Best Lunch in Downtown Halifax on a Budget
Lunch in downtown Halifax on a budget at Barrios: plates from $12, beef tapa at $18, $5 tacos on Taco Tuesday, prices with tax, and what two people should share.
Barrios Restaurant & Bar
10/16/20263 min read
Best Lunch in Downtown Halifax on a Budget: What to Order at Barrios
The best lunch in downtown Halifax is the one that fits your budget. If you are after a cheap lunch downtown, here is what things cost at Barrios Kitchen & Bar, the Filipino restaurant at 1571 Barrington Street, and how to get the most for your money. We open for lunch at 11:30 AM, Tuesday to Saturday. Prices shown are from our current menu and may change. They are before tax.
Lunch by budget
Here is roughly what a lunch costs, one person, one plate, before tax.
Under $15: torta, a Filipino eggplant omelette, at $12. A Caesar or market salad at $13. Pinakbet at $14. Two tacos at $7 each, $14.
$17 to $18: bangsilog at $17, pancit bihon at $17, beef tapa at $18, the teriyaki rice bowl at $18.
$20 and up: pork sisig at $20, chicken inasal at $22, kare-kare at $22.
Torta and pinakbet do not come with rice, so add steamed rice at $2.50 if you want a full plate: that makes the torta $14.50 and the pinakbet $16.50. The rice plates in the $17 to $18 range, bangsilog, beef tapa and the teriyaki bowl, come with rice already.
If you want a little more on the side without a second plate, fries or a salad can be ordered as a smaller portion for around $5.
Add 14 per cent HST at the till. A beef tapa at $18 comes to $20.52 with tax.
On Tuesdays the tacos drop to $5, which changes the math. More on that below.
One plate that is a whole meal
On your own, these plates come with rice and protein included, so there is nothing to add. They are listed from lowest to highest price:
Bangsilog, $17. Pan-fried milkfish with crispy skin, garlic fried rice, a sunny side egg and pickled daikon and carrots.
Beef Tapa, $18. Thinly sliced marinated beef, pan-fried until the edges caramelise, with garlic rice and two eggs. This is our tapsilog.
Teriyaki Rice Bowl, $18. Grilled chicken in teriyaki sauce over vegetable egg fried rice.
Chicken Inasal, $22. Chicken marinated in citrus and garlic, grilled, and served with garlic rice, a soy vinegar dip and pickled daikon and carrots. There is no pork in it.
Taco Tuesday
Every Tuesday our tacos are $5 each instead of $7. The regular four are all on: sisig, beef, pulled pork and fish, the fish being beer-battered haddock. The sisig taco is chopped roasted pork with soy sauce and chili in a soft shell. On Tuesdays we also add two tacos you will not find the rest of the week, a shrimp taco and a cauliflower taco. Three tacos come to $15, or $17.10 with HST, and two come to $10.
Sharing for two
Filipino food is made for the middle of the table, and two people sharing three plates get to try more than two people ordering one each.
For two, try spring rolls, four to an order at $9, then pork sisig at $20, sizzling on a cast iron plate with a raw egg that you mix through while it is still hot and a squeeze of lemon, with steamed rice, and pancit bihon at $17, thin rice noodles with your choice of chicken, pork belly or shrimp at the same price. Those three plates come to $46 before tax, or $23 each, and $52.44 with HST.
The kitchen also runs a sisig rice bowl as a common promotion, though not every day: sisig fried together with egg and rice, served with two spring rolls. Ask if it is on.
For vegetarians
Pinakbet, $14, is squash, beans, okra and eggplant with crispy tofu. Pinakbet is often made with shrimp paste or pork, but ours is made without shrimp paste or fish sauce, and the menu marks it vegetarian and vegan-friendly. Torta, $12, is vegetarian but not vegan, because of the egg. Pancit bihon or guisado can be made with vegetables and tofu if you ask.
Groups, delivery and Sunday
For a group of eight or more, call 902-444-2515 ahead; otherwise book at barrioshfx.ca/reservation. There is no room fee or minimum spend. If nobody can leave the office, we are on Uber Eats and DoorDash Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 8 PM. Sunday is Filipino brunch only, 10:30 AM to 4 PM, a self-serve spread at $29 for adults, and Monday we are closed.
Quick answers
How much does lunch cost at Barrios?
Most single plates are $17 to $22 before tax. The lowest-priced plates are torta at $12, the salads at $13 and pinakbet at $14, plus $2.50 if you want steamed rice.
What is the cheapest lunch at Barrios?
On Tuesdays, tacos at $5 each: two for $10, three for $15, or $17.10 with HST. The rest of the week, the torta at $12, which is $13.68 with HST, or $14.50 with steamed rice, $16.53 with HST.
What can I order on my own?
One plate that is a meal on its own: beef tapa, bangsilog, chicken inasal or the teriyaki rice bowl.
What should two people share at lunch?
Spring rolls, pork sisig and pancit bihon, $46 for the three plates.
Is Barrios open for lunch on Monday?
No. We are closed on Mondays. Lunch is Tuesday to Saturday from 11:30 AM.