Portland is a great restaurant town, but indulging your tastebuds can wreck your budget.

Fortunately, there are ways to stretch your dollar, and still get great meals dining out.

Oba! is a Pearl District hot spot. Customers love the Nuevo Latino food and drinks. But with some dinner entrees topping $30 a la carte, diners might think twice about Oba! in this shaky economy.

There are ways to eat at great restaurants and downsize the check.

The website restaurant.com offers a $50 gift certificate for $20 at Oba! and many others.

Another bargain source is the Chinook book, and Oba! is in there, too.

Management says the deals are an incentive for diners.

"I think they're looking for added value,” said Randy Noia of Oba! “I think going out can sometimes add up, and going out 2-3 times a week can really hurt the pocketbook."

Here's another great deal for fine dining on a budget - happy hour.

At Salty's they offer a smaller portion of their crab and shrimp mac and cheese for $5.99. The full portion is $24.95 at dinner.

To go with discounted drinks, there's a cheeseburger and fries for $5.99 and portobello mushroom ravioli for $5 dollars.

Also new at Salty's is the half price-half portion entrees which also appeal to those looking for value and a smaller portion.

"Sometimes you're just not in the mood to eat a large meal. You want dessert, and you know if you order the big entree you can't make it there, " Linda Addy of Salty's told Newschannel-8.

23Hoyt is another stylish restaurant whose food has drawn rave reviews. It's now offering a 3-course mid-week dinner for $35 dollars - another way to entice those looking for value.

"We want to give people a chance to experience it without spending too much money and really getting a feel for the place," Dylan Lynch of 23Hoyt said.

There's also a happy hour. To go along with the drinks, there's a menu with offerings priced from $1 to $5 for a gourmet burger. Customers like Patty Anderson love it.

"It's convenient, it's fun, you can do it spur of the moment, you don't have to spend an arm and a leg. It's great," Anderson said.

So you can still eat great food, and stretch your dollar at the same time.

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