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Jul 25, 2008 12:48 pm US/Eastern
South Florida's Cheap Eats: How To Dine On A Dime
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MIAMI (CBS4) ―
If you're hungry for a good meal but don't want to spend a fortune,
CBS4'S Lisa Petrillo can help with another of her "Cheap Eats" reports. Lisa has put her taste buds to the test once again, in order to find some of South Florida's best restaurants with delicious meals under ten dollars.
If you're a fan of classic American diner fare like eggs sandwiches and hot cooked specials, then Lester's Diner, located off SR 84 in Fort Lauderdale is your spot for cheap eats. The diner first opened in the 60's and has been a landmark ever since. It is owned by a Greek family, who bring a taste of their country to the menu as well.
Geronimo Dogheis works with his dad in the diner, which is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 364 days a year.
"We only close one day a year, that's Christmas, that's it," Dogheis told Petrillo.
Old school type servers bring eye opening plates of food and almost everything is priced less than 10 dollars an entree.
"We have lamb, seafood sandwiches, burgers and Greek specials," said Dogheis.
In the rough of Allapattah, there's a jewel with no name out front and a packed parking lot filled with fancy cars. It's called Papo Llega Y Pon, a family owned Cuban cafeteria between 17th avenue and 29th Street in Miami. It's widely known for their Pan Con Lechon, or Cuban pork sandwiches.
This is a place people know through word of mouth. Sisters Julia and Glenda run the business which was bought by their dad 30 years ago.
"You gotta understand my father was a truck driver, he used to do movings from Chicago to Miami and then when the whole family moved here, he said I'm gonna open up a cafeteria and that's what he did. That's where the name comes from, Papo Llega Y Pon, which means "Papi came and put," said Julia Alfonso, owner of "Papo Llega y Pon"
And Papi knows how to make pork. The moist pork is chopped and placed on freshly backed Cuban bread. The secret, they say, is in the sauce. A mojo dressing that keeps hungry crowds lining up all day and a $5-dollars a sandwich, it's a really good deal.
From Cuban to Italian, cheap eats heads to South Beach where Pizza Rustica is located on Lincoln Road.
For 13 years, owner Pino Piroso has been serving up his Roman style pizzas, square shaped slices, made with the freshest ingredients all priced at $5-dollars and under.
"I went to Rome, fell in love with this rectangular pizza, and had an idea; I have to do this in America. I think people will love it," said Pino Piroso, owner of Pizza Rustica.
And they do love it, at all hours. The restaurant is open from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. daily and serves 28 different types of pizzas around the clock.
"We love to put our hearts in our pizza, and freshest ingredients we can buy in the market and give it to you, the public at the best prices we can."
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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