Highest-rated cheap eats in Chattanooga by diners

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.

Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.

Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.

Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the Chattanooga area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (out of 4) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

You may also like: Best high schools in the Chattanooga metro area

San Marcos Restaurant

1 / 30

#30. San Marcos Restaurant

- Rating: 4.2/5 (21 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1818 East Main St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Mimis Deli

2 / 30

#29. Mimis Deli

- Rating: 4.2/5 (113 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5023 Hixson Pike Hixson, Tennessee
- Categories: Delis, Sandwiches, Cheesesteaks
- Read more on Yelp

Figgy's Sandwich Shop

3 / 30

#28. Figgy's Sandwich Shop

- Rating: 4.2/5 (20 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 611 Chestnut St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Molcajete Mexican Restaurant

4 / 30

#27. Molcajete Mexican Restaurant

- Rating: 4.2/5 (201 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6231 Perimeter Drive Ste 127 Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Mean Mug Coffeehouse- Southside

5 / 30

#26. Mean Mug Coffeehouse- Southside

- Rating: 4.2/5 (301 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 114 West Main St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Cafes, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Highest-rated cafes in the Chattanooga area by diners

Doc Holidays Bar & Grill

6 / 30

#25. Doc Holidays Bar & Grill

- Rating: 4.2/5 (27 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 742 Ashland Ter Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp

Carnitas Carmelita

7 / 30

#24. Carnitas Carmelita

- Rating: 4.2/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2604 Amnicola Hwy Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican, Food Stands
- Read more on Yelp

Tacos El Cunao

8 / 30

#23. Tacos El Cunao

- Rating: 4.2/5 (55 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5813 Lee Hwy Ste 4 Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Southside Pizza

9 / 30

#22. Southside Pizza

- Rating: 4.3/5 (114 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 612 East Main St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Pizza, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Tasty Donuts

10 / 30

#21. Tasty Donuts

- Rating: 4.3/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1414 Jenkins Road Ste 162 Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Donuts, American
- Read more on Yelp

Lupi's Pizza Pies

11 / 30

#20. Lupi's Pizza Pies

- Rating: 4.3/5 (450 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 406 Broad St. Ste A Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Zarzour's Cafe

12 / 30

#19. Zarzour's Cafe

- Rating: 4.3/5 (30 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1627 Rossville Ave. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Cafes, American
- Read more on Yelp

Dub's Place

13 / 30

#18. Dub's Place

- Rating: 4.3/5 (168 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4408 Dayton Blvd. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: New American, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Ankar's Hoagies

14 / 30

#17. Ankar's Hoagies

- Rating: 4.4/5 (114 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5966 Brainerd Road Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp

Mr T's Pizza & Ice Cream

15 / 30

#16. Mr T's Pizza & Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.4/5 (193 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3924 Tennessee Ave. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Pizza, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

Pizzeria Cortile

16 / 30

#15. Pizzeria Cortile

- Rating: 4.4/5 (196 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4400 Dayton Blvd. Red Bank, Tennessee
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Greg's Sandwich Works

17 / 30

#14. Greg's Sandwich Works

- Rating: 4.4/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6337 East Brainerd Road Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Sandwiches, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp

Highway 58 BBQ

18 / 30

#13. Highway 58 BBQ

- Rating: 4.4/5 (47 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4921 Hwy 58 Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp

The Meeting House

19 / 30

#12. The Meeting House

- Rating: 4.5/5 (46 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3912 Dayton Blvd. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

The Flaming Rooster

20 / 30

#11. The Flaming Rooster

- Rating: 4.5/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1900 Broad St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Chicken Shop
- Read more on Yelp

Marsha's Backstreet Cafe

21 / 30

#10. Marsha's Backstreet Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (37 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5032 1/2 Brainerd Road Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Armando's East Brainerd Burger

22 / 30

#9. Armando's East Brainerd Burger

- Rating: 4.5/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 8018 East Brainerd Road Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que

23 / 30

#8. Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que

- Rating: 4.5/5 (276 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5611 Ringgold Road Ste B Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Barbecue, Salad, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Nicks Deli & Marketplace

24 / 30

#7. Nicks Deli & Marketplace

- Rating: 4.5/5 (46 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5149 Hixson Pike Hixson, Tennessee
- Categories: Delis, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Mindy B's Deli

25 / 30

#6. Mindy B's Deli

- Rating: 4.5/5 (34 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 828 Georgia Ave. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Taqueria at The Plaza

26 / 30

#5. Taqueria at The Plaza

- Rating: 4.6/5 (27 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 850 Market St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Tasty Heaven Sandwiches

27 / 30

#4. Tasty Heaven Sandwiches

- Rating: 4.6/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5950 Shallowford Road Ste C Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Sandwiches, Salad, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Innside Restaurant

28 / 30

#3. Innside Restaurant

- Rating: 4.6/5 (78 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 800 Chestnut St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American, Wraps
- Read more on Yelp

Chatt Smoke House

29 / 30

#2. Chatt Smoke House

- Rating: 4.7/5 (117 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 416 East Ml King Blvd. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Barbecue, Sandwiches, New American
- Read more on Yelp

plant power cafe

30 / 30

#1. plant power cafe

- Rating: 4.7/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6215 Lee Hwy Ste 137F Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: Juice Bars & Smoothies, Cafes, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 388 metros.