Cheap eats: 5 iconic dishes for $7 or less

You don’t have to pay a lot to eat well in Charlotte. Don’t believe us? Try one of these five iconic dishes that will cost you $7 or less.

(1) A burger “All The Way” at Brooks’ Sandwich House. $3.50.

2710 N. Brevard St., Charlotte. www.eatbrookschili.com.

This NoDa burger shack has been pumping out delicious, hot-off-the-griddle burgers since 1973. Get one “All The Way” – mustard, onions and chili – and eat at one of the wooden tables out back.

(2) 1/4 chicken (dark) dinner from Price’s Chicken Coop. $6.85.

1614 Camden Road, Charlotte. www.priceschickencoop.com.

This cash-only establishment has arguably the best fried chicken in town. Get the 1/4 chicken dinner to go (because there’s no other option) and enjoy the crispy goodness with cole slaw, french fries, hushpuppies and a roll. You will not go hungry here.

(3) Whatever special hot dog Vic the Chili Man is whipping up. $3.50.

4th and Tryon streets uptown.

This hot dog cart serves the best hot dog in America, according to Yelp. Yeah, you read that right. You can get a dog with his famous chili or be adventurous with one of his cleverly-named specialty dogs, like The Free to Brie You and Me or The Frito Pie Dog.

(4) Cinnamon sugar with cream cheese buttercream icing doughnut at Your Mom’s Donuts. $3.50 for one.

11025 Monroe Road, Suite F., Matthews. www.yourmomsdonutsnc.com.

The flavors change weekly at Your Mom’s, but this standard doughnut is consistently one of the shop’s most popular. The square doughnuts are coated with glaze, dipped in cinnamon sugar and topped with cream cheese buttercream icing. Get there early, especially on the weekend, because these doughnuts sell out fast.

(5) Salted caramel brownie from Amelie’s French Bakery. $2.29.

Multiple locations. www.ameliesfrenchbakery.com.

This is one of Charlotte’s most iconic desserts for a reason. The mix of sweet and salty caramel with a luscious chocolate brownie made this a top seller at the bakery. Start with the brownie, but you really can’t go wrong with anything in the pastry case.

This story was originally published September 1, 2017 at 8:01 AM with the headline "Cheap eats: 5 iconic dishes for $7 or less."