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Chico Journals

Cheap Eats in Chico, CA

Best of IgoUgo

A January 2009 trip to Chico by ideagirl

Travel Photo by IgoUgo memberMore Photos
Quote: If you like local cuisine when traveling or are on a tight road budget, these local favorites will fill you up without emptying your wallet.
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Cheap Eats in Chico, CA Best of IgoUgo

Overview

Quote:
Chico is not a traditional travel destination but rather a town that many people pass through on their way to parts yonder. Of course, we have the usual Red Lobster and Applebee's right off the freeway, but that gets boring pretty fast. Chico has lots of excellent locally owned eateries, and because of the high student population, many of them fit the bill for budget travelers. Even if you aren't traveling on a budget, the change of pace from the usual corporate foodstuffs is a nice diversion from the long, boring Highway 99 corridor. Chico's downtown area has a wide variety of cuisines, with pricing to match. The restaurants listed in this journal are just a few of my favorite budget haunts. Quic...Read More

Burger Hut Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Travel Photo by IgoUgo member
Quote:
This local mainstay is such a fixture of Chico eating that even the locals can't remember a time when the Burger Hut wasn't around. Originally geared to the college crowd, the company opened a second location near the Chico Mall a few years ago to accommodate Chico's fast-growing non-student population. Burger Hut's gimmick is a build-your-own-burger theme. Patties are grilled over an open flame visible from the dining area. When your order is done, the cook starts tossing baskets of naked burgers on the counter as he shouts your name. This is the customer's cue to pick up their sammich and pile on the fixin's. Beside the usual lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, patrons can choose from dill or sweet pi...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on November 13, 2005

Burger Hut
2451 Forest Ave.
Chico, California
530/891-1430

Chico Locker & Sausage Co. Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Chico Locker & Sausage Co"

Chico Locker & Sausage Photo - Chico Locker & Sausage Co., Chico, California
Quote:
Chico Locker & Sausage, known locally as "The Meat Locker," is hands down the best sandwich deal in town. All of the meats are cured on the premises. Local ranchers and hunters bring their meat here for processing by the award-winning family owned plant. The deli side of the business is a little-known gem that must not be missed. Diners can order the usual deli fare, but the best deal here is always the daily special. Whether it is roast tri-tip, ham and cheese, or pastrami, for $5 you get a medium-sized sandwich stuffed to the gills with meat and fixings, a drink, and a deli salad. If you stop in on tri-tip day, it is a no-brainer--they make the best roast in town. Specials are just tha...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on November 13, 2005

Chico Locker & Sausage Co.
196 East 14th Street and Park Avenue
Chico, California
(530) 343-7370

La Comida Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Travel Photo by IgoUgo member
Quote:
La Comida is another old-time Chico staple that has been around for so long that generations of family members have all worked there as teenagers. In contrast to the numerous local taco wagons, La Comida's brand of Mexican food was born out of the Taco Bell era's ignorance of what real Mexican food is. Consequently, the food is distinctly not authentic--but it is still good, and reasonably priced nonetheless. Great chips and salsa are served at the tables to all diners. A favorite cheap lunch of the local high school students is to order bean dip and a soda, then gorge themselves on the chips and salsa. At under two bucks, it's a quick, cheap fill-up. Most of us, however, are looking for a good, ch...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 13, 2005

La Comida
954 Mangrove Ave.
Chico, California
530/345-2254

Tacos Cortez Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Travel Photo by IgoUgo member
Quote:
Any of you who have ever driven through the small towns of central California probably know what a taco wagon is. For those of you who don't, a taco wagon is a small kitchen-equipped van like the one you buy your corn dogs from at the county fair. They are mobile, family-owned diners on wheels that serve very simple, authentic Mexican food, usually very inexpensively. Today, taco wagons are as prolific in California as McDonald's; it seems like there is one parked every 2 blocks. Twenty years ago, though, there was one lone taco wago in Chico. They didn't advertise--all business was word-of-mouth--and if you didn't know how to find it, you would probably miss it. The wait for lunch could be as long...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on November 13, 2005

Tacos Cortez
1110 Dayton Rd.
Chico, California
530/342-4189

About the Writer

ideagirl

ideagirl
Chico, California

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