Meat and Three Restaurants in the South
Home Cooked Fare at Small Southern Restaurants
Meat and Three is a meal with a meat and a choice of three vegetables or side dishes from a standard or rotating list. For example, the meat option may be Salisbury Steak, fried chicken, or pot roast. Sometimes there are options on the meat as well. Sometimes there is a certain meat for each day of the week. The vegetable list is usually pretty long and includes foods like mashed potatoes, green beans, fried okra, black eyed peas, macaroni and cheese, corn, greens, and skillet apples. Meals usually include a home baked bread like cornbread or biscuits. Often the beverage is included in the price and is usually sweetened iced tea.
Meat and Three Restaurants
Meat and Three is usually served at small establishments – hole in the wall Southern restaurants, diners, cafes, and dives. These Mom and Pop restaurants offer hearty, filling meals at reasonable prices. You can walk in and get a good home cooked meal and a lot of local flavor in terms of the décor. Employees are usually Southern friendly and will greet you with a, “Hi y'all.”
Cracker Barrel offers a Meat and Two featuring a choice of meats like fried chicken livers, sugar cured ham and farm-raised catfish. Customers pick a meat and then two sides from the country vegetable and sides list. This is, of course, a chain version of the Meat and Three. Very tasty and filling – but not the same as an old fashioned local Meat and Three restaurant.
Traditional But Under-Appreciated
Very little has been written about Meat and Three meals, although they are very common menu offerings in the South. Since the concept has not been franchised and watered down by big business, very few people talk or even think much about Meat and Three.
One fellow who goes by the handle mn3guy has put together a web site to celebrate Meat and Three. He also hosts a Meat and Three blog. Readers can find loads of information about Meat and Three and can also send in favorite Meat and Three restaurants for the growing list being created by mn3guy.
Why Celebrate Meat and Three?
It would be a dull world indeed if the only options were fast food burgers and pizzas and especially when they’re mass produced and all basically the same.
Meat and Three captures the spirit of the South with local foods and flavors. Home cooks may not take the time to bake hams and chicken fry steak these days. Kids likely have never tried collard greens or slow cooked pinto beans. Meat and Three preserves traditional foods and meals.
