25 Best Cheap Eats in Sonoma County

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Burger, Acme Burger, Cotati: Locally-raised, sustainable 1/4 pound beef burger for $5.95? it's a crazy good deal with Franco American buns and their own "Awesome Sauce." 550 East Cotati Ave., Cotati, acmeburgerco.com. (Heather Irwin)

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Sandos, Broadway Market, Sonoma: Pay no attention to the slightly janky outside, because inside, there's a world of yum. The pastrami sandwich with homemade sauerkraut comes griddled or cold on a choice of nine kinds of bread, for about $7. One can eat well for $5-$10 throughout the entire menu. 20511 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-938-2685, broadwaymarketsonoma.com.

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Meatball Bread Bowl, Slice Shack by Mary's, Sonoma: Forget the soup. Mary's fills a tasty bread bowl with their famous giant meatball and marinara. Slather cheese on top (or not) and it's all yours for $7.95. 14 West Spain St., Sonoma, maryssliceshack.com.

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Tacos, Las Diablitas Taco Shop, Sonoma: $1.00 taco Tuesday, excellent homemade salsa bar and fresh chips. 18976 Sonoma Hwy., Sonoma. (Courtesy photo)

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Bagels, Homegrown Bagels, Sonoma: Beautiful bagels and bialys have been made here for nearly 40 years, and there are a variety of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, too. Best deal: six bagels and cream cheese for just $10. 201 W. Napa St., No. 21, Sonoma, homegrownbaking.wordpress.com. (Benjamin F. / Yelp)

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Valley Joe Burger, Chili Joe's, Petaluma: An old-school cheeseburger, with American cheese, iceberg lettuce, mayo and red relish on a sesame seed bun. Simple, but brilliant. Smother the whole thing with chili for an extra dollar. 312 Petaluma Boulevard South, Petaluma, chilijoes.com. (Erik Castro)

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BBQ Plates, What A Chicken!, Petaluma: You'll smell it before you see it, with a massive grill perfuming the entire block with mesquite smoke and grilling chicken. Choose from mixed grill plates, as well as tacos, fall-off-the-bone ribs, a so-so-sides like potato salad, coleslaw, and Spanish rice. Instead, get the freshly made corn tortillas and spend some time at the salsa bar. There's usually a line, so you'll have time to ponder the menu. 708 E. Washington, Petaluma.

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The Amy Burger, Amys Drive-Thru, Rohnert Park: Double veggie patties, double cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, secret sauce, $5.59. 58 Golf Course Drive West, Rohnert Park, amysdrivethru.com. (Beth Schlanker)

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Anything in a bun, The Wurst, Healdsburg: Ridiculously good brats and burgers for a song. 22 Matheson St, Healdsburg. (Sammie G. / Yelp)

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Anything in a bun, The Wurst, Healdsburg: Ridiculously good brats and burgers for a song. 22 Matheson St, Healdsburg. (Heather Irwin)

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Tamales Bowl, Cocina Mana, Windsor: The county's best tamales (hands down) made fresh daily, bowl-style with all the fixin's. 9238 Old Redwood Hwy STE.128, Windsor, cocinamana.com.

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Burrozilla: Castaneda's Marketplace, Windsor: Bust a very happy gut with the Burrozilla, a full pound of carne asada wrapped in two flour tortillas with rice, beans, pico de gallo, salsa, cheese, crema and guacamole. At $12.99, it feeds two. 8465 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor, 707-838-8820, visit on Facebook.

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Reuben Sandwich, Mac's Deli, Santa Rosa: It's a splurge to eat their hearty pastrami Reuben, but with a mess of fries on the side, $8.95 seems ridiculously reasonable. Breakfast is a winner, too, for two eggs with pastrami, home fries or hash browns, and a bagel for $8.95. 630 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-545-3785, macsdeliandcafe.com. (John Burgess)

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Piadina with Roasted Carrots, Urban Pizza, Santa Rosa: Prosciutto on freshly made flatbread with pesto, mozzarella, arugula and cabbage, $9.50. 500 Mission Blvd., Unit B, Santa Rosa, urbanpizzasantarosa.com.

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Curry Udon, Ippinn Udon, Santa Rosa: Fried tofu and veggies in a warm Japanese-style curry sauce. Filling enough for two meals, $8.99. 1880 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, ippinnllc.com. (Heather Irwin)

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Tacos and Sopes, Freaking Tacos, Santa Rosa: In the sweet spot between delicious and cheap are Freaking Tacos for just $1.50 each. Sopes are $3.35 and the al pastor is the thing. 400 W. Third St., Santa Rosa. (Stephanie A. / Yelp)

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Gyro, Fourth St. Deli, Santa Rosa: Thin strips of beef with tzatziki, tomatoes, onions are wrapped in a grilled lavash, $9.95. Everything is made fresh, and their Middle Eastern dishes -- falafel, hummus, mujadara (rice and lentils), dolmas and gyros -- are terrific. 300 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin)

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Poke Bowl, T4 Tea For U, Santa Rosa: Pick just what you want in your poke bowl, but we recommend the salmon. Less is more, but seaweed salad and pickles make the meal, $10.50 for three scoops. 2280 Mendocino Ave #3C, Santa Rosa.

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Dim Sum, Hang Ah, Santa Rosa: Though the little plates of spring rolls, shiu mai, sticky rice in lotus leaf, or bean curd skin roll can add up, at $3.25 to $5.25 each make for a an economical shared lunch or dinner. 2130 Armory Dr., Santa Rosa. (Jeff Kan Lee)

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Bahn Mi Sandwiches, Thuan Phat, Santa Rosa: Still the best, still only $3.95. 3020 Santa Rosa Ave, Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin)

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Teriyaki and Fried Jerky, Teriyaki Chicken Bowl, Santa Rosa: Though Thai and Laotian specialties are worth checking out (ie: fried beef jerky), the teriyaki is really good, as is the peanut chicken and whatever's on special. Be adventurous. 473 Stony Point Rd., Santa Rosa.

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Pupusas, Pupuseria Salvadorena, Santa Rosa: Hearty little pockets of fried masa with cheese, meat or beans, $2.50. 1403 Maple Ave, Santa Rosa.

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Fried Stuff, Quickly, Santa Rosa: Tasty fried seafood on sticks, bubble milk teas, and other Asian snacks draw a Santa Rosa High and Santa Rosa Junior College crowd. At $3-$4 for most items, thrifty eaters can munch on fried baby octopus, squid balls, calamari rings, and shrimp trigon, washed down with a mango milk tea. 1880 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-303-7412, quicklyusa.com

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Fish and Chips, The Boat House, Bodega Bay: For $11.95, you get a big portion that would demand a doggie bag if you didn’t want to consume every last fluffy battered, crisp-fried, steamy bite right on the spot. Restaurant owners pull cod fresh from the bay, and cooks turn the sweet flesh into light-as-air masterpieces served with thick-cut fries, lemon wedges, and tartar sauce. Best seat: a tiny table overlooking the water. 1445 Highway 1, Bodega Bay. (Courtesy photo)