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Daddy Dog topped with Cream Cheese, Bacon, Pickle, Grilled Onion, Jalapeño and Daddy’s Secret Sauwce.
A Daddy’s Dogs gourmet hot dog.
Rebecca Ward/Daddy’s Dogs

19 of Nashville’s Best Budget-Friendly Restaurants

It is possible to spend less and still eat well in Music City

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A Daddy’s Dogs gourmet hot dog.
| Rebecca Ward/Daddy’s Dogs

Nashville has plenty of restaurants where diners can spend a pretty penny for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can throw a rock and easily strike a handful of burgers priced well over 15 bucks a pop (and at least one bachelorette party), but everyday diners beg for more budget-friendly options around town. From tantalizing tacos to the best bang-for-your-buck burgers, here are Nashville’s best bets for affordable meals out.

Is there an excellent Nashville dining deal missing from this map? Email nashville@eater.com and let us know.

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Big Al's Deli

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The small Salemtown space is a high-ranking destination among locals for breakfast and lunch — and for good reasons that pertain to both flavor and price. Opening at 6 a.m. during the week, he serves up classic morning meal items like pancakes, biscuits with gravy, and a big breakfast plate all priced below $8 plus lunch favorites like shrimp and grits, hot chicken, and fried pork chops.

Spicy shrimp and grits at Big Al’s Deli.
Delia Jo Ramsey/Eater Nashville

Mas Tacos Por Favor

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One of Nashville’s very first food trucks, Mas Tacos took its success and parlayed it into a wildly popular brick and mortar mainstay in East Nashville. The restaurant has been packing in crowds ever since with affordable taco creations and some of the best soups in the city.

Elote, taco, margarita at Mas Tacos Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

Dino’s

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All items on the kitchen menu at this East Nashville dive bar range from $3 to $10, including a Porter Road cheesesteak and its take on hot chicken. Ten bucks buys a burger, fries, and a 7-ounce Miller High Life pony.

Five Points Pizza East

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The original outpost of this popular pizza joint still reigns supreme, always packed with hungry diners ordering up New York-style pizza by the slice or whole pie. A slice of cheese is $4, so tack on a half-order of those garlic knots for $5 more and you can still escape spending less than 10 bucks. The lunch specials, all $10, are also a good deal.

A top-down view of two slices of pizza, one covered with pepperonis and the other with strips of green and thin dark slices. Delia Jo Ramsey/Eater Nashville

I Dream Of Weenie

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East Nashville’s cute little vintage-VW-bus-turned-hotdog-stand churns out affordable prices in addition to festive hot dogs with inventive toppings. The pimento cheese-topped weenie rings up at $4.50.

Hot dog sampler
Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

Daddy's Dogs

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Daddy’s Dogs is a hit for its straightforward menu of 100 percent all-beef specialty dogs and sides like loaded tots, chili, slaw, or chips. Order gourmet dogs gussied-up or stick to the good old original, they’re all priced from $6-$9. Add on tater tots or a Miller High Life for $3 more and make it a meal.

Rebecca Ward/Daddy’s Dogs

Robert's Western World

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Does it get any more Nashville than the recession special at one of Broadway’s old-school last stands? Yes, it’s certainly more bar than restaurant, but the fried bologna sandwich with an ice-cold PBR and chips (the “recession special” is priced at $6) has become an iconic Nashville meal. Most everything else on the menu runs less than $10 — a deal for anyone looking to stuff their face in the middle of a Broadway bar crawl.

recession special robert’s Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

Taqueria del Sol

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If you avoid ordering a drink, one of the city’s best cheap bites — a cheese enchilada with pork green chili sauce — runs just $4.99 plus tax. Pair it with turnip greens or charros beans on the side for $2.99 more.

Hugh-Baby's

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Pitmaster Pat Martin’s popular fast food spot now has four locations — and while they all don’t have a drive-thru and a playground — they do share the same menu. Choose from burgers, slaw dogs, or chile cheese fries and a shake, with nothing priced above $8.29.

Hugh-Baby’s [Official Photo]

VN Pho & Deli

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The expanded West Nashville favorite serves piping hot bowls of pho with round-eye steak starting at $6.95. After expanding, VN also started offering Asian sweet buns for sale daily — with flavors like taro moon cake, egg custard, and red bean for the taking any time of day.

San Antonio Taco Co.

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Casual Tex-Mex is the name of the game at Midtown’s stalwart, known to most as Satco. Long-time locals and many visiting chefs love the $1.99 bean and cheese tacos and the fan-favorite $5.79 chips and queso.

Satco queso, taco, and enchilada Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

Tex's World Famous Bar-B-Q

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A pulled pork barbecue sandwich at the longtime barbecue destination runs less than $5, and a “lite lunch” platter, Tex’s smaller portion of barbecue loaded up with three veggie sides, rings up at $7.95.

Brown's Diner

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There’s no place quite like Brown’s diner anymore in this town. Now under new ownership, the classic still rocks a solid cheeseburger, which costs $5.50. A local institution since 1927, this Hillsboro Village watering hole, boasting “Nashville’s oldest beer license,” draws patrons from all walks of life for their quintessential dive burgers and old Music City charm.

InterAsian Market & Deli

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The sandwich counter at InterAsian Market & Deli is not to be missed — hit it up for possibly the best bánh mì in town. The roasted pork with double meat rings up for under $5 at the international market on Nolensville Pike, which also sells imported goods and produce.

Fat Mo's

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Iranian immigrant Mohammad “Mo” Karimy was thinking drive-through diner rather than local fast-food empire when he and wife Shiva opened the first of their many Nashville-area Fat Mo’s hamburger joints on Franklin Pike in 1991. Everything here is cooked to order, and prices are more than approachable, with almost everything on the menu below $8.

Taqueria San Luis

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Look for the large street-side smokers before hitting I-24, and there you’ll find this gem of a taqueria and carniceria. Head to the walk-up window and order a round of traditional offerings such as carne asada, chorizo, and carnitas tacos, for less than $5 here, or grab a $6.50 burrito stuffed with tripa or cabeza.

Baja Burrito

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At the Nashville-based favorite fast-casual Mexican spot in Berry Hill, burritos run around $6, and diners can also snag a basket of three tacos for six bucks and some change.

Chips, queso, and salsa at Baja Burrito Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

Pupuseria Reina La Bendición

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All of the Salvadoran cuisine at this bright blue restaurant is made to order, including sweet and crispy nuegados, savory beef shanks, and hearty pupusas liberally stuffed with pork, cheese, and beans. Empanadas, burritos, and tortas filled with meat or beans, lettuce, and tomato are under $7, while namesake pupusas start at $2.25 a pop.

Greek Cafe Grill

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With falafel pita wraps coming in at $7.29 and lunch combos at $12.09, the little strip mall Greek joint offers much-needed relief for wallets in Green Hills.

Greek Cafe Grill gyro wrap Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

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Big Al's Deli

The small Salemtown space is a high-ranking destination among locals for breakfast and lunch — and for good reasons that pertain to both flavor and price. Opening at 6 a.m. during the week, he serves up classic morning meal items like pancakes, biscuits with gravy, and a big breakfast plate all priced below $8 plus lunch favorites like shrimp and grits, hot chicken, and fried pork chops.

Spicy shrimp and grits at Big Al’s Deli.
Delia Jo Ramsey/Eater Nashville

Mas Tacos Por Favor

One of Nashville’s very first food trucks, Mas Tacos took its success and parlayed it into a wildly popular brick and mortar mainstay in East Nashville. The restaurant has been packing in crowds ever since with affordable taco creations and some of the best soups in the city.

Elote, taco, margarita at Mas Tacos Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

Dino’s

All items on the kitchen menu at this East Nashville dive bar range from $3 to $10, including a Porter Road cheesesteak and its take on hot chicken. Ten bucks buys a burger, fries, and a 7-ounce Miller High Life pony.

Five Points Pizza East

The original outpost of this popular pizza joint still reigns supreme, always packed with hungry diners ordering up New York-style pizza by the slice or whole pie. A slice of cheese is $4, so tack on a half-order of those garlic knots for $5 more and you can still escape spending less than 10 bucks. The lunch specials, all $10, are also a good deal.

A top-down view of two slices of pizza, one covered with pepperonis and the other with strips of green and thin dark slices. Delia Jo Ramsey/Eater Nashville

I Dream Of Weenie

East Nashville’s cute little vintage-VW-bus-turned-hotdog-stand churns out affordable prices in addition to festive hot dogs with inventive toppings. The pimento cheese-topped weenie rings up at $4.50.

Hot dog sampler
Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

Daddy's Dogs

Daddy’s Dogs is a hit for its straightforward menu of 100 percent all-beef specialty dogs and sides like loaded tots, chili, slaw, or chips. Order gourmet dogs gussied-up or stick to the good old original, they’re all priced from $6-$9. Add on tater tots or a Miller High Life for $3 more and make it a meal.

Rebecca Ward/Daddy’s Dogs

Robert's Western World

Does it get any more Nashville than the recession special at one of Broadway’s old-school last stands? Yes, it’s certainly more bar than restaurant, but the fried bologna sandwich with an ice-cold PBR and chips (the “recession special” is priced at $6) has become an iconic Nashville meal. Most everything else on the menu runs less than $10 — a deal for anyone looking to stuff their face in the middle of a Broadway bar crawl.

recession special robert’s Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

Taqueria del Sol

If you avoid ordering a drink, one of the city’s best cheap bites — a cheese enchilada with pork green chili sauce — runs just $4.99 plus tax. Pair it with turnip greens or charros beans on the side for $2.99 more.

Hugh-Baby's

Pitmaster Pat Martin’s popular fast food spot now has four locations — and while they all don’t have a drive-thru and a playground — they do share the same menu. Choose from burgers, slaw dogs, or chile cheese fries and a shake, with nothing priced above $8.29.

Hugh-Baby’s [Official Photo]

VN Pho & Deli

The expanded West Nashville favorite serves piping hot bowls of pho with round-eye steak starting at $6.95. After expanding, VN also started offering Asian sweet buns for sale daily — with flavors like taro moon cake, egg custard, and red bean for the taking any time of day.

San Antonio Taco Co.

Casual Tex-Mex is the name of the game at Midtown’s stalwart, known to most as Satco. Long-time locals and many visiting chefs love the $1.99 bean and cheese tacos and the fan-favorite $5.79 chips and queso.

Satco queso, taco, and enchilada Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

Tex's World Famous Bar-B-Q

A pulled pork barbecue sandwich at the longtime barbecue destination runs less than $5, and a “lite lunch” platter, Tex’s smaller portion of barbecue loaded up with three veggie sides, rings up at $7.95.

Brown's Diner

There’s no place quite like Brown’s diner anymore in this town. Now under new ownership, the classic still rocks a solid cheeseburger, which costs $5.50. A local institution since 1927, this Hillsboro Village watering hole, boasting “Nashville’s oldest beer license,” draws patrons from all walks of life for their quintessential dive burgers and old Music City charm.

InterAsian Market & Deli

The sandwich counter at InterAsian Market & Deli is not to be missed — hit it up for possibly the best bánh mì in town. The roasted pork with double meat rings up for under $5 at the international market on Nolensville Pike, which also sells imported goods and produce.

Fat Mo's

Iranian immigrant Mohammad “Mo” Karimy was thinking drive-through diner rather than local fast-food empire when he and wife Shiva opened the first of their many Nashville-area Fat Mo’s hamburger joints on Franklin Pike in 1991. Everything here is cooked to order, and prices are more than approachable, with almost everything on the menu below $8.

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Taqueria San Luis

Look for the large street-side smokers before hitting I-24, and there you’ll find this gem of a taqueria and carniceria. Head to the walk-up window and order a round of traditional offerings such as carne asada, chorizo, and carnitas tacos, for less than $5 here, or grab a $6.50 burrito stuffed with tripa or cabeza.

Baja Burrito

At the Nashville-based favorite fast-casual Mexican spot in Berry Hill, burritos run around $6, and diners can also snag a basket of three tacos for six bucks and some change.

Chips, queso, and salsa at Baja Burrito Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

Pupuseria Reina La Bendición

All of the Salvadoran cuisine at this bright blue restaurant is made to order, including sweet and crispy nuegados, savory beef shanks, and hearty pupusas liberally stuffed with pork, cheese, and beans. Empanadas, burritos, and tortas filled with meat or beans, lettuce, and tomato are under $7, while namesake pupusas start at $2.25 a pop.

Greek Cafe Grill

With falafel pita wraps coming in at $7.29 and lunch combos at $12.09, the little strip mall Greek joint offers much-needed relief for wallets in Green Hills.

Greek Cafe Grill gyro wrap Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

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