Cheap Eats in Nashville

It's hard to find good food at great prices in a tourist town, but I've found them. These are my top 4 picks for cheap, but good, eats in Nashville. 

 Brown’s

2102 Blair Blvd, Nashville, TN 37212     615-269-5509

Kitchen open 10:45am – 9:45pm

Brown’s Diner opened its doors in Nashville on December 26, 1927 and has been in continuous operation ever since.  From its start in a mule-drawn trolley cart, Brown’s has been synonymous with cheeseburgers and beers, and it claims to have Nashville’s oldest beer license.  The atmosphere is simple, no-frills, and never-changing with a clientele from college kids to old-timers.  If you are looking for a dark, dive-bar type place to grab a burger and a cold one, this is the place.  It looks like a trailer that has been added on to, because it is! 

As far as the burgers go, they are simple and remind me of a burger you’d make at a backyard cookout.  It comes with all the dressing:  lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle for just $5.  The fries are skinny, standard cut fries, and they are crispy.  There’s nothing that I hate more than limp, wilty fries, and this place makes them perfect for my tastes.  And the price can’t be beat!

 

Joey’s House of Pizza

897 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville, TN 37210    615-254-5639

Joey’s is far off the beaten path and not really close to any of the sights downtown, but it boasts the best pizza, and the lunch crowd agrees. It’s only open Monday through Friday from 11am to 3pm. It boasts that it is an authentic New York pizzeria and family-owned. They sell whole pies and pasta, and I hear you can also get it by the slice for lunch.

 

Robert’s Western World

416 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203    615-244-9552

If you want cheap food and good entertainment, Robert’s is your place. They offer a “Recession Special” which consists of a fried bologna sandwich, chips, a Moon Pie, and a PBR for just $6! And this ain’t the fried bologna sandwich that I had growing up. With lettuce and all the fixins’, this thing is gourmet…almost. And the live music is phenomenal. It’s a smaller bar on Broadway, so it can get crowded in there, so I’d go early.

 

Layla’s Bluegrass Inn

418 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203    615-726-2799

 

Next door to Robert’s is Layla’s, also owned locally and by a musician. This bar has been there for over twenty years and ain’t going nowhere. If you are looking burger, you can get a cheeseburger and fries for just $9. And you can listen to some great music while you’re there. They have corn nuggets, cheese planks, pickle chips, onion rings, Poblano popper bites, and Santa Fe chicken egg rolls for just $5 each.