THE SOUTH
The Best Restaurants in Chattanooga: 14 of my Favorites That Just Never Miss
By Rebecca Thompson | Aug. 6, 2025
Frazier Five & Dime
AUTHOR BIO: Rebecca Thompson has held many jobs over the years, from daily newspaper writer to middle-school math teacher. As a restaurant critic, she’s dined at everything from Michelin-starred restaurants to the finest of gas station fried chicken shacks.
From smoky patios on Main Street to intimate dining rooms overlooking the river, Chattanooga’s food scene has shifted into high gear. I remember my first meal at Little Coyote in St. Elmo—smoked meats wrapped in house‑pressed tortillas under a string‑light patio—that moment crystallized Chattanooga’s culinary identity for me: local roots, bold flavor, inventive concept.
Whether I’m grabbing espresso at Sleepyhead or sharing tacos at Little Coyote, these are the restaurants making Chattanooga feel surprisingly metropolitan.
Alleia
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Southside’s Alleia, from chef‑owner Daniel Lindley (five-time James Beard nominee), serves rustic Italian fare using Chattanooga‑sourced ingredients. Think wood‑fired pizzas, handmade pastas, and a casual brick‑and‑steel dining space. Lindley has deep roots here, having first earned his nominations running St. John’s before opening Alleia in 2009.
Best for: Housemade pasta and James Beard pedigree in a cozy downtown setting
Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw Bar
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This waterfront favorite offers fresh seafood and rotisserie dishes in a nautically themed, open dining room overlooking the river. Frequently praised for its location, raw‑bar program, and solid seasonal oysters and fish plates.
Best for: Casual riverside dining with fresh oysters and Southern seafood
Calliope Restaurant & Bar
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In downtown Chattanooga, Calliope brings modern Levantine cuisine under chef Khaled AlBanna, an emerging James Beard honoree who cooked at the Beard House in 2023. Expect open-fire dishes with Levant roots, like lamb kebabs and grilled flatbreads, in a sleek yet warm dining room. Don’t sleep on the cocktails by Raven Humphrey, just simply one of the more inventive drink makers in the city.
Best for: Innovative Middle Eastern cooking and fire-grilled flavor downtown
Civil Provisions and Bar
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Up on Signal Mountain, Civil Provisions feels like the kind of neighborhood joint that accidentally got really good. There’s live music some nights, a short but serious wine list, and a kitchen that’s clearly having fun—think smoked trout dip next to seared scallops and blistered okra. You come here for one drink and end up staying for the whole evening.
Best for: Elevated small plates and live music in a stylish local haunt
Elsie’s Daughter
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Elsie’s Daughter is the kind of restaurant that Instagram likes before you do—dark walls, candlelight, and plating so careful it borders on performance art. The menu leans Levantine-adjacent with house-pickled vegetables and small plates meant for grazing, ideally with someone you’re trying to impress. You’ll find it inside the The Hotel Chalet at The Choo Choo, which, if you haven’t been, just happens to be the trendiest little slice of Chattanooga.
Best for: Date night with shareable plates and a moody, curated vibe
Frazier Five & Dime
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The name sounds like a soda shop, but this is where you go for strip steak and deviled eggs that come with a flourish. Frazier Five & Dime plays in the nostalgia sandbox—wood paneling, stiff drinks, leather booths—but never feels like it’s playing dress‑up. The whole thing works because the kitchen knows how to back up the concept.
Best for: Cocktails and comfort food with vintage diner energy
Hello Monty on Main Street
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Hello Monty is what happens when you take a backyard cookout and dial it up to pro chef level. The grills are hot, the drinks are cold, and everything smells like it’s just been kissed by wood smoke—skewers, dogs, corn on the cob, even sandwiches piled with ingredients that spent some time above the flames. It’s laid-back but sharp, like your friend who wears a Hawaiian shirt unironically and somehow pulls it off.
Best for: Wood-fired everything with a casual patio-party feel
Kai Bistro
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Kai Bistro is where culinary borders get ignored in all the best ways. One night it’s a hibachi burrito, the next it’s fried rice with snow crab and lava sauce, whatever that means—and it always works better than it should. The vibe is fast, loud, and fun, like the dining equivalent of a TikTok scroll.
Best for: Creative Asian fusion in a fun, unpretentious setting
Little Coyote
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Chef Erik Niel already has Beard nominations and a loyal following, but Little Coyote is him letting loose a little. The tortillas are made in-house, the meats are smoky, and the bar leans heavily into agave. It’s a party in St. Elmo, but with food that would hold up in any big-city taco showdown.
Best for: Tex‑Mex meets Tennessee barbecue on a laid-back patio
Main Street Meats
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Part butcher shop, part restaurant, and entirely serious about meat, this is where Erik Niel shows off what he can do with a band saw and a plan. The burger’s already a local legend, and the charcuterie board feels like a curated thesis on Southern pork. You come here when you want to be reminded what real butchery looks like.
Best for: Charcuterie boards and serious cuts from a Beard-nominated butcher
Sleepyhead Coffee
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Yes, it’s a coffee shop, but it’s also a vibe—and one that involves vegan pastries, sandwiches, and houseplants posing like extras in a Kinfolk spread. The new Main + Dodds outpost stays open late and doubles as a sober‑curious cocktail bar. It’s for people who don’t drink but still want to be seen.
Best for: Vegan brunch and craft mocktails in a pink-and-plants aesthetic
2nd American Restaurant
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The name makes it sound like a sequel, and maybe it is: Chef Daniel Lindley following up his more polished restaurants with a Sunday‑supper concept that leans personal. Rebecca Barron, also a James Beard nominee, runs the kitchen like she’s feeding a table full of cousins. It’s comfort food that doesn’t feel dumbed down—just deeply Mid-South.
Best for: Southern comfort food with James Beard flair
Whitebird at The Edwin Hotel
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Tucked inside a boutique hotel with views of the river, Whitebird turns Appalachian ingredients into something quiet and elegant. The food is subtle in a way that invites attention—pork belly glazed instead of slathered, cornbread crumbed instead of stacked. It’s the kind of place that could coast on location and design, but doesn’t.
Best for: Special occasions or chef-forward Southern dining with polish
Wooden City Chattanooga
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Wooden City walks that line between neighborhood joint and serious restaurant, and it doesn’t seem interested in picking a side. You can show up in jeans, eat blistered cauliflower and lamb bolognese, and sip something from the short but tight cocktail list without ever feeling like you’re in over your head. It’s grown-up food without the pretense.
