Locals reveal the best $10 lunches in pricey LA — including surprising Erewhon bargain

Forget overpriced salads and smoothies.

In a city known for expensive eats, Los Angeles foodies are proving you don’t have to break the bank to eat well.

Cash-strapped Angelenos are swapping their favorite cheap lunch spots in a new Reddit thread, revealing a treasure trove of surprisingly affordable meals in a notoriously pricey dining destination.

In a surprise twist, even luxury grocer Erewhon — famous for eye-watering prices and influencer approved smoothies — apparently has something affordable on the menu.

A conversation recently kicked off online when one Reddit user challenged fellow food lovers to share their favorite lunches for around $10. The poster admitted their own contribution to the list might ruffle some feathers: an $8.75 personal 8-inch pizza from Erewhon.

“It was my first ever purchase there because of the notoriety it gets from their prices, but the pizza was actually pretty damn good, had good ingredients, was PACKED with chicken,” the poster wrote. The shopper said an employee even threw in extra sauce and cilantro for free, bringing the total to just $10.75 with a bottle of water.

“For the quality, satiety, and price, Erewhon pizza is 100% going on my rotation,” they added.

Naturally, the thread quickly exploded as locals rushed in to prove you don’t need Gwyneth Paltrow’s grocery budget to survive lunch hour.

Multiple users crowned supermarket chain Sprouts Farmers Market as the undisputed king of grab-and-go bargains.

“Made-to-order deli sandwiches from Sprouts Farmers Market. Starts at $4.99 (+$1 for cheese),” noted one savvy shopper, with another chiming in that sushi rolls drop to $5 on Wednesday.

Another supermarket lunch hack was singled out at 99 Ranch Market, where a Chinese hot-bar meal reportedly costs $9.99 for two entrees and white rice. The commenter claimed the portions are so hefty, that one order can stretch into two meals.

Over at Nijiya Market, with locations in Torrance and West LA, another shopper revealed that their cafe serves a Chicken Katsu Bento for $6.99. The Japanese supermarket’s inexpensive lunch offerings were praised by many others, who also highlighted their fresh sushi.

At The Park’s Finest, a Filipino barbecue joint in Historic Filipinotown, locals raved about the $10 Local Love Lunch Bowl, offered on Thursdays and Fridays. The bargain meal comes loaded with rice, corn and a choice of protein, including coconut beef adobo, pulled pork or a plant-based mushroom option.

Of course, no discussion of cheap eats in Southern California would be complete with In-N-Out, where a cheeseburger combo comes out to just under $10.

Multiple users on a separate Reddit thread also suggested Mariscos Jalisco’s crispy shrimp tacos, priced at $2.75 a piece — meaning three would still fall within a $10 budget before tax and tip.

While $10 might not go as far as it once did, LA’s resourceful foodies are proving there are plenty of ways to fill your stomach without emptying your wallet.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters