Tight College Budget? Check Out The 7 Best Restaurants Near Pittsburgh’s Duquesne University

Experiencing all that your college offers, especially at Duquesne, where you are in the middle of the Steel City, can be exhilarating with being able to check out many different shops, or new places to get food. There’s one problem that could hinder you from enjoying yourself as much as you normally would. Yes, the dreaded college budget. While college is the time to experience and live your life to the fullest, it can be hard with a limited amount of money and we know that eating out and checking out the local restaurants in Pittsburgh is a must. We’re here to help you though with the seven best restaurants to go to near and around Duquesne University while you’re on a tight budget!

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täkō

Try out some inventive Mexican street food at this local joint in Pittsburgh!

Takopgh.com

214 6th Street

Downtown

When it comes to tacos in Pittsburgh, there are many different places to go to, but if you’re looking for something on the cheaper side, yet delicious, we recommend that you try out täkō today! Täkō is a Mexican street food restaurant that offers outdoor eating and many different kinds of tacos to choose from! 

Täkō is the perfect place to go to for all of your taco needs near Duquesne University. They offer tacos such as korean tacos, octopus tacos, fish tacos, duck confit tacos, and so much more. They even have street corn, churros, and other delicious Mexican dishes at a low price that fits a college budget. If you’re in the mood for some tacos, make sure to stop by täkō today!

“The carnitas taco were filled with smoky and delicious pork, and topped with guacamole, green salsa and pickled onions. The tacos were seriously among the best I've had and I can see why everyone raves about this place.” - Yelp Review 

Buy a gift card for täkō.

Waffles Incaffeinated

Come enjoy a tasty and sweet breakfast filled with waffles, omelettes, pancakes, and much more!

wafflesincaffeinated.com

2517 East Carson Street

South Side

If you’re a fan of getting breakfast with your college friends, or you just enjoy breakfast or brunch, Waffles Incaffeinated is the place for you! With serving everything from sweet to savory waffles, pancakes, omelettes, and more, we know that you are bound to find something that you enjoy to keep you coming back for more!

Waffles Incaffeinated offers lots of different breakfast and brunch dishes for you to enjoy the morning after a night out with your friends. They offer dishes such as eggs benedict, megaberry waffles, french toast, chicken and waffles, chorizo, and so much more. With offering all of your favorite sweet and savory breakfast foods, there’s no reason why you can’t find something you will fall in love with at Waffles Incaffeinated!

“Waffles INCaffeinated was, in my opinion, one of the first trendy, contemporary American type restaurants in Pittsburgh. Now with the restaurant scene booming, it's good to see that they've helped their own.” - Yelp Review 

Buy a gift card for Waffles Incaffeinated

Stack’d Burgers

If you want a cheap burger with lots of options for customization, this is the restaurant for you!

stackdburgers.com. 

3716 Forbes Avenue

Oakland

It’s a Friday night, and you’re feeling some burgers and french fries with your friends, so you decide to go to Stack’d Burgers, one of the best places to get a cheap hamburger that you can customize with sauces, veggies, and so much more. If this sounds like you, then you made the best decision when wanting burgers on a college budget! With four different locations across Pittsburgh, Stack’d is bound to be one of your top picks for some good, cheap food near Duquesne!

Stack’d gives you the amazing opportunity to pick what kind of burger you would like, such as a half pound beef hamburger, or even a veggie burger, and choosing the condiments that you want to add to it, making the decision all up to you! They also are known for the best buffalo chicken wings in Pittsburgh, and even some sweet milkshakes, so make sure to stop by today for the best burgers in the Steel City!

“The fried pickles were very good and the spicy ranch on the side went great together. Both of us loved the burger and the curly fries were perfect. We will definitely be stopping back again.” - Yelp Review

Buy a gift card for Stack’d Burgers 

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The Porch

Take pride in going to this local restaurant that has a seasonal menu that utilizes fresh ingredients from local producers!

Dineattheporch.com

221 Schenley Drive

Oakland

Are you in the mood for some local food that not only tastes fresh, but is delicious as well? If so, then you need to come to The Porch located in Schenley Plaza in Oakland! Located right on the Pitt campus, which is only a bus ride away from Duquesne, you can enjoy a seasonal menu where they take pride in making their food with fresh ingredients from local producers.

The Porch offers a lot of goodies if you’re in the mood to try some great food with an ever changing seasonal menu. They offer dishes such as a prime rib sandwich, bianca pizza, eggs benedict, a veggie burger, a grilled chicken BLT, and so much more. Make sure to schedule a time during the day to try out some delicious food at The Porch with you and your college friends today!

“Went to the Porch for a late lunch and it was delicious. I ordered the veggie burger and it didn't fall apart. It came with a side salad which was also good. Worth the $10 for me and I would definitely order it again.” - Yelp Review

Buy a gift card for The Porch 

Mad Mex

Stop by this Mexican restaurant where they use all fresh ingredients and have some of the tastiest food around!

Madmex.com

370 Atwood Street

Oakland

Are you in the mood for some Mexican food that is widely known all around Pittsburgh? Then try out Mad Mex today, where they make “funky fresh cal-mex”, where they make a spin of American, particularly food from California, and Mexican food with fresh ingredients everyday to ensure that all of their customers will have the best food of their life at a low cost!

Mad Mex is known for their large portions of food at a lower price compared to a lot of other MExican restaurants. They offer dishes such as the Mad Mex burrito, southwestern wings, buffalo wings, quesadillas, street corn, and so much more! With all of these great options, we know that Mad Mex is the perfect option for you to go on a college budget!

“Epic. The original location and still great. Very little has changed. Value for food and drink still one of the best in the city of Pittsburgh.” - Yelp Review 

Buy a gift card for Mad Mex

Sorrento’s Pizza

Want some cheap pizza that will fill you up on a Friday night? Then this is the place for you with the best late night deals!

sorrentospizzaroma.com. 

233 Atwood Street

Oakland

Pizza is one of the best meals to get while you’re in college because it can seem like you can never stop eating it! There are so many different ways to customize pizza with toppings, sauces, how you like your crust, and so much more. At Sorrento’s Pizza, you can get pizza at a cheap price that is super good no matter what time of day it is! 

Sorrento’s offers lots of different toppings for your pizza, along with offering specialty pizzas as well! They offer their traditional round pizza with whatever toppings you choose, calzones, white pizza, pizza bagels, buffalo chicken pizzas, Hawaiian BBQ pizza, and so much more! This is the perfect place to go to for some late night deals as well. Since Sorrento’s is open till three in the morning, make sure to come by for some cheap pizza with you and your friends! 

“Great pizza and late night weekend specials. Walk in X-Large pizza for $6. $1 toppings is also an excellent price with the deal. If you are in a pizza mood in Oakland, Sorrento's is one of the best available at a wonderful price.” - Yelp Review 

Buy a gift card for Sorrento’s Pizza

Fuel and Fuddle

Come to this local favorite to eat some delicious thin crust pizza, burgers, and some house brews for a fun night out!

Fuelandfuddle.com

212 Oakland Avenue

Oakland

On a short bus ride to Oakland, you can enjoy some of the best food and house brews around when you stop at Fuel and Fuddle! Fuel and Fuddle is known for their thin crusted pizza, and their alcoholic beverages that are perfect for a night out with friends without spending too much money!

Fuel and Fuddle has lots of great food to offer while on a college budget! They offer their famous thin crust pizzas with flavors such as pesto chicken, buffalo chicken, pulled pork, and even just a traditional cheese pizza. They also offer burgers, chicken wings, chicken fingers, and other goodies as well! Make sure to stop by Fuel and Fuddle for a cheap, yet delicious meal!

“I ordered the chicken caesar salad along with the chipotle polka. The chipotle polka is one of my favorite items on the menu. I mean spicy pierogies, how can you go wrong with that?” - Yelp Review 

Buy a gift card for Fuel and Fuddle

Trying to survive college on a low budget can be difficult, especially when you want to go out and have fun with your friends and enjoy some great food instead of eating ramen noodles every night. We hope that we were able to help you make your process of picking out the best college-budget-friendly restaurants possible near Duquesne University! We hope that you continue to enjoy the college lifestyle even if you have a low budget, because college is the perfect time to experience new places, especially food!

Is there a cheap restaurant that fits well with your college budget near Duquesne University in Pittsburgh that we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments!