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Drone aerial view of Downtown Chattanooga Tennessee and the Tennessee River at sunset
A view of Downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee.
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19 Essential Bars and Restaurants in Chattanooga, Tennessee

From shops selling stacked-high sandwiches and carousels of fried chicken to quirky cocktail dens and iconic pubs

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A view of Downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee.
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Nope — in Chattanooga, there’s neither a Graceland for Elvis enthusiasts to flock to, nor a beloved style of barbecue like Memphis boasts. And no, unlike in Nashville, Mrs. Andre Prince, allegedly seeking revenge on her husband, didn’t invent her notorious hot chicken here, nor are there many honky-tonk or pedal tavern shenanigans to indulge in.

Chattanooga jigs and bops to the rhythm of its own fiddle. The city has cultivated its very own brand of eclectic, outdoorsy panache and has slowly but surely nudged its gastro-identity past Moon Pies and Little Debbie snacks. There are now plenty of excellent dining options around every bend of this gorgeous city, from quirky cocktail dens to soul food classics — and if you ask the right local, some good, stiff moonshine too.

If you’re looking for more restaurants worth leaving Nashville for, here are 18 within driving distance.

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The Rosecomb

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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.

Whitebird

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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.

Inside Whitebird.
Whitebird

Easy Bistro & Bar

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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.

Lil Mama's Chicago Style Hoagy

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No, you didn't fall asleep and wake up in the intro of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, but that’s exactly the nostalgic swagger owner Tiffany Pauldon-Banks curated at Lil Mama’s, with its loud pink-and-green graffiti and gold thrones. Undoubtedly the last thing you imagined you’d be eating in Chattanooga would be a Chicago-style hoagie, but it’s one of best things between two slices of bread in the 423.

Community Pie

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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.

Inside Community Pie.
Community Pie

Pickle Barrel

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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.

Pickle Barrel.
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Memo's Grill

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This is one of the places Samuel L. Jackson would always stop to eat on trips back to his hometown. Since opening in 1966, Memo’s Grill has been a mainstay in Chattanooga’s black community. The locals will probably suggest the chopped Weiner plate or the chicken wings “fried hard.”

Champy's

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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.

Champy’s.
Champy’s

Two Ten Jack

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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.

Uncle Larry's

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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.

St. John's Restaurant

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St. John’s radiates sophistication. Expect a mix of moguls cutting through flat iron wagyu as they finalize power moves; folks celebrating an anniversary or graduation from law school with cocktails crafted with local whiskey and creme de violette; and you, should you choose to get fancy, adhere to the dress code, and indulge in Chattanooga’s go-to example of fine dining.

Blue Orleans Seafood Restaurant

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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.

Blue Orleans Seafood Restaurant.
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Flying Squirrel

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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.

Main Street Meats

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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.

Zarzour's

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You know a place is something special when it lists cottage cheese and peaches on the menu as “vegetable” options. At Zarzour’s, the word old-fashioned is an understatement: Abraham “Charlie” Zarzour immigrated from Lebanon in 1918, and over 100 years later his restaurant is still turning out its coveted cheeseburgers, chicken and dumplings, and plenty of other greasy-spoon delights.

Zarzour’s.
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Taqueria Jalisco Ania

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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.

Taqueria Jalisco Ania.
Taqueria Jalisco Ania

Herman's Soul Food & Catering

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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.

Sugar's Ribs

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Perched on a hill overlooking the city, Sugar’s Ribs has made the bold claim of serving the best barbecue in Chattanooga — and why not? Fans go gaga over slabs of spare ribs that are wood-fired on a grill invented by the owner, and the results are a pleasant duet of crunch and tenderness, slathered with your choice of six different sauces. Oh, bring a bib.

Bea's Restaurant

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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.

The Rosecomb

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.

Whitebird

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.

Inside Whitebird.
Whitebird

Easy Bistro & Bar

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.

Lil Mama's Chicago Style Hoagy

No, you didn't fall asleep and wake up in the intro of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, but that’s exactly the nostalgic swagger owner Tiffany Pauldon-Banks curated at Lil Mama’s, with its loud pink-and-green graffiti and gold thrones. Undoubtedly the last thing you imagined you’d be eating in Chattanooga would be a Chicago-style hoagie, but it’s one of best things between two slices of bread in the 423.

Community Pie

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.

Inside Community Pie.
Community Pie

Pickle Barrel

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.

Pickle Barrel.
Shutterstock

Memo's Grill

This is one of the places Samuel L. Jackson would always stop to eat on trips back to his hometown. Since opening in 1966, Memo’s Grill has been a mainstay in Chattanooga’s black community. The locals will probably suggest the chopped Weiner plate or the chicken wings “fried hard.”

Champy's

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.

Champy’s.
Champy’s

Two Ten Jack

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.

Uncle Larry's

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.

St. John's Restaurant

St. John’s radiates sophistication. Expect a mix of moguls cutting through flat iron wagyu as they finalize power moves; folks celebrating an anniversary or graduation from law school with cocktails crafted with local whiskey and creme de violette; and you, should you choose to get fancy, adhere to the dress code, and indulge in Chattanooga’s go-to example of fine dining.

Blue Orleans Seafood Restaurant

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.

Blue Orleans Seafood Restaurant.
Shutterstock

Flying Squirrel

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.

Main Street Meats

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.

Zarzour's

You know a place is something special when it lists cottage cheese and peaches on the menu as “vegetable” options. At Zarzour’s, the word old-fashioned is an understatement: Abraham “Charlie” Zarzour immigrated from Lebanon in 1918, and over 100 years later his restaurant is still turning out its coveted cheeseburgers, chicken and dumplings, and plenty of other greasy-spoon delights.

Zarzour’s.
Shutterstock

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Taqueria Jalisco Ania

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.

Taqueria Jalisco Ania.
Taqueria Jalisco Ania

Herman's Soul Food & Catering

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.

Sugar's Ribs

Perched on a hill overlooking the city, Sugar’s Ribs has made the bold claim of serving the best barbecue in Chattanooga — and why not? Fans go gaga over slabs of spare ribs that are wood-fired on a grill invented by the owner, and the results are a pleasant duet of crunch and tenderness, slathered with your choice of six different sauces. Oh, bring a bib.

Bea's Restaurant

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.

Related Maps