Cheap Eats in Western Sydney
Western Sydney does cheap eats better than anywhere else in the city. Smash burgers at 2am, $10 açaí, hand pulled noodles, pub schnitty nights and a Burmese kitchen most of Sydney hasn’t found yet. Here’s where to eat well without wrecking your bank account.
Yalla Burgers – Fairfield Heights
Smash burgers, loaded fries and late hours. Yalla is one of the best value burger joints in the west. The Quad Burger is the headliner: four patties with cheese between each one, for $18. Reviewers also rate the Hot Honey Chicken Burger and Truffle Burger at $15 each, and the Jalapeño Smash at $14. It’s 100% Halal and open 2pm–2am most nights (3am Saturdays).
Adress: 154–158 The Boulevarde, Fairfield Heights
Caffeine Hit Café – Old Guildford
This is the açaí spot the west won’t stop talking about. Toppings go way beyond the usual, with Nutella, Biscoff, Ferrero Rocher and Kinder options on top of açaí, granola, fruit and peanut butter. Small bowls start around $10, and you can get them until midnight. It’s open from 5am, so it works for your morning coffee and your late night sugar fix.
Adress: 73 Broughton St, Old Guildford
Cabramatta’s Banh Mi and Pho Strip – Fairfield LGA
Cabramatta is Sydney’s cheap eats capital. Start with a roll at Viet Hoa Hot Bread (105 John St). It’s a no frills bakery open 24 hours, with rolls filled with pork, meatballs or chicken. Then get a bowl at Pho Tau Bay, which regularly gets voted Sydney’s best pho. For something different, Pho Viet’s specialty is mi quang. Go on a weekend morning. Pop up stalls line the main street selling locally grown herbs and tropical fruit. It’s an easy train trip, and bring cash as backup.
Adress: John St, Cabramatta
Chatkazz – Harris Park
Chatkazz is the Little India institution. The menu has more than 200 dishes drawn from North and South Indian cooking, and all of it is vegetarian. Order pani puri, pav bhaji, vada pav and dosa, and share everything. It’s right across from Harris Park station, which helps because parking is hard at dinner and on weekends. There’s a weekend breakfast menu and a special lunch menu.
Adress: Shop 4–6, 14–20 Station St East, Harris Park
1915 Lanzhou Beef Noodles – Parramatta
Hand pulled noodles in a slow cooked beef broth. A big, filling bowl costs less than most takeaway. Add the lamb skewers.
Things to know: Halal. It’s near Parramatta station, with indoor and outdoor seating, and they give you scissors for the long noodles. There are also branches in Burwood, Bankstown and Haymarket.
Adress: 159/175 Church St, Parramatta
Cali Burgers – Oran Park
It’s West Coast USA vibes in the south west. Try the Black Garlic Burger, loaded fries and a thick shake. Reviewers call out the $17 lunch deal as great value. It’s open 7 days from 11:30am, and until 10pm Fridays and Saturdays. There’s a second store at Len Waters Estate, next to the M7.
Adress: Shop 3, 351 Oran Park Dr, Oran Park (next to CBA)
Burger Head – Penrith
The Penrith favourite has a permanent home again. They mince 100% Angus beef in house every day, and the pickles are made in house too. The current hours are Wednesday to Sunday, 5–9pm, so check socials before you drive over.
Adress: Unit 16, 98 Henry St, Penrith
Dahlia’s Café – Campbelltown
Dahlia’s is a proper sit down café inside Campbelltown Mall, with big plates at fair prices. Order the big breakfast, the crunchy French toast or the smashed avo. And they roast their own coffee beans. It serves breakfast all day and is open until 8pm on Thursdays, which is late night shopping.
Adress: Shop U48, Campbelltown Mall, 271 Queen St, Campbelltown
Red Cow Hotel – Penrith
This is the pub with the best specials in Penrith. It has $17 lunch specials Monday to Friday, $16 burgers with chips on Tuesday nights, $20 steak with chips and salad on Wednesdays, and $20 giant schnitties on Thursdays with a $3 parmi topper.
Things to know: On Tuesdays, pinball, darts and pool are free all day. Happy hour runs 4–6pm weekdays, with $6 select schooners and house wines.
Adress: 9 Station St, Penrith
Temasek – Parramatta
Temasek has been a Parramatta institution, serving Singaporean-Malay food since 1992. Get the Hainanese chicken, beef rendang, laksa and roti. It works best with a group, because you can share more dishes and the cost per person drops. It’s open Wednesday to Sunday only and cards need a $30 minimum.
Adress: Shop 2, 100 George St, Parramatta
Al Barakeh Charcoal Chicken – Liverpool
Locals call Al Barakeh the OG charcoal chicken spot in Liverpool. Order a half chicken meal with extra garlic and pickles, and you’re set. Family size deals come with a whole chicken, chips, tabouli, hummus, pickles, garlic sauce and a bag of Lebanese bread. It’s open 7 days, 10:30am–10pm, and it’s about 300m from Liverpool Station.
Adress: 77 Scott St, Liverpool
Sun’s Burmese Kitchen – Blacktown
Sun’s is one of the only Burmese restaurants in Sydney, and it’s worth the trip. Order the tea leaf salad, the shrimp and onion fritters and the chicken danbauk. It’s closed Monday and Tuesday. Dinner runs Wednesday to Sunday, plus Saturday lunch.
Adress: 10 Tulloch St, Blacktown
