Cheap Food in Southend, Essex*

Corner eateries, quick bites and the local chippy

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Cheap Food

• On the floor
• Pyewacket cafe is reasonable prices.
• Shake It! Their milkshakes are out of this world.
• Again if you are at college on break grab a dime bar milkshake or an oreo those are my favourites!
• pyewacket cafe a must for all students cup of tea is 50p and a bacon sarnie only 2.00 can smoke outside area and a lovely friendly service that will make you want to come again
• All the chippies. CHINA CITY!!!!
• Theres a little cheap chicken place next door to limit which is alrite.

• Harry's burger van! (Get Harry's Special) He's by B&Q but he blatantly deals drugs, we see him hand over a package to some guy and he paid him £20, rofl. Also, err, The Road that WHSmiths BACKS onto, go down there and theres a nice little café which sells bacon, eggs, etc. nice stuff.
• Having been encacerated in Southend for many months now and eating out almost every night I think I’ve seen a fair selection of the varied culinary delights that Southend has to offer. I’ll start with the regular haunts, Ask and Pizza Express. These are located next to the Odeon so pretty good if you want to get something to eat before seeing a film. Both offer similar selections of food (well for me anyway as I always have pizza!) and at a similar price. Ask probably has the better atmosphere and nicer environment but pizza express has much quicker service; they also have (or used to) one quite fit waitress which is always good. The food in both is what you'd expect. The other side of the Odeon is the Hogs Head, more a bar that does food and the portions are quite small and not really that filling. It’s reasonably priced and they have two for one type meals too. Often something to watch on the TVs around the place and they usually have quiz night on a Monday. Talking of quiz nights and slightly further out of town is the cricketers pub also has it’s impossibly difficult quiz on Monday. They do a good selection of food, including all day breakfasts, and the portions are plenty large enough. If it’s pub food and large portions at a reasonable price you can’t beat Weatherspoons, The Last Post back in town. With their 99p a pint deals, Steak Club on a Tuesday and Curry Club on a Thursday (which is very popular) this would be an excellent place to go. However, the dregs of humanity, and the mental hospital, also seem to drink here which takes the edge off the place as they sit there in their urine stained jogging bottoms. On one occasion we had to move during our meal because there was such an odd mental that came and sat near us. Don’t get me wrong I like Weatherspoons and support it but I just wish they would be more restrictive on the cliental they let in. Sticking with the town centre and concentrating on junk food there is the usual Burger King and McDonalds which everyone knows. The McDonalds nearer the pier is probably your better bet and Berger King in Southend is a particularly bad one, cold fries etc. Sub Way is ok if you fancy a change but I quickly got bored of it. The Mews is one that I went to last night which is a really nice trendy sort of bar on the ground floor and restaurant upstairs with a bohemian decor. It’s somewhat hidden next to a church near the bowling green near the town centre. The restaurant and food served is of a very high standard although the fact that you have to order sideorders like potatoes and vegetables separately does add to the initial reasonable price. But considering the type of place it is £21 for a main course, side orders, pudding and drink isn’t too bad. There are comfy seats to relax in downstairs at the bar and the cliental is quite trendy, which is good! (Compare this to The Railway Inn around the corner where the sub human scum who couldn’t even get in Weatherspoons frequent) On the Sea front as you look out to sea/estuary just to the right of the pier above Adventure (wrong) Island (wrong again) is a pretty good fish restaurant, serving up loads of different fish dishes called Fishermans Wharf. It’s a little more expensive than you regular fish and chips look to pay ~£20 for you meal and drinks but has a nice alfresco dining area with a view of the promenade and adventure island and out towards the power plants in Kent... ok it could be better but it’s still quite nice! My mate had a bad pint (which they happily replaced)and the table mates could have been cleaned better but minor points. On the subject of traditional fish and chips probably the best one is Henry Higgens opposite the Sainsbury’s in town. They have a small dining area at the back which is usually full of OAPs. Beware though they stop serving at 8pm in the restaurant bit and close at 9pm, which by Southend standard for chip shop opening hours seems quite late! The fish and chip shops down the front near the arcades are dire, plain and simple. However, further down in the Leigh on sea direction on the front is Van Noostroy (ok that’s wrong but it starts with Van something) is a good fish and chip shop that also does tasty sandwiches and an all day breakfast, it’s also reasonably priced, and a good place to go for lunch. It’s like a restaurant and has waitress service. Just a bit further down is the Esplanade, I’ve never had food there but am impressed with the frosted glasses they get out the fridge for an extra cold Stella. Towards Westcliffe but still almost on the front is Roccos, Flying Pasta and Mama Mia Italian restaurants all in a row. Rocco’s (think that’s it’s name ..it’s the furthest one up the slope) is ok and certainly has a very Italian feel about it. However it does become quite expensive to dine there, look to spend £26+ if you want to have a good one. The bar lady (who is fit in an older woman sort of way and looks quite naught) makes sure you are always armed with a full glass. One person I was with did get a completely burned pizza served but they quickly realised this and got him a replacement. The do good steak and fish dishes as well as mussels as one of their specials. The mozzarella on garlic bread seems to be served as a compulsory starter but there isn’t that much to go round a large group of 8 or so. Mama Mia is probably better value for money but probably isn’t quite the same for an Italian feel. My favorite Italian restaurant in Southend is El’Pescatori just off the high street next to hmv. This does excellent food and has a very cool laid back feel to it. The lunch time menu is cheaper than the evening meal and you can look to spend ~£30 each on a good one, lunch wise it’s about £15. They play Italian opera over the speakers which may not be to everyone’s taste but certainly added to the ambiance in my opinion. Down the high street opposite Royals shopping arcade is a restaurant with a marble frontage and has a cafe bit to one side which is open during the day. I forget the name but it sounded Italian, the food isn’t really though. It’s an ok place to go and the do nice ice creams for desert. Nothing special just your traditional English food, expect to spend about £16-17 all in. I do get a feeling it might be popular with the pre-bingo crowd and parents taking their 6-12yo out for an evening meal. Switching to the Asian Sub Continent, Indians. The best Indian I’ve been to is the Shagor over in Westcliffe. Nice and spacious they do a good selection and the service is very prompt and efficient. You can have a good one here for under £15 including a couple of cobras. The Bay of Bengal is another option and they do two for one if you ask on a Wednesday. To get this you need to have starters though. If you order a cobra here and opt for the large one it’s just two 330ml bottle that you are actually given. For the popadoms they always bring out this orange coloured ‘sauce’ in a gray boat but no one seems to touch it and I’m not fully sure anyone ever has. They do a mean balti and the peshwari nan is actually better than the Shagors. There are quite a few Chinese restaurants I’ve been two in Southend. I don’t remember their names..as they are all pretty silly. One I do remember is the Green Dragon. This is opposite the Central station and offers an all you can eat deal but is incredibly slow service. The one slightly further out of town (a few doors) is actually the better Chinese and they do an all you can eat too. Look to spend around £15+ for these. The other side of town and down from Frankie and Benny’s is another couple of Chinese. The one on the ‘sea side’ of the road is ok but there all you can eat deal has so many sub clauses it isn’t worth risking it and the same cd on continuous repeat is more than a little annoying. It is ok but I would not recommend it. The other side of the road is a very dimly lit chinease/ti restaurant that does good food and an all you can eat but does seem a little bit too amateur as they were doing the ironing in the restaurant when we went in there too! In Westcliffe opposite the Shagor (and up a bit) is Sian City (think?) and they too do an all you can eat which is pretty good value. I really like the food in there and it has a spacious open light feel about the place which is a little different to the others I mentioned. In a similar style there is a good Chinese down the front road down from Kursall bowl that seems busy and has a nice layout in there. It’s more expensive than the others and look to pay over £22 for your meal and drinks. I don’t think they did an all you can eat either. Worth treating someone to a night out at one of these two..I think they’d be disappointed with the others to be fair. Opposite this restaurant is the Fujiyama Japanese restaurant. We went here in a big group and sat around a large hot plate type thing where the chef, who has zero personality and charisma, comes out and cooks your food infront of you. For this you wear some dressing gown type outfit they provide just incase you get splashed.. which I didn’t so I suspect they might have just done that to make us look prats? The food is really expensive; look to pay £38 for a meet and fish combo platter. The sushi is ok but not really my choice of food. It's an ok place to go, and an experience but probably only recomend it for a change if you go out regularly. There is a new Susi bar opsite Sainsbury’s that has one of those revolving food counters. I was not impressed with this place, basically £7-9 for a bowl of water with some vegtable and ‘meat’ lumps in it. Some dishes are ok, the ones with rice just insist you don’t get one of their bowl rip offs. I didn’t have sushi here and I’ve never see anyone sat at the revolving counter thing. Far better value can be found at the Bangkok Kitchen which does a good selection of food, starter and main for under a fiver and is ideal for lunch. It’s at the Blue Boar Pub on Victoria Avenue and contrast the rest ofthe pub and what you’d expect from that type of pub. Don’t go expecting an elaborate meal and try to avoid sitting under the AC as it’s freezing there. The Fleur D’Provance is a posh French restaurant opposite the Scream pub and near the bowling green. It’s a hi-end restaurant and the food is very good. However expect to pay a premium for it. The restaurant is perhaps a little claustrophobic especially when busy. The service is slow (as it probably should be) and they give you plenty of time to drink the wine in between each course. I don't remember too much! The best restaurant in the area is the Boat Yard at Leigh-on-sea. The restaurant is in a cracking location, has a really good atmosphere and the food is top. The waitresses are quite nice too and they have a really good selection of fine wines, cocktails and spirits to sample. Look to pay at least £80 each here. The food includes a traditional English faire with steaks etc on the menu. Outside they have a nice decking area and they also have a gallery area upstairs with seating. There is a piano and they do band nights, which apparently can be a little loud if you are sat to close so probably best to request a table removed from them. The cliental are also pretty interesting in here and it’s definitely the type of place you would take a girl to propose....or apologise!
• There's a hundred thousand McWimpyKing shops for the chavs to fatten themselves on.
• Hello Southend! I'm visiting and wanted to let other visitors and residents know about a great local restaurant called Slassor's, at 145 Eastern Esplanade. I had dinner there tonight, cooked by owner Martin, and it was fabulous! I ordered a mixed green salad as a starter. The vegetables were crisp and fresh, and it was served with delicious fried vegetable chips. The baked dinner rolls were fresh from the oven. And my main course was a wild mushroom puff pastry wrapped in filo dough and baked in a flavorful sauce. (I'm a vegetarian, and Martin was great at accommodating my dietary needs.) I NEVER eat cauliflower, but the cauliflower side dish that came with my meal was too good to pass up. My friend had a tender, juicy steak served with au gratin potatoes and grilled mushrooms. Everything was really good! It's an intimate restaurant that seats 24, and it's BYOB (bring your own beer/wine). I would highly recommend it.
• Pizza Man
• Hassans Indian Takeaway in Eastwood. Good food and good value.
• pizza go go, the food is good and a good delivery service

• just the norm, MacDonald's, Burger King, KFC.....thats bout it realy, nothing special bout any of them.
• perfect pizza down london road (westcliff) or planet pizza down west road (westcliff)
• The Shagor in Hamlet Ct Road is shit hot for a ruby!
• the best restaurant in southend is def. KIA located down london road. It does a mixture of food and its not the usual crap you find in southend, i suppose its like some of the smaller restaurants is nice areas of london. the food everytime i go is great they do tapas, fish and seafood, meat dishes everything really
• Golden Dragon
• stephanes in milton rd...top decorative munch
• The Devil's cake shop in Leigh. Oh my God yes.
• Worst place Ive ever eaten is Fusion in the hamlet court road, The grub is awful and the staff look as if you had better not complain know what I mean squire?
• Kia on the London Road, just before Hamlet Court Road if you're heading out of Southend, is a wonderful place to eat. Friendly staff, great mix of music and good value for money. There's a seperate area upstairs if you want a quieter environment.
• Has no one been to Azzurros restaurant in London Road Westcliff. This Italian restuarant is the best in the Southend area, for food drink staff and atmosphere. It can be as cheap or expensive as you want.
• The Sun Rooms food has come on big time! Shitty venue, yes, but the chef knows what he (or she)s up to..
• For a dedicated Cruiser like me the staple diet is Maccy'Ds (MacDonalds), for all you drinkers out there its Kebab,Kebab,Kebab...hundreds of these dog-meat selling holes around town...'you pays your money, you takes your chance'.....
• Samboca Italian Westcliff, just like Mamma's kichen, massive portains and they even give you a lift home if you stay too late. Proper italian momma home made food. Try the lasagne and peas and ham...bliss. spent many a valentines night in their.
• Maccy D's, 2 of 'em! Burger King for all the sad little grungers. KFC, tomassi's, Pizza hut, Frankie and Bennies...
• maccy D's
• See above . Mind you the Pie & Mash shop in teh Victoria shoping centre is ok.
• Kingfisher down (the dreaded) york road, yummy scrummy fatty cheap fish and chips
• FING FISHER in the road next to the bus depot. £1.10 for sausage chips and curry sauce !!! how cheap !! nice food, been open for 25 year. YORK ROAD i think the road is called.
• Ali BAbaS....oh how fr8 those chips in pitta taste afta heavy nyts self intoxication!
• McDonalds n the usual
• Pizza Hut and Dominos operate in this area offering a fresh slice of generi-pizza at any time of the day, except mornings when they're shut and evenings when the wait time is usually around the hour mark.
• Manoly's Thai (Leigh Broadway)is OK but the Singha on West Road is better. Zanzibar on Alexandra Street, Southend is APPALLING
• Pipe of Port- famous for its Desperate Dan Pies! Excellent on a cold winters night (not really a summer place!) Menu is full of old english fayre! Old time favourite is the Chicken & Chestnut Pie very yummy! Wine is excellent and if you are in an Oz Clark mood they do wine tasting events through out the year. Keep away from the beer/ale goes by the name of Nats and tastes like its made from their urine! But on the whole its excellent and not pretentious as it still has the sawdust on the floor and a wine cellar ambiance.
• mcdonalds of course
• macdonalds, high street
• I would like to recommend Rif Rafs Bar Cafe in Leigh on sea, I used to work there as the head chef and the food was brilliant(if I do say so myself) and reasonably priced and there was a good selection of wines, since I have left the restaurant has now changed hands but I know the current owners and I'm sure its still as good as it was then!give it a try.
• curry king in raleigh! cheep and shit
• baileys or oban road
• Many a dodgy burger bar along Sutton road, great if pink burgers are what you go for.
• The high street.
• Mmmm, food, well, If you like seafood I would recommend el pascatori. It's down queens road which is just off town. It's not a big place but the food is excellent and the service good as well. I would advise the swordfish...very nice.
• you name it southend has it, pizza, pasta, indian, chinese, mexiacn, burger, chicken, frankies, amalfis, churchills, simply blues
• burgerking near the odean is the best and all the grungers hang out there
• Maccie D's etc
• Loads everywhere, London Road, Town, Victoria Plaza.
• Ali Babas everytime, without fail, hands down, the best in kebaberys in the land. Just how do they make that burger sauce taste so good? Could it be the amount of alcohol consumed earlier??
• Il Pescatore (Italian) Queens Road next to W.H.Smith REALLY GOOD !!!
• manolys in Leigh. Best Thai food I've ever tasted
• The Broadway grill in leigh seem great. Alli Barbers manage to sell a load of crap to pissed people. Alli Barbers also don;'t seem to understand the phrase "NO CHILLI SAUCE THANKYOU"!!!!! Mama Malfis do some great food too (although very expensive)
• Pizza Go Go has the tastiest pizzas in town.
• Curly fries at Route 66 - can't beat 'em!
• simply blues is a great american bar/restuarant that does massive portions american style
• Dooh das on the seafront is great. I'm gueesing though it can't compete that well with the three (yes that's three) macdonalds in the near facility.
• McDonalds, McDonalds, McDonalds, you get the idea. When visiting the town centre it seem s to be the place everyone wants to visit but surely one day someone will realise the polystyrene packaging and big lumps of B.S.E in a bun aren't that great !
• hundreds cafe southend seafront only cafe with tables on the beach
• Doo-Dahs, between an arcade and the hope hotel on the front. Brilliant if you are plastered and starving, the double cheeseburgers are amazing.
• one word:-KEBAB! the kebab shop in rayleigh is widely used as the end of the night munching site, oppsoite pink toothbrush...get a nice mixed kebab, mixed being grease and fat that is.....theres loads of indians and chineses but some should NOT be trusted due to rat infestation.
• noble house chalkwell (chineese)
• Ali Babas kebabs at the Sainsbury's roundabout is still the only place you can go after a night out. That's a lie actualy, there's this place next to TOTS called Burneys which is open till the early morning and isn't too bad if you've been forced out of Tots because its soooooo bad.
• The Polash, in Shoeburyness a couple of miles east of Southend, is one of the best Indian restaurants you will find in the anywhere.
• Mostly catering for Mr & Mrs Gumbee on their holidays.
• Alexandra Bowling Green Cafe: cheap and cheerful - eg egg and bacon sarnie WITH a mug of tea for only 99p PLUS pleasant views of the bowling green - go on give it a go. Shirley also does other mega meals as well.
• For food, a sunday morning tradition is to go down to the Arches for breakfast (excellent hang-over cure + fantastic waitresses).
• Essex Provisions and McDonalds and all the usual plus a few good sandwich shops. Loads of chinese, most quite good. Some very good Indian, Italian, Thai etc. Check out "The Butteries" a small cafe near Pizza Hut. Very cheap, huge portions of full-on English food. Tasty waitress!
• Best Chinese is the Pearl Dragon on the Eastern Esplanade (seafront).
• When in Southend eat the food that made Southend famous, PIE, MASH AND EELS! at the West Ham Lane PIE, MASH & EELS shop. Cheap and cheerful nosh served by a friendly French lady, no less!
• Arches on a Sunday morning, or breakfast at Churchhills. Lunch is great at the Sun Rooms, real vaule for money. Dinner's nice at Rayleigh Lodge, Rayleigh, Mastroanni, Hadleigh and for a great Indian, The Star of India. Hadleigh is worth a visit.
• Frankie and Bennies (formerly Garfunkels): very good and cheap food!
• Duncans Pizzas (on the sea front) doesn't open till 9.30pm but stays open till at least 4 in the morning. Ideal for the post puke feed, after a night down Tots!
• Ali Babas kebabs (bus station roundabout) good clean kebabs and hot chilli sauce, also ideal for a post puke feed up!
• Southend Tandoori, next to the Bus Station, serves up some great nosh. The Sun Rooms for really cool food and huge portions.
• Pizza Express at the top of the High Street do the best (real, Italian) pizzas I have ever tasted. I was amazed - even better than Topo Gigio in Dover and that's saying something. Excellent if you are catching a bite before going to the Odeon (next door).
• SUB WAY - high street, Really good food whether you are drunk or not. Fairly wholesome menu, and not bad prices for what you get. A much better alternative to Mc Donalds (Yuck).

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Last updated: 2008-10-14