The budget-conscious foodie’s guide to the Gold Coast

It’s famous for its surf, theme parks and nightlife, but the Gold Coast has another (and tastier) drawcard in its burgeoning food and dining scene, where fresh seafood, local produce and flavours from around the world combine to create a beachfront culinary paradise.

And here’s the kicker—eating your way around the Gold Coast doesn’t have to cost the earth, with a host of budget eats to choose from.

Savour the tastes of the Gold Coast (and save your dollars) with deals like freshly shucked oysters for a gold coin or half price wood-fired pizzas, all served with a side of sunshine.

Worked up an appetite yet? Bust open the piggy bank and read on to our guide to 15 of the Gold Coast’s best cheap eats.

Paloma Wine Bar, Burleigh Heads 

This Burleigh Heads wine bar was recently named Australia’s best by Gourmet Traveller, and it’s not hard to see why. Step inside this coastal chic bar and you’ll be met by chilled vibes alongside small plates of locally sourced ingredients and an extensive wine and cocktail list. Want to see what all the fuss is about? Do yourself a favour and swing by on a Wednesday for a cheeburger with fries for $14, or on a Thursday when $25 gets you pasta and garlic bread.

The Arc, Nobby's Beach

With happy hours every weekday and themed specials like ‘Mad Mondays’ where you can get pizzas for $12, it’s no wonder that the Arc is a local’s favourite. While the prices might be low, the vibes are high, with fresh and fun weekly line ups of live music, DJs and entertainment. Whether you’re up for a quiet bevvy or a big night out, the Arc has you covered.

Bonita Bonita, Mermaid Beach

Don’t be fooled—despite its setting tucked away off the Gold Coast Highway, Bonita Bonita is a bustling hotspot that might just serve the Gold Coast’s best Mexican food (our mouths are watering just thinking of the sticky agave and tequila pork belly). Don’t miss ‘Taco Tuesday’, with $6 tacos and jugs of sangria for $20, or the coconut and mescal margs for $14 from Thursday to Sunday.

BOBs Beers

Walk out of the surf, up the beach and into BOBs Beers—the first microbrewery in Surfers Paradise (the ‘BOB’ stands for ‘Best of Beers’). Make a date with their lunchtime special (from 12:00 to 3:30pm daily), when $20 lets you choose from dishes like beef cheeks slow cooked in Tim, Tam and Tom Beer or 120-gram Angus rump steak. Pair it with a Surfers XPA, Piñata Sour or a Techno Viking IPA and BOB’s your uncle.

Après Surf, Burleigh Heads

Make a good coin donation to yourself and load up on $1 wings at Après Surf at Burleigh Heads every Friday between 5 and 7pm. The self-proclaimed ‘friendly neighbourhood bar’, the legends here also do a $20 Sunday special that includes a parma, chips and a schooner (name a better combo—we’ll wait). The specials might get you in the door, but the good vibes will have you coming back for more.

Pretty Handsome, Burleigh Heads 

We’ve hit you with some Taco Tuesday deals, but what if you’re after cheap tacos on Thursday? Pretty Handsome’s ‘Taco Thursday’ means you’ll get two tacos with fries for $10 (plus $10 margaritas). Or come for ‘Happy Times’ (3:30 – 5:30pm Thursday and Friday) when you can get yourself $7 milkshakes, burgers from $12, or half a kilo of wings for $12. No wonder they call it Happy Times!

Nobby's Fisho, Nobby's Beach 

The Gold Coast has 70-kilometres of coast which means 70 kilometres of beach—and 70 kilometres of fish and chip shops. There are endless options to choose from, but we like Nobby’s Fisho with its wild caught fresh and cooked seafood, with fish and chips starting from $12.

Hail Mary, Burleigh Heads

You don’t have to throw a ‘Hail Mary’ to score a hip-pocket friendly deal at this taqueria and tequila bar at Burleigh Heads. With pastel pink walls, festoon lights and cactuses, drop in for $6 tacos on Taco Tuesday (with fillings like tropical pork or chipotle cauliflower) or hit up Magarita Monday for $12 margs and have a fiesta with your friends, choosing from share plates like nachos, enchiladas and other Mexican faves.

El Camino Cantina, Robina and Surfers Paradise 

Chicken wings for 10 cents a pop? Sign us up! Visit El Camino Cantina on Wednesday, order a margarita, beer or wine and help yourself to chicken wings for 10 cents each (maximum 20 per drink). They aren’t the only seriously good deals at El Camino either, with half price fajitas on Thursdays and $2 tacos on Tuesdays. If that doesn’t get you over line, the complimentary endless tortilla chips and salsa surely will.

Govinda’s, Burleigh Heads and Coolangatta

Forget meat free Mondays, it’s meat free every day at Govinda’s, the Gold Coast’s home of pure Indian vegetarian and vegan food made with love. Dine in and for just $13 you can fill your plate with rice and two dishes (or make it $15.50 for three dishes), choosing from veggie curry, dhal, salads, cauliflower pakoras, ever-changing daily specials or Govinda’s famed kofta balls.

Burgster, Palm Beach 

Tattoo ink style wall art, hanging indoor plants and bare brick walls provide the oh-so-cool backdrop for some of the Gold Coast’s best burgers. Mark Thursday in your diary—that’s when $15 gets you a cheeseburger made with organic free-range beef and handmade sauce. There’s also Wings Wednesday or their famous Oyster Happy Hour, with freshly shucked oysters going for just $2 (3:00 – 5:00pm Friday and Saturday – bookings essential).

Mozza Mozza, Southport

Sit around the four-metre indoor olive tree and twirl-pasta around your fork at Mozza Mozza, a hip new Italian joint at Southport that’s proudly ‘fuelled by cheese’. The menu here offers family-style faves that nonna would be proud of, from dreamy pastas to wood-fired pizzas. There’s some seriously good specials on offer, too—Wednesday means ‘Pizza Party Night’, with two 48-hour fermented pizzas for $35.   

Lucia Tapas, Tugan

European summer holiday not in the budget this year? Feel the Euro vibes at Lucia Tapas instead, where the flavours of northern Spain come to the Gold Coast. Sit in the terracotta-hued beer garden and enjoy $15 paella and $30 sangria all day Sundays or pop in from 4:00 - 6:00pm on Wednesday and Friday for $10 tapas and drink specials.

That's Amore, Miami 

Half price pizza? Now that’s amore! Say ‘si’ to half price traditional style pizzas from Tuesday to Thursday, dive into the delizioso weekly specials or bring the bambinos on Tuesday when they eat for free. This popular Italian restaurant has a menu stacked with all your Italian favourites, from 20 different traditional pizzas to spaghetti bolognese and dishes like burrata with a basil honey glaze.

Salt Meats Cheese, Surfers Paradise

More than just a clever name, Salt Meats Cheese offers some seriously delicious—and cheesy—food. Try ‘Cheese Wheel Wednesday’, where pasta is served straight from the wheel, or ‘Burrata Night’, where dishes are topped with an irresistible ooze of the good stuff. For the most bang for your buck, Monday offers all you an eat pizza for $29—or lunch for the same price with beer, wine or a soft drink.

Craving a wallet-friendly stay? Get a good look at the best budget accommodation on the Gold Coast.