If you want to eat your way through Atlanta without breaking the bank, these five low-budget spots are sure to satisfy.

Taqueria del Sol
1200B Howell Mill Road Northwest
404-352-5811
Lunch or dinner for two, without beverage, about $15

You'll need to forget ambiance, and be prepared to order "Soup Nazi"-style at the counter, but for the best in Mexican food, you can't do better than Taqueria del Sol. The no-frills storefront is filled daily at lunchtime with Atlantans lining up for tacos filled with beef brisket, smoked pork, fried chicken, or the special tilapia fish version that's dipped in an egg wash, rolled in breadcrumbs, and deep fried. The enchiladas - brisket, chicken, or cheese - are served with red beef chili, green pork chili, or lemon cream sauce. Lunch specials may include a burrito rojo plate consisting of two flour tortillas filled with braised pork, topped with a guajillo chile sauce, garnished with lettuce and sour cream, and served with poblano cilantro rice. The dinner menu is essentially the same, with perhaps another special or two added, such as zesty shrimp fajitas sauteed in pico de gallo. All corn chips and salsas are made fresh daily, and even the sides, especially the turnip greens and the jalapeno coleslaw, are just plain delicious. Soft drinks and beer are the beverages of choice, although they also stir up a knockout margarita made with Herradura Reposado tequila.

Thumbs Up
573 Edgewood Avenue
404-223-0690
Breakfast or lunch for two, less than $25; no credit cards

Thumbs Up is an appealing breakfast-and-lunch spot serving diner-type food about as good as it gets. It's located in a not-very appealing neighborhood between downtown and Inman park, and if you go, be prepared for exposed brick walls with so-so art, vinyl booths, formica-topped tables, a counter, and a crowd that runs from bond traders to bail bondsmen and includes a large number of young families bulking up for the weekly soccer game. Just about everything seems supersized - pancakes that are almost too big for the plate, omelettes that you create from a long list of ingredient choices, grits, waffles, challah French toast, whole-wheat biscuits, and the Heap - a pile of potatoes, cheese, and eggs that should be off limits to all but stevedores and coal miners. Jams and jellies are made in-house. Lunchtime brings out burgers (the Thumbs Up burger adds Swiss cheese, onions, and mushrooms and is served on marble rye toast), sandwiches, soups, and salads. The coffee cups are kept full, and the servers are cheerful and talky. For even more friendly talk, sit at the counter.

Rib Ranch's
2063 Canton Road, Marietta
770-422-5755
Dinner for two, without beverage, about $35

One look at the huge stuffed rattlesnake mounted on one of the Rib Ranch's dining room walls and old Texas license plates on the others, and you know it isn't the decor that draws crowds to this Marietta barbecue palace, about 30 minutes from downtown Atlanta. The barbecue is Texas style and as good as, or better than, what you'll find in Texas. The main attractions are enormous plates of smoked and chopped beef, pork, sausage or turkey, and smoked beef and pork ribs. Meats come with side dishes you select from a long list that includes great baked beans and coleslaw, as expected, but also terrific versions of cheese potatoes, collard greens, fried okra, macaroni and cheese, and the ranch's version of Brunswick stew. If all of this doesn't tempt you, you can also order burgers, salads (with meat), chili, chicken, and more. Knowing that this is what you face as a main course, you may not be interested in starters, but it would be a shame to pass up the onion rings or the jalapeno peppers. Beer and soft drinks are the right choice, although there are a couple of forgettable wines. Come early and try for seating on the patio where it's less smoky and quieter.

Noodle
903 Peachtree Street, N.E.
404-685-3010
Dinner for two, without cocktails, about $30

For no-nonsense, fresh and tasty Asian specialties, head for Noodle, a trendy cafe of sorts that's surprisingly chic, given the simplicity of its menu and low prices. Chinese red walls, ebony-like woods and silver light fixtures dripping metallic noodles set the tone. Dumplings with pork or vegetable stuffing are tasty starters, as are the filled curry rolls and the lettuce wraps. As its name announces, however, the stars here are the noodle creations - soba (buckwheat) noodles, egg noodles, rice noodles, and udon (wheat) noodles - made crispy or soft and combined with other ingredients in noodle bowls, noodle soup, and noodle specialties. Try the curry noodle bowl made with scallions, bean sprouts, mushrooms, carrots, red peppers, and yellow coconut sauce, or the pho nam consisting of beef broth with thinly sliced round steak, rice noodles, basil leaves, jalapenos, bean sprouts, and limes. If you want something other than noodles, the fried rice with seafood is excellent. Vegetarians will have no problems here, as tofu can be substituted for meat in any dish, one of the best of which is a searingly hot kimchi tofu combination. Whatever you order, it will be fresh and tasty, with vegetables crisp, noodles crunchy or chewy, and broths rich and flavorful. This food calls for tea, of course, but if you're in the mood for a playfully named cocktail, you can choose from a list that includes Hidden Dragon, Crouching Tiger, Fortune Cookie, Lucky Jade, Karate Punch, Confucius, Glowing Buddha, and Mr. Miyagi!