Niki's West ★ 4.6
Niki's West on Finley Avenue West Birmingham serves the canonical meat-and-three from a steam table since 1957, with most plates landing under $15 per person.
Try: Meat-and-three plate, $10-15
Eat well in Birmingham for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Cheap eats worth seeking out
Eagle's Restaurant ★ 4.6
Eagle's Restaurant in Smithfield Birmingham serves Black soul food since 1951 with fried catfish, smothered pork chops and meat-and-three plates around $12.
Try: Soul-food lunch plate, $10-13
Saw's BBQ ★ 4.5
Saw's BBQ in Homewood near Birmingham serves the canonical Mike Wilson pulled-pork sandwich with Alabama white sauce slaw under $12 from the 2009 shack.
Try: Pulled pork sandwich, $9-12
Demetri's BBQ ★ 4.3
Demetri's BBQ on 28th Avenue South Homewood Birmingham runs a Greek-American meat-and-three since 1973 with most lunches landing under $14 per person.
Try: Pulled pork plate with sides, $11-14
Eli's Jerusalem Grill ★ 4.4
Eli's Jerusalem Grill on Highway 280 Birmingham serves the falafel plate of falafel, hummus, baba and tabouli for $14.50 with the vegan-vegetarian combo.
Try: Falafel plate, $12-14
Saw's Soul Kitchen ★ 4.5
Saw's Soul Kitchen on 41st Street South Avondale Birmingham runs the pork-and-greens plate under $15 with the canonical Saw's banana pudding on the side.
Try: Pork and greens plate, $11-15
The Pizitz Food Hall counters ★ 4.3
The Pizitz Food Hall counters on 2nd Avenue North Birmingham serve more than a dozen vendors at $8 to $15 per plate, from ramen to peaux boys to Ethiopian.
Try: Multi-vendor counter food, $8-15