Chattanooga Restaurants

It has been 4 years now that we have taken our girls to Chattanooga for their birthdays every year. We either goto the Creative discovery museum, or the Aquarium, but always goto the mellow mushroom. The food and the atmosphere is good and fun. They are almost always full, but have great attitudes and the wait is normally not long and well worth it.

Favorite Dish: everything including the dessert pretzels

Cafeteria style, pleasant atmosphere, and friendly staff who serve unbelievably large portions of very tasty vegan dishes. They also feature a salad bar with an array of vegetables and home made dressings that make it difficult to STOP when you really should. And don't forget the assortment of 'made from scratch' deserts that typically include a selection of fruits and berries. Many of the vegetables are grown on thier private farm about 20 miles away.

Favorite Dish: They feature a different entre' every day, and offer the entre' and two sides for about $6 USD... and one side can be a single trip to the awesome salad bar! This selection is easily more delicious food than anyone should try to eat in a single meal! And that doesn't include desert! (yet)

Whether you go in for just an ice cream or a brewski or lunch or a full dinner plate, you will get your money's worth and leave satisfied.

We did the early dinner. I went for the roasted chicken and my wife had the tuna steak sandwich. The chicken was cooked in walnuts for added flavor and the tuna had a pineapple sauce on it. We had side salads and cup of coffee. Finished it off with carrot cake for dessert.
The cost was about $22 (2003 price) and we had doggy bags of left overs.

The restaurant has a mixture of tables, bar and stools and booths. The main area is well lighted and the lighting dims along the edge tables and the bar (more cosy that way). The people were mostly tourists from the Aquarium stop and were dressed casual. There were also outside tables but it was a bit cool that day so they were not being used.

The waitress was friendly, busy but not rush-rush, and made us feel welcome. The service was a bit slow but that was to be expected due to the crowd.

We'd do this place again, the next time we are in Chattanooga.

Favorite Dish: Roasted chicken and carrot cake

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We told a couple that we were going to Chattanooga, TN for a daytrip, and they immediately said that we had to go to The Acropolis restaurant--that their food was "absolutely the best, and their desserts were to die for."

We sought out The Acropolis, and it was very easy to find, and though on the opposite side of Chattanooga from where we intended to visit (Lookout Mountain & Point Park) it was just a 20-minute-or-so drive.

The first thing you notice about this restaurant is that it's very clean. Everything is neat and tidy. The freestanding tables have tablecloths; the booths do not. Some tables are outside on the patio.

The only negative I have to say about this restaurant is that our server, while pleasant, was not helpful at all in helping us select meals, in spite of the obvious hints we dropped such as, "we've never been here before." When she came back in a few minutes for our orders, I said that we weren't ready yet because we were trying to understand the menu (many items had Greek names). She just said, "that's OK, take your time and read it and I'll get your order later." Then she split. LOL

So, while my wife and I were discussing the menu, a man across the aisle turned to us and asked what type of food we like--pasta, chicken, seafood, etc.

He continued by making pleasant conversation, asking where we were from, etc. He said he has many customers that come from Atlanta, Birmingham, Nashville and other places. "You eat here once, you will be back," he said.

As it turns out, this man, Teddy Kyriakidis, is the founder & owner. We had a nice chat about restaurants, business, food, family, etc. He told us about growing up in Greece during WWII then, some years later getting to come to the US (New Jersey), and over the years owned several different restaurants til he landed in Chattanooga "ten years and eight months ago."

He has only one location. He said that if you have more than one location, your food can't be as good. "Most restaurants have cooks. I have a chef. It's a big difference."

Favorite Dish: Mr. Kyriakidis recommended to me the Shrimp Tourkolemono. "Dip your bread in the sauce," he told me. Then he ordered an extra basket of bread for our table. The bread is really good, by the way. He took a homeland recipe and modified it to his taste. There's white, and brown bread. The latter is similar to pumpernickel but not as heavy or dry. House-made honey-cinnamon margarine spread is provided)

La Wife got some pasta dish which was very good--I just don't remember what she got.

Mr. K insisted that at least one of us get the house salad with the house dressing (a vinaigrette he created himself), so we ordered this salad, and a Caesar salad for me (while the Caesar was good and of excellent quality and freshness, I prefer a bit more anchovy--I could not taste it in this salad).

My shrimp was really excellent! There were only about six shrimp and so I thought I'd be hungry, but the shrimp were large, and there was plenty of sauce for the bread, so combined with the salad, I was really full afterward!

My favorite part of our visit was Mr. K himself--it's really cool to meet someone who has a true love for what he does. He is so proud of his restaurant! The desserts, he said, have never been in a freezer. All are made fresh every day in-house. The amazing thing is that the selection is HUGE!

I'm accustomed to restaurants having only a handful of desserts, but there must have been 20-30 items available. I'll post photos of the menu. Hopefully it will be big enough to read.

Mr. K recommended the Strawberry Patch Cake (his own creation), and the Raspberry Patch (this one is not found on the menu but he recommended it). He also suggested the Baklava Cheesecake (Yup. Another of his creations). We got the Strawberry Patch and the Baklava cheesecake. Both were excellent, and serving sizes were generous.

I think our entire ticket was around $35 (for two persons). Includes Cokes, entrees, salads, desserts and taxes.

Mr. Kyriakidis was right. We will definately be back.

Buffalo Wild Wings is a chain of sports bars that specialize in chicken wings, specifically of the "buffalo style" variety. The atmosphere is terrific, and the service at this location was very good. The wait staff was knowledgeable about what they served, and willing to help in making choices. Your choice of wings with 12 signature sauces were delivered hot and quick, and even at the "off" time of the day (2pm-4pm) the side of the business where all the TV´s and smoking section was packed out.

Drinks specials nightly, and of course ESPN and any sports channel blaring the latest scores. It seemed a very popular place even in the middle of so many other bars and restaurants, plus locals and regulars dominated but were friendly as well. Waiters knew most of those coming in by name. Its rather on the dark side of course, to highlight the many big screen TV´s, but seems a great place to start an evening or have a quick tasty lunch and beer.

Open Mon-Thurs 11am-1am
Fri-Sat 11am-2am
Sunday 12pm-12am

Favorite Dish: We just spent 5 hours in the bowels of Lookout Mtn, deep below its surface without having eaten any breakfast beforehand, so we were starved! I opted for the 2 dozen wings hot flavored. Ok, I like hot foods, and usually with hot wings I can handle the heat...well, these were almost too hot for my taste, but I was hungry so I ate them all with 2 margueritas to wash them down. My lips were burning but I was really satisfied.

They also have salads, sandwiches, typical bar foods and appetizers. We also had a big side of fries and onion rings, crispy, tasty, YUM! You can also buy the sauces bottled to try out at home. For two people, our total came out to almost $30 because of the drinks. I usually keep a copy of the receipt to give prices, but sorry I´ve lost it. You can try the website for that.

I have always enjoyed the ambiance of his restaurant, located just off the domed lobby of the old Chattanooga Choo Choo station. Opened in 1909 as Terminal Station, the train depot welcomed thousands of travelers during the golden age of railroads in America. Those who dine here today can still experience a bit of the atmosphere of that bygone era, surrounded by greenery and sunny windows looking out over the formal gardens, where there were once railroad tracks.

The setting is casual and you do not need reservations. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but not in between.

Favorite Dish: Traditional southern cooking in a wide variety; everything I've tried here is good. I especially like their gourmet deserts.

The Southside Grill is an upscale, unique restaurant in the trendy, growing Southside area of downtown with many great culinary choices. My first and only experience here was great, and I will hopefully go back one day. Choose to dine inside or out, you will not be disappointed either way. The outdoor patio is covered and there is a small garden with native wildflowers and shrubs separating you from the entrance. The inside is very elegant with candles at every table and formal artwork on the walls. This is a great restaurant for couples, but not for kids. Open for dinner and lunch. Reservations not required but are a good idea for dinner.

Favorite Dish: I had the fish of the day, grouper, with roasted tomatoes and jasmine rice. Everything was very good, with the right amount and variety of spices. My girlfriend ordered the quail, which is wrapped in bacon and grilled. The unique taste is one I will not forget, and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who likes well-cooked meat. It was served with rice cakes and asparagus. For dessert I had key lime pie, which was good, but probably not worth the $6 per piece unless you're celebrating a very special occasion. They also serve coffee roasted by Greyfriar's, a great complement to dessert. Entrees between $14-$25, with salad and soup $5. Check out the menu on their website.

Big River Grill is another great restaurant that was started in Chattanooga but has since been added in other cities. They have some of the best food around, seafood, steak, chicken, veggies, etc. and best of all, they make their own beer. In fact, their beers have won several awards at national and international competitions. There is a large variety and you can order a sample tray so that you can try 5 or 6 at a time before you decide which you'd like to have. The atmosphere is great as well, and you can dine inside or out. It is located on the corner of Broad and 2nd Street, adjacent from the aquarium and across from the Bijou Theatre. Its a good place for families, as well as couples and singles who just want to sit around at the bar and enjoy the ballgame.

Favorite Dish: My favorite dish here is by far the smoky mountain pasta, while I also recommend the hickory bacon burger if you like barbeque sauce. Right now if you go to the Imax your ticket stub is good for a free order of tortilla chips and a cheese dip that has spinach and tomatoes, very good, with purchase of an entree. This may only be for a limited time though, and perhaps only for certain movies that they sponsor, but i'm not sure.