Highest-rated cheap eats in Nashville by diners

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.

Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.

Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.

Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the Nashville area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (out of 4) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

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Mediterranean Cuisine

1 / 30

#30. Mediterranean Cuisine

- Rating: 4.5/5 (262 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 214 Ward Cir Brentwood, Tennessee
- Categories: Greek, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

Greek Cafe Grill

2 / 30

#29. Greek Cafe Grill

- Rating: 4.5/5 (276 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4004 Hillsboro Pike Ste 100 Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Greek, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

NY Pie

3 / 30

#28. NY Pie

- Rating: 4.5/5 (369 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6800 Charlotte Pike Ste 105 Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

City Cafe East

4 / 30

#27. City Cafe East

- Rating: 4.5/5 (56 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1455 Lebanon Pike Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: American
- Read more on Yelp

Up-Down Nashville

5 / 30

#26. Up-Down Nashville

- Rating: 4.5/5 (86 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 927 Woodland St. Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Bars, Arcades, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Country Cafe

6 / 30

#25. Country Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (67 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 605 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Southern
- Read more on Yelp

The Wild Muffin

7 / 30

#24. The Wild Muffin

- Rating: 4.5/5 (50 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 998B Davidson Drive Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Bakeries, Vegan, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp

Taqueria San Luis

8 / 30

#23. Taqueria San Luis

- Rating: 4.5/5 (137 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 369 Harding Place Ste B Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

SideKicks Cafe

9 / 30

#22. SideKicks Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (186 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1202 South Graycroft Ave. Madison, Tennessee
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Tacos y Mariscos Lindo Mexico

10 / 30

#21. Tacos y Mariscos Lindo Mexico

- Rating: 4.5/5 (80 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 917B Gallatin Pike South Madison, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Elegy Coffee

11 / 30

#20. Elegy Coffee

- Rating: 4.5/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2909A Gallatin Pike Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Cafes, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Awash Ethiopian Restaurant

12 / 30

#19. Awash Ethiopian Restaurant

- Rating: 4.5/5 (113 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 976 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Ethiopian
- Read more on Yelp

Pupuseria Reina La Bendicion

13 / 30

#18. Pupuseria Reina La Bendicion

- Rating: 4.6/5 (74 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3003 Nolensville Pike Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Salvadoran
- Read more on Yelp

Carniceria Y Taqueria Don Juan

14 / 30

#17. Carniceria Y Taqueria Don Juan

- Rating: 4.6/5 (124 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 106 Madison St. Madison, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Grillshack Fries and Burgers - East Nashville

15 / 30

#16. Grillshack Fries and Burgers - East Nashville

- Rating: 4.6/5 (427 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1000 Riverside Drive Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Burgers, Breakfast & Brunch, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

Sunflower Cafe

16 / 30

#15. Sunflower Cafe

- Rating: 4.6/5 (681 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2834 Azalea Place Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Cafes, Vegetarian, Vegan
- Read more on Yelp

Taqueria El Dolar

17 / 30

#14. Taqueria El Dolar

- Rating: 4.6/5 (53 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3500 Nolensvillle Pike Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

Cheap Charlies Taco Shop

18 / 30

#13. Cheap Charlies Taco Shop

- Rating: 4.6/5 (113 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1101 Woodland St. Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

Ty's Soups and Sandwiches

19 / 30

#12. Ty's Soups and Sandwiches

- Rating: 4.6/5 (78 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 160 4th Ave. North Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Soup, Sandwiches, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

Eat Bubbles

20 / 30

#11. Eat Bubbles

- Rating: 4.6/5 (68 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3820 Charlotte Ave. Ste 122 Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Bubble Tea, Coffee & Tea, Pop-Up Restaurants
- Read more on Yelp

The Centennial

21 / 30

#10. The Centennial

- Rating: 4.7/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5115 Centennial Blvd. Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp

Rae's Gourmet Catering & Sandwich Shoppe

22 / 30

#9. Rae's Gourmet Catering & Sandwich Shoppe

- Rating: 4.7/5 (143 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 501 Union St. Ste b Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Gyro Spot

23 / 30

#8. Gyro Spot

- Rating: 4.7/5 (54 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 15118 Old Hickory Blvd. Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

Caliber Coffee

24 / 30

#7. Caliber Coffee

- Rating: 4.7/5 (282 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2513 Lebanon Pike Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

Centennial Cafe

25 / 30

#6. Centennial Cafe

- Rating: 4.7/5 (58 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5207 Centennial Blvd. Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: American, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

KOKOS Ice Cream

26 / 30

#5. KOKOS Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.7/5 (145 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3 City Ave. Ste 700 Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Vegan
- Read more on Yelp

Roy's Meat Service

27 / 30

#4. Roy's Meat Service

- Rating: 4.8/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 605 South 19th St. Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Meat Shops, Butcher, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Big Al's Deli

28 / 30

#3. Big Al's Deli

- Rating: 4.8/5 (525 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1828 4th Ave. North Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Southern, Delis, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Ethio Coffee House

29 / 30

#2. Ethio Coffee House

- Rating: 4.9/5 (103 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2131 Murfreesboro Pike Ste 110 Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Ethiopian
- Read more on Yelp

The Horn

30 / 30

#1. The Horn

- Rating: 4.9/5 (233 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 619 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Somali
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 388 metros.

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