Contents

Meat and three

Meal in the South

Ameat and three meal is one where the customer picks one meat and three side dishes as a fixed-price offering. Meats commonly include fried chicken, country ham, beef, country-fried steak, meatloaf, or pork chop;^[1][2] and sides span from vegetables such as potatoes, corn, and green beans,^[3]tomacaroni and cheese, hush puppies, and spaghetti. A dessert, such as gelatin, is often offered.^[2][4] Typical accompaniments include cornbread and sweet tea.^[3][4]

“Meat-and-three” is a regional term popular in the cuisine of the Southern United States for both the meal and restaurants offering such a menu. Variants of meat and three can be found throughout the United States, but its roots can be traced to Tennessee and its capital of Nashville.^[2][3][4][5] The term has been described as implying "glorious vittles served with utmost informality."^[4] It is also associated with soul food.^[3]

Similar concepts include the Hawaiian plate lunch, which features a variety of entrée choices with fixed side items of white rice and macaroni salad,^[6][7] and the southern Louisiana plate lunch, which features menu options that change daily.^[8] It is somewhat similar to a blue-plate special but with a more fixed menu.^[9] Boston Market and Cracker Barrel chains of restaurants offer a similar style of food selection.^[10]

• List of restaurant terminology

• Davies, Sally Walker (2011). Explorer's Guide Tennessee. Countryman. ISBN 978-0-88150-898-7.
• Ferrell, John (2010). Mary Mac's Tea Room. Andrews McMeel. ISBN 978-0-7407-9338-7.
• Finch, Jackie Sheckler (2009). Insiders' Guide to Nashville (7th ed.). Globe Pequot. ISBN 978-0-7627-4867-9.
• Schatz, Bob (2006). Nashville Impressions. Farcountry. ISBN 1-56037-375-X.
• Stern, Jane; Stern, Michael (2009). 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-547-05907-5.