Tran An

If you've got 20 bucks, you can dine like royalty at this tiny, ’70s-inspired eatery. Tran An owner Jon Nguyen’s 18-seat restaurant offers Vietnamese comfort food: a hearty pho, a tangy papaya salad, bánh mì sandwiches, and a chicken-and-rice dish are all satisfying and affordable. The pho’s broth is rich, heaped with slices of chicken or beef, noodles, and vegetables. Vegans can get their comfort too, with a vegetable pho based on a vegan broth. There’s no liquor license, but you’re free to bring beer or grab a bottle of wine from the shop next door. Speaking of bottles, don’t leave without a bottle of Nguyen’s "Grandma" sauce, a Vietnamese fish sauce condiment that perks up everything from salad to eggs.