Budget Crunch: 8 delicious deals to try right now

Got $10 and a friend? Then Kevin Korinek has 8 tasty deals you must try now.

1. St. Louis has some tasty taquerias, but you can still find some crunchy deals at nontraditional spots like The Crow's Nest, where you can get a banging Taco Tuesday deal and side for around $10. Try your luck at the Maplewood hangout with a different weekly special, like sweet and spicy chicken enchiladas with cheddar and grape tomatoes or Hawaiian pulled pork tacos with pineapple-cantaloupe Sriracha salsa. If you can spare the extra change, they also offer $4 margaritas and $1 pints of Stag (on draft!) after 10 p.m.

2. Thursday night is burger mania at Satchmo’s Bar & Grill in Chesterfield, where you can try a 6-ounce version of its juicy burger and a side of fries for only $4. You do have to purchase a drink to get the deal, but that’s pennies compared to the how full you’ll be when you’re finished.

3. In honor of its 99th anniversary today, May 25, Gioia’s Deli treats its customers to tasty treats. Its renowned hot salami sandwiches for just $5 all day. There’s a limit of two per customer – so you can eat one there and eat the other on the way home. Support the St. Louis institution that was recently named an American Classic by the James Beard Foundation.

4. Adrianna’s On The Hill known for some stellar pasta and sandwiches, and it has a solid reputation for a good daily lunch special, too. Every day, the team posts new, exciting specials on its Facebook page and while they have a few different regular specials to choose from, you really can’t go wrong with the $8 pasta special, which includes a full-sized plate of penne smothered in tomato-basil sauce and served with soup or the house salad and bread and butter.

5. VietNam Style exists to challenge your conceptions of Vietnamese food. The recently opened restaurant on Delmar Boulevard is has nabbed Asian cuisine enthusiasts with fresh fare and a regular lunch special. Get a drink, an appetizer and a traditional Vietnamese sandwich for a mere $7. Try the spring rolls with the Egg and Shredded Pork Sandwich and feel your taste buds do a happy dance.

6. A word of warning: nothing on the menu at The Taco & Ice Cream Joint is Whole30 compliant. Two of the best foods ever devised by man are found within this new shop on Cherokee Street, just waiting for us to gorge. The curious, incredulous Vaso Loco might be the most audacious menu item to appear during your lunch hour. It’s a 16-ounce plastic cup filled with candy, cheese balls, corn chips, wasabi peas and gummy worms, and shaken (not stirred) with a bit of tomato juice and hot sauce. It’s a trail mix with no redeeming health qualities, and we can’t take our eyes off of it.

7. Fondue sounds fancy, but not at Bella Vino Wine Bar & Tapas in lovely downtown St. Charles. Every Thursday, check out a delicious $5 four-cheese fondue with rolls for dipping and sopping up cheesy goodness. It’s a perfectly sized appetizer for sharing with a friend or enjoying all by yourself. While taking in the scenic Main Street views from the beautiful patio, you can also take advantage of the happy-hour drink specials.

8. If you’re the type to rock ’n’ roll all night and part of every day, check out the newest chain brewpub making some noise. Rock & Brews is owned by legendary Kiss frontmen Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons – another business venture the marketing geniuses are trying to capitalize on. They may be onto something with their Wednesday deal for Buds & Burgers. For $10, you can get the Ultimate Burger and fries and an ice-cold 16-ounce Budweiser product. The Starchild approves.

Kevin Korinek is a freelance writer and photographer with a passion for making homemade pie.