Correction (4 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources between 3 October 2026 and 4 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
Cheap should still mean something you can name. This page is five places, three in Footscray and two in West Footscray, each with a printed price next to a real item.
Every entry says what the dish is in one line and ends with a single move. Prices come from each venue’s own menu or shop page, and each place was checked against at least two sources. Menus change, so confirm before you go.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dosa on a promo line | Pandu’s Indo-Chinese Restaurant | Dosa | $1.99 |
| Parma at full price, or the Thursday deal | Back Alley Sally’s | CHICKEN PARMA | $29.90 |
| Pastry for pocket change | Gordon St Bakery (Footscray) | Plain Croissant | $5.50 |
| Weekday pub specials | 540 on Barkly | PARMA/ SCHNITTY (Wednesday) | $20 |
| Pies and sausage rolls | Inner West Swedish Baker | Beef and Black Pepper Sausage Roll | $ 9.00 |
Pandu’s Indo-Chinese Restaurant — 351 Barkly Street, Footscray VIC 3011
The home page of pandus.com.au carries one loud price line: “Dosa only $1.99”. A dosa is a crisp, thin South Indian crepe, and the site says it comes with four chutneys and sambar. That is a promotional line on the home page, and the full menu on the site is an older PDF, so we did not use it for prices. The site also says the restaurant is BYO.
On the menu (copied from pandus.com.au on 3 October 2026):
- Dosa: $1.99
The move: Order the dosa at the $1.99 the site prints, then check the current menu with the restaurant before you add anything else.
Back Alley Sally’s — 4 Yewers Street, Footscray VIC 3011
Head down the laneway and up the stairs, which is how Broadsheet describes finding this bar. Its site lists “$19 PARMAS ALL NIGHT”, which the menu PDF ties to Thursday evenings, served eight ways with vegan and low-gluten options. A parma is a crumbed chicken schnitzel under napoli sauce and melted cheese. The regular menu prints CHICKEN PARMA at $29.90, so the deal is the cheaper route. The site also lists $8 schooners, Monday through Friday afternoons.
On the menu (copied from backalleysallys.com.au and backalleysallys.com.au/back-alley-sallys on 4 October 2026):
- CHICKEN PARMA: $29.90
- PARMAS: $19
- SALLY’S SMASH BURGER: $27
- VIVA FOREVER (V) (VGO): $17
What it is: A pub-style parma, and the Thursday $19 parmas line is the one to check before you go.
Gordon St Bakery (Footscray) — 142 Gordon Street, Footscray VIC 3011
Gordon St Bakery’s shop page prints Plain Croissant at $5.50, Cheese Stick at $5.00 and Vegan Croissant at $5.00. Broadsheet calls it “a small slice of French life”. The site lists Wednesday to Sunday mornings only. The shop page is an online pre-order list, so in-store prices may differ, and the site asks for orders at least 72 hours before pickup.
On the menu (copied from gordonstbakery.com on 4 October 2026):
- Plain Croissant: $5.50
- Almond Croissant: $6.50
- Cheese Stick: $5.00
- Vegan Croissant: $5.00
The move: Pick the Cheese Stick at $5.00, and ring ahead to see what is on the counter.
540 on Barkly — 540 Barkly Street, West Footscray VIC 3012
This pub-bistro prints a weekday specials board on its own menu. Wednesday is PARMA/ SCHNITTY at $20 with chips and salad. Tuesday is steak night, a porterhouse at $26 with chips, salad and sauce. Thursday is burgers with chips at $18. AGFG lists the pub under Footscray, while its own site prints West Footscray, so we used the venue’s own menu and address.
On the menu (copied from 540onbarkly.com.au on 3 October 2026):
- PARMA/ SCHNITTY (Wednesday): $20
- CHICKEN PARMAGIANA: $31
- STEAK NIGHT PORTERHOUSE (Tuesday): $26
- BURGERS WITH CHIPS (Thursday): $18
What it is: A parma or schnitzel night on Wednesday, and the $20 includes chips and salad.
Inner West Swedish Baker — 549A Barkly Street, West Footscray VIC 3012
This is in West Footscray, on Barkly Street. The shop page prints a Beef and Black Pepper Sausage Roll at $ 9.00 and a Chunky Beef & Guinness Pie at $ 9.50. A sausage roll is minced filling in flaky pastry, and a Kanelbullar is a Swedish cardamom and cinnamon scroll, printed at $ 7.50. Prices are from the online-order shop, and the site’s hours line reads Tue–Sun.
On the menu (copied from innerwestswedishbaker.com.au and innerwestswedishbaker.com.au/sweets-pastries on 4 October 2026):
- Beef and Black Pepper Sausage Roll: $ 9.00
- Chunky Beef & Guinness Pie: $ 9.50
- Mushroom Miso Sausage Roll (Vegan): $ 9.00
- Kanelbullar (Cardamom & Cinnamon Scroll): $ 7.50
The move: Get the Beef and Black Pepper Sausage Roll at $ 9.00, and add the Kanelbullar at $ 7.50 if you want something sweet.
Quick answers
What is the cheapest meal in Footscray?
The lowest printed price on this page is the dosa at Pandu’s Indo-Chinese Restaurant, where the site’s home page says “Dosa only $1.99”. That is a promotional line, so confirm it with the restaurant. Gordon St Bakery lists a Cheese Stick at $5.00 on its shop page.
Where can I get a pub meal special in Footscray?
Back Alley Sally’s site lists $19 parmas all night on Thursdays. In West Footscray, 540 on Barkly prints a Wednesday PARMA/ SCHNITTY at $20 with chips and salad, and a Thursday burger with chips at $18.
Where can I buy a pie or sausage roll in West Footscray?
Inner West Swedish Baker on Barkly Street prints a Chunky Beef & Guinness Pie at $ 9.50 and a Beef and Black Pepper Sausage Roll at $ 9.00. Its site’s hours line reads Tue–Sun.
Is there cheap vegan food in Footscray?
Gordon St Bakery’s shop page prints a Vegan Croissant at $5.00. Inner West Swedish Baker prints a Mushroom Miso Sausage Roll (Vegan) at $ 9.00. Both are online-order prices, so check in-store before you go.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources between 3 October 2026 and 4 October 2026: the Australian Good Food Guide, the places’ own websites, OpenStreetMap and Broadsheet. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, between 3 October 2026 and 4 October 2026, the date given beside each menu. Menus, prices and opening hours change, so check with the venue before you go. The cover photo is illustrative, from Unsplash, and does not show any place on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Pandu’s Indo-Chinese Restaurant: agfg.com.au/pandus-44931, pandus.com.au/pandus-menu, pandus.com.au
- Back Alley Sally’s: openstreetmap.org/5456948824, backalleysallys.com.au/back-alley-sallys, broadsheet.com.au/best-bars-footscray, backalleysallys.com.au/Back-Alley-Sallys-Menu-May-2026.pdf
- Gordon St Bakery (Footscray): openstreetmap.org/779446394, gordonstbakery.com/contact, broadsheet.com.au/best-cafes-footscray, gordonstbakery.com/shop
- 540 on Barkly: agfg.com.au/540-on-barkly-42884, 540onbarkly.com.au/contact-us, 540onbarkly.com.au/menu, 540onbarkly.com.au
- Inner West Swedish Baker: openstreetmap.org/12408340475, innerwestswedishbaker.com.au/savoury-pastries-pies, innerwestswedishbaker.com.au/sweets-pastries, innerwestswedishbaker.com.au
