Later this afternoon my producer Erin and I are setting out to find – and film – a Lincoln Lunch in Los Angeles. What’s a Lincoln Lunch? A $5 meal named after the dead President that graces the fiver. I strongly believe that it is possible to find a tasty Lincoln Lunch in any city and someday I hope to test this claim!
I used to find and write about one Lincoln Lunch every week for my column in the LA Daily News. Now I’m reviving my hunt for lunch deals, but this time it will be on video. We hope to publish the “video blog post” within a week of filming it.
To whet your appetite and help you find a Lincoln Lunch in your own ‘hood, here are a few factors to consider:
- Does the eatery look like a hole in the wall?
- Is it located on the fringes of town or on a side street?
- Do you order at the counter?
- Is the food served on disposable plates?
- Does the eatery occupy a very small space?
- Is the eatery’s reputation based on word of mouth recommendations and not traditional advertising?
“Yes” answers to these questions increase the likelihood of finding a Lincoln Lunch because these factors indicate lower prices. No guarantees, however. If you are really desperate for a Lincoln Lunch, head to a taco stand or scan the lunch specials at a Chinese restaurant. I have found many LL’s this way. Bon appetite!
May 13th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Just about all the hole in the wall ethnic restaurants around here will have something for you for under $5.
The hard part is finding a Lincoln Lunch that isn’t going to give you heartburn or your entire caloric intake for the day.
May 13th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
My LL suggestion is KATO in the Valencia Town Center Mall. For $5.09 you can get a very hearty chicken teriyaki lunch. Includes a decent portion of flat grill cooked chicken with a very tasty teriyaki sauce, rice and vegetables. Skip the beverage and get water. Comes to $5.56. For an extra .99 cents you can get double the meat and share with a friend. It was more than enough for the both of us. Enjoy!!
May 13th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Frugal Urbanite: that is too funny – but so true!
Maybe Julia it should be a Lincoln Lunch under 500 calories. After all a girl’s gotta watch her figure.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Many of the places that I’ve found in my area seem to have raised their prices lately… however, there is a delicious fish & chips place that has many meals that might qualify as a “Lincoln Lunch.” I find a lot of luck with places located in plazas near supermarkets.
May 13th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Here is a list of 5 cheapest healthy lunches (under a Lincoln) compiled by Men’s Health Magazine.
http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/The_Cheapest_Healthy_Lunches_in_America/index.php?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-2009_05_11-_-HTML-_-06
May 14th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Great idea! I’m going to start searching when I go out to eat with other students…
May 14th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Checked out the site provided by golfncook, and noticed that nearly all the “healthy” meals had pretty high sodium content… not good for people with high blood pressure. When I simply have to have a junk food fix, I usually get the Whopper, Jr. without mayo or cheese, and take it home to have with a glass of water “spiked” with a wedge of lemon or lime. That usually does the trick for a couple of months.
May 16th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Hi Julia,
For Lincoln lunches, I recommend Rincon Taurino. 8708 Van Nuys Blvd, Panorama City. Tacos are about $1.50 each. They are tasty and filling.
Another place is El Taco Llama. Llama means fiery. There are several in the Valley, but it is a franchise and they may not all be equal. I like the shop at the corner of Parthenia and Corbin in Northridge.
I hope to see video at both of these places!
Amy