Everything we want to eat for $5 or less

Taco Tuesday
Is there any better day of the week than Taco Tuesday? OK, maybe Friday, or Saturday, or arguably Sunday… but taco deals are hard to pass up. Especially when they’re as good as this. (Obviously, these deals are only valid on Tuesdays.)

The South End’s Tremont 647 (647 Tremont St, Boston) celebrates Taco Tuesday with $2 tacos in a range of meat and veg options, including a few wild cards that change each week. Return the following Monday for $1 burgers and apple pies from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the bar.

Zuma Tex-Mex Grill in Faneuil Hall (7 N Market Building, Boston) has $1 tacos — that’s right, $1 — with $5 margaritas to pair from 5 p.m. to midnight. Also, crispy chorizo and smoked cheese-filled empanadas are $4 every day of the week.

The bad news with Acitron Cocina Mexicana (473 Mass. Ave, Arlington) is that you have to trek all the way out to Arlington to get there. But the great news: They have 10 different types of $3 tacos on Tuesday nights with no limits on orders. Worth the Uber there.

Downtown’s Barracuda Tavern (15 Bosworth St, Boston) has $2 tacos for dine-in guests in a range of options but we’re sticking around for the $5 smothered fries in cajun, disco or garlic.

Too good to be true (but they are!)
These deals are the kind you keep to yourself — but we’re not those kinds of people. We’re gonna blow up your spot. Eat these, often, and tip your waiter well.

Met Back Bay (278 Dartmouth St, Boston) has a $4.99 five-ounce burger night on Mondays at their downstairs bar. Options include arbitrarily named, but delicious D.C. Burger featuring good ol’ fashioned American cheese on a sesame seed bun.

Central Bistro (34 Summer St, Boston) has a few bar special options for $5 for the after work crowd from 4 to 6 p.m., but the Moules Marinières— a bowl of steamed mussels with garlic butter and white wine — is kind of a surreal deal.

Vito’s Tavern (54 Salem St, Boston) in the North End has a double whammy — gourmet hot dogs for $3 on Mondays (Kimchi dog! Neopolitan Street dog!) and $5 Sloppy Joe’s on Thirsty Thursday.

Try a montage of tapas — including teeny duck confit, cranberry chutney glazed chorizo and beef chilli-stuffed jalapeno rellenos — for $1 a piece at Masa (439 Tremont St, Boston) when dining in at the bar.

Likewise, Estragon (700 Harrison Ave, Boston )hosts a happy hour of their own from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday with a “Tapas Blitz” menu with offerings ranging $1 to $5.

Happy hour is still not-totally-completely-actually legal in Boston, but Haru (55 Huntington Ave, Boston) hour is, meaning you can nosh on a crunchy spicy salmon or spicy tuna roll for $5 at the bar from 3 to 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close on weekdays.

Finally, Tuesday nights — eat like a king: Jacob Wirth (31 – 37 Stuart St, Boston) has 25-cent hot dogs with the purchase of a beverage on Tuesday nights. No limit.

$1 (or less) Oysters​

Have a swanky slurp down on a pauper’s salary at one of these nightly oyster specials.

Puritan & Company(1166 Cambridge St, Cambridge) in Inman has dollar oysters every Tuesday from 5:30to 8 p.m. at their bar. Come back later in the week for complimentary Bar Pizza on Thursdays at 10 p.m. to midnight.

Barlow’s(241 A. St, South Boston) features $1 oysters from 3 to 11 p.m. on Mondays.

The Merchant(60 Franklin St., Boston) offers $1 oysters on Industry Night (Mondays), with an insider favorite, Fernet & High Life, for a mere $5.

Grafton Street(1230 Mass Ave, Cambridge) offers $1 oysters after 11 p.m., otherwise, they’re still just $2.75 a piece.

And down the road,Viale(502 Mass. Ave, Cambridge) has $1 oysters from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday at the bar.

Also Monday through Friday, Tavern Road shucks $1 oysters with $3 charcuterie and $2 Ponies (High Life, y’all) from 5 to 7 p.m.

Downtown speakeasyCarrie Nation(11 Beacon St, Boston), oysters are a buck Monday and Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m.

Kendall Square’sCommonwealth(11 Broad Canal Way, Cambridge) does $1 oysters during their Sunday brunch service from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Just be sure to snag a scoop of their house-made ice cream in Netflix and Chill or Coffee on Crack for $5, too!

Restaurant Dante(40 Edwin H Land Blvd, Cambridge) does $1 oysters daily, from 4 to 6 p.m. Come back Tuesday for $2 grilled cheese.

Towne Stove and Spirit’s Boylston Street-facing bar (900 Boylston, Boston) — read: prime people watching — offers $1 oysters Mondays from 4 to 8 p.m.

Jody Adams’Rialto(One Bennett St, Cambridge) has $1 oysters from 5:30 p.m. until last shell standing (likely around 7) on Mondays at the bar and lounge.

Union Square’sThe Independent(75 Union Sq., Somerville) does half-priced oysters at their side-bar and in the pub — they’re typically under $3 a piece, so you’ll end up spending just over a buck a piece.

Winging it
We’re willing to bet you and your friends can chow down for less than $5 on chicken wings when they’re a couple of cents piece. In fact, you might even be able to pick up the tab.

Despite popular belief, you don’t have to be in college to nosh on 25-cent wings atWhiskey’s(885 Boylston St, Boston). They’re available every day from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the bar, but you’ll have to purchase a beverage, as well. (Rough life, we know.)

Penguin Pizza(735 Huntington Ave, Boston) at the base of Mission Hill offers their crispy, sauced wings for a mere 25-cents a piece on Mondays from 5 to close.

And Irish pubThe Asgard(350 Mass. Ave, Cambridge) has their Galway Wings (which come in suspiciously American sounding flavors like Buffalo and honey BBQ) for a quarter a pop starting at 5 p.m. on Mondays.

Five Napkin Burger(105 Huntington Ave, Boston) has 50-cent wings every night from 4 to 7 p.m. and the 9 p.m. to close at their bar — also available: 50-cent taquitos and $2 sliders.

Still under-budget —Night Market(75 Winthrop St, Cambridge) in Harvard has an order of their Numb Numb wings for $4 on their secret bar menu in flavors like Rendang and Black Pepper Honey. The menu is on the DL (there are even more options) and is only available to guests who ask. You’re welcome.