Budget
Britannia Sushi
1016 commercial. +1 604 251-1155. this might be the best deal on sushi in the city. $4.95 for an 18 piece combo including yam rolls with miso soup, or teriyaki box. decent quality and decor.
All India Sweets
6507 main st corner of main and 49th, +1 604 327-0891. excellent vegetarian all you can eat indian food buffet for $9.95. under new management and no longer has a large selection on sweets .
Hawker's Delight
4127 main street, +1 604 709-8188. at main and king edward hawker's servers up authentic malaysian/singaporean dishes at $4-5. fast-paced atmosphere as the name would suggest. good vegetarian options.
Ba Le
+1 604 875-6322. a vietnamese sandwich shop located at 21-701 kingsway at the corner with fraser is rather out of the way for most tourists but it regularly wins local awards for sandwiches and has delicious vietnamese subs including a vegetarian one for less than $3. in fact, in this area you'll find lots of small chinese/vietnamese restaurants where a good lunch will cost you less than $6 in the area.
Samurai Sushi on Fraser
Well known for having huge portions for small prices. Take out available. There is another location at 1108 Davie in the West End, which is open until midnight.
Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant
3888 main street. +1 604 872-8822. an excellent chinese restaurant, the chefs are excellent cooks.beware there are long lineups and reservations are a must.
La Casa Gelato
And for the best ever ice-cream experience, visit La Casa Gelato, 1033 Venables, (http://lacasagelato.com). It's a little off the beaten path, but the over 200 flavours will reward you! Follow the Viaduct east out of downtown, and keep going straight. You will pass some old style homes on your left, and a park on your right. The place is located near the train tracks. Plenty of street parking, but take care where you park at night.
The Foundation
2301 main street +1 604 708-0881. a funky vegetarian/vegan restaurant with a hipster feel, the foundation serves up delicious food for inexpensive prices. be sure to try their hummus, it's spectacular!
Bon's Off Broadway
Bon's has a great atmosphere and excellent prices including $3 breakfast all day: 2 eggs, toast, bacon or sausage, and hashbrowns.
Rico Burrito
The dining area is spartan, the tables are worn though clean. Maybe you'll prefer to take your food home. But such food! Huge portions of simple but delicious Mexican standards like burritos, tacos, and tamales. Ridiculously low prices. Plenty of vegetarian options.
Sweet Lemon Cafe
On the 2500 block of east hastings. there are a lot of great vietnamese restaurants in this area, but some argue that the best deal is here. $5-6 tax included will get you a heaping bowl of vermicelli with a generous portion of chicken, beef, pork, or prawns. great service and tasteful ikea inspired decor.
Rhizome Cafe
Good multicultural food, including a novel 'pay as you feel' lentil stew that has no fixed price. Well-lit tables in a variety of sizes added to comfy sofas gives a charming feel. Very friendly staff, with a wide variety of vegetarian, vegan and meat sandwiches and stews. Also the usual cafe fare of coffees, chais, and pastries. Regular performances by artists, and a community meeting room.
Midrange
Locus Restaurant
Local favourite with a variety of dishes that incorporate local and seasonal ingredients. Will substitute tofu for meat if requested.
Nyala
Ethiopian food, served communally and eaten with the fingers using injera bread. A good selection of vegetarian entrees. The friendly owner, Assefa Kebele, may well be clearing your plates. The pottery he makes is exhibited there.
Red Sea Cafe
Authentic Eritrean and Ethiopian food in a clean, well-run atmosphere. Delicious food and outstanding service from the two wonderful owners. Excellent value.
The Reef Restaurant
Caribbean restaurant with live entertainment some nights.
Tio Pepe's
Long-time local favourite for Mexican food in Vancouver. There was a recent change in owners and some have indicated the food quality is not as good as it used to be.
Whole Vegetarian Restaurant
A vegetarian Buddhist Chinese restaurant. Has an incredibly diverse menu. Get the bean curd skin rolls with black bean sauce! It's a good idea to make reservations; it's very popular.
Shiro Sushi
If Toshi is too busy, walking west a half dozen blocks will bring you to another affordable family-run sushi restaurant with friendly service and a packet of Pocky with your bill.
East Van is blessed with a huge number of different restaurants, many of them drawn from cuisines all over the world and very reasonably priced. Walk the couple of kilometers along Commercial Drive "The Drive" north from Broadway to Venables, and you will doubtlessly find something to match your taste and your wallet before you get to the end.