click to enlarge 
Young Kwak photo
Shawn O'Donnell's serves
lunch specials every day.
While some may often skip breakfast and others stress all day about what to cook for dinner, lunch remains safe and easily manageable. It's basically the load-bearing meal of the entire day.
To ensure that the middle meal gets the recognition it deserves, we've compiled a list of lunchtime specials around the Inland Northwest ranging from burgers and sandwiches to heaping plates of Chinese and Indian food. Plus, all but one option are $15 or less, so your wallet, along with your digestive system, will thank you.
ZOZO'S SANDWICH HOUSE
2501 N. Monroe St., Spokane
Imagine two perfectly grilled patties smashed into a layer of cheese topped with pickles, onions, lettuce and a mustardy, ketchupy, mayo sauce, all fit between two tasty buns. Now imagine a beautiful cup of house-made potato salad filled to the brim with crisp pickles and perfectly prepared potatoes. Now, I want you to push that brain really hard and imagine that all of that comes in under $10 (before tax and tip). It may be hard to believe, but all day every Tuesday folks can replicate this divine meal (The OG smash burger and a side of potato salad) at Zozo's Sandwich House for $9.95. It's only $1 extra to add fries or tater tots to the meal instead of the potato salad.
SHAWN O'DONNELL'S AMERICAN GRILL & IRISH PUB
719 N. Monroe St., Spokane
Shawn O'Donnell's has a nice selection of lunch specials (daily from 11 am to 3 pm) including a thick beef stew, a creamy chicken pot pie and a hearty shepherd's pie, but in these hot summer months the fish and chips combo seems a more reasonable, weather-conscious choice. And considering it's an absolutely filling lunch, it's practically a steal at $13. The two pieces of fish are almost the size of a hand, and the fries they sit atop are pleasantly crispy. And if you're a light luncher, these also make for good leftovers because both the fish and fries maintain their texture even when cold.
REPUBLIC PI
611 E 30th Ave., Spokane
Republic Pi may be well known for its many fantastic pizza and craft beer options, but it really should be known for its weekday lunch special. I mean, for $12 you get a personal pi (errr... pie) of six small slices of any menu pizza, which would be more than enough for a meal. But Republic takes it one step further and includes the choice of a house or Caesar salad for a side. Each weekday you can take advantage of this special between 11 am and 4 pm — and if you plan ahead, you can even overlap your visit with Republic's happy hour, from 2 to 5 pm.
HAPPINESS CHINESE
3420 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane
Whether you're usually super hungry around lunchtime or just love leftovers, Happiness Chinese's lunch special makes a wonderful choice. Served Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 am to 2:30 pm, you can fill up with a cup of soup, spring roll, bowl of pork fried rice, crispy fried wonton and choice of entree for $14.95. Choose from classics like orange chicken and broccoli beef, or spice things up with the kung pao shrimp or Mongolian beef.
BARDENAY RESTAURANT & DISTILLERY
1710 W. Riverstone Dr., Coeur d'Alene
If you're looking for a place that varies its lunchtime specials, Bardenay Restaurant & Distillery is a solid choice. For $5 you can get a bowl of the soup of the day — which at the time of writing this was a coconut chicken curry — or you could opt for a smaller portion at $4. Pair that with a rotating menu of half-sandwich options for $6. Bardenay's menu is updated regularly online, so log on to ensure you know which items are being offered. Additionally, there are more expensive rotating lunchtime specials like a guacamole bacon burger, fried chicken or a full turkey pastrami sandwich (usually about $14-$20), for the hungrier budget eaters.
THE MANGO TREE
401 W. Main Ave., 9225 N. Nevada St. and 2912 E. Palouse Hwy., Spokane
14208 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley
1726 W. Kathleen Ave., Coeur d'Alene
The Mango Tree Indian restaurants' lunch special, in both Spokane and Coeur d'Alene, is another prime choice if you're looking to add variety to your lunch. Each day between 11 am and 3 pm you can get a plate of basmati rice, naan, salad and a choice of two curries for $17. The variety comes in your choice of curry, as each day of the week (Mon-Sat) diners get to choose from a different list of curries. So for a pick-me-up on a Monday you could choose a sweet coconut chicken curry with a savory beef curry. Or for a Friday celebration you could choose a decadent butter chicken and a creamy beef palak. The menu choices remain the same regardless of location.♦
