Chattanooga: The Best Food and Fun This Weekend

While I love Exploring Knoxville, there are times you just need to get away. Not for a vacation, but just a weekend away. Our favorite weekend trips in recent years have been to the Asheville area, but we decided it was time for something new. So, we stepped out to explore Chattanooga. While we didn’t do a lot of planning beforehand, we discovered the best food and fun this weekend in Chattanooga

I don’t know about you, but we can never seem to get an early start on weekend trips. There always seems to be one more thing that needs to be done. This time we didn’t end up leaving Knoxville until after lunch on Friday.

At less than two hours away from Knoxville, Chattanooga is an easy drive filled with spectacular mountain views.  You can find yourself beginning to relax as you drive (unless, of course, you encounter traffic snags). Chattanooga is the perfect distance from Knoxville; long enough that you feel like you’ve been away, but not so long that you waste half your time getting there.

Before long we arrived in Chattanooga and were checking into our hotel. This is where most bloggers typically share information about the hotel they are staying in. You won’t find that here. I don’t make hotel recommendations. Why?  We usually stick to the Hilton brand. After all, who doesn’t love those Hilton points? We have traveled across the country with those points, so I’m not about to spend a lot of extra money on a boutique hotel, especially when I won’t be there that long. And you may be the same way too. Whether it is Hilton, Marriott, or Holiday Inn, those points are hard to ignore.

After checking in, afternoon showers sidelined us briefly. But that gave us time to decide on dinner. I love dining by the water, so our choice was easy. We chose Scotties on the River.

Located at 491 Riverfront Parkway, Scotties is attached to a local Marriot hotel. If you can’t find parking in the lot, you can park across the street. But make sure to pay to park if required. We were fortunate to find a space in a lot where pay to park ended before we got there.

Part of what drew us to Scotties was their highly recommended she-crab soup, and Scotties did not disappoint. There were mounds of crab meat in this soup which was unbelievably creamy with a rich flavor and a splash of sherry. We paired that with a house salad and a center cut filet mignon which was unbelievably tender and seasoned perfectly.

It was a relaxing meal as we watched the action on the river and the sun as it began to set. There was no room for dessert, so we’ll have to come back for Crème Brulé and Key Lime Pie. We are definitely keeping Scotties on the list of places to revisit.

Afterward, we spent a relaxing evening exploring the Tennessee Riverwalk. If you’ve never walked along the Tennessee Riverwalk, you’re missing a real treat. The Riverwalk is a paved path stretching 16.1 miles along the southern bank of the Tennessee River. There are numerous restaurants and activities along the Riverwalk in addition to seven handicap-accessible restrooms along the path.

The entire path is lighted and patrolled 24 hours a day, according to visitchattanooga.com.  You can access the Riverwalk in dozens of places throughout Chattanooga. But bear in mind there are locations where the Riverwalk breaks briefly.  Check out the video in this blog post to get more information.

We packed Saturday with good food and lots of activities. We started off with brunch at Adelle’s Creperie on the south side of Chattanooga. This eclectic restaurant offers crepes, waffles, and French baguette sandwiches in addition to a plethora of other items.

Adelle’s has seating inside and out; we chose inside simply because it was already soooo hot. At Adelle’s, you don’t have to wait for someone to seat you; you place your order and then find a seat. As you can see by the pictures, the choice of seating is very interesting.

I had a couple of questions about the menu, and Adelle’s staff were so sweet to explain everything. I ordered the “Best of Both”; a 16-inch crepe split in two with half being savory and half being sweet. For my savory crepe I chose the “Better with Bacon” which featured bacon, egg and cheese with sriracha aioli drizzle. The sweet was the Triple Berry Bliss with strawberries and blueberries and Chantilly cream. Hubby and I both opted to add on the breakfast potatoes, and I added the Rise and Shine mocktail.

Everything was amazing! The savory crepe was filled with crispy bacon and fluffy cheese-covered scrambled eggs. The sriracha aioli drizzle on top provided just the right amount of kick without being overwhelming. Finally, the Triple Berry Bliss lived up to its name. The silky-smooth Chantilly cream was the perfect complement to the juicy strawberries and blueberries.

Adelle’s reminded me of the French Market Creperie in Knoxville so if you enjoy that restaurant, you’ll enjoy Adelle’s too.

While hubby enjoyed a piping hot cup of coffee, Adelle’s doesn’t offer mochas, and I needed some caffeine before we went any further. There are a zillion places to get coffee in Chattanooga, but I wanted to see the Chattanooga Choo Choo, and it just so happens there is a Frothy Monkey onsite. The mocha with their house-made caramel was worth the trip.

Like the Frothy Monkey in Knoxville (before it closed) Chattanooga’s has upstairs and downstairs seating. It also offers outside seating. Fortunately, while we were there, a cool breeze came along, and the sun moved behind a cloud so we took advantage of Frothy Monkey’s patio.

Unfortunately, for me, the Frothy Monkey was the highlight of the Chattanooga Choo Choo. Honestly, I did not see the appeal. I guess if you have a child or grandchild who is really into trains, they might enjoy it. Otherwise, if you don’t have a lot of time, or there’s not an event you want to attend, I’d say skip it.

That said, if you do decide to visit the Choo Choo, don’t miss the Sweetly Southern gift shop. According to their website, it is the largest and oldest gift shop in Chattanooga. You wouldn’t guess that when you first walk in, but the shop keeps going and going. You can find most any souvenir that you’re looking for, and it  provides a much-needed break from the overwhelming heat.

Speaking of heat, if you’re visiting Chattanooga in July like we did, be prepared for temperatures that soar into the high 80’s and low 90’s. Because of this, you’re probably going to want somewhere to escape the oppressive heat of the afternoon. While the Tennessee Aquarium might seem the perfect place, we knew it would be packed on a sweltering July afternoon, so we opted to visit the Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center.

Located at the Aquarium Plaza in downtown Chattanooga, the Medal of Honor Heritage Center features life-sized exhibits that memorialize the stories of recipients of the Medal of Honor, our nation’ s highest military award for valor.

Since its inception in 1863, more than 3500 soldiers have been awarded the Medal of Honor beginning with Private Jacob Parrot. He was awarded the first Medal of Honor for his acts of valor outside of Chattanooga.

While I was prepared to spend an hour or so going through the exhibits, we spent almost three hours, finally leaving the center at closing time.

We were mesmerized by story after story of the incredibly brave individuals who put service to their country above their own lives. The Center’s creative use of technology in addition to the life-like models and the gripping narrative left you feeling as if you were an eyewitness to the events. It was a sobering, yet inspiring way to spend an afternoon.

With the temperature finally beginning to fall, we set out for Rock City. Despite having lived in Knoxville for over forty years, I had never been to either Rock City or Ruby Falls. But as we got closer, we suddenly realized we were starving. Having no desire to take our chances on food at Rock City, hubby steered our truck back down the mountain and toward the Purple Daisy Picnic Café.

Let me be perfectly honest, I thought this might be the biggest mistake of our trip. After all, the restaurant’s logo included a purple donkey, yes, I said a purple donkey. But it wasn’t. The Purple Daisy Picnic Café was an adorably decorated, homespun delight.

In business over twenty years, the Purple Daisy Café is located in a converted gas station at the foot of Lookout Mountain in Historic Elmo. It is open Monday – Saturday from 11am-8pm and offers food for dine-in or carry out.

Featured in Southern Living, this restaurant is known for its triple-decker sandwich (chicken salad, homemade pimento cheese and cucumber spread on crustless white bread). While I couldn’t work up the nerve to try something with “cucumber spread” on it, I can tell you that their hand-pulled, perfectly smoked pork and ribs were amazing.

One word of warning. Parking is very limited. If you come during peak hours, you might not find a parking space. As it was, we ended up parking in front of the dumpster.

Once we finished dinner, we headed back up Lookout Mountain. In case you didn’t know, Rock City, along with Ruby Falls and the Incline Railway, are the three iconic attractions atop historic Lookout Mountain, just minutes from downtown Chattanooga. Although you can access them from the same website, each attraction requires a separate ticket. You can click here for more information.  (LMA | Discover a Mountain of Fun).

I doubt that I would have ventured to Rock City if I were not writing this blog. I wasn’t impressed by the gaudily painted barns proclaiming that I must “See Rock City.  But I was determined that we would visit at least one of the better known “tourist attractions” on Lookout Mountain during this trip so I could write about it.

Since the Incline Railway was temporarily closed (it has since reopened) and I wasn’t in the mood for traveling underground, Rock City was our destination. Thankfully, it was open until 10:30pm so we were able to visit when it was at least a little cooler.

I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised by Rock City. I thought I would find a touristy and tacky venue but instead I found a very interesting and somewhat awe-inspiring landmark. Granted, I am not a fan of the gnomes, but if you ignore them, it actually is a pretty impressive setting.

It was a little confusing at first to orient ourselves to the different pathways, but we finally figured it out…or I should say hubby did. I just followed him.

There are six different self-guided paths. Only two of them are ADA Accessible (Lovers Leap Area and Gardens Gateway Area). We eventually navigated all six. It’s hard to determine which was our favorite.

The Lover’s Leap area provided the best view of the mountains followed by the Hall of the Mountain King Trail.  It provided the view of High Falls from the observation platform. High Falls is a manmade waterfall that cascades into a pool with a depth of about 3 or 4 feet. It is unreachable from the trail.

The Bridges Trail gives you access to two separate bridges: the Swing-A-Long Bridge and the Stone Bridge. I took the Stone Bridge, the Swing-A-Long Bridge was just a little too much for me. The Grand Corridor trail takes you through the Needle’s Eye and the Goblin’s Underpass while the Fairyland Caverns trail allows you to explore scenes from your favorite Fairy Tales. You begin and end your journey at the Gardens Gateway area.

All in all, it was a fun experience. We clambered down rocky trails, squeezed through crevices, and explored stony gardens. And to make the evening complete, we even purchased one of those See Rock City birdhouses. I mean….my garden could use a little whimsy.

But the night wasn’t over yet. If you’re in Chattanooga, you’ve got to stop and visit Clumpies Ice Cream Company. Each batch of their delicious ice cream is made by hand “with only the finest ingredients” and churned in small batches of less than ten gallons.

With three locations (Northshore, St Elmo, and Southside), you’re sure to be close to one. All three stores open at noon, St Elmo’s closes at nine and Southside and Northside are open until 10 on Sunday – Thursday and 11 on Friday and Saturday. We were too late to get to the Clumpies in St Elmo, so we scooted over to Northside to enjoy this delectable treat.

Sunday was our day to take it easy. We got a late start with breakfast at Mean Mug on Manufacturers Road. This locally owned coffee shop roasts their own coffee and serves a freshly made breakfast and lunch. Hubby grabbed a Columbian coffee while I got the house-made Mocha. We also ordered their world-famous breakfast biscuit which was a huge biscuit filled with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and your choice of bacon, sausage or veggie sausage. While we waited for our breakfast biscuits, we inhaled a fresh blueberry scone brimming with whole blueberries.

We headed back down to the riverfront so hubby could look through the gift shop at the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center. We had taken so long to get through, we didn’t have any time to shop.

Once we finished there, we were determined to spend a little time enjoying the River. If you’re looking for a place to cool down near the Aquarium, go to the north side of the “Ocean Journey” side of the Aquarium and you’ll find The Passage. This is a link from the downtown area to the river.

But it is more than that; it is a memorial for the beginning of the “Trail of Tears”. It is a permanent outdoor exhibit consisting of a waterfall of steps and a weeping wall “representing the tears shed as the Cherokee were driven from their homes and removed on the Trail of Tears.”

While the memorial commemorates a devastating time in our history, it’s a beautiful site with an area below the Riverfront Parkway where you can sit and enjoy a cool breeze.Your Attractive Heading

Across the river from The Passage is Coolidge Park located on the Northshore waterfront. Most famously, Coolidge Park provides access to the Walnut Street Bridge, which is one of the world’s largest pedestrian bridges.

Currently, the Walnut Street Bridge is closed for work, and will not fully reopen until September 2026. While it is closed for daily use, it will be open for select events.

Coolidge Park is also home to a play fountain and a restored 100-year-old carousel which is housed in a building. Unfortunately, it was closed while we were there; I would have enjoyed taking a ride on the hand-carved animals.

Coolidge Park has loads of picnic tables with scenic waterfront views. It’s a wonderful place to sit back ,relax, and watch the activity on the water. And if you’re feeling energetic, there is a place to rent watercrafts and a boat launch.

Our weekend was drawing to a close, but we had one last place to visit: Tony’s Pasta Shop and Trattoria located in the Bluff View Art District. Tonys is open Sunday-Thursday, 11am-9pm and Friday and Saturday 11am-10pm. Reservations are not available.

According to their website, Tony’s has won the Times Free Press Best Italian Restaurant in Chattanooga four years in a row. I can see why. Their sauces are made with herbs and tomatoes from their gardens, and the bread is baked fresh daily at Bluff View Bakery.

We decided on Shrimp Scampi with a white wine garlic butter sauce. It was amazing. But the best part was dessert – Tiramisu and Heath Bar Cheesecake. While I offered, I was happy when hubby declined a bite of my Tiramisu. I wanted to enjoy every last morsel of mascarpone cheese and ladyfingers.

As we left Tony’s we decided to take a quick walk around the Bluff View Art District. It is a family owned and operated historic neighborhood which sports breathtaking views of the Tennessee River and downtown Chattanooga.

But beware..they post a very strict photography policy which includes all types of photography including your cell phone. While they have some beautiful sites, you are very restricted.

We drove home from Chattanooga refreshed and ready to face the upcoming week. I really enjoyed my time there and can’t wait to return. What about you? Have you been to Chattanooga lately?