The Best Cheap Eats Antigua for Foodies on a Budget
Antigua is a beautiful town and one of our favorite places in Guatemala. It is no tourist secret and as a result, the cost of food and living can be quite high. It can be hard to find tasty and healthy cheap eats in Antigua among lots of fancy restaurants.
But during our 2 months stay there we went on a mission to scout all the best budget food (below 6 USD!) in Antigua and made a list with all our favorites for you. Enjoy!
1. Mercado Central (Best Cheap Eats Antigua)
If you are looking for the best cheap eats in Antigua head to Mercado Central Antigua📍It is Antigua’s main market and a labyrinth of narrow alleyways. Despite being a bit dark and chaotic it is a great place to have a wander around and eat.
At the food court, you can get homemade Guatemalan dishes for just 25 Q. Our favorite was the Pepian which is the national dish of Guatemala. It is a thick stew made with a whole lot of spices. You can choose between chicken or beef.
When you arrive there will be a few ladies trying to get you to come into their restaurant. All the stalls make similar food but our favorite was in the corner called Comedor Las Canches. It has a big TV and a picture of Jesus on the wall.
💰 25 Q (3 USD)
Tip: It can be quite hard to find the food court in the market because it is hidden amongst the narrow alleyways. But if you download Maps.me someone has marked the food court as ‘lunch’ on the map. Otherwise, just ask someone and they will point you in the right direction 🍽️
2. Rincon Antigüeño (Famous Cheap Eats Antigua)
Rincon Antigüeño📍is one of the most famous restaurants to get cheap eats in Antigua among locals and tourists. They specialize in Polla a la Leña or wood-fired chicken. They also hand-make their tortillas which you will see at the entrance when you arrive.
Among their signature dish, you can also try other traditional dishes such as Pepian, stews and soups. But most people come here for the chicken. You will see the chicken cooking in the wood fire oven which gives it a really nice atmosphere.
Most meals at Rincon Antigüeño cost 40 Q which is quite good value for money. There is no table service, you go and order at the counter and they will give you a number and bring the food to your table.
💰 40 Q (5 USD)
Tip: Rincon Antigüeño can get very busy on the weekends. So come early for lunch otherwise there can be long lines outside 👀
3. Urbano (Most Surprising Cheap Eats Antigua)
Urbano Restaurante📍was a place that we contemplated visiting for a while before going. We always saw a sign for a Menu del dia but the restaurant looks a bit tacky.
But we are glad we decided to try. For the price, it had some of the tastiest food and friendliest service we had in Antigua!
For 35 Q we got BBQ ribs, beetroot, salad, rice, tortillas, and a drink. The ribs were slow-cooked to perfection and it tasted way better than a 5 dollar meal.
A huge bonus for us was that we got our drink without sugar! In Guatemala, we usually could not finish our drinks because they were sooo sweet.
💰 35 Q (4.5 USD)
Read also: 14 Best Cafes in Antigua
4. El Porton Tipico
El Porton Tipico📍is located across the street from Rincon Antigüeño and serves very good traditional Guatemalan food with homemade tortillas.
I think the food at El Porton is just as good as Rincon Antigüeño but it has a less lively atmosphere and setup.
So I recommend going to Rincon Antigüeño first and if the line for it is too long then El Porton Tipico is a good backup plan.
We got the Pepian here for 45 Q which is our go-to meal. The portions at El Porton are very generous and the flavor of the Pepian was very good.
💰 45 Q (6 USD)
Read also: 16 Cheap Things to do in Antigua
5. La Taquiza Antigua
La Taquiza Antigua📍serves typical Mexican-style tacos. I was first hesitant because after spending two years in Mexico I have become a bit of a taco snob.
But I was very happy I ended up coming in here. There is a special of 3 tacos for 18 Q and the tacos are very good for that price.
The rooftop has a great view of the volcanoes on a clear day so it is also a great spot to have some drinks and tacos at sunset.
💰 18 Q (2.5 USD)
Read also:
🌮 12 Best Tacos in Mexico City
🌮 14 Best Cheap Eats in Playa del Carmen
6. Tierra Linda
Tierra Linda📍is a little restaurant that you will see very few foreigners eating at – which is usually a good sign to me. It means the food should be authentic for a good price.
The Pepian was once again the dish that we tried here and comes in a menu with tortillas and a drink. You can choose between a small (25 Q) and a big portion (38 Q). We went for the big one.
I prefer the Pepian at the market but it was still very good quality and you will not be disappointed by the food here. The service was super friendly.
💰 25 Q (3 USD) / 38 Q (5 USD)
Read also: How to Eat Cheap & Healthy while Traveling
7. La Casa de las Mixtas
La Casa de las Mixtas📍is a well-known no-frills rooftop restaurant in Antigua Guatemala with a 25 Q Menu del dia.
Their dishes are not huge but only cost 3 bucks. You get to choose a piece of meat with rice, tortillas and a glass of juice and are served on the table.
You can also get a larger piece of meat for 40 Q, so if you are very hungry go for that option! The picture shows the smaller option.
💰 25 Q (3 USD) / 40 Q (5 USD)
Read also: 30+ Proven Ways of Traveling Cheap
8. Restaurante El Punto
Restaurante El Punto📍is a pizzeria that also has a daily changing Menu del dia for 35 Q. The portions are small but the quality of the food is good. The Guacamole was delicious and the juice was very good quality as well.
If you can choose between chorizo and chicken, go for the chicken. The portion of the chorizo is ridiculously small!
I also recommend sitting in the back of the restaurant. When you arrive it looks like there is only a small dark seating area in the front. But out the back, there is a much nicer area with a lot more natural light coming in.
💰 35 Q (4 USD)
Read also: How to Stay for Free in Guatemala
Sign up to TrustedHouseSitters via this link for free + use code HAPPYHEALTHYNOMADS at checkout for a 25% discount on your membership! 🐶 Read about our experiences here.
9. Pupusaria
Originally not from Guatemala, pupusas are some local’s favorite filling cheap eats in Antigua. It’s the national dish in El Salvador and made from corn similar to the Colombian and Venezuelan arepa.
To be honest it’s not my favorite. It’s quite doughy and mushy and made from cheap ingredients. I prefer much more any other cheap eats from this list. But if you feel like trying it, we found a nice place that serves them in Antigua in the entrance to this hotel.
💰 18 Q (2.5 USD)
Tip: To make it less greasy, order it without cheese. But it will be less filling.
Antigua Food Tour
There is also a Street Food Antigua Guatemala Tour if you prefer a guided tour of Antigua’s food scene. The tour is not cheap but has really good reviews and includes private transportation around Antigua. Plus multiple tastings that are large enough that you will not go home hungry.
You can book the Food Tour here or here 👇
Antigua Cooking Class
If you are looking for a fun activity and making your own food then a cooking class might be a good idea. Guatemalan cuisine is rich in flavor and we enjoyed learning how to make tortillas. It’s quite a labor-intensive job!
Check out La Tortilla Cooking School Antigua 🧑🍳
Enjoy the Best Cheap Eats Antigua has to offer!
Antigua is one of Guatemala’s tourist hotspots for good reason and also a great place to be a foodie. But if you are traveling on a budget you need to know where to go, otherwise you end up paying Western prices as there are lots of fancy restaurants in Antigua.
I hope that our list of the best cheap eats in Antigua helps you enjoy eating in Antigua Guatemala even more! Let us know in the comments which food you are going to try 🙌
READ ALSO:
- 14 Best Cafes in Antigua
- Must-See Ruins in Antigua
- 16 Cheap Things to do in Antigua
- Best place to stay at Lake Atitlan
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Hi, I am Allan, a travel, health and fitness fanatic from New Zealand. I'm a former lawyer who turned into a full-time nomad in 2020. For the last 4+ years I've been traveling the world. I'm always on a hunt for good food, activities on a budget and workouts on the go. I hope you find my tips helpful and get inspired to travel more!
