Zankou Chicken
Half Chicken Plate for Two
One half rotisserie chicken plate with legendary garlic paste, pita & two sides feeds two for $13–$15 — or two quarter birds for under $20. LA institution since 1984.
Villa's Tacos
Tacos for Two
A Highland Park taquería (Michelin Bib Gourmand) known for blue-corn tortillas and a heaped quesotaco. Regular tacos run about $3.50 and a quesotaco $4.50, so two people get a couple each for roughly $14–18. Also a stall at Grand Central Market.
Sabores Oaxaqueños
Oaxacan Tlayuda to Share
A Koreatown Oaxacan kitchen where the mixta tlayuda — a giant crisped tortilla layered with beans, cheese, and meats — runs about $16.99 and easily feeds two, with cheaper memelas à la carte. One tlayuda shared keeps two under $20.
The Halal Guys
Share a Platter for Two
A chicken or gyro over rice platter runs about $11–12 with the legendary white and hot sauces — and one platter is big enough to split, so two people share one plus a drink for around $20. LA food trucks and brick-and-mortar locations.
Falafel Inc
Falafel for Two
A Westwood outpost of the Palestinian, mostly-vegan falafel shop with a give-back model. A falafel sandwich runs about $5.49 and bowls a few dollars more, so two people eat well under $20. Quick, cheap, and meat-free friendly.
Guisados
Taco Flight for Two
East LA braised taco institution — the sampler flight (6 tacos) is $12 and easily feeds two, or two flights for $24. Tacos $3–4 each individually. Multiple LA locations. One of the most praised taquerias in the city.
Mariscos Jalisco
Bib Gourmand Taco Truck
The yellow truck on Olympic and Soto since 2001 — Bib Gourmand-listed, the only Michelin-recognized taco truck in LA. Crispy fried-shrimp tacos run about $2.50 each, so six tacos plus an aguachile tostada to share lands two right around $20.
Tacos 1986
Tijuana-Style Trompo for Two
A Tijuana-rooted taqueria pressing masa tortillas in-house and slicing meat off a vertical trompo. Tacos $3.75 each — five tacos in any mix of asada, adobada or pollo lands at $18.75. Counters in DTLA, Beverly Grove, Pasadena and Westwood.
Sapp Coffee Shop
Two Bowls of Boat Noodles
Thai Town counter spot — the strip-mall booth Jonathan Gold spent years sending people to. Boat noodles run $8–9, so two people order one boat noodle and one jade noodle and walk out near $18. Closed Wednesdays.
Chosun Galbee
K-Town Lunch Specials for Two
K-Town tabletop-grill room whose lunch menu hides the value: $9.99 per person for galbi, bulgogi or jeyuk-bokum with banchan, soup and rice. Two people lunch for $19.98. Lunch only.
Pollo a la Brasa
Half Chicken Plate for Two
A Peruvian charcoal-and-mesquite chicken room that's been on Western Avenue since 1985 and lives in the Michelin Guide. The half-chicken plate (about $13.50) plus a shared side of fries or yuca lands two under $20.
Carnitas El Momo
Family Carnitas Tacos
A family carnitas operation that's won LA TACO's Taco Madness bracket. Tacos run $4–5 — four buys two people lunch at $16–20. Truck and stall locations rotate across Boyle Heights, East LA and Monterey Park.
Bay Cities Italian Deli
One Godmother, Two People
Santa Monica's century-old Italian deli, open since 1925. Order one Godmother — prosciutto, mortadella, capicola, salami, ham and provolone on Bay Cities' own bread, about $15–16 — and split it. Closed Mondays. The wait is real, the line moves.
Banh Mi My Tho
Family Banh Mi Run
A small Alhambra strip-mall counter the SGV regularly votes the best banh mi anywhere in the valley. Sandwiches run $4–5 — four banh mi (cold cuts, grilled pork, or lemongrass chicken) feeds two for around $18 with leftovers for tomorrow.
Burritos La Palma
Zacatecan Birria Burritos
Bib Gourmand for Zacatecan-style birria de res tucked into thin handmade flour tortillas. Burritos run $5–5.45, so four — two each — comes to about $20. The Valley Boulevard original is the move.
Lamonica's NY Pizza
NY Slices for Two
A Westwood Village slice shop using dough flown in from New York, a UCLA-area staple since 1981. A cheese slice runs about $4.95, and a 2-slices-plus-soda combo around $5.50, so two people grab lunch for roughly $11. Big, foldable, classic.
Señor Fish
Fish Taco Run
An Ensenada-style fish taco shop that's been doing one thing very well for decades. Battered fish or shrimp tacos run $3.75–4.50, so five for two lands around $20. South Pasadena, Eagle Rock and DTLA branches.
El Huarache Azteca
Two Huaraches
A Highland Park family kitchen turning out the namesake huarache — a long masa platter with beans, salsa, queso fresco, and your choice of meat — for about $11. Add a few sopes or tacos (a few dollars each) and two share a feast for around $20. Closed Tuesdays; cash sometimes preferred.
Roma Market
Italian Sub for Two
A century-old Italian deli and grocery in Pasadena famous for "The Sandwich" — capicola, mortadella, salami, and provolone on a roll, around $5.50–6. Two sandwiches run about $11–12. An old-school, cash-friendly counter.
Un Solo Sol
Vegan Latin for Two
An all-vegan Latin kitchen in Boyle Heights serving pupusas, pozole, and wraps with most plates around $8–11. Two people eat a plant-based Latin meal for under $20. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Philippe the Original
Two French Dips
Open since 1908 just north of Union Station, where the French dip was invented in 1918. The dipped beef, pork, lamb, or turkey sandwich is a genuine cheap meal — single digits each — so two eat for well under $20, with the famously sharp house mustard.
Tito's Tacos
Hard-Shell Tacos for Two
A Westside drive-up counter open since 1959 — hard-shell ground beef tacos topped with shredded cheddar and shredded lettuce, the LA-tradition kind, not the food-trend kind. Tacos run $3–4; four with chips and beans is about $20.
Pa Ord Noodle
Thai Town Noodles for Two
A Thai Town favorite on Sunset for boat noodles and Thai standards, with most dishes around $8.95–12. Two people order a couple of the cheaper plates and land near $20. Bright, fast, and reliably spicy.
Ruen Pair
Thai Plates for Two
A Thai Town late-night institution with a 115-item menu and many shareable plates from $6.25 — Chinese-olive fried rice, crispy pork, papaya salad. Two people order a few of the cheaper dishes for around $20. Cash only; closed Wednesdays.
Golden Deli
Vietnamese for Two
A San Gabriel Vietnamese institution famous for crisp egg rolls and pho. A pork banh mi runs about $9.50 and egg rolls a couple dollars each, so two share rolls plus banh mi or a regular pho bowl for under $20. Closed Wednesdays.
💡 Pro tip: All deals are community-verified but prices and availability change. Always check the restaurant's website or app before making a special trip — and if something's expired, flag it on our main directory so we can update it.
These chain deals work anywhere in the country, including LA.
Buffalo Wild Wings
Pick 6 — Meal for Two from $19.99
The Pick 6 lets two people build a shared meal — choose six items across wings, tenders, and sides — starting around $19.99. A reliable two-for-$20 play at any BWW. Dine-in or takeout; pricing varies slightly by market.
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