The Best Restaurants In Chattanooga

St. John's Restaurant

A go-to for special occasions, St John’s Restaurant makes its home in a historic flatiron building that was once home to St John’s Hotel. Local architect Thomas Johnson brought the building back to life, and today it’s home to an award-winning restaurant, which serves upscale takes on seafood like seared sea scallops (with watermelon radish crudo, herb crème fraiche, and potato chips seasoned with malt vinegar) and trout (served with country ham and a flavorful charred sweet onion and caper relish).

Alleia

“Rustic Italian cuisine” is the name of the game at Alleia, which opened in 2009 in Chattanooga’s Southside neighborhood. Headed by chef Daniel Lindley, the restaurant serves elegant takes on bruschetta, dressed salad, bolognese, and pizza from its cozy, candlelit home in the old Harrington building. Local ingredients are also a focus here. If you can’t make it to Alleia in person, you can find the recipe for their crowd-pleasing grilled romaine–with apple, Dijon, and pecorino–available online.

Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw Bar

A staple for travelers in the city's dining scene, Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw bar is a fun spot for fresh seafood on the waterfront. For those meandering the Riverwalk, this is a easy stop: Wood-fired entrees (seafood and otherwise) and a selection of oysters on the half shell come with a breezy Tennessee River view. One of their bestsellers is the Lawton’s Margarita (which, according to their website, they sold more than 80,000 of in 2022).

Easy Bistro & Bar

French classics get their due–and a Southern spin–at Easy Bistro & Bar in Chattanooga’s West Village. Erik and Amanda Niel are the owners behind the restaurant (as well as Main Street Meats, also on this list), and they invite diners to experience their shareable menus of oysters, caviar, charcuterie, and cheese in addition to too-good-to-share dishes like crab claws with curry aioli, lobster with chili butter and lime, house-made pastas, steaks, pork, and whole-roasted fish. Save room for dessert: Cream puffs, chocolate pudding, and mango sorbet beckon at the end of the meal.  

Flying Squirrel

At this bar and restaurant, which is open for dinner every night of the week, you can sit indoors or outside on the breezy patio as you order snacks like trout toast and salmon tartare and entrees like gulf shrimp and grits, pork belly, and salmon with lemon beurre blanc. They source locally and work with Chattanooga-area businesses such as Niedlov’s Breadworks, Velo Coffee, Wasawillow Farm, Midway Mushrooms, and Pickett’s Trout to fill the Flying Squirrel menu with regional gems.

Frazier Five & Dime

Situated in Chattanooga’s Northshore neighborhood, Frazier Five & Dime is a nostalgic bar and eatery with small plates both cold (deviled eggs, beet hummus, and a wedge salad) and warm (lamb meatballs, trout fritters, and scallops). That’s in addition to the steaks, fried grouper, and shrimp, the last of which comes “NOLA style”. Sides include cauliflower gratin, smoked mushrooms, and blistered green beans. Meander across the Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge after dinner for views over the river.

Hello Monty on Main Street

Run by brothers Rob and Clay Gentry, Hello Monty has a strong background in both Chattanooga restaurants and in brewing. According to their website, “The pair have an impressive pedigree: Rob was the first commercial brewer in Chattanooga since Prohibition and Clay has brewed professionally longer than anyone else in the city.” All of the food at Hello Monty encounters fire, so the menu is filled with blistered, charred, blackened, and roasted fare–with all of the depth of flavor you’d expect from a touch of flame. Don’t miss the Icy Blue Mussels, the Blistered Tomato Toast, or the Springer Mountain Farms chicken with spiced yogurt marinade and pickled onions.

Main Street Meats

Located in the Southside Historic District, Main Street Meats is a restaurant and neighborhood butcher that opens for lunch and dinner and serves dishes made with locally farmed ingredients. According to their website, “By supporting local farms that are stewards of the land and deeply committed to animal quality and care, Main Street Meats aims to create the best experience for the animal, farmer, and community. Our innovative approach to whole-animal butchery drives everything we do.”  A selection of beer, wine, and cocktails accompanies the starters, salads, plates, and sides. Sandwiches are a favorite here and include smoked turkey, city ham, a reuben, and a beef burger with onions and bacon. 

Niedlov’s Bakery & Cafe

Stop into this cozy spot for breakfast, brunch, or lunch. The sandwiches, soups, and salads coming out of the kitchen are platonic ideals of cafe standards, and you can find Niedlov’s best work–their beautifully formed breads–in local groceries and Whole Foods Markets around Chattanooga. In the bakery case are croissants, morning buns, and the local-favorite “cruffin,” which is, according to the menu, “the donut of croissants, an upright croissant baked in a muffin tin with cream filling.” It’s a showstopper. This spot is always bustling during the day, but there are also family-friendly pizza nights on Fridays. 

STIR

If oysters are what you’re after, you’ll find them at STIR. But that’s not all. This is also a destination for creative cocktails made with house-blended bitters and syrups, flavorful poke bowls, and entrees such as shrimp and grits, salmon, mahi-mahi, and steak frites. Brunch is a special treat here, and the morning menu includes a shrimp and crab Benedict, omelets, breakfast burgers, and specialty oysters alongside Bloody Marys, mimosas, and espressos. 

Taqueria Jalisco Ania

No matter what you order when you visit Taqueria Jalisco Ania–brunch, lunch, dinner, or drinks–you’re in for a treat. Headed by owner Jorge Parra and executive chef Maria Parra, the eatery’s offerings include a variety of flavorful dishes including enchiladas de molé, pineapple fajitas, and elote with tajin and lime. 

The Rosecomb

This 21+ bar and restaurant has a distinctly neighborhood feel. Don’t be surprised if you feel like a regular after your first visit. The Rosecomb is located on the north side of the river in a white house with strings of lights twinkling overhead. Their irresistibly creative cocktails include the Walk in the Woods (with whiskey, Appalachian Fernet, and maple-foraged walnut & root beer liqueur), Country House (whiskey, cognac, black tea, lemon, and mint), and Desert Solitaire (rose white tea-infused gin, apricot brandy, lemon, and rosewater). The dining menu has grilled cornbread with hot honey, collard and artichoke dip, an indulgent grilled cheese with fig jam, a pulled chicken sandwich, and fried catfish with grits and greens.

Whitebird

As the in-house restaurant at The Edwin Hotel, Whitebird has a prime location along Walnut Street just a few steps away from the famed walking bridge. Their “artful Appalachian cuisine” includes such dishes as smoked beets, fried green tomatoes, whiskey-braised barbecue pork belly, crab cakes, and freshwater trout roasted in butter. 

Zaya 1943 Korean Steakhouse

If you have a special occasion coming up, book a reservation at Zaya 1943 Korean Steakhouse for an experience to savor. The menu includes appetizers like beef dumplings and seafood pancakes, while the signature cuts have both dry- and wet-aged selections.

Source: southernliving