This relative newcomer became a quick favorite for excellent cocktails and modern versions of Southern cookout classics like pulled chicken sandwiches and fried catfish and grits. Set in a 1920s cottage in the historic Riverview neighborhood, the Rosecomb’s vibe is intimate and homey, with walls and surfaces dotted with antique, quirky touches. Outside, it feels more like a friend’s summer backyard party than a restaurant, in a good way. The restaurant is 21-plus, even at Sunday brunch.

The feeling is light and airy, easy and breezy, but the mission here is serious: Whitebird aims to elevate Appalachian cuisine from its often misunderstood “podunk” status to something a little more polished and pretty. Think venison but with rosemary, labneh, and green tomato chow-chow or buttermilk fried quail with Szechuan sauce — all sourced from the Tennessee River Valley and enjoyed at tables overlooking the river.

Chef Erik Niel didn't invent the charcuterie board, but he definitely made every other establishment in the city step up its game. It is always special when Main Street Meat’s pate shows up alongside manchego cheese imported from Spain, but Easy Bistro’s secret weapon is its impeccable oyster selection that puts any raw bar to shame.

This pizzeria in Miller Plaza is essential as essential gets. Community Pie’s Neapolitan-style pizza is super light with crispy, bubbly edges, as it should be. Set your mouth on fire with the Spicy Bianca topped with fresh mozzarella, ricotta, pecorino Romano, olive oil, garlic, and Calabrian chiles, then put that fire out with a scoop or two of house-made pistachio gelato.

Pickle Barrel is arguably Chattanooga’s most iconic pub, located in a historic flatiron building smack in the middle of City Center. Despite the dive bar vibe, don’t overlook the food — it’s extremely solid. With surprisingly clean bathrooms and a great roof deck for people-watching, Pickle Barrel hasn’t changed much over the years except for becoming non-smoking, and that’s a good thing.

Where can you find fresh tamales, crawfish (in season), and some of the best crispy fried chicken Earth has to offer — all under one roof? Champy’s is the answer. The regional chain’s aesthetics take diners back to the back roads of the Mississippi Delta, and the restaurant even has koozies to keep that 40-ounce bottle of Miller High Life nice and chilly.

Deep down in the cavernous basement of Warehouse Row, Two Ten Jack is a Nashville-born Japanese-style izakaya with skewers of flame-kissed scallops (yakitori hotate) and tonkotsu ramen that can hold its own against any bowl from Newport Beach to New York City. Start things off with the takoyaki — just think of them as fancy octopus hush puppies served with a side of miso butter.

Larry Torrence said it himself: He’s the “designated fish fryer” at his family reunions, and that should tell you everything you need to know. Uncle Larry’s first location on MLK Boulevard couldn’t handle the demand for Torrence’s perfectly seasoned, breaded, and fried catfish, tilapia, and whiting, so he opened three additional locations throughout the city for easy fried-fish access for all his fans.

Hurricane Katrina forced chef Mike Adams to leave New Orleans, at which point he reached the corner of Market and Main streets in Chattanooga. Now, there are a million places outside of the Big Easy selling gator bites and shrimp po’ boys, claiming they’re Creole — but this place is the real deal. If nothing else, be sure to order both the gumbo and crawfish etouffee.

This quirky hotspot in Chattanooga’s Southside neighborhood is where techies and hipsters have babbled about gigabytes and kombucha for around a decade now. Whether you pedal up on a fixed-gear bike or pull up in an Uber, come hungry for a progressive menu featuring pork belly sisig and, of course, pints of regional craft beer.

In 2013, chef Erik Niel created a carnivore’s paradise in the Southside neighborhood featuring sandwiches packed with house-cured coppa, liverwurst, and chowchow. This is Tennessee, so please dabble in Main Street Meats’ mile-long whiskey list (with literally hundreds of options), and don’t forget to ask the butcher for a few beautifully marbled rib-eyes to bring home to show off at your next cookout.

Maria and Jose Parra started out slinging tacos from a food truck throughout the streets of the Southside in 2005. Now, their chic storefront Taco Jalisco Ania is one of the swankiest taquerias to ever serve tostadas tinga and huevos rancheros for brunch. The taqueria also has the most stellar cache of mezcal.

Just about every Southern city has its quintessential soul food spot, and Herman’s is Chattanooga’s. Here, the smoked ham hocks are the size of a heavyweight boxer’s fist, while the rest of the menu is filled with dishes that hearken back to those Sunday dinners at your Granny’s house after church.

In the shadow of Lookout Mountain is the down-home country cooking this part of America is famous for. Open since 1950, Bea’s is a buffet, but you don't have to leave your seat to pile that plate with third and fourth helpings. Here, a lazy susan in the middle of the table serves as a culinary carousel of fried chicken, peach cobbler, and potato salad right in arm’s reach.