Fast Casual: BANDIT TACO

There are so many good, fast casual places to eat in Tenleytown, but the one that stood out to us was Bandit Taco. Out of the many Mexican-style restaurants around Wilson, Bandit is the best one. Other than the fact that the food is really tasty and authentic, it is also very inexpensive. If you only have five dollars, you can pop in and get a taco for just $3.50—a lot less compared to other options like District Taco or Chipotle. On top of that, on Taco Tuesdays you can get a special taco for only two dollars! 

Coffee: OPEN CITY

Obviously, good coffee under ten dollars is not hard to find, so we looked at other aspects of a good cafe: getting homework done and enjoying our time. Open City’s coffee tastes really really good and only costs around two dollars. On top of that it is pretty easy to eat a delicious meal and not spend more than eight dollars.

Sit Down: TEAISM

Teaism, located in Dupont Circle, may be a little far from Tenley, but the food is definitely worth it. With a variety of Asian dishes like a bento box, garlic eggs and delightful tea, Teaism is a place you must try. One of the best parts of your meal, other than the food, is the ambience of the place itself. It gives off a very relaxed and calm vibe, which helps you enjoy your food. We recommend checking it out if you haven’t, but be prepared to spend a little over 10 dollars. 

Pizza: &PIZZA

There are a lot of great, cheap pizza places in DC, but &Pizza is unique in so many ways that make it stand out above others. You can make your own generous-sized pizza with your choice of toppings for less than 10 dollars. There are lots of locations including Bethesda and Georgetown. One of the pros to this type of restaurant is that you can see your food being freshly made and it only takes a few minutes to be ready!

Sandwiches: BOOEYMONGER 

A place with good and inexpensive sandwiches is hard to find, but we think we have found the one. With four different locations around the DMV area, you can score a nice sandwich for only seven to eight dollars—pretty good compared to other local DC sandwich shops. They have a breakfast menu that costs around five dollars per item and frozen yogurt at select locations, which is amazing for hot weather. 

Takeout: PITMASTERS BACK ALLEY BBQ

Pitmasters is a place that fewer people know about. Hidden in the back alley of the Spring Valley stores and just a 15-minute-walk from Wilson, Pitmasters is surprisingly good. Most of the items are under 10 dollars and you can always count on fast service. However, this eatery is not really a sit-down place as it specializes in take-out. We recommend you check it out because it deserves way more business than it gets.