SFGate

Cheap eats around the bay

The Chronicle has produced an annual Bargain Bites dining guide for more than a decade, and every year it's different, both in how we present it and which restaurants we select.

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Bargain Bites started out in 1997 as a pullout in Sunday Datebook, then moved to the Sunday Magazine. We're excited about its new home in this special pullout in 96 Hours, which makes perfect sense because this is where we highlight individual Bargain Bites restaurants every Thursday.

What follows is a compilation of more than 110 of our current favorites. Some are perennial winners, having run in previous Bargain Bites issues. Some have been featured in the 96 Hours weekly section, while others are brand-new.

The restaurants are divided into regions, but sprinkled throughout are restaurants we call Quick Hits — places where you'll probably eat standing up or take the food to go, whether it's a Chicago-style hot dog at Da Beef in San Francisco or a ceviche tostada at Mariscos La Costa in Oakland.

This year we also had our four-star chefs weigh in with their favorites. Find out Thomas Keller's burger pick, Alice Waters' top choice for tamales, and more.

We define Bargain Bites as places where the vast majority of entrees are $12 or less. Many have much cheaper prices, such as Yamo, a Burmese diner in the Mission District where each entree is $5.25. Each listing lets you know if the restaurant is cash only or doesn't serve alcohol. Otherwise you can assume that the restaurant takes credit cards and serves beer and/or wine — most bargain restaurants do not have a full liquor license.

Although we can't include every great cheap eat in the Bay Area, our goal is to cover as much ground with as much variety as possible. For an interactive map of all the Bargain Bites, click here. And we're always looking for new ones, both to feature in the weekly Bite and also for next year's compendium. Send your suggestions to food@sfchronicle.com (subject line: Bargain Bites) and you may very well see your own neighborhood haunt appear in these pages soon.

—Tara Duggan

Contributors: Michael Bauer, Lynne Char Bennett, Jon Bonné, Laura Compton, Tara Duggan, Mandy Erickson, Stacy Finz, Amanda Gold, Cindy Lee, Miriam Morgan, Carol Ness, Audrey Sherman, Maryann Smitt, Emma Sullivan, Carey Sweet, Jane Tunks and Deb Wandell.