meat-and-three
n.— «Meat-and-three is simply what people call a lunch of one meat and a choice of three vegetables. Meat and three, you got it. Over the years, mom-and-pop cafes were known for this simple, special food. While fast-food establishments have taken some share of this market, you’ll still hear people who treasure the memory and want to keep meat-and-three going as long as lunch is a part of everyday life.» —“The Back Nine features favorite meat-and-three” by Jo Ellen O’Hara Birmingham News (Ala.) Mar. 10, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The edge of the Grand Canyon. A remote mountaintop. A medieval cathedral. Some places are so mystical you feel like you’re close to another dimension of space and time. There’s a term for such locales: thin places. And: did you ever go...
Stunt performers in movies have their own jargon for talking about their dangerous work. In New York City, the slang term brick means “cold,” and dumb brick means “really cold.” Plus: the East and Central African tradition...
To me, “meat-and-three” refers not to the meal (which could be dinner as well as lunch), but to the restaurant where such meals are served. Similar to “blue-plate” to mean a restaurant or diner that offers blue plate specials.