Meat and Three Restaurants, Cafes and Diners

The simplest definition is: a dining establishment that offers a meal consisting of a choice of "one meat" and a choice of "three sides" or "three vegetables".

In broader terms, a meat and three is any cafe, restaurant, or diner (usually non-chain), generally in Southern locales and generally owned by single proprietors, that provides food at reasonable prices to all types of clientele from blue collar to business professionals and politicians, with a typical plate that consists of one meat, at least three vegetables (sometimes two), and either a home-made biscuit, roll or cornbread. A drink, such as Sweet Tea, is often included in the "Meat and Three" price. Daily specials and combo's can be found on typical laminated menu's; on chalkboards hanging on the wall; or even on plain handwritten or copied pieces of paper. Business hours can start early, where the "Meat and Three" also offers breakfast, and can go to an early-afternoon close just after the lunch crowd; while some stay open from early in the morning until late in the evening; and others are open for just a few hours during lunch.

The "meat and three" concept is a pretty basic one, but there are endless combinations that make this genre so interesting.

Click here to go to the MEATandTHREE.com official definition page - please note that clicking the link will open up a new browser.

• Fast Freddie's Diner - Hendersonville, TN


• Ellen's Soul Food - Memphis, TN


• Houston's Meat and Produce - Mt. Juliet, TN


• Big Mama's on the Bayou - Panama City, FL


• Nana's Country Cooking - Piedmont, SC


• The Veranda Restaurant - Starkville, MS


• The Iron PorkChop - Nashville, TN


• Bless My Soul Cafe - Eureka, CA


• Kelsey & Kim's Soul Food & BBQ - Pleasantville, NJ


• Kelsey & Kim's Southern Cafe - Atlantic City, NJ

Check 'em out on MEATandTHREE.com

Visit MEATandTHREE.com's Google+ Page:<

Believe it or not, I happened upon a restaurant that offers a Bento Box as a "meat and three" ... or is it, a "meat and three" as a Bento Box ... in a Bento Box. In any case, it is located in the heart of Dixie ... in Madison, Alabama, a town that's just east of Huntsville.

Surprisingly (or maybe not), the place is called "The Bento Box". It is described by Mike Kaylor of The Huntsville Times as an "Oriental meat-and-three diner" in his July 19, 2007 article (find it on http://www.al.com, search for "The Bento Box"). You can get a "meat and one" or a "meat and three", packaged as a box lunch in the fashion of the popular Japanese lunch boxes.

When I wrote about this idea in a section/module above, I had no idea that one of these actually existed, but it made perfect sense to me. And, now, here I find one while looking for something else in Google. I know more and more ethnic dining establishments will be trying out the "meat and three concept" - it's just a matter of time.

I actually traveled very near to this place a couple of weeks ago when my son and I made a side trip down to Huntsville to eat at Dreamland BBQ, one of his favorite places. Now,> I have another reason to visit the area.

If you visit "The Bento Box", drop me a note about it. You can reach me via the "Contact Me" link (above and to the left) under the "Bio" section. Or, go to MEATandTHREE.com for more information.

Click here to see The Bento Box's contact info.

Moms and Dads, Grandmothers and Grandfathers, Aunts and Uncles. They take kids to all kinds of places. And, there are all kinds of "Take Your Kid to ____" days out there throughout the country. Some of them include: work/office, zoos, ball games, camps, movies, fishing, car shows, golf courses, concerts, theaters, colleges, lakes, parks... you get the point.

Well, what about making it a point to take a kid to a Meat and Three restaurant, cafe or diner? Either as the main course, so to speak, or as part of a trip to one of the previously mentioned places. As summer is nearing and the kids are getting out of school, you are bound to go "somewhere" in the next few months, and you will most likely need to eat on the way to or from your destination. So, why not add a little "meat and three" to your trip and introduce the kids to one of these great little spots?

A meat-and-three restaurant can be a fun place to take the kids, especially the meat and threes that have some character to them, either in the building itself or the decor. Click this link to read the entire article on MEATandTHREE.com's HistoryBlog (please note that clicking on this link will open a new browser. Since there is a 2500-character limit to modules on this lens, the entire article won't fit.)

In early May, I got to wondering about what kind of feedback Meat and Three restaurant owners are getting from their customers. That sparked an idea for a blog article, which I wrote and added to the MEATandTHREE.com History Blog on 5/4/07.

The article has some suggestions about what customers can do to provide feedback to the owners of the Meat and Threes that they visit. Since Meat-and-Three Restaurants are loosely organized as a dining genre, direct feedback is probably the best way to go for now.

If you are interested in finding out more, please take a look at the article, read it, and take part in letting owners know how you feel about their place. Remember, owners are people, too. And, owners need you to show them some love.

Of course, one of the best ways to help is to take the time to visit them often, provide a nice (even exceptional) tip for great service and satisfaction, and personally tell them what you think. You will feel good about being an active voice in propagating the future of this slice of American history, and they will appreciate your honest feedback as long as you provide it respectfully.

Read the entire article by clicking this link - and note that clicking the link will open up a new browser.

I decided to try out Google's blogging solution several days ago and am finding that it is easy to use, and is more effective than my previous blog at increasing traffic. The new blog address is: http://meat-and-three-restaurants.blogspot.com/

Please check it out and subscribe to it. I'd love to have you along for the ride.

You can reach Blogger.com at http://www.blogger.com It's quite easy to get started and get rolling quickly. The price is pretty great, too!