Sometimes restaurants try so hard getting the ambiance right that the food falls on its face. More often then not, the trendy, hip and happening restaurants are not the ones that you want to eat at day after day. Finding restaurants with great food that won’t eat up your wallet is something of a miracle for Bay Area residents. Even worse, traveling even a few miles out of your home town will leave you completely lost in a storm of culinary options. So what’s a foodie to do? From San Jose to San Francisco, there are a plethora of amazing, hole-in-the-wall restaurants that even the connoisseur will appreciate. Here are our picks for great hole-in-the-wall restaurants in the Bay Area.Back A Yard Grill — Caribbean Cuisine is rich in spices while being delicate in taste. The flavors of each of the dishes fuse together into one amazing taste-bud rush. Compared to other Caribbean Restaurants, Back-A-Yard, on a slightly-sketchy street off Woodside Road in Menlo Park, is king. The Jerk Chicken is cooked perfectly in the traditional Jamaican style and is best eaten with your hands. Be sure to lick your fingers afterwards, you wouldn’t want to let any of that amazing flavor go by the wayside. Back-A-Yard is not only amazingly tasty, but extremely cheap. This joint serves large portions, and very filling meals that can be purchased for around $10. Though the restaurant has no more than four or five tables to sit at, Back-A-Yard is a great option for take-out and a fantastic lunch spot.Taqueria La Bamba — If you live in Mountain View and you love Mexican food, you no doubt have heard of the ongoing battle between La Costena and Taqueria La Bamba. Located right next to each other on Middlefield, you’ll often find at least a few newbies standing right on the dividing line between the two restaurants dumbfounded as to which one to go into. La Bamba has carried the title for the “Best Burrito in Mountain View” by the Mountain View Voice every year that La Costena has not held the title. For nearly 10 years they’ve been switching off holding the title belt with no clear winner in sight. However, everyone has picked sides, and I will be putting my vote in for La Bamba. Honduran by origin, La Bamba’s dishes have a certain pizzaz that you don’t find at Costena. The burritos are big, meaty and absolutely delicious. An enormous burrito can be purchased for around $6, and for many people it could serve as dinner as well. But if you’re a true La Bamba addict you’ll finish that burrito and be begging for more.Falafel Drive In — This establishment has sat on the same tiny plot of land in a residential area of San Jose over the 880 freeway for nearly 50 years. It hasn’t changed in appearance even after serving hundreds of thousands of customers. The falafels have always been the same, and that is one thing that should never change. This small, retro looking food stand is home to best falafel I’ve ever tasted. Whether it be in a pita sandwich with a bit of Falafel Drive In’s signature hot sauce, or just by themselves, these fried treats are absolutely delectable. There is lots of seating on wooden benches right outside, but don’t expect to get any of these easily. Every day of the week during lunch and dinner Falafel Drive In is packed. The best thing to do is grab some great falafel, sit on the sidewalk, and just enjoy.Masa’s Sushi — Sushi is probably the most expensive food you can eat by weight. Typically, a small roll may cost you as much as $5. At this small sushi house on San Antonio Road you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck. The sushi is fantastic and the menu is very full featured. There isn’t a roll that you can think of that these master sushi chefs haven’t prepared before. The restaurant is quaint and the portions are larger than most other sushi places on the Peninsula. Expect to pay about 20% less than most other sushi restaurants at Masa’s and come away 100% happier.Here you can find more cheap restaurants near Palo Alto.Photo credit: flickr cc Marshall Astor