Restaurants

2nd is a contemporary American restaurant on Cowart Street in Chattanooga. Its website describes the idea as a continued homage to the American family meal, with an emphasis on quality ingredients and refined technique. According to its website, the restaurant is part of a small group of restaurants run by Chef Daniel Lindley, which also includes Alleia and 5th and Taylor. Dinner is served, and tables can be reserved through Resy. 2nd also offers private events and runs an event space called "the hall." Gift cards and a downloadable dinner menu are available on its website.

The Big Chill and Grill is a bar and restaurant on Cherokee Boulevard in Chattanooga. According to its website, it has been in business since 1997. The menu pages list appetizers and salads, sandwiches, lunch entrees, kids' items, sides, desserts and brunch, along with a cocktail menu. The site highlights frozen daiquiris, handcrafted cocktails and martinis, and it offers online ordering. An events page lists recurring nights. The site mentions game-watching, karaoke, trivia, DJ parties and drag queen bingo.

Wooden City Chattanooga is a dinner spot on Broad Street downtown, pairing comforting American plates with a full bar. Its menu includes a separate dessert list, and there is a happy hour early in the evening on weeknights. Reservations are taken through Resy, and its website recommends booking ahead, though it says walk-in tables and bar seating are also available. Gift cards can be bought online. Groups can book the Pacific Room, a private dining room that holds up to about two dozen guests. Smaller parties order from the regular menu, while larger ones set a family-style menu with the restaurant ahead of time.

Ceviche, wood-fired grilling and cold beer anchor the menu at State of Confusion on East Main Street. The kitchen serves lunch and dinner, a weekend brunch, and a kids menu, with craft beer and cocktails on the drink list and a weekday happy hour. For gatherings, the restaurant has The Pump House, a private event space in its own building with a dedicated bar and an open-air patio. Its team also handles off-site catering with bar service, plus boxed lunches for offices and small groups. According to its website, you can make a reservation or order online for pickup or delivery. The site also points diners to a parking lot a short walk down Main Street.

The Social is the bar side of Public House on Market Street in downtown Chattanooga. It shares a kitchen with the restaurant, and its website says guests can enjoy food from both. The drink list leans seasonal, with local beers on tap, craft cocktails and a wine list meant to have something for most tastes. Small plates round out the bar menu. Inside, brick walls and casual seating set a relaxed tone, and a TV. The website describes a design that nods to the city's industrial past and mentions live music in the space. Public House also handles catering and private events, which can be arranged through its site.

Kenny's is a fast-casual breakfast and lunch counter on Market Street, with breakfast sandwiches and other sandwiches at the center of the menu. There is a bar where the full menu is served first come, first served, plus a shaded patio that its website describes as dog-friendly. According to its website, the restaurant does not take reservations right now and keeps an in-person waitlist. Orders can also be placed online or through DoorDash, and e-gift cards are sold on the site. For bigger plans, Kenny's lists private room reservations, after-hours space rental with a full bar, buffet catering, boxed lunches and bulk breakfast sandwiches. Groups larger than 16 are asked to send a request form ahead of time.

In St. Elmo near the foot of Lookout Mountain, Little Coyote pairs wood-smoked barbecue with corn tortillas pressed in house. The website credits the concept to Chef Erik Niel and his Texas roots, and lists Main Street Meats and Easy Bistro & Bar as sister restaurants. Brisket and pork shoulder come off a wood fire pit, alongside smaller smoked cuts such as pork collar carnitas and beef chuck eye, plus house-made moles, small plates and sides like black beans and rice. Dessert is soft-serve. The bar centers on agave spirits, with more than 100 tequilas, mezcals, sotols and raicillas listed, along with Mexican and Spanish wines and a zero-proof cocktail list. According to its website, the restaurant does not take reservations and uses an online waitlist. The covered Sunporch patio can be booked for groups of up to 24, and takeout, delivery and event catering are also offered.

Feed Table and Tavern is a restaurant and bar on West Main Street in Southside Chattanooga. The building is a renovated space that nods to the old Seed-Feed Supply Co., with a tavern, a dining room and a heated, covered patio. Its website describes a seasonal farm-to-table menu of lunch and dinner, plus brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. According to its website, the full bar, live music, trivia, bingo and a game room for kids are part of the mix. There is also a private dining and event space, and the restaurant offers gift cards.