Where to find the best food under $20 in Malden

Welcome back to Boston.com’s affordable eats series, where we feature one suburb’s best dishes that ring up under $20 (before tax and tip).

This time, we took the Orange Line — when it was operating as usual — all the way to Malden Center. Lucky us, this North-of-Boston suburb is teeming with some of the metro area’s most beloved eateries. Its increasing population of young adults are seen dining and drinking at breweries and fusion restaurants for after-work bites.

And then there’s the Asian culinary scene, which for years has received shoutouts from local press (for the best dim sum, trust in The Boston Globe’s Devra First and just go to Malden). You can eat banh mi for lunch, and slurp down ramen for dinner, all within the same small, but conveniently-located-to-public transit downtown.

The best food options also extend past the center of Malden, feeding local diners New England staples, inventive burgers, and doughnuts. 

But are these meals affordable? In between the colossal luxury apartment buildings that line Exchange Street, there are still under $20 bites, but you have to choose carefully.

Below is our quick-and-sweet guide to Malden food for under $20. Of course, it’s not everything Malden has to offer, but these are our food writer’s favorite recent bites on a budget. 

Caliente Mexican Grill

24 Eastern Ave., Malden

One of the newer entries on this list, this growing, local Mexican chain brought its customizable tacos and burritos to Malden in 2023. Each item, from the build-your-own-tacos to their specialty burritos, allows some customization with dozens of toppings and proteins to choose from. There are a few seats inside the counter-service restaurant, but the quick service here makes Caliente an easy pick for takeout as well. 

Under $20 recommendation: The last several years of birria tacos and quesabirria taking off around Greater Boston has given us tasty renditions, as well as bad versions. I’m happy to report that the birria tacos at Caliente are the former. For $15, guests get three perfectly crispy tacos, a cup of consomme, and a small portion of Mexican rice. You can even get a cheaper version of this order for $13, which comes with two tacos. 

Crying Thaiger

114 Ferry St., Malden

Of the punny-named Thaiger trio — Thaiger Den and Phat Thaiger included and all run by the same owners — Crying Thaiger offers more every-day, and more affordable, Thai dishes. None of that is to say this place is a lesser version. Set inside of a trendy, industrial space, you can get craft beer or iced Thai tea in mason jars alongside appetizers on wooden planks and big bowls of spicy, flavorful noodles and curries. It’s, of course, takeout-friendly, but the warm staff and fast service make it a top-notch weekday dinner option. 

Under $20 recommendation: Most of the dishes here flirt with going over our $20 budget, but here’s the good news: There will be leftovers. Opt for the Crying Thaiger curry, orange in color and rich in flavor due to a blend of ground peanuts, red chilies, and cream. The base price is $16.95, and the bowl comes packed with veggies, while some proteins (chicken, pork, and tofu) are free to add. It comes with a bowl of rice to soak up the mildly spicy sauce, and the complimentary prawn crackers mean you don’t need to even order an app.

If a harmonious curry dish isn’t for you, go for this reader’s pick from Johnny C., a Malden native: He gets the spicy drunken noodle dish with pork for just $15.

Fresco’s Roast Beef & Seafood

775 Eastern Ave., Malden

In true roast beef shop fashion, Fresco’s offers more than just roast beef and seafood — you can get steak tips, a meatball sub, even salads. And walking into the hole-in-the-wall, counter-service restaurant, you’re immediately hit with the smell of fry batter and the sight of that expansive, but affordable menu. What’s more: Since it opened 10 years ago, Fresco’s holds frequent fundraising nights for various local charities. 

Under $20 recommendation: Malden may not be the North Shore, but the quality of Fresco’s three-way roast beef means you don’t always have to make the trek to Peabody to get this north-of-Boston delicacy. You can get a plain roast beef sandwich, super beef-sized, for $13.50, but I’d recommend adding the three-way toppings (mayonnaise, cheese, and James River barbecue sauce) for an extra $1. This is how you eat a roast beef sandwich in Massachusetts. And no, you don’t need fries.

Sun Kong

275 Eastern Ave., Malden

Malden has long been a destination for dim sum, with lines forming outside of both Ming’s Seafood and Sun Kong, the latter located a short walk away from Malden Center. They serve dim sum from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, but without the carts. For entertainment, there are TVs airing travel videos and according to The Boston Globe, Keno. 

This spot is also a reader pick, with multiple Boston.com readers telling us that it’s their favorite under $20 meal in Malden.

“If you’re in a dim sum mood for brunch, Sun Kong can’t be beat, both taste and price-wise,” said reader Sarah of Malden. “… You can leave with a very full belly for under $20.”

Under $20 recommendation: The trouble with dim sum is that it’s best when shared, which isn’t the point of this guide. But I couldn’t not include dim sum when going to Malden, even if figuring out pricing from a menu partially in Chinese was tricky. Here’s what I discovered: ordering three large dim sum plates (in my case, pork and shrimp shumai, pork dumplings, and pan-fried turnip cakes) brought me a bill just over $18. And even though a meal buddy would have been nice to share with, leftover Chinese food is just as great, too. 

And for additional recommendations from reader Sarah, consider these dishes: Char siu bao and the fish congee.

Katelyn Umholtz

Food and Restaurant Reporter

Katelyn Umholtz covers food and restaurants for Boston.com. Katelyn is also the author of The Dish, a weekly food newsletter.