Budget
Café Belô
2 locations: 181 brighton ave., & 1243 commonwealth ave. t: harvard ave, phone: +1 617-783-4858, phone: +1 617-202-6277, (http://www.cafebelo.com/e...). an amazing buffet of brazilian and south american foods. $3.99/lb.
YoMa
5 n beacon street t: harvard ave, phone: +1 617-562-8888. (http://www.yomaboston.com/) every day 12 noon - 10pm. offers inexpensive, delicious burmese food. full vegetarian menu. appetizers $5, salads/entrees $7-10, and family combo meals start at $25 for two. free refills on jasmine rice. try the hot tea and the complimentary palm sugars for dessert.
Bagel Rising
1243 commonwealth ave. t: harvard ave, phone: +1 617-789-4000, (http://bagelrising.com). m-sa 7am-7pm, su 7am-5:30pm. fresh-baked bagels that rank among even the best of new york city. tons of bagel sandwich and wrap combinations. lots of vegan and veggie options. soups, teas and coffees. delicious and very crowded. $2-5.
Eagles Deli
1918 beacon st, +1 617-731-3232. voted by the travel channel as #2 on their "top 10 places to pig out". this deli, located near cleveland circle, boasts the "eagles challenge burger", which for a mere $50, you can get a cheeseburger featuring 5 pounds of beef, 20 slices of cheese, 20 pieces of bacon, 5 pounds of french fries, a pickle and a fountain soda, and it must be served to one person! open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Buk Kyung
151 brighton ave, +1 617-254-2775. $20 will put a lot of food on your table. definitely worth a trip. get the scallion pancake.
Le's Vietnamese
137 brighton ave. t: harvard ave, phone: +1 617-783-2340. m-sa 11am-11pm, su 11am-10pm. formerly pho pasteur. home of some of the best vietnamese around. cheap and gigantic portions of their namesake pho noodle soup with meat. their spring rolls are to die for. $5-12.
Angora Cafe
With menu options such as pizza, soups, salads, sandwiches and wraps, Angora Cafe at Commonwealth and Babcock is a great place to stop by for lunch or a light dinner. Their most popular choice, however, is their frozen yogurt which comes in sizable portions with a variety of mix-in options.
Spike's Junkyard Dogs
108 brighton ave, allston, +1 617-254-7700. offers meat and vegetarian hot dogs and tasty poodle fries on the cheap. from $3 and up. open very late, every night.
Midrange
Carlo's Cucina Italiana
131 brighton av. t: harvard ave, phone: +1 617-254-9759. m-sat 11am-11pm, sun 2pm-11pm. possibly the best italian outside of the north end. unbelievably perfect homemade pasta in a cramped yet cozy setting. lines out the door most nights. full bar. $8-20.
Jasmine Bistro
412 market st at washington st., brighton, phone: +1 617-789-4676. middle eastern, hungarian and french may seem like an odd fusion, but the jasmine bistro brings them together in an assortment of dishes for every taste. the chicken paprikash is highly recommended, as are the seasonal specials, particularly the mushroom appetizer and the cold cherry soup. the restaurant is family owned and operated, complete with an in house pastry chef making some of the best desserts in boston. $15 to $25.
Mt. Everest Kitchen
182 brighton ave. allston, +1 617-254-4912. every day 11am-11pm. nepali cuisine, incredibly fresh and delicious alternative to indian cafes in the areas.
Tasca
1612 commonwealth ave. t: washington st, phone: +1 617-730-8002, (http://www.tascarestaurant.com). sun-thurs 5pm-11pm, fri-sat 5pm-12am. offers tapas, small, appetizer-sized dishes that you order in groups as a meal. a tasty, fun way to enjoy multiple dishes from spanish cuisine. tapas $3-7, entrees $14-20.
Genki Ya
398 harvard st., +1 617-277-3100. organic brown rice sushi, fresh fish daily, fresh green salads and fruit rolls. great beer and wine selection. best sushi in the area, worth the extra cost.
Vegetarian/vegan
T.J. Scallywaggle's
487 cambridge st., +1 617-787-9884, (http://www.scallywaggles.com/). 12 noon to 12 midnight. vegan house of subs and pizza, delicious food, excellent dessert try the chocolate chip cookies!. very friendly folks too!
Grasshopper
1 n beacon st. allston, +1 617-254-8883. another strictly vegan asian restaurant with a definite vietnamese influence. very delicious. awesome chicken fingers and vegan cheesecake. lunch specials under $6, dinner between $7-14 for entrees. sunday buffet.
Allston-Brighton has some of the best ethnic restaurants in the metro Boston area, bar none. Brazilian and Vietnamese dominate, and the bars aren't half bad either, but more on that later. The best indicator of the local restaurants' quality are the patrons - for instance, if you want good Vietnamese, follow the Vietnamese crowd.