25 Great Bay Area Meals for $12 or Less

"Located on the Contra Costa College campus, Aqua Terra functions as a training facility for students in the school's culinary academy, but it it's also fully open to the public for lunch service, three days a week (Tuesday-Thursday). The bonus with getting a meal prepared and served by students still learning their trade is that it's an extraordinary value - say, a cool $9 for braised beef shank ravioli or a portobello focaccia sandwich with fries. (It's just $16 to splurge on grilled branzino with garlic noodles.)"

"The food can be a little uneven, with a throwback-to-'90s-New-American vibe. But it's a solid meal - slightly fancy, even! - with sweet, earnest service for fast food prices. Note: the restaurant follows the school calendar, which means it's already wrapping up for the semester. The last hurrah is a big Mother's Day buffet on May 12-13; reservations are highly recommended."

"The house specialty at this rainforest-themed taqueria near the end of Richmond's 23rd Street taco corridor is pollo al carbon - whole spatchcocked chickens slow-grilled over charcoal until the skin is deeply charred and the flesh is smoky, tender and delicious. You can get your chicken either on tacos or in a burrito, but my preference is the $30 family meal, which comes with a whole bird, tortillas, rice, refried beans, chips and as many tubs of salsa as you want from the restaurant's excellent serve-yourself salsa bar."

"This under-the-radar Hong Kong cafe tucked inside a Target shopping plaza isn't notable for any single standout dish, but instead for its overall dedication to affordability: Nothing on the menu costs more than $10.75, and most dishes come with free soy milk and a bowl of hot soup on the side. My favorite is the claypot rice with s"

Aqua Terra Grill operates on the Contra Costa College campus and serves lunch to the public three days a week while functioning as a culinary academy training site. Meals are priced for value, including options like braised beef shank ravioli and grilled branzino, with service provided by students. The food can be uneven but remains solid and slightly fancy, with earnest service. La Selva Taqueria specializes in pollo al carbon, featuring spatchcocked chickens slow-grilled over charcoal until deeply charred and smoky. A $30 family meal includes a whole bird, tortillas, rice, refried beans, chips, and unlimited salsa. Grand Cafe focuses on affordability, keeping menu prices under $10.75 and pairing many dishes with free soy milk and hot soup.

Read at Kqed