It takes a lot of good qualities in a sit-down restaurant for me to want to take my family to eat there. Price point versus amount of food, options my kids will eat, enough noise to drown out my kids’ noise, distracting distractions while waiting for dinner (TVs), patio seating and just plain darn good food. It’s not a fancy list, but I’m betting if you are a mom raising kids in Chattanooga, yours is similar.
I have found the holy grail — the one that checks all the boxes and keeps us happy, happy, happy: Edley’s Bar-B-Que in the North Shore area.
I don’t know how, but the algorithms of Instagram joined us together a few months before they opened and I couldn’t stop drooling over their posts. We generally stay out of the downtown area on date nights because of parking issues and traffic, but I finally convinced my husband to try it out this summer and now we spend every date night at Edley’s Bar-B-Que…or wishing we were there if we try something else.
The atmosphere is casual — you order at the front of the restaurant, refill your drinks at the drink station, and can enjoy the restaurant’s huge patio on the back side, which is furnished with tables and umbrellas. We took our kids to Edley’s Bar-B-Que for dinner and even though it was raining, they wanted to play in the little house and with all the parts of the deck games the restaurant has. They loved the fun atmosphere almost as much as the awesome BBQ-covered fries and pork tacos.
Edley’s Bar-B-Que has a sports bar vibe mixed with family-friendly food and plenty of paper towels for spills.
Our top picks for what to eat are the fried okra, BBQ Nachos and the Burnt Ends platter. The Southern Salad is also excellent, if you are looking to lighten your carb load. You won’t find tastier ‘Que or flavor-packed sides anywhere else! And even if you are full (and you will be), make sure to take some of their Banana Pudding home because it is the real deal.
Edley’s Bar-B-Que is a great addition to the North Shore area of Chattanooga. It’s a beautiful side of town with parks and trails, but slightly confusing to find parking and a table for a family. Our tribe is so glad to have a fun place to cheer on the Nashville Predators in the upcoming NHL season!
