Poland still has "Milk bars"(Bar mleczny) which were the staple of dining during the communist times - they served mostly food based on milk and flour(hence the name) - pancakes with cheese, pierogi(many different fillings), different soups......they were extremely cheap and also pretty good.

And....they still exist today. Krakow has one literally right in the city centre, next to the most premium of premium estates, where a restaurant literally right next door will have "western" levels of pricing, and yet they continue to serve simple, basic food for ~$1-3 per portion[0]. Granted, a lot of them closed after the fall of communism 20 years ago, but equally they still exist and still continue serving people. They are not just a tourist curio either - they are the place to go for students and workers.

[0] https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g274772-d269...