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THE 13 BEST CHEAP EATS IN TORONTO FOR $5 OR LESS
This spot offers a whole menu under $5 and they have three locations in Toronto. Everyone raves about the dumplings and steamed buns. We suggest an order of the pork & shrimp dumplings which has a price tag of just $4 for four – be sure to ask for their dipping sauce!

East End Eateries
It’s famous for delicious namesake Chinese steamed bun sandwiches (try the braised beef) and dim sum, and Abraham calls Mean Bao’s arrival in Leslieville “a major quality of life improvement.”

Cold noodle salad from Mean Bao
Steamed bun sandwiches and dumplings get all the glory here, but Mean Bao also offers a cheap-and-cheerful cold noodle salad that's also vegan-friendly. For $4.95 you get a mix of tofu, cucumber, radish, carrot and of course, noodles.

Pork belly with cucumber and hoisin ($3.95) is a greatest hits of Chinese flavours, the meat hefty enough to split the bun along the bottom fold. Each bao is dusted in crunchy roasted peanuts and chopped cilantro, leading to new tastes as you near the bottom. One bao is a snack. Two is a meal. Three is an indulgence of panda-size proportions.

1) Mean Bao. There are a half dozen different types of steamed buns on offer from two locations of Mean Bao. Ranging in price from $3.80 to $3.95, these freshly steamed buns are generously filled with options like pulled pork and apple slaw, pork belly with cucumber and hoisin, or, tofu and enoki mushrooms paired with satay sauce

Mean Bao is the latest downtown eatery to expand to the east side, and the restaurant's third location in Leslieville is the biggest and sunniest one yet. Takeout orders are still the primary source of business but new and exclusive to this location is the ample seating. Mean Bao is a welcome addition to Leslieville, and the steady stream of customers is proof. The staff already know what some of the regulars are having without any words being exchanged.

1) Mean Bao. The Village by the Grange vendor branched out to this new outpost at Bathurst and Queen this year, where the entire menu of dim sum and steamed buns is priced under $5. Standouts on the menu include siu mai ($3.80) and substantially sized pulled pork bao dressed with apple slaw ($3.50)

Mean Bao stands in the main food court’s light-filled environs, easy to locate thanks to a snaking line and a stall papered with various accolades that have been littering the internet. The steamed sammies are a food court standout. A neat set of six staple bao options are offered and specials hop on and off of the menu. Silken buns hug creative centres which pickpocket from different cuisines.

The Food: Silky bao are piled with savoury ingredients, like peppery barbecue chicken with pickled daikon, or house-braised pork belly topped with a crunchy mixture of peanuts and black sugar. The “Sloppy Jones” is a bao-ified version of dan dan mien, a traditional Szechuan noodle dish made with minced pork, chili oil and scallions.

Mean Bao started as a food court vendor in Village by the Grange, and has now opened a second outpost on Bathurst south of Queen Street. The new location is primarily a take-out operation, outfitted with just a handful of stools for those that don't mind eating elbow-to-elbow in cramped quarters... Mean Bao seems positioned to do well here: its entire menu can be dished-up impressively quick, while the price points are especially wallet friendly.

9 Must-Try New Sandwiches in Toronto
Since opening this winter, the tiny Queen and Bathurst shop has been packed, and this bite-size sandwich is one of the big reasons why. Pillowy soft bao enwraps slow-roasted, five-spice-seasoned pork belly, which is dressed with sweet hoisin sauce, fiery Siracha, cucumber, scallions and cilantro, along with a salty scattering of crushed peanuts.

With nothing over $6.50 on the menu, the growing trend of affordable cheap eats in the neighbourhood is something to help brighten up an otherwise cold and dreary lunch trip. The days of sticking with boring Subway sub-of-the-day options are looking slim, and we’re pretty okay with that.

“Dim sum inspired snacks” are currently a big thing on trendy Toronto menus, but they don’t always come cheap, which is what makes this pop-up such a treat.

Mean Bao started as a food court vendor in Village by the Grange, and has now opened a second outpost on Bathurst south of Queen Street. The new location is primarily a take-out operation, outfitted with just a handful stools for those that don't mind eating elbow-to-elbow in cramped quarters.

Unlike almost anywhere else downtown, Mean Bao’s har gow are made from scratch, their four thin translucent wrappers bursting with al dente shrimp... Come for the steamed bao but stay for the Mean dim sum.

Soon-to-be (and returning) OCAD students have a trendy new lunch option in Village by the Grange’s better-than-average food court. The hungry and broke can now have cheap and tasty steamed sammies without making the trek to Queen West.