Ali's 6 Favorite Cheap Taco Spots 6 Photos
Roll along with Ali's favorite stops for great tacos.
26 Meals Under $10 27 Photos
You can get a ton of ham for a Hamilton.
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The best bargains are sandwiched in between Kobe beef and the dollar menu.
Episodes
See Episode GuideMealin' and Dealin' in Michigan
Ali Khan is hunting down the best deals in Ann Arbor, Mich., for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack. He chows down in this happening college town, starting with a heaping helping of deep-fried French toast covered in berries and whipped cream. Then, Ali gets reeled in by a great deal on blackened mackerel with a Thai chili glaze at a super fresh seafood market. He gets his sweet snack fix thanks to a flaky Hungarian pastry with a sweet apple filling and ends his day with elevated Cuban street food and a piled high "loco" Frita burger.
Chicago
Ali Khan's Windy City expectations are as high as Chicago's Willis Tower, so his breakfast is a tower of fried chicken, biscuits, egg and bacon. For lunch, Ali dives into the city's unofficial sandwich, the Italian beef. He scores a killer chocolate almond croissant at a bakery with a child baker protege and brings down the house with a unique mac and cheese with a gourmet twist.
Far from the Farm
Ali Khan starts his day in Des Moines the way Iowans do, with crisp and cheesy breakfast nachos. Then it's onto a roasted chicken lunch with comforting mashed potatoes and onion rings, before snacking on a truly divine Napoleon. For dinner, Ali has an unexpected and luxurious seafood stew.
Hungry in New Haven
Ali Khan is looking for the best deals in New Haven, Conn., for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack! He starts his day with a creative culinary feast of French toast stuffed with creamy custard made with a 100-year-old recipe, and then he's off to the landmark birthplace of the hamburger for a truly old-school burger. After a sugar rush from winners of Food Network's Cupcake Wars, Ali settles in for a taste of the Old World with New Haven-style pizza, locally known as "apizza."
Belly Full in Buffalo
Ali Khan is eating his way through the best meal deals in Buffalo, starting with griddle toast logs with cream cheese filling. For lunch, he takes down a trio of flavorful and innovative tacos, and then he tracks down the perfect midday pick-me-up made with decadent chocolate chip cookie dough. Finally, no trip to Buffalo is complete without a belly full of wings, and Ali gets a line on a spot that's serving up some of the locals' favorites.
Pit Stop
Pittsburgh has Ali Khan flipping over some cheesy pancakes, and battles a sub that might blow the classic Philly cheesesteak out of the water. He discovers the secrets to Pittsburgh's best pretzels and finishes the day at one of the city's hottest new spots, a taco joint growing crowds -- and tentacles!
C-Ville Eats
Ali Khan, full-blown food enthusiast and blogger, has 12 hours and only 35 bucks to find the best deals in Charlottesville, Va. for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack! College town food has never tasted so good as Ali starts with a breakfast bagel chock full of deli meat. Then he goes for broke with a sundae for lunch, a Barbecue sundae! He gets his midday kicks with spicy Korean wings and then splurges on dinner with a surprising meal of chicken fried awesomeness! C-ville's diverse and flavorful food scene gets an A plus from Professor Khan.
Chowin' Down in Cleveland
Ali Khan is in Cleveland looking for irresistible breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack deals. He hits the ground hot with flapjacks topped with white chocolate mole with candied jalapenos. Next, he checks out a Cleveland institution for a plate of Polish comfort food -- meat-stuffed cabbage rolls. For a snack, Ali tackles a colossal hot fudge sundae cupcake, and he ends his day at a Little Italy hot spot for fresh cavatelli pasta with meatballs, just like Grandma used to make.
Bayside Bites
In Baltimore, Ali Khan comes face-to-face with bacon-infused pancakes fit for "the king," then channels his inner Neanderthal for his first taste of Maryland pit beef. It's a fancy snack of Basque-style fried cheese balls before he slurps down on some out-of-this-world Korean-style street noodles.
Appetite for Annapolis
Ali Khan, full-blown food enthusiast and blogger, has 12 hours and only 35 bucks to find the best deals in Annapolis, Md. for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack! He happily lands on his feet with "Cat Head" biscuits and gravy, followed by Southern chicken and dumplings. After a tasty Aussie treat, Ali caps off his day on the bay with the best crab cake of his life! Annapolis is full of culinary surprises.
Big Sky, Big Game, Big Flavor!
Ali Khan's expedition for the best deals in Bozeman, Mont., begins with farm-to-table fresh Benedict and summer sausage before hunting down a made-from-scratch elk burger. Then he discovers a celebrity-approved huckleberry bar. But his journey isn't complete until he sinks his teeth into a bison pepperoni pizza.
Crossroad Foodie
Ali Khan paves the way in Salt Lake City with a zesty pound cake-inspired French toast, then gets wasted on a burger topped with fried guacamole. A biker bar sends him to heaven with a Utah staple, fried Mormon funeral potatoes, and he ends his day with a smoky chicken club of perfection.
Flavors of Cincinnati
Ali Khan, full-blown food enthusiast and blogger, has 12 hours and only 35 bucks to find the best deals in Cincinnati for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack! Ali hits the ground running with a fancy French puff pastry and goetta breakfast, before digging into Cincinnati style chili. Then the 'Nati hits his sweet spot with a slice of lemon ricotta cake. He ends his day devouring a decadent whiskey barbecue bacon burger.
Capital City Cuisine
Ali Khan, full-blown food enthusiast and blogger, has 12 hours and only 35 bucks to find the best deals in Washington DC for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack! Ali starts the day stacked with an ooey-gooey pastrami breakfast sandwich. Then he gets schooled in the ways of the Greek with a heaping helping of moussaka. A muffin uprising tides him over until he rolls up a spicy sushi burrito. DC delivers with a multicultural cuisine that's powerfully delicious.
Great Lakes Craves
Ali Kahn digs into the best deals in Grand Rapids with a twilight French toast glistening with creamy anglaise sauce. For lunch, it's a Mexican fiesta with layers of juicy pork torta de jamon. He snacks on spicy Moroccan chicken wings and finishes the day right with a craveable double-patty blue cheese-stuffed burger.
Eating Vermont
Ali Khan, full-blown food enthusiast and blogger, has 12 hours and only 35 bucks to find the best deals in Burlington, Vt. for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack! Ali kicks things off with a local favorite for breakfast, the unique bacon maple "wafflini." Then he hits up a legendary lunch counter that's been around since the 1940s, and steps in the ring with the "Macho Man," a sandwich that mashes together a Rueben and patty melt. Next he feeds his sweet tooth with a chocolate cream filled doughnut made from scratch. Finally, he lands in a historic dinner spot that serves up short rib poutine along with its panoramic views.
Boulder
Ali Khan hits the ground running in Boulder at a diner with pancakes so manly, only a chef who moonlights as a strong man could make them. Then he seeks out some of the most authentic Chinese noodles found on the West Coast and finishes his day at a Boulder staple with a soulfully-crafted shrimp po' boy, accompanied by one of the best views in the city.
Miami
Ali Khan travels to Miami and breaks his fast with a classic Cuban staple: empanadas. He then samples some fruits of the sea, with right-off-the-boat mahi mahi sandwiches and a fisherman's stew. He closes out the day with a Latin-Middle-Eastern-American fusion bowl that could only come from Miami.
Fillin' up in the South
Ali Khan hits the ground running in Richmond, Va., at a bakery that puts a spicy twist on a traditional Southern biscuit. Then he heads to a diner for a curry-inspired, country omelet before brewing up a chocolate cake with coffee. But a visit to Richmond isn't complete without a soul food dinner of fried catfish.
Stuffed in Spokane
Ali Khan, full-blown food enthusiast and blogger, has 12 hours and only 35 bucks to find the best deals in Spokane, Wash. for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack! Ali breaks his fast with a farm-to-food truck twist on the classic P.B.& J. Then he takes a walk on the wild side with a crazy hot dog from the secret menu. After refreshing his palate with the martini of milkshakes, he finishes his night off with sweet and savory pulled pork pizza unlike anything you've ever seen. Spokane's food scene is on point, taking Ali on a full-on culinary adventure of flavor.
Old Town Grub
Ali Khan, full-blown food enthusiast and blogger, has 12 hours and only 35 bucks to find the best deals in Alexandria, Va. for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack! Ali kicks things off in style with a guilt free southern fried chicken biscuit for breakfast. Then he goes way south of the border with a trio of flavor-forward and inventive tacos. At an art deco hot spot straight out of the 1930s, he finds a modern snack, deep fried deviled eggs. He finishes the day off with a rooftop garden-to-table, bacon gnocchi bolognese. Alexandria might have some history, but its food scene is straight up futuristic.
Albuquerque
While Albuquerque is known for hatch green chile and New Mex cuisine, Ali Khan discovers a lot more behind the hype. He goes sweet on a vegan waffle that delivers like a decadent dessert, then makes tracks for one of the best green chile cheeseburgers in town. His afternoon gets a sugar and spice kick with a designer donut, and he brings it home with a New Mexican staple, carne adovada.
Charleston
Ali heads south to Charleston and starts the day off right with creamy grits topped with all the morning classics. Then a crab cake sandwich that's the talk of the town, followed by seafood-stuffed hushpuppies and finally letting loose with a Carolina pulled pork dinner.
Culinary Cornhuskers
Ali Khan starts his Omaha food adventure with breakfast from a fast made-from-scratch joint offering a crazy good egg boat with hash browns. For lunch, Ali tips his hat to an iconic Omaha lunch with a housemade Reuben. A butter brickle ice cream cone holds him over before his dinner of pork ragu meatballs.
Chowin' Down in Portland
Ali Khan, full-blown food enthusiast and blogger, has 12 hours and only 35 bucks to find the best deals in Portland, Ore. for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack! Ali starts off his day with a tower of waffley goodness. He then wiggles his way to a pristine salmon poke bowl. He rolls on to indulge in authentic Spanish churros and wraps it all up in richness with the freshest pasta carbonara. The streets of Portland are lined up with craft cuisine at its finest.
Throwin' Down in Beantown
Ali Khan is exploring Boston for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack deals. First up, he takes on a coffee-encrusted Bloody Mary burger for breakfast in Boston's financial district. Then he's off to Chinatown for a tasty and innovative twist on Chinese dumplings, and he migrates over to Little Italy for an Old World snack that dates back centuries. Ali caps off his day in Boston with a local favorite and a steal of deal, the lobstah roll.
More Than You Bargained For
Ali's 5 Favorite Cheap Burgers
Most of Ali's free time is spent uncovering the best burgers for your hard-earned buck.
