One of two downtown food destinations, the Arcade is an old outdoor shopping mall that lies between 4th and 5th Avenues. The ground floor of the Arcade is full of hole-in-the-wall restaurants that cater to the downtown lunchtime crowd with quick, cheap eats. Upstairs are professional offices and a few galleries.
Katie’s Meat & Three (10 Arcade, 615/256-1055) has four different meat specials daily, which you can get with sides like turnip greens, mashed potatoes, and white beans. A meat-and-three plate costs $7; order your choice of four sides for $5.
The Greek Touch (13 Arcade, 615/259-9493) has gyro, sausage, veggie, and chicken divine sandwiches, platters, and salads, all for under $6. There are also several sandwich shops, a pizza parlor, and a Chinese restaurant.
Most restaurants at the Arcade have some seating inside, or you can sit outside and watch the world go by around you. The outdoor experience is made slightly less enjoyable by the presence of smokers who have been forbidden to enter many eateries.