While there’s plenty of good food to be had in the Pensacola area, it’s nice to know where to find a meal you don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy.
Here are 17 solid choices where you can easily score a nourishing meal for $15 or less.
Scenic 90 Cafe
701 Scenic Highway
Ever since the silver-lined “shiny diner” was plopped into Pensacola on the side of Scenic Highway by crane in 1999, it has been stitched into the fabric of the East Pensacola Heights neighborhood.
Regulars line up at the locked doors at 6:29 a.m. for a glass of counter-squeezed orange juice and a larger-than-life omelet. The supper crowd fills the metallic turquoise booths with their families for big, creamy bowls of Shrimp & Crawfish Savannah. Just like the nostalgic, old-school feel, the menu reflects the same everyday diner kind of prices. You find lunch specials for $8.99 and dinner specials for $10.99, which come with an entrée, sides and bread. Some of the home-cooked specialties include chicken pot pie, beef tips, Southern fried chicken, meatloaf and more.
The Cutting Board
8855 State Road 87 South
The Cutting Board, a Milton staple for fresh seafood and home-cooked Southern specialties, is settling into its new location at 8855 State Road 87 South, serving the same fan-favorite, comfort food recipes. When husband-and-wife duo Nan Foster and “homestyle cook” Steve Gregory opened their doors in their new location this spring, they were met with a line of customers, both old and new, ready to bust down the door.
Foster was most excited about meeting the community’s needs by offering a variety of home-cooked favorites and a fixed set of daily specials priced at $10 or less, perfect for getting customers fed fast with a nourishing meal. These daily specials range from the tender hamburger steak with a choice of two sides (with the option for gouda mashed potatoes, a menu rarity, and a beloved customer favorite) to the celebrated fried grouper fingers.
CJ’s Kitchen & Grille
2100 W. Garden St.
In a world where brunch is all-the rage with bottomless mimosas and $20 french toast, CJ’s is an old-school gem where the coffee is flowing and the regulars not only fill the booths, but also the art on the walls. Although the menu is simple in nature, it has subtle touches that take it over the top, like the Gambino’s New Orleans French Bread that serves as the base of the diner’s French toast, or the signature CJ’s Napoleon that is made with a puff pastry layered with scrambled eggs and andouille sausage, topped with homemade Hollandaise and served with homemade hash browns. Then best part? CJ’s has a great selection of specials averaging $10 available Monday through Friday.
Coffee Cup
520 E. Cervantes St.
The Coffee Cup has had a steady stream of regulars flooding its tables for a home-cooked meal since it first opened in 1945. The beloved neighborhood diner was built by Wade Cagle in 1944 and opened the following year, featuring a single dining room with a long, full-length counter where customers could sit and watch the cooks prepare their meals on the grill line, according to the Coffee Cup website. The original 15 counter stools are still in use. Years later, the diner expanded beyond just breakfast to offer lunch foods, including daily specials offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for only $10.95, such as fried chicken, pork chops and meatloaf with mushroom gravy.
Jerry’s Drive In
2815 E. Cervantes St.
Jerry’s Drive-In is not only one of Pensacola’s oldest dining establishments, but one of the oldest restaurants in all of Florida. Jerry’s transports its customers back to simpler times with affordable, home-cooked meals, vintage posters on the walls and a cash-only philosophy. Some of the classic Jerry’s meals include Jerry’s sauce crackers and pickles, mullet sandwiches and classic hamburgers. The menu prices will remind you of the old days as well, regardless of what you order.
Something Asian and More
2806 W. Michigan Ave.
Donnie Deluna’s longtime mission of opening a food truck park has finally come to fruition through Something Asian & More, a food complex now serving as a community hub for quality food trucks, indoor and outdoor seating and an indoor ice cream parlor/smoothie shop.
Each truck brings a unique type of cuisine to the table all at affordable prices. Something Asian specializes in Filipino barbecue plates based on generations of family recipes, ranging from Korean beef to sweet and smoky Asian barbecue chicken and tender Kalua pork. Greazy Burger is the product of Deluna’s quest to create a satisfying smash burger that still has volume. It’s made from a Costello’s custom blend patty so juicy “so it almost melts in your mouth.” One of the points of pride for the Greazy Burger concept is that every burger on the menu ranges from $5 to $6, making it accessible for everyday lunch breaks.
Oar House
1000 S. Pace Blvd.
Climb aboard The Deck of the Oar House to soak up a scenic view of the Bahia Mar Marina and hear live music strumming while nursing a signature, bucket-sized cocktail of rum mixed with fruit juices. While the Oar House experience will have you feeling like you’re on vacation, it’s only minutes away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Pensacola. One of the things that sets the Oar House apart is that you can score fresh seafood options without breaking the bank, including their blackened fish Fork Lift sandwich for $12.95.
Cottage Café
203 W. Gregory St.
Not even a half mile away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Pensacola’s Palafox Street is a place where time slows, and the small joys of life are savored.
Ice-cold mason jars are filled with blackberry lemonade. Fresh grown flowers fill the backsplash of Cottage Café’s patio. Friends gather over fresh green salads, curry chicken salad and homemade quiche. One of the most unique characteristics of the menu is that everything on the menu is $10.95, from the core menu items, to the ever-changing weekly special.
Sky’s Pizza
Sky’s Pizza, Pensacola’s cult-favorite New York-style pizza joint at 5559 N. Davis Highway has a reputation for its giant, New York slices. The pizza was inspired by Sky’s owner Sarah Noble’s decade living in New York, where pizza was available far and wide. Her favorite, however, were wide-sliced, thin and crispy.
At Sky’s, not only are they known for their quality ingredients and handmade dough, but it’s impossible to look away when the ginormous pizzas absorb the table. One of the best value for your dollar is the two cheese slice and drink combo for $8.49.
TOPS Choice Hamburgers
401 E. Cervantes St.
TOPS is a Pensacola classic for quarter-pound burgers with all the traditional toppings such as mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mustard, onion and ketchup. This establishment is drive-thru and pick-up only, and a perfect stop for a lunch run.
Taqueria EL Asador
7955 N. Davis Highway
When Taqueria El Asador first opened behind a Shell gas station at 7955 N. Davis Highway in 2014, it was one of Pensacola’s best-kept secrets. The restaurant has exploded in popularity since, but it has kept a concise menu with $3 street tacos still bringing in a stream of customers. The food truck’s offerings have expanded to offer full dinner plates with meat, rice, beans, grilled jalapeno, grilled onions and tortillas.
Sidelines Sports Bar and Restaurant
2 Via De Luna Drive
Sidelines is not only steps away from Pensacola Beach’s white sand, but has 38 HD TVs for football lovers to enjoy, including eight 52-inch HDTV big screens. They have been a fan-favorite on Pensacola Beach for sports coverage since 1992, and show most Big 10, SEC, ACC games and most ESPN+ games. However, the food is worth a trip alone. You can find a variety of options on the menu under $15, including crab cake sandwiches, pineapple grilled fresh catch plates and sidelines taco salad.
Saigon Oriental Market and Deli
604 N. Pace Blvd.
In addition to the abundance of fresh meats and produce at your disposal in the grocery portion of the space, such as fresh Chinese broccoli and bok choy, there is also an entire dining room built in. The restaurant portion advertises some of the best bubble tea prices in town, starting at $2.99, along with a variety of appetizers, noodle soups, sandwiches and beverages. The classic Saigon pho is one of the market’s namesake dishes, made with sliced rare steak, braised beef chuck and beef meatballs served with bean sprouts, basil, lime and jalapeno for $10.99. Other signature staples include the Saigon rice, made with grilled pork chops, pork skin, steamed egg and pork meatloaf for $7.99. If you’re looking for something lighter, the classic Vietnamese sandwiches, such as the banh mi, are only $4.99 each.
The Drop In
23 W. Cervantes St.
Home to the famous frozen lemonade founded in the late ‘70s, Damian’s Frozen Lemonade, The Drop In goes beyond that, offering a variety of delicious savory eats, including house-made meatball grinders, house-made corned beef with kraut on rye, their royale burger, hand-cut fries and more all at or under $15.
Café Single Fin
380 N. Ninth Ave.
Café Single Fin is a hidden gem for fresh flavors in a laid-back environment, tucked inside Waterboyz skate shop. While delicious, all the dishes are made with fresh ingredients and offered at affordable prices, whether it’s the all-day breakfast, the blackened mahi tacos or the Radical Steak sandwich.
Koi Sushi
2 E Nine Mile Road, Suite 4
Pensacola’s Koi Sushi is the kind of place where, before you even know what the person next to you ordered, you’re positive you want the same thing based on the tantalizing smell alone. From the fried garlic is built into the DNA of the tonkotsu ramen broth, to the fresh ginger citrus that dressing glazes the house salad, to the rich and creamy Japanese curry sauce that envelops the curry katsu, every meal is an experience.
If you’re looking to score a killer lunch deal, opt for one of the lunch bento boxes.
Mr. Pollo
6404 N. Ninth Ave.
Mr. Pollo has been a Pensacola favorite since it first opened in 2019, and the star of the menu is the rotisserie-style Peruvian charcoal chicken. The restaurant began as a local hole-in-the-wall but has since gained national attention, appearing on Yelp’s top 100 list of restaurants to try in 2020.
Pop in for a charcoal chicken lunch plate with choice of sides, ranging from plaintains to potato salad.
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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola cheap eats guide: 17 restaurants to check out for quality meals under $15
Reporting by Brittany Misencik, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
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