth a try.

Yelp – 3.5/5.0 (89 Ratings)