Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Chattanooga by diners
When you travel below the Mason-Dixon Line, you'll find some of the most mouthwatering, comforting cuisine in the U.S.: Southern food.
Southern dishes are a vital part of American cuisine, from hush puppies to ham hocks and beignets to barbecue. It's impossible to define a classic Southern meal, but a solid one starts with the sharp savory flavor of pimento cheese dip, followed by the delicious crunchiness of fried chicken or a spicy Louisiana étouffée, culminating with a sugary slice of chess pie that's best washed down with a tall glass of sweet tea.
What's unique about Southern fare is that multiple ethnic and cultural groups have influenced it. Spanish staples, such as potatoes and cocoa, are in many Southern dishes; the Acadians, who traveled to Louisiana from Nova Scotia and later became Louisiana Creoles, contributed their seafood to many Southern meals; African ingredients—okra, sorghum (an ancient grain), and black-eyed peas—became a part of the cuisine through the forced labor of enslaved people; French cooking methods, like braising and sautéing, are used for many Southern recipes; and Native Americans introduced corn to Southern recipes, yielding dishes like succotash and grits.
The Southern culinary scene is an explosion of cultures. To find out where you can sample some Southern offerings, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in Chattanooga using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 11, 2024. 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 restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, restaurants with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Read on to find the perfect spot to get a taste of the South near you.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.
#19. Chicken-w-Bones
- Rating: 3.3/5 (14 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6227 Lee Hwy Ste 119 Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: chicken shop, barbeque, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Sticky Fingers Rib House
- Rating: 3.5/5 (629 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 420 Broad St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: barbeque, american, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Champy's Famous Fried Chicken
- Rating: 3.7/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6515 Ringgold Road Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: chicken shop, southern, beer bar
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Puckett's Restaurant - Chattanooga
- Rating: 3.8/5 (433 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2 West Aquarium Way Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: southern, breakfast & brunch, barbeque
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Big Bad Breakfast - Chattanooga
- Rating: 3.9/5 (51 reviews)
- Address: 313 Manufacturers Road UNIT 119 Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: breakfast & brunch, southern, new american
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Wally's Restaurant
- Rating: 4.1/5 (40 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1600 McCallie Ave. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: southern, american
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Bea's Restaurant
- Rating: 4.1/5 (134 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4500 Dodds Ave. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: southern, american
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Choo Choo Bar-B-Que
- Rating: 4.1/5 (48 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7910 East Brainerd Road Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: barbeque, southern, hot dogs
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Champy's Famous Fried Chicken
- Rating: 4.1/5 (341 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6925 Lee Hwy Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: southern, chicken shop, beer bar
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Southern Star
- Rating: 4.2/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1300 Broad St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: southern
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Basecamp Bar & Restaurant
- Rating: 4.3/5 (167 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 346 Frazier Ave. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: bars, southern, salad
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Champy's Famous Fried Chicken
- Rating: 4.3/5 (960 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 526 East Ml King Blvd. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: southern, chicken wings, beer bar
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Easy Bistro
- Rating: 4.4/5 (102 reviews)
- Address: 801 Chestnut St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: new american, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Public House
- Rating: 4.5/5 (909 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1110 Market St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: new american, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Company Chattanooga
- Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 1409 Market St. Kinley Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: southern, bars, tapas/small plates
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Bluegrass Grill
- Rating: 4.5/5 (441 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 55 East Main St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: southern, sandwiches, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#3. C & W Cafe
- Rating: 4.7/5 (15 reviews)
- Address: 1501 East 23rd St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: southern, cafes
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Old Man Rivers Table and Tavern
- Rating: 4.8/5 (35 reviews)
- Address: 118 Cross St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: southern, salad, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Good Eats BBQ
- Rating: 4.9/5 (12 reviews)
- Address: 1817 Market St. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Categories: barbeque, hot dogs, southern
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Rasha Aly, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 143 metros.
