Lunch, under $5, not including tax and tip, no sandwiches, hot dogs, Polish, subs etc.
I'll start with three entries, all Chinese, the first of which I had lunch today.
Sun Wah ($3.75)
BBQ Combination over rice at
Sun Wah. $3.75 for crisp skinned, juicy roast pork and rich, delicious roast duck, bit of still toothsome Chinese broccoli, half of salty preserved egg (still in the shell) piled over rice. Not to mention included pot of tea and thin, palate awakening soup, with a couple of chunks of carrot. Add to this a not-bad-at-all table chili oil and we have a solid entry in the $5 and under lunch category.
Spring World ($3.95)
Spring World's combination lunch menu, one of the best lunch deals in Chicago, offers one-from-column A, one-from-column B for $3.95 with tea, rice and, depending on the day, fair to good hot and sour soup.
My typical combo is, maybe the best version in Chicago, kung pao chicken and ma pa tofu, Spring World's ma pa tofu contains ground pork, both served in generous portions. As an added bonus, Spring World's table chili oil is quite good.
Palace Restaurant ($4.95)
American Cantonese lunch specials starting at $3.75, with the majority in the 4.95 range. My preference, at $4.95, is cashew chicken, hold the corn starch gravy, which yields a much lighter dish. The cashew chicken lunch special includes not-bad-at-all won ton soup, white rice, egg roll and a bowl of crisp chow mein noodles. Bonus points for decent chili oil, making their own Chinese mustard and friendly, efficient service.
I (somehow) feel compelled to point out that Palace Restaurant is, what is referred to on LTHForum, sometimes with a bit of derision, American/Cantonese or Schaumburg/Chinese. Me, I like American Cantonese, as evidenced by my, without embarrassment, vocal appreciation of Kow Kow in Lincolnwood.
Enjoy,
Gary
Sun Wah
1134 W Argyle St
Chicago, IL 60640
773-769-1254
Spring World
2109 S China Pl
Chicago, IL 60616
312-326-9966
Palace Restaurant
9236 N Waukegan Road
Morton Grove, IL 60053
847-966-2231