A cheap meal doesn't have to be defined as a low-budget buffet or a spin through a drive-up window; there are places where a hungry diner can get a bargain and a great dinner at the same time. That's the thinking behind the "Mealio Dealio" offered only on Sundays and Mondays at Houlihan's restaurants. The three-course dinner is a complete package that includes soup or a salad, an entrée and a dessert, and can range from $11.95 to $13.95. For just less than $12, penny-pinching patrons can choose among the house chop salad, a Caesar salad, a Tuscan salad or one of three soup options and chicken parmesan or chipotle-smoked chicken enchiladas or hearty wild-mushroom enchiladas and, as a finale, one of five desserts. The $12.95 list features the same salad, soup or dessert option and a choice of grilled rosemary chicken or chicken Alfredo. And at the $13.95 level: grilled salmon, baby back ribs or a damn good 9-ounce grilled sirloin steak with a potato. It's a first-class meal at the coach price, so it's easy to understand why it's limited to just two nights a week.
