An Iowa native who moved to Birmingham, Alabama, is spreading the word about a Southern dining tradition that most Iowans have never heard of, and her enthusiasm is winning over readers nationwide. The writer, born and raised in Des Moines, shared her first encounter with a meat 'n' three meal in a first-person account published October 19 by Southern Living and carried by Aol.
The concept is simple: one protein and three sides of your choosing, served in generous portions at casual restaurants across the South. For someone raised on Midwest cooking, it was a revelation.
What Is a Meat 'N' Three?
According to the account, the writer had never heard the phrase before relocating. Her first conversation about it involved a genuine mix-up, when she assumed a stranger was asking about a meet and greet, the kind you might find at a concert.
Once the confusion cleared, she sat down at Johnny's, a Birmingham restaurant, and ordered meatloaf with mashed potatoes, buttered rice, and homemade mac 'n' cheese. The sides are called 'veggies' there, a bit of Southern vocabulary that her Iowa family found amusing.
“Well, those aren't veggies,” her relatives told her over the phone, laughing at the label while she described the meal that had just changed how she thinks about lunch.
Why the Meal Won Her Over
The portions surprised her most. A single plate piled high with comfort food is not the norm at most Iowa cafeterias, and she admitted amazement at how much she managed to eat in one sitting.
Her first review, delivered with closed eyes after each bite, was simple: “mmmm.” By the second round of tasting, she was telling her tablemates the mac 'n' cheese was the best she had ever had, interrupting unrelated conversations to say so.
She was so taken with the experience that she returned less than 48 hours later, this time bringing her partner, another Iowa native, so he could try it too. The two reportedly sat in near silence for 10 minutes, cleaning their plates.
“We need to take people here when they come to visit,” her partner said afterward.
An Iowa Takeaway From a Southern Table
The story has struck a chord with Midwestern readers who recognize the feeling of discovering a regional food tradition that never made it north. Anyone who has traveled outside Iowa knows the sensation of ordering something unfamiliar and finding a new favorite.
The writer's conclusion is straightforward: she plans to keep eating meat 'n' three meals for as long as she lives in the South, and she wants company. She invited readers who have never tried one, or never heard of the concept, to join her.
Iowans who want a taste of that kind of hearty, home-style plate do not necessarily need a plane ticket. The state has its own tradition of generous comfort food, from breaded pork tenderloins to casseroles at the county fair, and the meat 'n' three formula of one main dish plus several sides would feel right at home at any church supper in rural Iowa.
For now, though, the best version of the experience seems to be sitting down in Birmingham with an empty stomach and an open mind. As the writer put it, an hour after mishearing the name of the meal, she was hooked.
FAQ
What is a meat 'n' three?
It is a Southern-style meal consisting of one protein, such as meatloaf or fried chicken, plus three side dishes of your choice, often called 'veggies' on the menu.
Where did the Iowa writer try her first meat 'n' three?
She ate her first meat 'n' three at Johnny's, a restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama, shortly after moving there from Des Moines.
Had the writer heard of meat 'n' three before moving South?
No. She wrote that the phrase never came up in conversation during her life in Des Moines, and she initially misheard it as 'meet and greet.'