Nashville Area Restaurants
Meat and Three
Nashville has always had ist fair share of top quality restaurants, see the list at the end of this article, but as the city has continued to grow and expand the influx of new people from around the country, and the world, has added to the cosmopolitan nature of the city.....still with a southern twist.
Tennessee is home to some of the best southern-style cooking in the country, and there is no better place to experience this type of cuisine then in one of Nashville's iconic meat-n-three diners.
What the heck is a meat-n-three you ask?
Well, as you might expect from a strictly southern tradition, a meat-n-three is exactly what it sounds like...It's a meal made up of a meat and three veggie sides. Also, meat-n-three eating is traditionally based in a casual, social and family-friendly environment. You're typically served exorbitant amounts of food at a big table with strangers, and a good time is had by all.
If you're looking to experience true Nashville cookin', check out one of these satisfying meat-n-three diners listed below:
- Loveless Cafe – An old diner dating back to 1953 that grew stagnant towards the end of the century. In 2003, Tom Morales bought the restaurant and completely refurbished it while maintaining the deep-seated traditional family-feel. It has since re-exploded onto the Nashville scene and is getting more and more attention from natives and critics alike. It's perhaps more famous for it's biscuits which are legendary in the Nashville area.
- Arnold's Country Kitchen – It's probably the most popular meat-n-three in Nashville, at least in terms of sheer customer volume. Get there before 11 otherwise you will be stuck waiting in a line that wraps around out the door, but either way it's worth it. The roast beef is spectacular.
- Monell's Dining & Catering – Another old favorite, Monell's is the perfect picture of what a meat-and-three should look like: 12 person tables, heaping helpings of food, and hearty conversation. Some of the best friend chicken in Tennessee.
- Blue Bird Cafe – This is unique among the diners listed here because, while it still offers the same ol' southern country cookin', the emphasis is not on the cuisine so much as it is on the live entertainment. Seven days a week you'll see some of the best jazz and country musicians in Nashville playing in their natural habitat...The entertainment is just as good, if not better, than the food.
- Norman Couser's Country Cookin' – Originally established in 1948, Couser's is one of the oldest meat-n-threes in Nashville that's still thriving today. Known for their fried chicken and baked ham, it's hard to leave this cozy southern-country restaurant feeling anything but complete contentment.