The 11 best cheap eats in Hobart

If there’s one thing Hobart’s lunch crowd loves, it’s a banh mi. Tucked inside Elizabeth Street Mall, Ja and Jon draw a serious lunch crowd with its hefty and affordable Vietnamese baguettes. The most popular choice is the $12.20 crispy pork banh mi, packed with fresh salad and a kick of chilli sauce. However, there are plenty of vegan options, featuring lemongrass tofu or mock ‘char siu’. For the ultimate penny pincher, grab one of their fluffy bao buns filled with barbecue pork, satay chicken or lemongrass beef.

Order the: Crispy pork banh mi.

Price: Banh mi from $8.50, bao buns from $7.90

This Collins Street gem is a go-to for authentic Malaysian street food that won’t break the bank. It’s been delivering the goods since 2010, offering simple yet satisfying South East Asian staples, including nasi lemak, chicken rice and noodle soups from $15.50. If you’re on the go, pick up some curry puffs, chicken wings or mini vegetable spring rolls for only $4. Fresh, flavourful and affordable – what’s not to love?

Order the: Nasi lemak.

Price: Mains from $15.80

From humble beginnings in a travelling food van, Billy Burgers has settled into its waterfront position on Hobart’s Constitution Dock with an epic menu that includes boozy shakes. But it’s burgers where Billy excels and The Beast burger is unapologetically huge. Triple beef patty. Triple cheese. Double bacon. Double bun. Yes, you read that right. Smothered in Billy’s special sauce, with a punch from pickles and caramelised onions and a sweetness from beetroot, this burger is for the brave and the ravenous. Yes, it's the most exxy burger on the menu, but The Beast isn’t just a complete meal – it’s a commitment. If you've still got room, don’t miss their jalapeño cheese corn poppers – spicy, crispy and perfect for nibbling while you wait for your mountain of a burger to arrive.

Order the: Classic cheeseburger.

Price: Burgers from $12.50 

How lucky that one of Hobart’s favourite seafood shops is also one of its most affordable. Perched right on the water at Constitution Dock, Flippers serves up fast, freshly cooked fish and chips that cost under $20. Plus, their prawn cutlets, potato cakes, calamari rings, crab sticks, battered scallops and fried dim sim go for just $1.90 a pop. How flippin’ good!

Order the: Battered flathead with thick-cut chips. Don't forget the tartare sauce. 

Price: Fried snacks from $1.90, fish and chip meals from $17.50

This humble North Hobart joint is a go-to for reliable Thai fare. Solo diners can fill up on small bites, like vegetable spring rolls, prawn and chicken wontons, Thai fish cakes and satay skewers – all for less than $10 per plate. If sharing is more your vibe, fill the table with a hearty green curry, salt and pepper stir-fry and pineapple fried rice. Split three ways, you won’t be paying more than $20 per head.

Order the: Pineapple cashew fried rice.

Price: Small bites from $7.90, mains from $17.90

For many years, this authentic Singaporean coffee shop in the heart of Hobart has been a favourite for city hustlers. The Hainanese chicken rice is a cheap and cheerful lunch fix, featuring fragrant rice, topped with poached boneless chicken, sliced cucumber and a side of homemade chilli sauce. For around the $20 price point, you can also enjoy traditional char kway teow or a rich seafood laksa.

Order the: Fried hokkien mee.

Price: Mains from $17.90

For the past 20 years, this Bank Arcade institution has earned its reputation for serving up not only some of the best Thai cuisine in town but also some of the best value. All dishes are 100 per cent vegetarian and cooked to order using fresh Tassie market vegetables, Thai herbs and spices, and protein-packed mock meats. For under $20, you can build your own rice or noodle bowl with up to three mains from the counter, or opt for a hearty bowl of Hokkien noodles, pad Thai or tom yum fried rice.

Order the: Spicy vegetarian duck noodles.

Price: Build-your-own meals from $18.80.

The banh mi at Cyclo has achieved legendary status in Hobart’s cheap eats scene. For only $12.80, you’ll score a crispy baguette stuffed with juicy meats, pickled veggies and zesty herbs. The $18.50 beef pho is also worth lining up for, or you can walk away with an easy $10.50 pack of rice paper rolls, filled with options like duck, crackling pork, char siu, prawn, barramundi, lemongrass beef or tofu.

Order the: Beef pho or lemongrass beef banh mi.

Price: Rice paper rolls from $10.50, banh mi from $12.80

Two barbecue pork buns, three vegetable spring rolls, four pieces of chicken and prawn dim sim – you can bag all that and more for under $10 at Pot Sticker Dumpling House. With locations in Hobart’s CBD and on the main drag in Moonah, your chopsticks will get a workout with all the small bites on offer. A plate of ten juicy pan-fried or boiled chicken dumplings is only $12.80, while larger plates of fried rice, nasi goreng and wonton noodle soups will set you back a little more than $15. 

Order the: Panfried pork dumplings or soup dumplings — and don't miss a side of their house chilli sauce.

Price: Dumplings from $11.90, rice mains from $14.90

The definition of bang for your buck, affordable sushi paradise Sush Track’s view across Hobart’s working waterfront makes it perfect for watching the boats go by. But, all eyes will be firmly on the revolving sushi train in front of you. With more than 100 different items on rotation, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Look out for the local wild-caught tuna rolls, which tend to go fast. The beef tataki is another standout, featuring lightly seared local beef with creamy ponzu sauce. And when it comes to dessert, throw caution to the wind and order both the matcha cheesecake and the chocolate pear and ginger mudcake – no regrets! 

Order the: Wild-caught tuna rolls.

Price: Sushi from $5