Memphis:
Cozy Corner (closed Mondays) for the BBQ Bologna
Germantown Commissary for Ribs & Pulled Pork (Skip the Rendevous)
Jerry’s Sno Cones (they’ve got decent food but the sno cones & soft serve are great)
If you want good Italian then go with Fino’s from the Hill (Lunch) or Dinos. Both small family run joints
Central BBQ is also good. So is Neely’s on Mt. Moriah (great big pork sandwich) Theres some awesome Taqueritas up off the Summer/Macon area (Mikes is one of them even though its a very white name!)
Breakfast would be either The Pancake House or Bryants Breakfast (Three Little Pigs has a good breakfast too)
Awesome dive (although its very College fratboy now sadly) is the P&H Cafe (best burgers)
Alex’s tavern is a great place to get a late night meal (I think they serve food till 4AM or later). I’ve only had their wings. They do a greek wing (and burger).
Theres also a ton of good Vietnamese places in midtown. Couple good Thai places (JaJa’s in Collierville)

Nashville:
Prince’s Hot Chicken
Theres a little BBQ joint right off Centennial Park that I found when I was working there last year & walking around the park. Its a walk up kind of joint that had decent food. Cool place
Rotiers (Meat & 3)
Hit one of the Taco trailers last week when I was there. It was right beside the Twice the Ice machine right off Nollensville Pike close to Harding Place. Awesome! You know you’re at a good taco joint when you’re the only gringo within 10 miles & they’ve got an old car blasting mexican polka music sitting there for entertainment! You really cant go wrong with any of the taco trailers up Nolensville Pike or Harding Place.