Pickle Barrel

My wife and I recently had our first dining experience at The Pickle Barrel in Chattanooga, TN, and it exceeded our expectations! Upon entering, we were warmly greeted by a friendly and welcoming staff, which immediately made us feel at home. The interior has retained its classic charm, with much of it unchanged over the past 50 years, adding a nostalgic touch to the experience. We ordered the fish and chips, and they were fantastic! The fish was cooked to perfection—not too greasy, and it held its texture beautifully without falling apart at the first bite. The fries, or ‘chips,’ were also spot on, crispy and flavorful. Overall, our experience was delightful, and we’re already looking forward to our next visit. The Pickle Barrel is a gem in Chattanooga that we’re thrilled to have discovered!

First time! Came down from Missouri to visit with family. Brother took us to this bomb place. I loved the vibe walking in. And upstairs was warm in the tent! Food was delicious! The sidewinder fries. OMG. take wedges and ribbon fries- boom amazing! Will definitely make a pit stop again. Also, waiter, Cheesecake, super awesome! Great dude! And it was his first day!

Imagine an old fantasy bar, I think you are looking at Pickle Barrel. it looks amazing inside on both floors. It is a smaller place but does have modern tech, too. The burger was very well cooked. You could taste the signature pickles. It was nice with the chips . The drink was amazing and at a great price. It is well worth a try.

This place is cool looking. The 2nd floor and deck is nice. The food was great and the servers were awesome. In town for business and stopped by for a quick bit. Will recommend and will Come again on my next trip.

We had chicken wings and nachos. The nachos were the best we have ever had. Our server Ray was awesome!!! We drove from Pensacola,FL for 2 reasons. To see the aquarium and eat here. We watched amazing reviews and had to see and taste for ourselves. It did not disappoint.

Decided to visit the oldest restaurant in downtown Chattanooga. The Pickel Barrel never disappoints and have been aware of this establishment since I 2002. Today I went with the Pepper Jammer burger and it was delicious. First thing I noticed was the charbroil flavor blended with the tasty peppers seasoning and flavors made it a very unique burger. Surprisingly, how does a burger this good go unnoticed by major critics? It's up there! Presentation was hilarious and have never seen a burger stick it's bacon tongue at me. There was a nickel and it was good. Capps Chips were a nice touch with an excellent crunch. High recommend.

Pretty good overall experience! We struggled a bit at first with finding a spot to sit as we wanted to sit upstairs yet there was nothing available. The spot we ended up getting was worth the wait. The food was very tasty definitely one of the best burgers we've had! The decor and lighting are neat - definitely a hipster vibe. The service was okay, generally friendly but nothing spectacular.

The Pickle Barrel in Chattanooga, Tn, is this old pie slice shaped building at the end of a block where two buildings come together at odd angles. This place has been on my list to visit for years, probably 15 years. The building catches your eye from the car every time you pass by. It doesn't fit with the surrounding architecture. It's much older, sorta unchange from a different century. At least that's the feel from the street. Once inside, you feel like you just stepped into an old pub in the 1800s. The place feels tight, tables along two walls that meet at the narrow booth in the window at the end of the pie shape. Everything very feels close, sorta gritty cozy. The windows on the outside are old single square panes with a pane of stained glass over them. Everything is perfect for a building this old. There is a single waitress working all of the tables downstairs and sh occasionally runs up the spiral stair to the roof dining area. Service is slow, but that's ok. The place screams, relax, stay a while, have a couple of drinks. Ok, enough, it's an awesome place to grab lunch, but don't plan to be in a hurry. There is a bar with seating for maybe 6 and some standing space for casual lunch drinkers. You come here because you always have or for the atmosphere. The menu is typical bar fare and reasonably priced. I had chili and a BLT, my wife's fish, and chips. The portions are manly and were well prepared. It's not fancy, it's good. If you aren't local, you have to plan to get here with purpose. They close early, around 3, so you have to fit your schedule into their day, not the other way round. For me, with every new dining place being polished, cold, felling empty with no soul and serving overpriced average food, this place is a gem. It isn't trying to pretend to be what it isn't. It is genuine and I miss that. We had a great hour in your fine establishment. Your staff was friendly and accommodating with a smile. We only wish we lived closer.

You Have to try their pickle martini and their pierogis!! Soo delicious! Also a great spot to go to to catch up on some reading at one of their tables near the window , you feel like you might be somewhere over seas! Giving very Harry Potter vibes! Also the Bartenders are great! Just don't forget to TIP when you go !!!!

Went to this restaurant after a great day at Ruby Falls. It was suggested by one of the staff there. It wasn't busy at all and we managed to sit outside (rooftop) even though it was a cool cloudy day. Server was friendly and attentive. Food was ok. It wasn't anything outstanding or special. Just typical bar food. And the fried pickles were good! Oh... the chicken tenders were crispy but juicy.

Pickle barrel? More like the cucumber bucket. This place has terrible service. They can't seem to keep up with the customers even though it's already a small restaurant. The bar tender doesn't like to do anything other than bartend. Even if the servers are having a hard time and there's nobody at the bar. Took us 2 hours to get our food and the weird server that crawled over to us like a snake and got so close to my wife I thought he was going to slip his tongue into her ear. He started asking if we were leaving or going to stick around for another half hour for our free meal. Then implied he was better than the other servers there. It was definitely strange. He was trying to be nice. But it felt really off putting every time he spoke to us. Food was mediocre. Not worth the 2 hour wait. Wasn't overly busy so there's no excuse. It was soggy and room temperature. Would have probably enjoyed it more if it didn't take so long and was actually warm. The best part of this restaurant was getting there with high hopes before we knew of the suffrage that lied ahead. Leaving was nice too because I felt like a prisoner. When I escaped the cucumber bucket or as some may call the pickle dungeon, I was surrounded by crack heads and a guy on a wheel chair riding down the side walk backwards smoking what I hope to be weed, but was probably also crack. Anyway I won't be going back. I wish there was a 0 star option. I would not give them a star. Maybe a trapezoid. But not a star. Absolute nast.

So this joint is a go-to spot and it's a have to spot if you are in the area. It's not astounding or it's not life-changing but it's a pretty good bar that has decent burgers and a pretty good area. You're right on the main street so you can see and be close to this bar and maybe some other things considering how far you're willing to walk. It's very dark and drab and dreary but that's not a big deal. That's just a mood of the bar, that's the ambiance. It's supposed to be a dive bar kind of situation. You'll come in the door from the front and there's going to be a bar there and some seats and then there's an upstairs because it has a rooftop area as well which is probably to me the good selling point of this spot. Through top maybe fits about 10 tables or so, but you can get a good view of some downtown scenery while you're there. And I don't get it twisted, it's not like it's on the 35th floor lol So don't expect to see all of Chattanooga. But it's a nice place to be if you are in the area and want a nice seat with some breeze. I have to wait a while to get the waist app to come over, which I wasn't really sure why, because it wasn't a full day. I think we waited maybe 15 minutes or so, and that part was the unsavory part. After we got the attention of the way staff they were pretty good about it. The waiter asked had somebody been over, and it was kind of obvious that it wasn't the case. But like I said, we got through that and I got a beer and I got a burger and I was happy. I just hope next time attention is paid a little bit more to people who are sitting there so you don't neglect anybody. Be careful on the steps lol. The steps are a winding staircase going up and if you are trying to go up or down and have had too much to drink, you may want to be careful lol. I would definitely suggest this place. My waitstaff experience would not be the thing that breaks me from going back because I enjoyed the air and the vibe and the view and the burger.

I came by as a recommendation from a coworker. They told me to try the ODP. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I walked in it was fairly empty and there wasn't any direction as to if it was seat yourself or not. It did appear that most folks chose to go to the rooftop. That's probably where I should have gone to get the full experience. But I just picked an available table downstairs. There was plenty on the menu that sounded good. I really wish I had tried the fried pickles, but I thought it may have been too much pickle for me with my cocktail. But chose to go with the pickle brined chicken tenders. They were fine. Nothing spectacular.

So, I've been looking to visit this bar for some time, but since there is smoking permitted up top, my wife had no interest to visit, so in spite of a high school friends claim this is a great spot, I had to wait until I could make this stop on. my own. So people call this a dive bar, well, they've got that right. It has quite the personality and you can see it and feel it, once you walk in. Since I was alone, I parked my butt at the bar, it's a small bar, but so much better for the bartender to be able to engage, which I did over a cold draft. Unfortunately, since I saw pierogi's on the menu, I didn't take the time to try any of the pickle-influenced items on the menu. That's probably a big mistake on my part. I'm a sucker for good pierogi's, sadly those, these were not. My guess is they were Mrs. T's frozen, not very good, not authentic enough, and just a bad decision on my part. There was no mistake with my second offering though, the Immigrant Sandwich. Now this was tasty, but a little friendly criticism for the kitchen, the melding of all those wonderful flavors is key, make sure you get that brown mustard spread across the entire sandwich. It is that little touch that makes the rest of the food symphony work to optimal level. In fairness, I should not have expected an establishment in Chattanooga with the word Pickle in its' name, to give me a good pierogi, too much to ask. I will be back though, I liked the spot, and I need to experience what they can offer when they let that pickle shine!

Good spot to get a quick bite, nothing fancy with a nice rooftop. We came here to grab a bite before the lookouts game. There were 10 of us and everyone seemed to enjoy their food. Fried pickles were delicious. They were pickle spears so you get that pickle flavor.

Terrible service. Bartender & bouncer are complete losers. Would never spend another dime at this establishment.

We spotted this place walking through Chattanooga looking for a place to get a drink and maybe enjoy a Cigar. They were happy to have us and guided us to the upstairs porch! Our server was super cool! The drinks were amazing! Try the house Speciality Pickle Margarita! All the food we ordered was good and I couldn't get photos of most of it because the boys were gobbling it up so fast! It was a great start to our vacation to sit there all afternoon and enjoy the beautiful weather while we Smoked our Cigars and enjoyed the camaraderie of friends!

Is a pub located in a flatiron building (how cool is that?), you're going to feel their easy-going vibes as soon as you walk in! Caleb was the best , he deserves a special shout-out! Guiding us to our best food/drink experience and also being patient (we were just a bit indecisive ) As for the food! OMG, it was so delicious, the pickles, burgers, sandwich, drink! It made my day! What did we order? - Fried Pickle Spears - The Signature Burger: Fried Pickle Chips, Spicy Pickles Red Onions, Arugula, Melted Swiss Cheese, and French Onion Aioli - Whiskey Rebellion: Bourbon, amaretto, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. They do have a good variety of craft beers, but at that time I only wanted cocktails

Our waitress said we got here at the right time (7.30pm) on a Friday night. This place is very cool. We sat on the upper deck patio area. We ordered grilled brie, tater tots and fried pickles just for snacking. The Spicy Pickle Margarita and O.D.P. were so good. Moonpie Sundea was great as well. Service with Joelie was excellent. We will definitely come back.

This bar is legit old school - with deep fried everything, Moon Pie desserts, copious cocktails and multiple levels of fun. Great wait staff, old school dive bar charm. Just watch yourself on the stairs.

Great bar food and snacks, friendly service and fun seating on the roof deck. Drinks were alright. Overall not bad for what you pay for

This was an unexpected stop for us but we were very happy with our choice. The atmosphere was unique, historic, and rustic. We found a table up the spiral staircase on the second floor. Our waiter was friendly and helpful with our order. The fried pickles were amazing. I got the Old stand by Burger and ordered the tots on the side. Loved all of it! I had several people in my party. They each got different named meal : the immigrant - which he said was pretty good.. the signature which got two thumbs up. The slaw, wasn't a crowd pleaser like the tots or pickles. barrel of wings- ( was extremely happy these were not breaded) they tasted really good. Parking is metered except on Sunday.

Loved the restaurant, sitting upstairs was so fun, the weather was nice made it very enjoyable. Food was absolutely phenomenal, YOUVE GOT TO GET THE GRILLED BRIE, we got it with pepper jelly instead of pesto and it was chefs kiss. We had an awesome server that I wish I knew the name of, because he gave such great service. He was on top of our drinks, sauces, ect. I came from out of town with some pickle barrel regulars and I already can't wait to be back in town to go again

Love the atmosphere. Unique location and interior. Friendly staff. Great time to visit middle afternoon when it's not too busy.

Walked here from our hotel, it is a beautiful open bar scene. It's mainly greasy bar food, everything is listed as being 1/2 a pound and they ask for patience with dishes on the menu. The servers kept checking on their tables just to make sure everyone was doing good and giving updates on the food status. They kept putting on football (by request of guests) and it just seems like an overall chill place to spend an evening.

While visiting Chattanooga this past weekend, my husband and I popped into The Pickle Barrel for a bite to eat. I thought it looked kinda cute and funky and then discovered it also served up some mighty delicious food. We sat upstairs for some rooftop dining and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. My husband had the Black and Bleu Burger and I had the Real Chick sandwich. We both upgraded to the sidewinder fries (which I loved) and everything was exceptional! Our server was friendly and knowledgeable, making the whole visit top notch! I would gladly stop by again next time we are visiting the area!

Good vibes & chicken tenders. This is a gem in Chattanooga - great spot for drinks & bar food on any day of the week. Service was fast & friendly when we stopped in on a rainy Monday. We had also heard really good things about their chicken tenders...and we weren't disappointed. The tots + honey mustard that came with them were also solid. I'm sure we'll be back many times!

We stumbled across this place by accident,and boy was it amazing! This little hole in the wall is well worth the try! Caleb was an amazing server and great company to be around! The food is DELICIOUS and you should try everything! lol we did have three apps but I forgot to take a pic. Try the Brie! If I could put it in my purse, I would have taken all the left overs we will def be returning!

We came early with a party of 8 but only 4 people ordered food-- that we never got. It took awhile to get drinks and one person didn't get her drink; we had to ask again and it took awhile (quit checking after 15 min) to come. Also it wasn't busy when we got there however it was packed an hour and a half later when we left- starving. Michael was a horrible waiter. Large parties who came after us were served. Be warned!!

As a lover of all the pickled things, this place seemed a promising fun little sidebar on a visit to the Noog. There are only two pickly drinks on the menu, and could definitely use some Suckerpunch on tap. The fried pickles were pretty good and overall everything we tried was fairly good. The whole place is hard to describe but has a kitschy pirate ship vibe to it. Staff members were all very friendly and helpful. Service was excellent. It was a fun stop!

I LOVED pickle barrel! I was here with a group recently for a late night out and we had a great time. I'm only deducting a star because the waiter was a bit short/not courteous towards us (but also I understand that it's a bar scene and you won't get the same service as you would at a sit down restaurant at like 6pm). The fried pickles here- amazing. Wish I took a pic of them but I didn't. Best fried pickles I've ever had. The drinks here were good as well. Two of my friends ordered a speciality cocktail and they were great. I think e.z. breezy and the bombs. E.z. Breezy tasted amazing. I'd love to come back next time I'm in Chatt. Also... beware of the spiral staircase that goes to the upstairs patio LOL. Seems like a death trap for drunk people to me

Hate to see them On a busy night!! Server said that we arrived at a good time because we had a party of more than 5. The kitchen can only handle 5 tickets at a time ..... really??? My wings were refrigerator Cold and pink. Not eating that. They were pissed about their mistake. Sent them back. It will be an hour for another batch. Said no. So I still need food but can't get it here. Wtf !!!! Manager doesn't show any concern about our experience. he/she may have been doing their best but Server should not be sooooo negative..... fried pickles were the best part of our experience. Don't want to go back .... My recommendations if you want to drink and have a bag of chips this is the place.... Anything else.... Just don't! I work at a restaurant....

This place is super cool. Little flat iron building with a very laid back and historic vibe. Service was great - friendly & knowledgeable. Pickle chicken tenders were delicious with light, crispy breading. Good size portions. Fried pickles & pirogies were exactly what I was looking for. Unbeatable price on the Blanton Single Barrel. We tour all over the country with a washed up 90's parody band (some would say the worst band in the world) so we get to go try out lots of places. This place is def worth a visit! Clean plate club!

My husband and I took a day trip to Chattanooga from the Atlanta area this past Sunday. We had done some research on some of the must-try places in town and Pickle Barrel popped up on the top of several lists. We had high hopes! We walked in at about 1:00 and the downstairs dining room was about 3/4 full so we decided to take a look at the upstairs patio, which was about halfway full in terms of seating. We sat and waited for about 10 minutes to have menus brought to us. The waiter attending to the top floor was running back and forth and seemed to be very busy so we were more than understanding. My husband and I have both been servers, so we are the first to recognize when a restaurant is understaffed and wait patiently. About 15 more minutes went by and the waiter came back to take our drink order. We ordered 2 waters and a spicy pickle margarita. Time passes and more tables fill up around us. Our drinks never come. Drinks and food are now being brought out to tables that arrived upwards up 20-30 minutes after us. We keep trying to find an opportunity to flag down our waiter but he never glances our way. Finally he comes over and asks us if we had ordered our food yet, as to which we answered no. At this point we had been at the restaurant for between 30 and 45 minutes. He apologized for the wait, which we replied "No worries, you seem incredibly busy, we get it!". He said that a few people called out and he's the only one working upstairs. I reminded him we still needed our drinks but all was well. At this point our drinks still haven't come and we're encroaching on an hour in the restaurant. The problem is that it was getting warm out on the top deck and the parking we had paid for across the street was running out of time, so of course we figured we should go ahead and extend it because we weren't getting out of here any time soon. It's 2:00 and we've been here over an hour without drinks. Another waiter, who we find out later is the manage, finally comes to aid his employee on the deck as more people file in to be seated. He lets us know he'll bring our waters, but then he comes back about 10 minutes later with about 6 drinks on a platter and drops them off to tables seated long after us. We wait a bit longer but the frustration starts to set in, as our time is being wasted. My husband decides that maybe if we moved to the first floor indoor seating that someone will serve us. I find our waiter and let him know we're moving downstairs and we still haven't gotten our drinks... We head down the tight spiral staircase (which is the only way up and down the second floor) and grab a seat. A different server walks over to us and asks us if we've been helped, and we explained our situation to him. He proceeds to kneel down by us at the table and says "Well I don't expect you to be understanding, but we've had some people call out today." It came across very rude and condescending. To which we replied that we have, in fact, been understanding... except he kept talking over me and I couldn't get a word in. At least he brought our drinks. At that moment, our original server comes back and delivers 2 burgers that weren't ours. We let him know these are someone else's and reminded him what we ordered, to which he apologized. The condescending server (who didn't even dress like he worked there) came back and said that they could comp our meal for us. We appreciated that but were ready to get up and go at this point, especially after his rude comment to us, patrons who had been waiting for well over an hour to even get their drinks and had expressed understanding. He asked us what we had ordered and said he would tell the kitchen to push the order to the front, like he was doing us a favor. He asked how I wanted my burger cooked, to which I answered well done, and he rudely said "You know that takes the longest to cook, right?" I look at my husband and we both flash the signal with our eyes that it's time to cut our losses of wasted time and find somewhere else to eat. The server then says, "What's it gonna be, do you want your free meals or not? I'm trying to make it right. You know if I had been your server, this wouldn't have happened. This guy's pretty new." Gosh, seemed like he was throwing everyone else under the bus here. As we were about to tell him we're leaving our food is delivered. By this time we had been here about an hour and a half and we're just starving so we of course stayed and hoped the food would redeem this experience. Continued... (1/2)

This restaurant was recommended by a friend that has a second home in the area. So glad we listened! Lively atmosphere on a Saturday afternoon during college football season. Numerous TVs with several games being broadcasted yet being Gator fans (We are rebuilding!! No haters! Please!) politely requested the ESPN 2 channel and our server made it happen. Probably the only ones watching THAT game yet our lead was great while it lasted. Go Gators! Back to the restaurant...Great service and plentiful menu options. The guys had burgers, chicken wraps and beer battered fries. No pics of those items bc I was busy devouring the amazing wings. The firecracker shrimp appetizer was delicious too! No complaints from anyone! Our server continued to check in and refill glasses as well. Great experience with the exception of our team losing in overtime!

Fun and funky little place. Good drinks, nice staff, and some really good bar food. They cook up some big flavors in a tiny kitchen.

Solid sandwich I bit pricy. Buffalo chicken with the hot giardiniera( I thought this only a Chicago thing) was worth every penny. Will be back.

Great late-late night food option in downtown Chattanooga. Half moons were a great app if you like fried cheese. The fish and chips were great and the chicken tenders were amazing! Pickle Brine- yes please! You may have to meld with UT chat students if going late night as it's a bar atmosphere, but we were still able and to grab a table on the first floor after a short wait. Great bar food and service!

Quite possibly the best chicken tenders I've ever had. Good bar style food. Did I mention how great the chicken tenders are?

Located in probably one of the coolest buildings I've ever seen... This place is a must go to Wynn in Chattanooga! The beer is super cold, the drinks are strong, but the atmosphere does everything for this place! Especially if you are lucky enough to get upstairs! Both the sandwiches and the burgers are half pounders. And all of the servers are super friendly! Bing from Florida the only thing that I don't like is that people can smoke... But when in Rome, I'm not smoking... But to each their own.

This place is cool! Just stopped in for drinks and to check out the inside...what a unique location. Good drinks too. Tried one of their "The Bombs". It was Cherry and was pretty sweet but totally drinkable, especially on a hot day. Will definitely go back to try the food.

I love the food here but they're obsessed with pickles. I'm obsessed with burgers and not a fan of pickles. Hoping the online order function to choose no pickles ON the burger can imply that the pickle spear on the side (a garnish?) would also not be added at that point. That's really it.

Won't let people in that have been drinking. Girl passed out in Front window though. We were just trying to get late night food. The guy outside was calling people names and using foul language. Classless place. Don't waste your time.

Cool place! Cool building and great location. I got the recommendation from an employee at the convention center because it is a close walk. The food was pretty good, and the service was good too! I got the downtowner sandwich. Great choice! It's a +21 place all the time. So, you gotta have ID!

We came in for a quick lunch before getting ready for an event. We immediately went upstairs to the patio for more seating. They have a good size menu and everything sounded pretty good. We opted to share a basket of fried pickle spears and a BAT sandwich. The pickle sauce was a horseradish sauce, very good. Order of spears is a good size. The bacon arugula and fried green tomato sandwich was nice upgrade from a basic blt. Sandwiches come with chips, we got an extra bag when sharing. Drink menu was interesting, but this time we just ordered a dark IPA off the beer menu. Not too expensive, nice servers and didn't take too long at this time of day.

Service is terrible and attitude of their employees is disgraceful..Don't even drink and got denied service to enter and order food. Good luck to your front door man !

Located on Market Street near the beautiful Tennessee River. In a very unique and historic building. We chose to eat inside and upstairs. It's a simple interior and yet very warm and inviting. I can see how nice it would be to sit outside when things cool down a bit more. The service was excellent. Unfortunately the food wasn't as good as the service. We split a French dip and fries. The fries were delicious but the roast beef was a bit dry and chewy. We will give it another try in the winter!

Here for the weekend with my son and the food is simply amazing. Great service, awesome server. Will be back for sure. Downtown Chattanooga Tennessee

Jesus what a mess!! whole place is a wreck; service is below average and the attitudes of the employees make it a toxic environment and actually worse than below average. Check your vibe especially the bartender and servers that use inappropriate language.

Just bad, especially the bar tenders, really weird and weak. It's a non profit place. It's all about the people, right? Just being honest...

This was so fun. Sit on the top floor on the patio if you can, the weather was perfect. Our waiter was so sweet and helpful and made us laugh a ton. If you like the gritty, dive bar, Tennessee feel, this place is perfect for you. I had the signature burger and I swear it was the best burger I've had in YEARS. We will come back here every time we're in Chattanooga!

Good food, laid back atmosphere! I had a burger, fries and pickle, and beer. It was toward the end of the night but the food was very good.

Visited this place for the first time. Came here for a quick lunch and drink. I had a club sandwich and homemade potato salad and both were great. I was impressed as I figuring would of been cheap bar food. It was actually pretty tasty and good quality.

We were recommended this place by friends who had been before. We stopped in for a quick lunch. The food was good! I had the junkyard dog. My husband had the Philly. I chose tater tots with mine, and my husband had chips.

Yes - this reminds me of my favorite dive bar from my early days in Columbus! (Memories of Lido's) but it was good! All food is mildly flawed with a pickle flavor! Had the Yardbird salad with grilled chicken brined in pickle juice! Even the salad dressing was lightly pickle flavored. It was a nice low key place-enjoyed the food and we could talk without competing with loud music or talk. If you get downtown Chattanooga - check this place out !!

I fucking love Pickle Barrel. Best black bean burger, best tater tots, best late-night spot in town. Fuck yeah.

We stumbled upon this gem after a wedding. Drinks: amazing. Staff: so friendly. Building: super cool. It feels like an English pub almost. I highly recommend the spicy pickle marg.