Where to Eat in Chattanooga: 6 Local Favorites We Love
Every time we drive through Chattanooga, we plan the route around where we’re going to eat. Seriously. I once packed a cooler with ice packs just so I could bring Thai food home from the Scenic City.
Over several trips, we’ve found a handful of places we keep going back to, from hot fried catfish and wagyu beef sandwiches to craft cocktails and handmade ice cream. These aren’t the only great restaurants in Chattanooga, but they’re the ones we’d send our own friends and family to.
Here are our favorite places to eat in Chattanooga, plus what to order at each one.
Our Chattanooga Restaurant Picks at a Glance
- Best for dessert: Clumpies Ice Cream
- Best for fried catfish: Uncle Larry’s
- Best for a casual date night: FEED Co. Table & Tavern
- Best for craft cocktails: STIR
- Best for an affordable, cozy dinner: Thai Smile
- Best for breakfast: Maple Street Biscuit Company (soon to be Biscuit Belly)
1. Uncle Larry’s
If you want some of the best fried catfish around, Uncle Larry’s is the place. Every order is cooked fresh, so expect to wait about 10 minutes for your crispy, piping-hot fish. One bite and you’ll understand why Food Network Magazine featured it in its “Southern Fried Road Trip” story.
The menu also includes pork chop sandwiches, hot dogs, and desserts, plus Southern sides like turnip greens, white beans, fried okra, and cucumber salad. Founder Larry Torrence has since retired, but the restaurants are still going strong, with three Chattanooga-area locations and two food trucks.
- What to order: Fried catfish with fried okra and turnip greens, or a pork chop sandwich
- Where we ate: 736 E. M.L. King Boulevard
- Hours: Hours vary by location, so check before you go.
2. FEED Co. Table & Tavern
Housed in an old Chattanooga feed and seed store, FEED Co. Table & Tavern serves chef-driven food in a laid-back setting. The menu features grass-fed wagyu beef from Mountain Breeze Farms and free-range chicken from Forward Thinking Farms, and the buns come from nearby Niedlov’s Bakery.
The wagyu beef sandwich might not look fancy in the photo, but Jeff still calls it one of the best things he ate in Chattanooga. FEED also runs weekly specials and a weekday happy hour, so it’s a fun stop any night of the week.
- What to order: The wagyu beef sandwich, or the mini wagyu quesadilla at happy hour
- Address: 201 West Main Street
- Hours: Check before you go.
3. STIR
Inside the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo, Stir pairs scratch-made Southern comfort food with seriously good craft cocktails. The bartenders even freeze and carve their own ice from 300-pound blocks.
Tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, balsamic vinegar, farro with roasted vegetables
We started with the Spicy Tuna Bites: sushi rice, cucumber, furikake, sriracha wonton crisps, and pineapple sweet chili sauce. Jeff’s Perfect Pairing cocktail tasted like “a holiday in a glass,” and my Elderflower Sour was crisp and refreshing.
For dinner, Jeff had the Crispy Mahi Bowl, and I ordered the Grilled Chicken Caprese with farro and roasted vegetables. It was one of the best meals of our whole trip.
- What to order: Spicy Tuna Bites, the Grilled Chicken Caprese, and any cocktail on the menu
- Address: Inside the Chattanooga Choo Choo on Market Street
- Hours: Open for lunch and dinner daily, with weekend brunch. Check before you go.
4. Thai Smile
This little restaurant that is just blocks away from The Tennessee Aquarium has become our family’s favorite. We found it by accident years ago after a day at the aquarium. We spotted the sign on Market Street, walked in, and it was love at first bite.
How much do we love it? Once, when I drove through Chattanooga on my way home from Dollywood, I packed ice packs so I could bring dinner home. True story.
Every visit, I try something new and find a new favorite. Right now, it’s the Musamun Curry, made with onions, potatoes, peanuts, and coconut milk. Portions are generous and prices are reasonable. Chattanooga chef Daniel Lindley even named Thai Smile one of the city’s best restaurants in Condé Nast Traveler.
- What to order: Musamun Curry, Pad Thai, or Bangkok Spicy
- Address: 219 Market Street
- Hours: Check before you go.
5. Maple Street Biscuit Company
Maple Street Biscuit Company opened its doors in Florida in 2012 and became a Southern favorite for scratch-made biscuits. Heads up: the Chattanooga location is expected to become Biscuit Belly, along with the chain’s other Tennessee stores, so the name on the sign may be different when you visit.
I ordered The Five and Dime: a flaky biscuit with fried chicken, pecanwood-smoked bacon, cheddar, and sausage gravy with a little kick, all topped with a fried egg. It was so good I was tempted to lick my plate.
The biscuits are made from scratch every day with real butter, and the jams and jellies are made in-house.
- What to order: The Five and Dime, or The Squawking Goat (fried chicken, a fried goat cheese medallion, and house-made pepper jelly)
- Address: 407 Broad Street
- Hours: Breakfast and lunch. Check before you go.
6. Clumpies
Chattanooga’s original ice cream shop, Clumpie’s has been scooping handcrafted ice cream since 1999. You’ll find classics like Butter Pecan and Cookies and Cream, plus signature flavors like Burnt Sugar Brownie, Honeycomb, Nutella Crunch, and Whiskey Caramel Cornflake Crunch, along with rotating seasonal flavors.
Today, there are two Clumpies shops in Chattanooga: Northshore on Frazier Avenue and Southside on Market Street. In 2026, longtime Clumpies chef Ashley Bottoms took over the business, so those signature flavors are in good hands.
We stopped by the Southside shop, kitty-corner from the Chattanooga Choo Choo. It’s the perfect dessert stop after dinner at STIR.
- Hours: Check before you go.
- What to order: Whiskey Caramel Cornflake Crunch or Burnt Sugar Brownie
- Address: 1401 Market Street (Southside)
Locations
Chattanooga Food Tours
Looking for more than just a meal? Chattanooga also has guided food tours that combine local history with tastings at several restaurants. Check out your options on Viator.
FAQs About Eating in Chattanooga
Where should I eat near the Tennessee Aquarium?
Thai Smile on Market Street is just a few blocks from the aquarium and is our go-to after a day of exploring downtown. It’s casual, affordable, and the portions are generous.
What food is Chattanooga known for?
Chattanooga is the home of the MoonPie, which has been made by the Chattanooga Bakery for more than a century. The city is also known for Southern comfort food, hot fried fish, and a growing farm-to-table scene.
Where can I get breakfast in downtown Chattanooga?
Maple Street Biscuit Company on Broad Street serves scratch-made biscuits for breakfast and lunch. The location is expected to become Biscuit Belly, but the biscuits should be just as good.
Where should I eat near the Chattanooga Choo Choo?
STIR is right inside the Choo Choo and is perfect for cocktails and dinner. Then walk across the street to Clumpies for dessert.
Final Call
If you’re heading to Chattanooga for the food (and honestly, who isn’t?), don’t miss a few nearby gems that round out the trip. Take a short drive to the Lodge Cast Iron Factory Store in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, for a piece of Southern cookware history. Then explore local icons like Rock City and Ruby Falls, both just a quick hop from downtown. When it’s time to unwind, check into Hotel Clemons, one of the city’s coolest stays, with a vibe that’s part boutique hotel, part laid-back hangout.
Have you eaten your way through Chattanooga yet? Tell me your favorite dish or restaurant in the comments. I’m always looking for my next stop! And if this post made you crave a foodie road trip, share it with someone who’d say yes to a weekend of eats and adventure.
We enjoy The City Diner. Go hungry, you won’t leave that way.
We love Basecamp, Clydes, Julie Darlin donuts , Clumpies ice cream , City Cafe and Community Pie .
Clumpies is on my list of places that I need to go. Thanks for sharing your list.
Community Pie was our favorite hands down. City Cafe was really good as well. Also a hidden gem at the Honest Pint are tater tots cooked in duck fat… light and crispy with curry ketchup and Sriracha mayo… 😋
I will have to check those out. Thanks for sharing!
Stir, Blue Plate, Urban Stack and State of Confusion are also great choices
Thanks!
We love the Stir and we follow dinner up at the Chocolate Delicatessen across the street.. Also, First Watch, the hash and cold brew are yummy, and we also like the Daily Ration, State of Confusion, and Mike’s Hole in the Wall. One afternoon at Mike’s we got caught in a sudden downpour on the edge of the crowded patio and a group of people came over and welcomed to share their table and helped us carry our food and drinks over. We made new friends that day. That’s a normal day in the life here in Chattanooga.
That’s so great to hear!
The Place to eat is Food works Restaurant North Chattanooga TN
Everyone needs to try Tata’s Grill Authentic Bosnian cuisine in East Ridge. It’s small family owned and fresh food.
Maple Street is a chain owned by Cracker Barrel. Please support locally owned restaurants rather than chains. Kenny’s has the best breakfast in town.
best burger: tremont tavern or jack browns.
brisket nachos: boatyard is best. universal joint is very close.
regular nacho: no clear winner. hifi clydes, taco mac (surprisingly), Taco mamacita, I’ve heard purple daisy but cannot confirm. (bbq nacho)
best bbq: Barque (formerly charlies) is best I’ve had so far.
Breakfast has solid choices, I do love maple street, but some other choices would be : milk and honey, daily ration, and syrup and eggs.
Best steak: so far is at my own house. yet to find a great steak.
Best italian: Giardino. (very sneaky pick would be Stevarinos Italian Eatery & Pub as it actually has some delicious pasta dishes)
Best pizza: no clear winner. honerable mentions would be Goodfellas, pizzeria cortile, stevarinos, fiamma, and crust if you like square cut cracker crust style.
Wings: honestly yet to find a great one. champys, tremont tavern, I’ve heard pizza bros but I cannot comment myself.
Mexican food: *Varies Greatly in authenticity* : taqueria Jalisco, San Marcos (helpful if you can speak little Spanish as wait staff speaks very little English), Delias (hixson),
Soul Food/Fried Fish : Uncle Larry’s
Thank you so much for your contribution! I clearly need to go to Chattanooga and eat at more restaurants.
You can’t beat Bluegrass Grill for breakfast/lunch. One of the best burgers is at Zarzours, the oldest restaurant in Chattanooga, family owned for over 100 years !!
Uncle Larry’s for fish and great home cooking and sides. Good desserts too! Great customer service downtown especially!
Next time you’re in Chattanooga look up Chef Leboze Mobile Bistro and Catering come see us!
Will do!