Good Cheap Food for Avg Joe

Cook

Not sure cooking gets you a meal on these rock's anymore for under $10!

Sean

Greenhouse during happy hour.

Gratuitous answers like this is very typical of my limited experience on this rock. There seems to be a mean-spiritedness here amongst transplants from the states who have to work here for a living. It's almost as if they're indignant that they are in the minority and because we are still part of the United States of America, stateside transplants here feel slighted that the locals receive so much government assistance while they have to work to put bread on their table. For some of us who are here because of temporary work assignments, it is truly sad to come across a beautiful island like this and be populated with such in-hospitable residents. Thanks for your terse answer, Saucerass

Which island are you on? From the sounds of your under whelmness I would guess STX.........there just isn't any cheap good food here.
Sheesh even a grilled cheese here is $10...........and WTH......coney dog (singular) $4.50..no chips, fries or anything!
Cooking was another option......but have you been to the grocery stores here.........I'm thinking my dogs food is beginning to look tasty and only $30 for 40 lbs..........bargain mehson!

MileHigh: I don't know where you are either, but on St Thomas you can get a heck of a meal for $10 at the hospital cafeteria. Cuzzin's also gives great value. Granted, West Indian cuisine is down home "comfort" food, heavy on calories and fat, but you will be full!:-o

What type of food do you want as well. Many of the small local places will give you a large cruzan plate for under $10. I just mention Tracey's on the other restaurant thread, food there is often under $10. At sharkys you can also get food under $10.

I also think you arer angry. Many of the "tempory" workers often are. Don't fight the local culture and you will have a better time. None of the answers you received were mean or wrong.

Cooking is absolutely your best choice on this island. And much much healthier then fast food. When my husband was in border patrol he had to go on details for a month at a time and he had to live out of hotel rooms. A good crock pot is going to be your best friend in a hotel room. And its Man proof. All you do is maybe chop a few things and throw everything in. And very very cheap!!! 🙂

A lot of the Chinese restaurants have a 5 dollar plate of food. Beijing House has combo plates for under 10 dollars. Most of the corner bars sell plates of food which is usually too much for one person to eat and those are about 10-12 dollars. Then there is fast food, look what Subway did for Jared....so it's gotta be square.

If you are on STX....message me....I'll give you the Anthony Bourdain local tour.

Milehigh,
You need to lighten up some, son. The folks on this board are very nice people (for the most part). They were pulling your chain. Cheap food in restaurants is a little hard to find. I do recommend K-mart for lunch. In addition to the regular K-mart nasty stuff, the ladies that work there make some terrific local food. It's good. The portions are good sized, and it's relatively cheap. In the $8-$10 dollar range.

Gratuitous answers like this is very typical of my limited experience on this rock.

you are correct. your experience here is limited.

The hospital on St Croix has big plates of really good food (and healthy since they boil rather than fry) for about $7-8.

Most of the food trucks on the roadside and at some beaches or parking lots have fast and inexpensive food - under $10 for sure - Subway - Dominos - and most deli departments are also in that price range.
Any stateside transplant is entitled to the exact same Federal government assistance you mention -
Cooking is really not a bad option and certainly not a bad answer from the earlier poster - Terse? Yes. that doesn't define mean-spirited.
The only reason you are waiting 30 minutes at a drive through is because other people are in front of you.
Stateside Franchised fast food may be superior to what you find here because it has no culinary roots in this culture. Perhaps they do also meet certain standards but have nothing to compare them to.
Hopefully it is only the soggy buns and sticky fries that have put you in such a temporary bad frame of mind and you really are a happy person. Try some healthy food it could help your whole outlook.

Gratuitous answers like this is very typical of my limited experience on this rock. There seems to be a mean-spiritedness here amongst transplants from the states who have to work here for a living. It's almost as if they're indignant that they are in the minority and because we are still part of the United States of America, stateside transplants here feel slighted that the locals receive so much government assistance while they have to work to put bread on their table. For some of us who are here because of temporary work assignments, it is truly sad to come across a beautiful island like this and be populated with such in-hospitable residents. Thanks for your terse answer, Saucerass

I was not being gratuitous I was just telling you an alternative to eating out. It is the alternative that I use

Victor Menchos near H&H tire east of Sunny Isle, foot long steak and cheese sub for $8 made with fresh baked bread. Best value for lunch.

I don't cook. Never learned. May have to take a class. But on STT, I just go to the market and buy fresh fruit, bread, lunch meat, and make pretty decent sandwiches. All for well under $10/meal.

My favorite fast food on StX are the Chicken Curry and Potato Rotis my wife buys from a coworker at the hospital. The gal cooks them at home and brings them in to sell for $7 a piece. I believe she does it to raise charity funds. Two or three meals worth in each one.

I'm reticent to purchase Rotis from other homegrown sources you see selling them around the island, but would appreciate some good tips on who to trust for them.

Rosie's Roadkill. Salmon Burgers for $5. She sets up at 5 corners, Cost You More, and the Boardwalk from where I've seen her. You just have to find her or get accustomed to her schedule.

Many of the carts you see will probably have cheap, decent, fast food because like Henry Ford, they decided to do limited things very well at a reasonable price.

"There seems to be a mean-spiritedness here amongst transplants from the states who have to work here for a living."

I have to laugh at that since it sounds like a perfect description of your post. Yep, you aren't in Kansas any more, Toto. Welcome to island life. Like it or lump it, you're not going to change it so the advice you were given is correct.

The chicken shack. Lots of food and little money.
Peanut butter and jelly
Ramen noodles

zenys has a nice lunch plate for 6, its local food like stew beef. it is good and alot of food for the money. it is by the post office in downtown chritiansted. i think shenanigans has good prices. ive only eaten there for breakfast and thats good. ivys has good sandwiches for about 7 dollars..

Good Morning,
On STT Pizza Amore (a slice is filling) and Rosarios (good spanish food) across from Havensight, The Hospital (a little bland but cheap & filling) check their hours. Rosarios at the food court in Tutu mall. Feddys downtown by Market Square (take out island food, lunch only). Cuzzins not that cheap but really good. I would agree that learning to cook would be worth the effort. Its a skill that will last a lifetime and you can get better with practice: use your computer for research. Besides women love a guy who can cook!

paradise cafe is all under 12 for sandwiches and breakfast stuff,shameless self promotion lol but i have a house mortgage and utilities,so sorry about that

My favorite fast food on StX are the Chicken Curry and Potato Rotis my wife buys from a coworker at the hospital. The gal cooks them at home and brings them in to sell for $7 a piece. I believe she does it to raise charity funds. Two or three meals worth in each one.

I'm reticent to purchase Rotis from other homegrown sources you see selling them around the island, but would appreciate some good tips on who to trust for them.

Neil watch yourself with curry....don't eat it from just anyone. Ruki's (sp?) someone else by Hess that are pretty good. Singh's IMO has gone downhill ever since they added a hispanic flair.

Allmashup, the steak subs that you mentioned at Victor Menchos, what kind of steak is it?
I'm dying for a good steak sub. One that has lean steak and is all chopped up with no grissel, like you get in the sub shops in the states.
It seems most restaurants here use flank steak which I find very tough. Had a steak sub from Rum Runners, I took one look at it and sent it back, grissel and fat, sorry can't do it.
If anyone knows where I can get a good steak sub on St. Croix please let me know.