Dine for Less Than $5 a Person at This Iconic Dumpling Stand in New York

Inflation is hitting us all, and even many of my favorite cheap eats spots are feeling the pinch. When I head into New York City and try to get a plate of beef stew with rice and beans, or a fried fish sandwich at one of my old haunts, it's not rare to see that price creeping above $10. That's definitely not the case in Chinatown, though, where the cheap eats are still king. In fact, this area of Manhattan might be home to the cheapest lunch in New York - Fried Dumpling, where people wait in line to get portions of the restaurant's beloved...you got it! There are only two items on the menu here, and they both have the same shockingly low price of $1.25. One portion probably won't be enough for a meal, so order as many as you want. Not only is it possible to dine for under $10 here, it's hard to go over.

Fried Dumpling is the definition of a hole-in-the-wall, hiding on Mosco Street in Chinatown. It's not really a restaurant, more of a counter, and the menu is just as small as the location. But that doesn't stop people from lining up for a taste of the restaurant's specialties every single day.

And that specialty? Why, it's fried dumplings, of course. These pork-and-chive dumplings are given a light fry to give them a crispy edge, but they're still tender and bursting with flavor. They come in four to an order for $1.25, perfect for a snack.

If you want to make a meal out of a visit here, though, try an order of the restaurant's pork buns, too. Thicker, softer, and sweeter, these make the perfect complement to the zesty dumplings. Get two orders of both and you're only at $5 a person. The restaurant also offers hot-and-sour soup for $1 or $2 a portion, as well as coffee, tea, or milk for 50 cents a cup.

Have you dined at Fried Dumpling, the cheapest lunch in New York? What's your favorite cheap eats spot in the big city? You can see the menu - just to prove it really is this cheap - on the Fried Dumpling website, but you already know all the items. If you want something a little heartier but still affordable for dinner, make sure to stop by the area's storied Great NY Noodletown. And if it's going to take you more than a day to get through all the amazing food here, the Wyndham Garden Chinatown is waiting to give you a luxurious night's sleep.