All the pizza, pasta and meats are prepared fresh daily in the Sal's kitchen. You can definitely tell from the taste, but you wouldn't know from the price. Jeff Mauro goes to Sal's for the homemade rice balls.

The Borges family has been making breakfast and lunch for longer than most of the Tufts University students it serves have been alive. You'll find Portuguese favorites like linguica and cod cakes alongside traditional diner food, served in ridiculously affordable portions.

Head to this traditional Irish fish-and-chipper for an authentic cod and hand-cut fries combo, or go a little outside the box with battered and fried sausage a fried veggie pastie.

Located in Minneapolis' Midtown Global Market, Sonora Grill serves up bold and tasty dishes mixing Spanish and South American flavors. Jeff Mauro stopped by for a Caramelos taco with cheese, and just about died of happiness.

If you need a quick fix of Boston's famous clam chowder, head to Fisherman's Net in Faneuil Hall. Get in in a bread bowl to make your meal extra-filling.

For a refreshing treat on a hot day, stop by Mario's Italian Lemonade in Chicago's Little Italy. Open from May to September, the stand makes Italian ices that are like slushies but way better. The classic lemonade has lemon zest in it for a bitter and sweet combo.

When the Swedish owners of a restaurant in Chicago decided to retire, Ann quit her job of 22 years, pooled her life savings and bought herself a diner. Her devotion to made-from-scratch food, especially the cinnamon rolls Jeff Mauro calls insane, is legendary in the Lakeview neighborhood.

This family-run rib joint with a fiery secret sauce is a great budget-friendly option in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. Chicagoan Jeff Mauro recommends the Mini Tips Combo: hunks of smoky meat served atop a mountain of fries and bathed in the restaurant's signature sauce.

Pizza is usually a special thing in Chicago, but at Scatchell's, a fixture in Cicero opened by Stubby and Eddie Scatchell in 1953, you come for the Italian beef sandwiches. The beef is sliced paper-thin and topped with crunchy homemade giardinera hot peppers.

On $24 in 24 Jeff Mauro snags a crazy good deal with Zelda's mini donuts, offered for the insanely low price of $6 for 30. Located on the Venice Beach Boardwalk, Zelda's makes perfect beach food with nearly two dozen sandwich options, including the Vermonster panini made with apple and bacon.

What started as a simple love of baking for Rosa Porto in a seaside town in Cuba turned into a 20,000-square foot catering facility in Los Angeles. Porto's is a go-to for Cuban-style desserts, cakes, mousses, and just about anything else your sweet tooth is craving.

Tofu Ya is a great find for vegetarians and the carnivores who love them. Most dishes are prepared with tofu rather than meat, but there's also an all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue menu featuring bulgogi, short ribs and brisket. Jeff Mauro stopped in for the Tofu-Seafood Soup.

For years Los Angelinos have flocked to the five-course Big Fat Greek feast at Papa Cristo's. Rahm Fama visited on Meat & Potatoes and celebrated the succulent lamb with a dance. In LA, Cristo's is the place for Greek with prized feta-lamb sandwiches and enormous beef gyros with tzatziki sauce.