Shelby Moore

The hot-pressed Albacore Tuna melt incorporates tomato and cheddar cheese, served on cranberry walnut bread. There's a Gosling's Ginger Beer to sip on.

​Chloe's Corner earned its stripes serving straightforward diner fare -- panini-pressed meat and cheese sandwiches, salads, and simple breakfasts -- at Kierland Commons around the corner from Michael Kors and Coach. The shopping center takes up a couple blocks in the heart of Scottsdale where a $10 meal is not only considered a cheap find, but a rare one as well (not that it's an out-of-place concept, either, having been bought by Ashly Young in 2010 from Scottsdale's most affluent restauranteur, Sam Fox.)

A couple weeks ago Young opened up her second Chloe's Corner in downtown Phoenix's up-and-coming-along CityScape complex that straddles North Central Ave. on the north side of Jefferson Street, occupying an enormous, non-diner-like space that, in contrast to the Chipotle and Five Guys to the west, fits snugly at a medium price range that flies under a higher priced restaurant like Arrogant Butcher to its east.

When the joint opened its doors we found out Chloe's did away with the malt shakes that still fill cups in Scottsdale, and instead opted for twice the number of bottled beverages (from Gosling's ginger ale to a large selection of wines and beers), a coffee bar, and even pizza by the slice.

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Amy Morris

​Maizie's Cafe and Bistro -- on Central Avenue just south of Camelback, right on the light rail --  serves up not only an "attitude adjustment" hour(s), but a decent lunch special as well. You guessed it--it's all under $10.

This small cafe can be easily missed, but stepping inside is quite memorable. Wine bottles create a fun "wall." The outside patio area carries on this theme, making it hard to decide where to sit, especially on a nice day in Phoenix. Inside there are plenty of places to enjoy a meal--in a chair, booth, or at the bar.

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Shelby Moore

An outsider's opinion will tell you that the most essential building block to good Vietnamese pho is in the broth, but the insiders tasked with assembling the traditional brew of steeped herbs and bone morrow will take it a step further. They'll tell you it's like the keystone to building a bridge - if it fails to capture the palate (sour instead of zesty; greasy rather than robust) than the rest is just phooey, seeing as how "the rest" is typically submerged in a giant bowl of the stuff.

The pho broth at Tea Light Cafe, which shares a sidewalk with Harkins Cine Capri in Scottsdale, is golden. Noodle places are as trendy as the cities they're popping up in (New York City, Los Angeles), but in Phoenix, a city where trends go to shrivel, the Tea Light Cafe has survived with a credo of keeping it simple, fresh, and quality - with every single menu item priced under $10.

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Bonnie Gerepka

The freshly made soup of the day with a side of veggie-packed focaccia.

Bonnie Gerepka

Brie and prosciutto paninni with lemon orzo side salad.

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Erica O'Neil

A tasty platter of buffet goodness from Delhi Palace, all for less than ten bucks.

Erica O'Neil

Everything on the buffet line is labeled with an explanation, which makes for easy, guess-free pickings.

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​Buffets can be hit or miss, and we've had far too many bland entrees overcooked under a heat lamp to claim the title of buffet buff. But one of our favorite lunch time destinations just happens to be a buffet that's finger lickin' good and easy on the wallet.

Delhi Palace Cuisine of India offers an $8.95 buffet lunch that has plenty of options for the vegetarian and the carnivore alike. Plus, everything on the menu is very mild, so even the picky coworkers in your lunch crew can dig in to tasty tandoori chicken and flavorful curries.

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Amy Morris

Carnitas burrito at Habanero's.

​Resolving to tighten the belt in 2012? Food-wise, this post won't help you much. But money-wise, yes. Here's a delicious, low-priced lunch option in North Scottsdale for Mexican food lovers.

Here's a hint: Check out Habanero's Mexican Grill's daily specials white board. On the day we visited, the special was a carnitas burrito -- served enchilada style with guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream and lettuce. At $8.99 including a drink, the decision was easy. But don't get us wrong, you can find several other options under $10 on the regular menu. How about nachos for $6.99?

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Amy Morris

​If you find yourself near the 101 and Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd in Scottsdale, Thai House is a good bet for a filling Asian meal under $10.

Lunch specials are only $6.95. There are several main courses to choose from when creating your own lunch. Some of the options are familiar, such as Sweet and Sour Chicken and Pad Thai. Entrees come with a starter, including either a salad or soup of the day -- egg drop, the day we visited.. To be honest, the soup was just okay, but we had better luck with the main course.

Find out what we got after the jump. 

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Amy Morris

The $5 gyro at Saba's.

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Don't you just love a word of mouth recommendation? Here's one. Ask around enough and folks in north Phoenix will let you in on a secret: Saba's is the best place in these parts to find a $5 gyro -- making it a perfect candidate for a $10 lunch visit. 

Surprisingly, Saba's isn't hard to find. Huge yellow banners on both sides of their restaurant dwarf the small shopping center where it's located. Yep, it's bold, but we bet it's brought them a lot of business. The seating area is warm with scenic facades painted on the walls and lights strewn about throughout the copper ceiling. But decor is not what keeps them coming back to Saba's.

Find out what's worth a return visit after the jump.

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​Downtown Chandler is really picking up.

One might venture to say it's even borderline hip -- with more modern buildings, new loungey wine bars, microbreweries, and numerous specialty shops. Yet behind all of that, about two blocks over from the strip, is an old neighborhood, slightly run down but with plenty of charm. That's where you'll find Yoli's Cafe.

At Yoli's, the ladies are cooking up comfort food and not like the trendy gourmet kind, but the kind mom would make.

With only $10 in our pocket, we made it over for lunch and ate as many items as possible.

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Amy Morris

Yo Pauly! We hear you have lunch under $10.

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During my first visit here, many months ago, one of the first things Pauly said to us as we entered his charming restaurant with a thick Brooklyn accent was, "Hey, if you need something just holler, 'Yo Pauly!'"

He meant it.

Everyone is greeted warmly at Yo Pauly's New York Pizza Co. and if the pizza doesn't bring you back to this Scottsdale shop, the camaraderie will. Or, it might be the lunch specials. Think you can find a better pizza deal for lunch under $10? Fuhgedda 'boud it.

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