Looking for the Best Budget Food in Salerno? Try Pizziche' (aka sPizziche')

If you're in the mood for a quick bite, or a smorgasbord lunch, this little hole-in-the-wall has you covered.

The entrance to Pizziche with the board in the window showing the food offered for the day.

We first visited this tavola calda (or "hot table" where all the food is ready to eat) on the advice of a friend on a train layover in Salerno. Dropping off our luggage with a cafe through Bounce (affiliate link) we made our way to Pizziche for what we thought would be a mediocre piece of pizza or calzone, and maybe a plate of veggies.

Just outside the front door, there's a small chalkboard with a list of about 20 items which is their menu of the day. Inside, you will find that it's not necessarily 20 different items, but variations on a handful of items, such as calzones with mozzarella, mozzarella and tomato sauce, and both of those plus some kind of salami. Or escarole with oil and garlic next to escarole with oil, garlic, olives, and capers.

And as two vegetarians, we're always pleasantly surprised to find a handful of dishes made without meat.

Zucchini alla scapace, broccoli rabe, pasta pomodoro, two patate crochette, and one folded pizza with eggplant and peppers for less than 10 euros.

If you concerned about seasonal food, don't worry, so are they! Depending on the time of year you go in (or even the time of month, as cold temperatures early in June might give way to hot temperatures at the end of June, sparking new growth), they will have fresh octopus, roast chicken and potatoes, zucchini alla scapece, chicory greens, and a whole slew of other dishes based on what's in season.

For those unused to tavola calda (like I was on my first trip to Italy), don't think "US display temperature" as we can commonly find. Every time I've been there, we stay for about 30 minutes to an hour, and throughout the entire time, people from the back are bringing food out to replace what has already been eaten. Sometimes, if a dish is almost gone, I'll come back a few minutes later to see it full and replenished.

But possibly my favorite aspect of Pizziche'? Between the two of us, the only time we've spent more than 10 euros on lunch combined is when we bought a beer and a water, pushing the total to 12 euros. To me, this makes it not only budget food, but the best budget food in Salerno.

They have our 10/10!