Nashville has gotten expensive. Hotel rooms cost what they cost, honky-tonk cocktails cost what they cost, and brunch at a trendy spot runs $25 before tip. But the city still has genuine cheap eats, and the best of them are not compromises.
The Recession Special at Robert’s Western World
$6. A fried bologna sandwich with seven slices stacked and slightly grilled, served with chips, a Moon Pie, and a cold Pabst Blue Ribbon. This is the most discussed cheap meal in Nashville, and it has been the same price and the same components for years. It is served at one of the few Broadway bars where the music is still real. There is no trick to ordering it. You walk up to the bar and ask for the Recession Special.
Arnold’s Country Kitchen
605 8th Ave S, The Gulch. A full plate at one of America’s James Beard-awarded restaurants costs roughly $12 to $15. The roast beef with two vegetable sides and cornbread is one of the best meals in Nashville at any price. The line out the door is part of the experience. Lunch only, Monday through Saturday.
Mas Tacos Por Favor
732 McFerrin Ave, East Nashville. Individual tacos at $4 to $6. The fried avocado taco, the cast-iron chicken, and the pulled pork are the reliable orders. This started as a street vendor and became a brick-and-mortar without changing the price point or the food. Cash-friendly.
Dino’s Cheeseburger
411 Gallatin Ave, East Nashville. The cheeseburger and fries combination costs roughly what a fast food meal costs while being exponentially better. The place is open until 3am seven nights a week, making it viable at any hour. Bon Appetit named the cheeseburger one of the three best in the country.
Hot Chicken at Prince’s
Prices at Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack vary by piece and size, but a breast quarter comes in around $8 to $12 depending on the cut. For a meal that requires no upgrade and needs no context, this is Nashville’s most honest cheap eat. The quarter dark with a side of white bread and pickles is the traditional order.
B&C Market BBQ
Inside Nashville Farmers Market, 900 Rosa L Parks Blvd. Lunch prices at the farmers market BBQ stall stay below most restaurant entree prices while offering properly smoked meat. The farmers market itself provides free parking and additional food vendor options.
Five Points Pizza
East Nashville. By-the-slice pricing. New York-style pizza from a walk-up window, open late on weekends. A slice and a drink is a meal. The walk-up format means no minimum spend.
The Bottom Line
The cheap eat in Nashville that is hardest to beat in terms of dollar-to-quality ratio is the Recession Special at Robert’s Western World. Six dollars. A full drink. Food that fills you. A bar with live music that is not trying to separate you from your money. In a city where the tourist economy has driven prices steadily upward, that deal has held, and it should be respected for it.
Sources
- Do615, “Late Night Bites in Nashville,” do615.com
- Arnold’s Country Kitchen, Yelp listing, yelp.com
- Infatuation, “Dino’s Bar & Grill,” theinfatuation.com
- A Little Local Flavor, “What Food Is Nashville Known For,” alittlelocalflavor.com
- Notes on Nashville, “Meat-and-Three Restaurants,” notesonnashville.com