8 Tennessee Cheat Meals So Good You’ll Forget Your Diet Exists
Cravings do not care about calorie counts, and tonight, neither should you. Across Tennessee, there are plates piled high with buttery biscuits, lava-hot chicken, and burgers dripping with nostalgia that will make you forget every macro you logged. This is your permission slip to lean in, lick your fingers, and savor the joy that brought you to food in the first place.
Ready to taste the kind of comfort that heals bad days and crushes willpower in the best way possible?
1. Monell’s (Nashville)
Walk in hungry, because the platters keep coming and the word no gets lost under the gravy. Family-style service means strangers become neighbors while you pass biscuits, slather butter, and reach for another piece of perfectly seasoned fried chicken. Every bowl looks like a Sunday memory, and you will swear you taste time.
Collards whisper smoke, mashed potatoes wear a creamy pillow, and corn pudding feels like a hug you can eat. Save room for cobbler, warm and soft beneath melting ice cream, because dessert is not optional here. When you push back from the table, full and grinning, your diet will feel like a rumor.
2. Hattie B’s Hot Chicken West (Nashville)
This is where heat meets happiness, and you choose your fire level like a dare. The crust shatters, the juices run, and that cayenne kiss sneaks up with a grin. Park it on white bread, stack pickles high, and let the spice sing through every crunchy bite.
Balance the burn with pimento mac and cheese that coats your tongue in comfort. Collards add smoky backup vocals while banana pudding soothes in sweet spoonfuls. You will sweat, smile, and plan your next order before the last bite disappears, because saying never again is never true here.
3. Voodoo Gumbo (Nashville)
Deep, dark roux is the magic trick that turns a chilly day into a festival. Spoon through tender chicken, andouille, and okra while the steam wraps you in bay leaf dreams. The rice island melts into the broth, thick and soulful, until the spoon finds the bottom way too soon.
Grab a square of buttery cornbread and swipe the bowl clean, because wasting flavor would be a crime. If you chase it with praline bread pudding, no one will judge. You will roll out happy, humming Zydeco in your head, completely uninterested in counting anything but blessings.
4. Brown’s Diner (Nashville)
Some burgers taste like a time machine, and this one flips you straight to simpler days. The flat-top sizzles, onions kiss the beef, and American cheese slides into every crevice. One bite and the bun, soft and toasty, gives way to a juicy, salty masterpiece.
Crinkle fries crunch, a cold beer beads with promise, and conversation hums under low neon. This is not fancy, it is faithful, the kind of burger that sets your baseline forever. You will promise just one fry, then finish the basket, happy to break every rule tonight.
5. Granny’s Soul Food (Clarksville)
Line up with a tray and let comfort pick you instead of the other way around. Golden fried catfish crackles, smothered pork chops nap under silky gravy, and mac and cheese stretches into cheesy ribbons. Candied yams shine like dessert wearing dinner clothes, tempting you before the first bite.
Collards bring balance, cornbread crumbles sweetly, and sweet tea keeps your glass from ever being lonely. Every plate tastes like a recipe learned by heart, not by book. Walk out carrying leftovers and the kind of warmth that lasts all afternoon, because restraint does not live here.
6. Mama Mila’s (Columbia)
Red sauce dreams come true in portions that make tomorrow’s lunch a guarantee. Lasagna stands tall with creamy ricotta layers, while mozzarella bubbles like a tiny fireworks show. Twirl spaghetti, chase saucy meatballs, and let oregano and garlic write love letters on your palate.
Garlic knots shine with butter, begging to mop up every last smear of tomato goodness. For a proper finish, say yes to tiramisu and do not look back. You will leave with a heavy box, a happy grin, and zero regrets about postponing discipline until Monday.
7. Hamburger Hill Food Truck (Knoxville)
Follow the scent trail to the window where smash patties hiss like applause. Edges turn lacy and crisp, cheddar floods the gaps, and caramelized onions lean sweet against savory. The brioche bun barely holds the stack, glossy and warm in your hands.
Special sauce drips down your wrist, fries ride shotgun, and napkins become essential gear. Street lights flicker, the line buzzes, and every bite tastes like victory after a long day. You will swear it is your last indulgence, then circle the block for another go.
8. Cori’s DogHouse (Mt. Juliet)
Pick a region and let the toppings tell stories from coast to coast. Snappy dogs dive under chili, slaw, sport peppers, and neon mustard, all nestled in soft poppy-seed buns. Every combination feels like a postcard with a bite taken out.
Load up with cheese, onions, and a side of waffle fries that crunch like a good decision. Wash it down with a fountain soda or shake, because moderation can wait. You will debate a second dog, then get two more, and still wish for one extra napkin.
