Best of the Gold Coast 2019: the 10 best cheap eats and meal deals for $11 or less

The Gold Coast is bursting with places to eat and there’s bargains to be had if you know where to look. Amber Macpherson has rounded up the best cheap eats for $11 or (much) less.

The Gold Coast is bursting with places to eat and there’s bargains to be had if you know where to look. Amber Macpherson has rounded up the best cheap eats for $11 or less.

$5 schnitzel meal

Waxy’s Irish Pub, 3206 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise

Waxy's Annelijn Sogtoen with a $5 schnitzel meal served on Sundays. Pic Tim Marsden

Hundreds make the pilgrimage to this Surfers Paradise watering hole on the Seventh Day for a deal that will make you say holy schnitzel.

Waxy’s Irish Pub hands out chicken schnitzel meals at a base rate of $5 — $3 for the protein and at least one side for $2.

“(We sell) at least 400 on Sundays,” manager Bianca Freeman says. “We get a lot of big boys coming in and they’ll order three to a plate.

“The cheapest you can do is schnitzel and sauce, or a schnitzel and egg for $5.

“It’s like a build-your-own meal. We have different toppings for $3, you can have a parmigiana topping, Hawaiian, pepperoni.

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Waxy's Surfers Paradise also serves a $10 chicken wing deal.

“You can get a side of chips or coleslaw for $3 and there’s sauces like gravy, pepper, mushroom or diane. Mash or veggies are $6.50.”

Food service runs all day on Sunday, with meals coming out hot from 11am to 11pm.

Bianca says the cheap feed is half the fun at Waxy’s, with games of “giggle trivia” and live music keeping guests entertained all afternoon.

The deals don’t end come Monday either — there are specials throughout the week to feed the masses.

“On Monday and Wednesday we do $10 steaks, which come with chips and salad,” Bianca says. “Tuesday we do a burger and chips for $10, Thursdays are half price pizzas and Saturday we do a kilo of chicken wings for $10.”

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$1 oysters

Burgster, 4-10 Philippine Parade, Palm Beach

You can have rich taste and still be a cheapskate with Burgster’s $1 oyster deal.

Even if you’re not a fan of oysters, you have to admit $1 for the sea fruit is a steal. Every Friday from 3 to 5pm, Burgster dishes out oysters for a gold coin each, so you can be a cheapskate with rich taste. Don’t let the price mislead you though — the oysters are locally sourced and ordered in that morning before being shucked in-house. They’re served with red wine vinaigrette and lemon on the side for an extra kick of flavour. Be sure to arrive on time though because Burgster usually sells out by 4.30pm.

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3 tacos for $10

Wahoo’s Fish Tacos, 2/1726 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads

What a feed … tacos and chips from Wahoo’s Fish Tacos Burleigh Heads

Wahoo’s menu is packed full of economical eats for penny-pinching peeps, but it’s hard to go past three tacos for $10. Available all day, every day with no strings attached, Wahoo’s customers can mix and match three taco fillings for a good old-fashioned cost-effective feed. There’s the signature fish taco with citrus or teriyaki grilled fish, chicken or steak, all topped with fresh slaw and salsa. If tacos aren’t your jam, there’s burgers for $5.95, salad bowls and nachos for $9.95, or the big spenders can lash out on a burrito, taco, side and drink combo for $16.95.

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$5 cheeseburgers

Apres Surf, 2376 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach

Cheeseburger from Apres Surf, Mermaid Beach

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Strapped for cash come Monday after living it up on the weekend? Apres Surf has you covered. The Mermaid Beach bar and restaurant loves taking care of its locals with food deals galore, but the most popular has to be $5 cheeseburgers on Mondays. Slapped between two milk buns is a plump house-made beef patty with mustard, tomato sauce and pickles. If that’s not substantial enough, customers can add bacon for $3. But that’s not to say it’s a McMeasley burger — owner Richard O’Hanlon says the portions are decent so no one leaves hungry.

$5 bao

Fufu 2375 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach

FuFu Mermaid Beach bao for Taste Gold Coast

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Take a bao, Fufu — you know how to keep things interesting on hump day. Diners flock to the Mermaid Beach American-Chinese diner on Wednesdays for the delicious deal straight off the streets of Taiwan. The fluffy, wheaty bao buns come with a range of fillings sure to suit all tastes including lemon honey chicken, satay beef, crispy fish, salt and pepper calamari, cauliflower or mushroom. Fufu invites customers to wash them down with another Wednesday bargain — a beer, wine or glass of sangria for $5. With the pillows of joy being handed out all day, you can roll up and dig in whenever you please.

$2 tacos

Aloha Bar and Dining, 18 Main Place, Broadbeach

Aloha Bar and Dining, Broadbeach - tacos in crispy wonton style

East meets west at Aloha Bar every Thursday as the staff hand out budget tacos with an Asian twist. The flavours of Mexico and China are blended together in Aloha’s $2 Taco T’ursday deal, served as crispy wonton style snacks with a filling of regular or spicy salmon or kingfish, kalua pork with teriyaki, chicken or eggplant and tofu. They’re crunchy and bite-sized, so dropping $10 on five tacos will more than satisfy your appetite. Hankering for an even better deal? Every Wednesday Aloha dishes out dumplings for $1 each. It’s enough to make you order a tropical cocktail and say ganbei (aka cheers).

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$10.50 gyros

Greek Street Grill, 4 The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise

Greek Street Grill serve up Gyros and Souvlaki

This Greek eatery serves up fresh and filling food. The signature dish, gyros, starts at $10.50 and if you’ve never tried one before, you’re in for a treat. It begins with a thick pita bread filled with your choice of shaved lamb, chicken, kofta, pork, falafel, haloumi or calamari, followed by salad and lashings of tzatziki and hot chips, all rolled up in a souvlaki-style wrap. It’s like your two favourite midnight snacks had a delicious baby. Prices start at $10.50 for the haloumi and go up to $12 for the lamb. With a beachside location at Surfers Paradise and another at Pacific Fair, it’s the ultimate rational refuel.

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$9.99 Thali plate

Curries R Us, 9 Lawson Street, Southport

A thali plate from Curries R Us Southport. For best of the Gold Coast Cheap Eats.

Feast your eyes on this special from Curries R Us in Southport, an authentic Indian restaurant with more discounts than you can poke a naan at. The most ample spread comes in the form of its vegorama Thali plate, featuring three vegetarian curries, rice, raita, salad and pappadum for $9.99. Omnivores and carnivores can up the ante with a combination of meat and vegetarian curries for up to $15.99, choosing from a variety of popular pots including makhani (that’s the butter chicken category), lentil dhal or creamy korma. The Thali plate is dine in only, but you can pick up takeaway dish deals from $7.50.

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$11 breakfast

Black Sheep Bistro, Oxenford

Oxenford's Black Sheep Bistro $11 bacon and egg burger.

It’s a numbers game at Black Sheep Bistro, with the menu divided into categories of cash. In the $11 section you can snap up the best-selling bacon and egg burger with Swiss cheese (or $10 without) and rocket on a fresh sesame bun. “It’s the biggest bacon and egg burger that’s going around,” owner Sian Bressolles says. “Most of them you pay $14 to $17 for something that looks like an English muffin, these ones are quite large.” Other steals are the tapioca breakfast pudding with coconut, mango and pineapple and treacle pancakes with vanilla bean ice cream, or the $13 steak sandwich for lunch.

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$1 strips and chips

The LC Miami, 2176 Gold Coast Hwy, Miami

The LC Miami's $1 strips and chips deal. Photo: The LC Facebook.

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The vegan lifestyle can get expensive so The LC at Miami has an offer that’s light on the purse strings for the conscientious consumer. Every day from 3 to 6pm, the food market serves up $1 strips and chips ($2 on weekends), $5 basic spirits and $10 cocktails. While the chips need no explanation, the strips are delicious, deep fried goodness reminiscent of chicken tenders, but completely cruelty-free. Crunchy, salty and more-ish, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a refreshing margarita, espresso martini or signature “purple rain” cocktail. “We wanted to introduce something for people to come and enjoy the venue in those happy hour hours,” owner Abbey Jones says. “People have been loving it.”