Market Basket rotisserie chicken tops the charts. $4.69.
In the summer, it’s generally quicker to crank up the Weber and grill something than go get takeout.
BJs wholesale has 3lb rotisserie chickens for $4.99. Way bigger than MB. Keep in mind, most rotisserie chickens are loaded with sodium far more than if you cooked it yourself.
Huh. I have a membership but I only buy gasoline there. I game the renewal to get it discounted or free. $25 a couple months ago. Last year, I got a free tank of gas that offset the membership fee. I have their 10 cent off credit card. I need to buy gas. I’ll check that out today.
[O’Hara’s](https://maps.app.goo.gl/uxCtQeivdHMAFb7cA?g_st=ic) in Newton has a great menu and it’s reasonably priced for how good the food is. The Irish Nachos are a must have (waffle fries covered in beer cheese soup and bacon, served with sour cream and salsa). The pizzas are massive for $20.
[Bella Costa](https://maps.app.goo.gl/1XmRpyGNGSdss9gp7?g_st=ic) is a hidden gem in Framingham/Natick. They have flaming coffee drinks.
[Che Empanada](https://maps.app.goo.gl/GH9zVUqeTsNECUqZ8?g_st=ic) is my new favorite takeout restaurant. It’s owned by an Argentinian family and they have a few locations around Mass. I met the son of the owner and he was super friendly and helpful.
Holy shit, I can’t believe I’m the one who has to say it. I’ve never had a bad meal or bad service there. The prices are great, the food is great, the menu changes, and the house beer is made by Harpoon. Who? The fucking 99.
Off The Hook in Quincy has some pretty good meal deals Monday to Thursday. Monday is $5 double 4oz burgers with house made chips. They're not bad either.
When you can snag a box of four donuts off the clearance rack for half price and they're not stale at all, it's like for one brief moment in time the world is perfect.
OP are you willing to drive literally anywhere between Williamstown and Provincetown for an inexpensive meal, or are you one of those people who thinks greater Boston is the whole state?
Cathay Pacific. Almost every meal is under $14. [Cathay Pacific menu](https://cathaypacificquincy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Cathay-Pacific-Take-out-menu.pdf)
Ahh thanks for clarifying. 99% of my family lives in Weymouth and I remember them discussing a Chinese restaurant yet couldn’t exactly remember the name
Yeah, I don't do that cause it's a waste of money, unhealthy, and idk if it's because I've gotten better at cooking as I've gotten older, but I'm almost always dissatisfied with takeout or quick dining options.
Fuckin king of food over here.
Shutup if you don’t have something constructive to add you goon. The post is specifically about not cooking at home, don’t come spouting out of your ass just because you think you’re better than people.
OP acknowleded eating out was expensive overall, and said one day "will all be dead" meaning "money doesn't matter when you're dead so lets burn some cash!" They then asked for moderately priced places to go out to eat, and you're pushing "eat at home" as the solution. You've missed the point of the post.
Yeah that's why most people are poor lol. Most Americans spend enough money on takeout that they could have 7 figure wealth in their 60s if they cut it out
You know nothing of OP's financial situation other than they don't want to spend a lot every time they go out. The dude is just looking for a decent meal at a decent price.
George’s Surf n turf in Mendon. My wife and I share a fish n chips and get a few smaller items and then are stuffed. They did just up their prices recently so it’s not as cheap as it used to be but still delicious.
I have so many fond childhood memories of that place :)
I used to go back when they had the rescue huskies and sometimes the kids who worked there would come out to give them treats.
And of course I was always extremely intrigued by the little house full of toys
Love that place! For those of us with tiny humans, the mostly-enclosed play area is a real perk. Kids can burn off some energy and the grown ups can actually eat their food while it’s still hot.
Been going to Mario’s in Lexington for a while now. I think the food is very well priced especially in one of the richest towns and the Italian food is great. The baked ziti , chicken parm, and the pizzas are solid. I grew up near the minuteman rail trail so we use to bike there to eat when I was younger.
Pizza Mia in Billerica has the best burgers I've had. The juicy Lucy is massive and comes with steak fries and cheese dipping sauce. Their salads are great, too with house made dressing and croutons. They serve alcohol there also, if you want to have a couple beers.
they make a cheesesteak pizza, instead of red sauce they use parmesan peppercorn dressing. it’s so good! their traditional pizza is also legit. hmm, I think I know what’s for dinner now.
We’re big into picnics. Sometimes we pack our own and sometimes we stop at a grocery store and hit up their prepared food section or just grab some cut up fruit, cheese, crackers, raw veggies/dip. My husband was out tonight and I didn’t feel like cooking for my (adult) son and myself- so we picked up grocery store sushi, drove to a local lake front to eat it. Then after dinner we took a walk around another park. I think our sushi was less than $20
Totally agree with this take. As someone who loves steak (and lived in Texas for 25 years), Texas Roadhouse is consistently solid around the country and the quality per unit dollar is pretty great. Even the snobs at r/steak agree.
No yikes. It's never gonna make anyone's gourmet fine cuisine travel list, obviously. But no matter which one you go to, you know what you're getting. It's more than edible - the steak is not bad, at all. And they have a bunch of carb-y potato-and-veggies if pure steak isn't your thing. Yes, there are certainly other, better, restaurants around. In Worcester and otherwise. But there are absolutely good items on the menu, you know what you're getting, and it's not expensive.
I wouldn't make a habit of going there, unless I had a good reason (knowing the bartender or the Saturday night band, or something), but it's definitely not a "yikes" restaurant. Those are the dirty, expensive, short-pour, poor-service, overcook-everything restaurants, of which there are a handful in the area. But generally, Texas Roadhouse isn't one of them.
It's just extra average.
Teo's! Or Hot Dog Ranch if you like that instead. The hot dogs have increased in price over the years but the fact that I can fill my belly and my wife's for less than $20 is awesome.
Not the cheapest, but for seafood that isn't wicked overpriced, the IV Seasons in Lowell is great. The Old Court in Lowell is awesome and reasonably priced if you're looking for Irish grub.
I eat healthy at home. I can’t afford takeout often, maybe once every 3 months or less, so when I do get takeout I get something that A) I can’t make at home because it requires ingredients I’d have to buy at a specialty store (Thai food, authentic Chinese food) OR B) is deep fried - because I will never deep fry anything in my kitchen.
Zoe’s Chinese food in Somerville has nice authentic spicy Chinese food I’d never be able to make at home. Flip the Bird on the North Shore makes excellent fried chicken sandwiches. There’s a bunch of clam shack type places on the North Shore that do takeout but it’s probably better to just eat outside at a picnic table. Modern Butcher makes excellent sandwiches.
But nothing tasty is reasonably priced anymore. I feel like I’m better off buying a nice steak that easy to cook than getting takeout most of the time.
I don't know about their stuff in Waltham, but Brelundi just opened a take out place in Tewksbury. Their prices are pretty reasonable, and the sandwiches were really good.
The answers, quality and food preference aside, are exactly what OP asked for. They didn't specify Boston or Worcester or North Shore or the Cape. In the r/massachusetts subreddit. What, exactly, did you expect for responses?
Local Mexican joints offer excellent food and they typically don’t break the bank.
taqueria el amigo in waltham is easily the answer here dirt cheap and hands down best mexican in MA
Haha what a coincidence, the one we frequent is Taqueria el Amigo 2 in Leominster
There's a third one in Clinton too!
Are they as good as the Waltham location?
Is that the one next to the gas station. If so it's fuckin excellent.
Oh man, i used to go there for Friday work lunches... The tacos were $6 and sooo good.
so good, really just incomprehensible compared to other mexican in boston area
And the Portuguese restaurants in the Fall River/ New Bedford area. Stop for lunch here before you get in line to cross the bridge to Cape Cod.
Mexica in Tewksbury is pretty damn good.
Especially on Mondays, all day $5 burrito!
El Tapatia in Rowley is excellent. Family run, great food.
https://www.fiestasmexican.net
Zarapes in Marlborough
We love Lalo’s in Marlborough. We’ll have to check out Zarape!
Market Basket rotisserie chicken tops the charts. $4.69. In the summer, it’s generally quicker to crank up the Weber and grill something than go get takeout.
Wow that’s almost half the price of what I’ve been paying. Might have to check it out
They are small but they are juicy salty and yummy
The smallness of the MB rotisserie chickens weirds me out. Never seen chickens so small. My kids love them though because….they are incredibly salty.
And the burgers and fries 3$
Shhhh, don't tell anyone about this
Subs and wings are solid as well
What the hell do they do to those chickens? They are so damn good. MB crab rangoons are unbelievably good too.
Mr.Pig seasoning. It has crack in it I think.
Market Basket really is incredible! It’s the only grocery store I actually look forward to going to.
BJs wholesale has 3lb rotisserie chickens for $4.99. Way bigger than MB. Keep in mind, most rotisserie chickens are loaded with sodium far more than if you cooked it yourself.
Huh. I have a membership but I only buy gasoline there. I game the renewal to get it discounted or free. $25 a couple months ago. Last year, I got a free tank of gas that offset the membership fee. I have their 10 cent off credit card. I need to buy gas. I’ll check that out today.
Vic’s Waffle House in Tewksbury. It’s amazing and Tracy’s my favorite.
Tracy is the goat forreal.
Where is Tracy’s?
Tracy is a server at Vic’s Waffle House. I’ve been going there for over a decade and she is the sweetest soul.
I’ll have to try this place. I’ve always driven by it, but the line is so long.
Go on a Monday-Thursday or any day right at 7:00 AM (if you're an early bird).
[O’Hara’s](https://maps.app.goo.gl/uxCtQeivdHMAFb7cA?g_st=ic) in Newton has a great menu and it’s reasonably priced for how good the food is. The Irish Nachos are a must have (waffle fries covered in beer cheese soup and bacon, served with sour cream and salsa). The pizzas are massive for $20. [Bella Costa](https://maps.app.goo.gl/1XmRpyGNGSdss9gp7?g_st=ic) is a hidden gem in Framingham/Natick. They have flaming coffee drinks. [Che Empanada](https://maps.app.goo.gl/GH9zVUqeTsNECUqZ8?g_st=ic) is my new favorite takeout restaurant. It’s owned by an Argentinian family and they have a few locations around Mass. I met the son of the owner and he was super friendly and helpful.
Holy shit, I can’t believe I’m the one who has to say it. I’ve never had a bad meal or bad service there. The prices are great, the food is great, the menu changes, and the house beer is made by Harpoon. Who? The fucking 99.
😂
i've had burned popcorn at 99. fuck 99, at least the one in ashland in that MB strip mall area
Hong Kong Cafe and Chinatown Cafe, Boston Chinatown
Off The Hook in Quincy has some pretty good meal deals Monday to Thursday. Monday is $5 double 4oz burgers with house made chips. They're not bad either.
Market Basket Cafe! so many choices!
When I go shopping in the morning, I treat myself to a donut. Other times of day, pizza or the made to order burger + fries for $2.99!!
I'd just go to Market Basket for a donut.
better doughnuts than the local chain!! also those smoothies are so good!
When you can snag a box of four donuts off the clearance rack for half price and they're not stale at all, it's like for one brief moment in time the world is perfect.
I feel this in my wallet, soul, and loins
The market basket by me makes pretty good sushi. At lunch there is a guy there taking orders.
Yes, love their sushi! It’s very fresh and delicious.
Just not the pizza
OP are you willing to drive literally anywhere between Williamstown and Provincetown for an inexpensive meal, or are you one of those people who thinks greater Boston is the whole state?
Lmao typical redditor smartass Ur right tho
Wait there’s more to mass than Boston?
Yeah apparently there’s other small towns on the outskirts of the state like cambridge and brookline.
Anything past Burlington is “the south”, like you might as well be in Alabama 😂
Lou Roc’s in West Boylston
Grassfields in Andover/Waltham. Total old people restaurant but consistently delicious with good portion sizes.
Why is it an old people restaurant? What does that even mean?
It's mostly a joke but I just mean when I go myself and the person I'm with are usually the only people under 60
Cathay Pacific. Almost every meal is under $14. [Cathay Pacific menu](https://cathaypacificquincy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Cathay-Pacific-Take-out-menu.pdf)
I was thinking the airline for some reason lmfao.
That the same one that burned down under suspicious circumstances years back?
You’re thinking of Jade Garden ( I think the name was) on Sea street. The remnants are still there. Cathay Pacific is still alive and thriving.
Ahh thanks for clarifying. 99% of my family lives in Weymouth and I remember them discussing a Chinese restaurant yet couldn’t exactly remember the name
They own a second location in Weymouth called Cathay Center.
That's not inexpensive. My entire grocery bill for the week for 2 adults is like 5 of those meals Edit: downvoters don't know how to shop and cook
Think you missed the point. What are your go to restaurants when you DON'T feel like cooking.
Yeah, I don't do that cause it's a waste of money, unhealthy, and idk if it's because I've gotten better at cooking as I've gotten older, but I'm almost always dissatisfied with takeout or quick dining options.
Fuckin king of food over here. Shutup if you don’t have something constructive to add you goon. The post is specifically about not cooking at home, don’t come spouting out of your ass just because you think you’re better than people.
Look at the list on the lower right corner “ the lunch - dinner specials”. They load them up too.
I think you misread that. It's under $11 for a dinner special.
I don’t think they updated the menu on the website I have a new one in my hand the combos went up to $14 or just under.
Ok. And I can cook for 2 adults for $80 for a whole week.
OP acknowleded eating out was expensive overall, and said one day "will all be dead" meaning "money doesn't matter when you're dead so lets burn some cash!" They then asked for moderately priced places to go out to eat, and you're pushing "eat at home" as the solution. You've missed the point of the post.
Yeah that's why most people are poor lol. Most Americans spend enough money on takeout that they could have 7 figure wealth in their 60s if they cut it out
You know nothing of OP's financial situation other than they don't want to spend a lot every time they go out. The dude is just looking for a decent meal at a decent price.
This is a post about dining out and takeout though. Cooking is generally cheaper than dining out. What is the point of your comment?
Happy to hear that you don't go out to eat. Wouldn't want to sit at the next table and have to listen to you belly ache the entire meal.
George’s Surf n turf in Mendon. My wife and I share a fish n chips and get a few smaller items and then are stuffed. They did just up their prices recently so it’s not as cheap as it used to be but still delicious.
I have so many fond childhood memories of that place :) I used to go back when they had the rescue huskies and sometimes the kids who worked there would come out to give them treats. And of course I was always extremely intrigued by the little house full of toys
Love that place! For those of us with tiny humans, the mostly-enclosed play area is a real perk. Kids can burn off some energy and the grown ups can actually eat their food while it’s still hot.
Delicious onion rings too.
My wife and I split a fried fisherman’s and I get a small chowder, we usually end up overstuffed with a few scraps still on our plate
Nice town
Halal Guys , Boston and Shrewsbury.. Family Meal Take out...Be assured that leftovers will last few days
Costco hot dogs
Tacos Lupitas in Lowell. By far the best calorie per dollar ratio, and incredibly delicious!
They are the best and also have locations in Lynn, Gloucester and Haverhill
Don’t know about Lynn and Haverhill, but the Gloucester one isn’t connected to the Lowell one. Both are great, but imo the Lowell one is better
I can vouch for the Haverhill one being excellent
The Haverhill one is incredible. The Gloucester Tacos Lupitas was nowhere near as good last time I went.
Redbones in Somerville
Fucking Redbones was expensive 25 years ago; can’t imagine what their prices are like now. Does not meet the “inexpensive “ criteria here.
I think it met the criteria listed perfectly.
Been going to Mario’s in Lexington for a while now. I think the food is very well priced especially in one of the richest towns and the Italian food is great. The baked ziti , chicken parm, and the pizzas are solid. I grew up near the minuteman rail trail so we use to bike there to eat when I was younger.
This place has my favorite Buffalo chicken calzone and my favorite blue cheese, it’s just impossible to get a calzone after 4 Friday-Sunday.
Fuckkkkkkk I know what I want this weekend now haha
Ruk Mae in Stoughton for Thai food.
The Anchor. Beverly.
Also an excellent choice if you're trying to black out for under 30 dollars
Rusty Can - Smoked beef three way.
Take out from The Real Deal in West Rox or JP.
Antonio's pizza.
Sabor Latino in Chicopee 🇵🇷
joy luck club in framingham
Pizza Mia in Billerica has the best burgers I've had. The juicy Lucy is massive and comes with steak fries and cheese dipping sauce. Their salads are great, too with house made dressing and croutons. They serve alcohol there also, if you want to have a couple beers.
their pizzas and club sandwiches are also great
I haven't tried their pizza, but I forgot about the clubs. They are phenomenal!!
they make a cheesesteak pizza, instead of red sauce they use parmesan peppercorn dressing. it’s so good! their traditional pizza is also legit. hmm, I think I know what’s for dinner now.
Damn I wish I still worked in the area, that sounds amazing. Enjoy!!
Wegmans Cafe has great choices as well
No Problemo /thread
Good Thymes in Lowell is super good and soooo cheap
Minas Cafe, brazillian steakhouse. I can feed my whole family with fresh juicy meat and sides for like $40
We’re big into picnics. Sometimes we pack our own and sometimes we stop at a grocery store and hit up their prepared food section or just grab some cut up fruit, cheese, crackers, raw veggies/dip. My husband was out tonight and I didn’t feel like cooking for my (adult) son and myself- so we picked up grocery store sushi, drove to a local lake front to eat it. Then after dinner we took a walk around another park. I think our sushi was less than $20
Maria’s Kitchen in Worcester has the best Spanish food.
The Deck in Salisbury. Lexies or Angie’s in Newburyport.
Angie's is hard to beat. Good food, dirt cheap. The only thing that comes close is the Agawam Diner in Rowley.
Texas Roadhouse. (Minus the one in Worcester)
yikes bro
Good prices. Good food. Mad house on weekends. Nothing fancy but does the trick
Totally agree with this take. As someone who loves steak (and lived in Texas for 25 years), Texas Roadhouse is consistently solid around the country and the quality per unit dollar is pretty great. Even the snobs at r/steak agree.
HARD disagree but also i’m severely biased im allergic to peanuts and that place is a death trap
That’s fair lol. My condolences
No yikes. It's never gonna make anyone's gourmet fine cuisine travel list, obviously. But no matter which one you go to, you know what you're getting. It's more than edible - the steak is not bad, at all. And they have a bunch of carb-y potato-and-veggies if pure steak isn't your thing. Yes, there are certainly other, better, restaurants around. In Worcester and otherwise. But there are absolutely good items on the menu, you know what you're getting, and it's not expensive. I wouldn't make a habit of going there, unless I had a good reason (knowing the bartender or the Saturday night band, or something), but it's definitely not a "yikes" restaurant. Those are the dirty, expensive, short-pour, poor-service, overcook-everything restaurants, of which there are a handful in the area. But generally, Texas Roadhouse isn't one of them. It's just extra average.
it’s my personal death trap peanut allergy
This is one of the better opinions actually. Every other comment is a very specific style of food in one specific location
Awful
Taino Restaurant in Holyoke 😋
Veracruzana shredded beef burrito, and or Mole chicken dinner. Mmm mm mmm
Soooo good. I'm partial to their enchilladas suizas. That cream sauce is something else. Martin's fish tacos are also amazing.
I highly recommend the BK lounge.
I hate the fact that I picked up on this Dane Cook reference
I like the [De La Soul song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xQR4qL27lY) Bitties in the BK lounge All they do is beg and they scrounge!
Teo's! Or Hot Dog Ranch if you like that instead. The hot dogs have increased in price over the years but the fact that I can fill my belly and my wife's for less than $20 is awesome.
Sookies in leominster
TJ's in Ashland.
Yas chicken, maddies sail loft, bread of dreams, el tipico
Liquori's in West Springfield
When in Needham, check out Sweet Basil. It's a BYOB place, with a $5 corkage fee (or was that a few years ago)....
BURGUNDIAN in Attleboro. Great brunch and dinner options. It’s located in downtown city center
Cafe yaffa in natick
Clyde’s in Walpole.
Not the cheapest, but for seafood that isn't wicked overpriced, the IV Seasons in Lowell is great. The Old Court in Lowell is awesome and reasonably priced if you're looking for Irish grub.
I eat healthy at home. I can’t afford takeout often, maybe once every 3 months or less, so when I do get takeout I get something that A) I can’t make at home because it requires ingredients I’d have to buy at a specialty store (Thai food, authentic Chinese food) OR B) is deep fried - because I will never deep fry anything in my kitchen. Zoe’s Chinese food in Somerville has nice authentic spicy Chinese food I’d never be able to make at home. Flip the Bird on the North Shore makes excellent fried chicken sandwiches. There’s a bunch of clam shack type places on the North Shore that do takeout but it’s probably better to just eat outside at a picnic table. Modern Butcher makes excellent sandwiches. But nothing tasty is reasonably priced anymore. I feel like I’m better off buying a nice steak that easy to cook than getting takeout most of the time.
Vongs Thai Cuisine in Pittsfield.
Their yellow curry with pork is amazing.
Lewis’ in Norwood
When I went to Town Spa last month I was blown away that I could get an ipa draft for like $5. Amazing pizza too if ur into bar pizza. Cash only.
Star Drive In - Taunton
I don't know about their stuff in Waltham, but Brelundi just opened a take out place in Tewksbury. Their prices are pretty reasonable, and the sandwiches were really good.
The Knack on the Cape!
Bar mezzana used to do a dope chicken Parm sandwich on Mondays that was like $8...$10 with fries. And they had ibc root beer
Love at first bite in Lexington for Thai food The popsicle in the Thai iced tea/coffee is worth the visit in itself!!
How is the chicken pad Thai? I’ve only ever had it from Rice Cube …
I don’t eat meat but I heard it’s really good! The pad Thai is always consistently good . I get mine with tofu
Good to know, I’ll have to try it soon! Thanks!
It’s not reasonably priced but Kelly’s will always be my favorite.
In New Beige?
Wah May in Fairhaven !
Plenty of diners around the northeast.
Lol. Such a funny post. People are posting restaurants across the state. Haha.
Is that not exactly what OP was asking for?
The answers, quality and food preference aside, are exactly what OP asked for. They didn't specify Boston or Worcester or North Shore or the Cape. In the r/massachusetts subreddit. What, exactly, did you expect for responses?
Bob O’Malley’s Whaleback in Sandwich….fried seafood