New York City is touted as one of the most expensive cities in the world. While you can drop $100s, on fancy meals, big concerts, and pricy experiences. You can also have an epic day of exploring on a budget. The city is teeming with interesting neighborhoods and quirky enclaves, and I promise you’ll stumble upon something amazing if you keep your eyes peeled. Wandering is free, but said wandering can be 10x better if fueled by tasty bites!
We are on a mission to eat our way through New York’s various neighborhoods on a $30 budget. Last week, we hit the streets of Sunnyside, Queens (which was a WILD success, read about it HERE.). This week, we are headed to Astoria to see what frugal finds there are to be had. Spoiler alert, it wasn’t as easy as we thought to fuel up on $30! But we did have a couple great finds.
The area now known as Astoria was inhabited by the Lenni-Lenape people for centuries before the arrival of European colonizers in the 1600S. The Dutch were the first to commandeer the land, and Jacque Benfyn was the first European to get land rights in 1638. The Native Americans weren’t thrilled, to say the least. The conflict got so bad that Benfyn fled to the safety of Manhattan. A classic tale of North America colonization played out. Keift’s War began (1643-1645) to dispel of the Lenape people, and the population was whittled down by weapons and disease to a point of extinction.
William Hallett, an Englishman, swooped in to develop a farming community. While the Lenape got one last fight in by burning his estate to the ground, the Hallett family came out on top and were owners of the land for nearly a century. “Hallett Cove” produced grains, livestock, timber, and firewood, all of which were shipped across the river to New Amsterdam.
The Hallett’s began selling off the land in the early 1800s. The farmland by the river was transformed into summer villas for rich Manhattanites looking for a city escape while the inland farmland was transformed into factories. Things quickly changed in 1835 with the arrival of the famous fur trader Stephen Halsey. He had plans to develop the land into a buzzing city, and he just so happened to have close connections with John Jacob Astor, a fur-tycoon and America’s first multi-millionaire. He put an offer on the table: invest $2000 in this community and I’ll name it after you. Astor rebutted with $500… sold! (There is some debate on this… read more HERE.)
At the time, Brooklyn had strict regulations while Queens did not. Astoria became a goldmine for industry, and factories, distilleries, and refineries flourished including the famous Steinway Piano. It was a hotspot for opportunity, which was attractive for immigrants. Numerous waves of immigrants have crashed on the Astoria shorelines over the decades. Said waves have included people from Ireland, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Albania, Egypt, Morocco, and Croatia… just to name a few.
Today, Astoria has population that’s just over 150,000 people representing more than 100 countries. It’s truly a hub for diversity, which means it’s a huge for pretty amazing eats….
Astoria is a hub for food trucks dishing out pitas and platters, but the King of Falafel and Shawarma is arguably the best. Freddy Zeideia launched the first King of Falafel and Shawarma food truck in 2001 with a mission to bring Palestinian street food to NYC. Word got out about the perfect falafel and juicy shawarma, and it quickly became a local favorite. Today, they run a handful of food trucks as well as a brick and mortar store in Astoria. We headed to the food truck to kick off our $30 Astoria food crawl.
You can score various bowls, salads, and pitas with their falafel, beef shawarma, or chicken shawarma. On this visit, we sprung for the chicken shawarma pita. The soft, fluffy pita was totally stuffed with juicy chicken and a crunchy salad. A creamy white sauce and spicy red sauce tie it all together. It’s hearty, flavorful, and satisfying, and an excellent bite for $10. Plus… you get a free falafel while you wait! In my opinion, it’s the best falafel in Astoria with a perfectly crunchy outside and super soft inside.
Price: $10, which I think is a great value, especially considering the fact you get a free falafel!
Astoria has a huge Greek population, which means there’s no shortage of Greek eats. While there are plenty of sit-down spots, more frugal bites can be had at one of the many souvlaki trucks sprinkled around the neighborhood. The very first souvlaki truck to kick of the trend was The Souvlaki Lady. Elpida Vasiliadis, the Souvlaki Lady herself, has been running the cart for over 30 years, and her food is based on family recipes that are straight from Thessaloniki, Greece. You can score a delectable chicken souvlaki pita for $10, but we decided to give the Greek empanada a shot because a second chicken pita sandwich didn’t seem quite right.
Turns out a “greek empanada” is feta wrapped in phyllo dough with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and hearty drizzle of honey. The crunchy phyllo dough with the thick honey and soft cheese make for a nice textural experience. But the balance of sour and sweet is a flavor profile my taste buds are accustomed to, and I admittedly didn’t like it. However, I’m always happy to try something new (even though I can’t say I’d recommend it to you…)
Price: $8, which in hindsight is a bit pricey. I’d recommend getting a souvlaki stick ($4 a pop) instead!
The Djerdan Burek Company is a family-run operation that opened in 1997 by Bosnian refugees looking to bring a taste of the Balkans to Astoria. They specialized in burek, which is a filled phyllo dough pie, and the shop was an instant success. Within 4 years, they opened a handful of other locations and were a hot topic amongst the press. The family took things to a whole new level in 2014 with the purchase of a facility in North Jersey where they could produce frozen “bake at home” bureks. This humble, immigrant-born business created a product that is now sold in all 50 states That’s a success story if I’ve ever heard one!
We went with the spinach burek for $7, and I can’t believe I’ve been on this planet for over 33 years and have just discovered this dish. It’s crunchy on the outside, with soft, flakey layers on the inside. It’s warm and satisfying with an almost doughy quality. Check out the video below for a more in-depth look!
Price: $7, which is a steal!
With only $5 left in the budget, we needed a frugal sweet treat to round out our Astoria food crawl. My heart wanted a slice of cheesecake from Omonia Next Store, but alas, the budget said no. After popping into a few spots, we finally found one with options for $5 and less: Il Fonaio Bakery. Il Fornaio Bakery is a classic Italian bakery serving up cookies, cakes, and coffee. We settled on the least Italian option there was: a black and white cookie.
The statement I’m about to say will make New Yorkers gasp: I don’t really like black and white cookies. I find them to be too sweet, too dry, and usually flavorless. And this cookie was all those things.
Price: $4… surely there is a frugal sweet treat SOMEWHERE in Astoria that we couldn’t find. If you have any intel, be sure to let us know!
Astoria has amazing eats, but a lot of them come from sit-down restaurants that aren’t conducive with a frugal food crawl. However, it was fun exploring the streets, and I’d say 2 of the 4 stops were huge hits.
What neighborhood should we hit next? Comment with your suggestions!
We set out on a mission to try NYC carrot cake desserts that aren't actually…
How far does $30 goes in Sunnyside, Queens? We're going on a Sunnyside food crawl…
My grandmother, Mary Kowalski, lived to 103 years old. What did it take to be…
Today I turn 33 years old, which means it's my turn to take the hot…
How far does $20 in Chinatown in 2026? We embarked on a Manhattan Chinatown food…
What is Qantas economy class food like? Here's a rundown of everything we ate on…