Cheap Eats for Every Wallet in Bellingham & Whatcom County

For a delicious and filling breakfast sandwich that won't bruise your wallet, head to one of Avenue Bread's three locations in Bellingham for their popular eggenue sandwich. Served hot on an English Muffin, choose from multiple flavors like Country, Popeye (with spinach), Veggie, and Gourmet, or go eggless with the Tofu-ggenue. 

This is your best bet for a scratch-made, locally sourced, organic breakfast on a budget. Grab a Classic Breakfast for a reasonable price. It comes with two eggs, home fries or black beans, and toast or corn tortillas. 

Even cheaper is the Simple Egg Sandwich. You get two scrambled eggs with cheese on toast or an English muffin, with the option to add meat or tofu. 

For something sweet, a stack of four whole-grain buttermilk hotcakes is also budget-friendly. And here's the kicker: breakfast is available all day long. 

This adorable cafe in Fairhaven Village boasts a small breakfast menu with a small price tag to boot. Choose from various affordable toasts and frittatas. Or drop by on Sundays to grab a house-made everything bagel. They also offer a scrumptious selection of pastries and sweets. 

Mix and match from a long list of bagel and cream cheese options at this affordable breakfast spot in Downtown Bellingham. Keep it classic with plain, sesame, or everything, or get interesting with a rosemary salt bagel. You'll find the same spectrum or familiar to unusual options on the cream cheese side, with flavors like pineapple, pimento olive, and garlic-feta-dill. All bagels with cream cheese are super wallet-friendly.

The Bagelry also offers a selection of affordable breakfast and lunch bagel sandwiches, all for a fair price.

Locus serves up a variety of veggie and meat breakfast sandwiches, bagels, and "toast-acados" for a good price, all day long.

Locus is known for their unique and unexpected flavor combinations, which you'll find in full force on the breakfast menu. The Sweet Toast-acado, for instance, features avocado and cocoa, maple syrup, topped with banana, strawberries, honey, coconut and cinnamon on sourdough.

Accomplice is the burger, fried chicken, & sandwich shop on State Street in Downtown Bellingham. Their food and drinks are fast, fun and delicious, and their sauces and flavor combinations are unique, creating an experience like no other. 

Cheba Hut came onto the Bellingham food scene in 2022, bringing delicious toasted subs to the heart of downtown. Though this sub shop leans heavily into its weed-themed branding, you don't have to be a stoner to crave their food. And you don't have to be the Monopoly Man to afford it. 

Grab a 4-inch "nug" version of any sandwich for a super deal (you can also upgrade to the "dinner" version for a few more bucks). Choose from a variety of sub creations, both meaty and vegetarian, all of them perfectly toasted. 

The menu also features a selection of affordable "Munchies," like Garlic Cheese Bread, Pretzel Nugs, and Marinara Bowl O'Balls. 

This cheerful Mexican cantina in Ferndale is a great option for lunch on a budget. Lunch specials happen Mondays through Fridays, with lots of mix-and-match entrée options to choose from. Plus, you'll find lime margaritas on big discount during the restaurant's happy hour.

The portions are big and the restaurant is spacious, so it's the perfect crowd-pleaser for a big family meal, an afternoon out with coworkers, or a happy-hour destination with friends. 

Fill up for cheap at this staple burger joint in Bellingham. With two locations - one in Fairhaven Village and another in the Sunnyland neighborhood, just across from Trader Joe's - you're never far from a filling, affordable burger. 

The real deals at Filling Station are the combos. Combo #1 gets you a burger and a side of fries while combo #2 gets you all that plus a soda for only a couple bucks more. Combo #3 gets you a burger, side, and a ridiculously tasty milkshake for just a little bit more. Not too shabby. 

For fast, cheap pizza by the slice, head to this walk-up pizza window in Downtown Bellingham. Operated by La Fiamma Wood Fire Pizza, Pye Hole is a great stop for a quick bite of comfort food while you're out downtown. 

Easily one of the best sandwich spots in Bellingham, Cafe Rumba serves up mouthwatering Peruvian sandwiches seven days a week. Though the meat sandwiches can get kind of pricey, the cafe offers specials that mean an affordable meal is never far away. 

Beef dumplings. Potato dumplings. A side of rye bread and sour cream. That's the full menu at Pel'meni, a classic destination for Bellinghamsters looking for cheap eats, especially late at night. Though Pel'meni is great for an afternoon snack or an evening meal, it's especially popular after a night of bar-hopping or catching a show in Downtown Bellingham.