BetsyG

Looking for a couple of restaurant suggestions for both cities. Staying by Vanderbilt in Nashville & downtown in Memphis. Under $30 entrees, local food, southern or BBQ or pizza. Anything special to the area. Thanks.

Gretchen

Don't forget hot chicken!! There are a couple of places. The one our kids ate at (not the big well known one) was an absolute hoot. Order mild.

stumpworks73

Puckets in downtown Nashville is very southern. About a $7 Uber ride from the Vanderbilt hotels. Edley’s BBQ is not so far in 12 South and very fine.

People stand in line at the Pancake Pantry for breakfast in downtown Nashville.

Memphis famous Rendezvous for dry rub BBQ is near downtown. Central BBQ is midtown, but one of the best anywhere. My favorite in Memphis is Hog and Hominy on the east side.

Very casual, but very good is Gus Famous Fried Chickenfrequently top five rated in the country and deservedly so.

Songdoc

Do not miss eating at Monell's in Nashville. The most amazing authentic Southern food and great, funky atmosphere. No menu. Family-style. All you can eat and everything is homemade (even the jams for the biscuits). They have their amazing skillet fried chicken everyday in addition to a rotating menu that is listed on their website. You will thank me big time for this one. ;-)

I've taken many visitors there ever since they opened almost 20 years ago, and it's always their most memorable meal in Nashville. And ... it's not expensive--so you can afford the taxi.

There are two locations. They serve the same food. The closest one to Vanderbilt will be in the Germantown area on 6th Street, near the Bicentennial Mall and State Capitol. The other one is near the airport.

Enjoy. For BBQ in Nashville: Jack's (downtown on Lower Broadway).

bachslunch

For Memphis:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...experience.cfm

Note that Neely's, one of the best of the BBQ options, regrettably has now closed.

Songdoc's Nashville recommendations are excellent. Would also recommend Arnold's for cafeteria style meat and three and Bolton's for hot chicken (Prince's is also reportedly good for the latter, but didn't get to try them). stumpworks73's suggestion of Pancake Pantry there is also a good one.

abram

Our favorite BBQ in Memphis was Superior.

ekscrunchy

Bachslunch: When you say the Neely's do you mean Interstate BBQ? Because that place is still open.


http://www.interstatebarbecue.com/

I am planning a visit this winter so have been lookiing for places to eat.

This might help, too, for inexpensive regional fare:

https://roadfood.com/tag/memphis-tn/

bachslunch

ekscrunchy: no, this was not the same as Interstate BBQ which is apparently owned by another Neely. This Neely's was at 670 Jefferson and apparently closed sometime around 2013. It was one of the best places I went to for BBQ in Memphis at the time.

The best place I went to that's still open is Bar-B-Q Shop. Also liked Blues City BBQ and A&R BBQ. Central BBQ was okay.

Fra_Diavolo

Can second or third the recs for Rendezvous, Gus' snd Blue's City Cafe.

Skiergirl

I love Adele's in Nashville. The service is terrific and the food is even better. Jonathan Waxman restaurant, in The Gulch (Hip nightlife and area of town), reasonably priced and nice casual.

tomfuller

In Memphis across the street from the Amtrak station is the Arcade. It was a hangout of Elvis. You can sit in a booth that he sat in.