Cheap Eats: Philadelphia

Act ?as if? at this gilded steak palace by hobnobbing with the titans of the city while you wink at them knowingly, promising not to share their secret that they, too, are spending only $7.17 for lunch. Every weekday, a special lunch menu of such items as a Kobe beef burger, chicken Caesar salad, and calamari is priced to reflect the swanky address at 717 Chestnut Street.

An early bird dinner at this popular Pennsauken cantina will make your grandparents feel right at home. Served Tuesday through Friday from 4pm to 6:30pm, each night of the week features a choice of two different entrees, plus a soup or a salad for $11.95. Tastes for both American and Mexican foods are honored, as each night's menu reflects this example, offered on Fridays: pan seared tilapia with lemon butter caper sauce, rice and vegetable medley or braised beef and jalapeno enchiladas with red rice and beans.

Soak in the priceless view of the sun dropping behind the city skyline as you titter about how much money you're saving by taking advantage of the Victor's Sunset Menu on the Camden waterfront. From Monday to Thursday between the hours of 4pm and 7pm, a special menu of comfort food like crab cakes, linguine and white clam sauce, lobster ravioli and grilled double cut pork chops is just $11.95. Plates are full-sized and come with a side dish or two, plus salad, soda, coffee or tea.

From Sunday to Thursday, the Rittenhouse branch of the Drinker's chain tries to keep its patrons at least minimally sober by selling them all the tacos they can eat for $1 each until 11pm. Other nights take the same approach with specials like $.25 wings and $1 sliders, plus $1 hot dogs during all Philly sports games. We dare you to ask if that includes Little League.

On the so-called ?menu that's cheap,? Royal burgers (bacon, gouda cheese, chili mayo, and a long hot) are $5, regular burgers are $4, hot dogs and grilled cheese are $2.50 and mac and cheese is $3.50. These are full-sized dishes that are served all day, every day, which means you can simultaneously gobble and groove to the live music played at this oldest and most cherished of venues.

It's a mini, mini weekday at this Fairmount pub, where from 4pm to 7pm on weekdays patrons can partake in a mini menu consisting of reduced size sliders, meatballs, mussels, fish-n-chips and duck spring rolls for the reduced price of $3 each. Beers at this craft brew pioneer are reduced too, but only in price; the quality, young pupil, is all there.

Instead of a $5 foot-long, patrons at this contemporary fish market dive into a $5 food menu from 5pm until close every day. Offering about a dozen options, the menu consists of clam chowders, mussels, peel & eat shrimp, blackened chicken quesadillas, and a spring salad mix with feta cheese and pink grapefruit. The view of the Isaiah Zagar mural adds immeasurable value to an already generous experience.

True to its name, this eponymous East Passyunk dive bar gives its stray patrons what they need to survive: free food. In this case, the food is of the pizza variety and drops out of the oven every day from 5pm-7pm. No free beer, though we hear that some desperate patrons beg to exchange their free `za for free brews.