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    Aretha Frankensteins

    3.5 (766 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Aretha Frankensteins Photos

    Business Info

    ARETHA FRANKENSTEINS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Aretha Frankensteins

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    Building (looks so residential)

    Three words: one inch pancakes! For real! They were amazing! We also had a breakfast burrito with spicy grits. That was stuffed to the max. The spicy grits had quite a kick. I really enjoyed them but they live up to their name so order with caution. The service was fabulous and the portions were huge. We will be back. Why four stars instead of five? The coffee was HORRIBLE and the parking was extremely difficult.

    Yan C.

    Good morning vibes ! Best pancakes I ever tasted in America! Fast service very laid back interesting place. Definitely impressed!

    steve e.

    What an amazing find, well hidden and off the proverbial beaten path! The kitchen turns out some amazing breakfast dishes, the pancakes are huge, the short stack of two pancakes is more than enough, for the very hungry people go for the 3 stack! I had the Italian omelet with the spicy grits and OMG both were fantastic. Prices were extremely fair and that's something that is uncommon today. The interior of the restaurant is something you will just want to check out every wall, the ceiling and corners. There is something for everyone to see . Serice fast so fast when I walked in the door, I lucked up and immediately found a seat at the counter and my drink was in front of me and my order taken in just a couple minutes. Parking is on the street so you may have to walk a bit but the area is nice and not an issue to walk up the steps and in the door.

    Nat H.

    I think about the breakfast burrito at least once a day... the pancakes live up to the hype, too!

    Gary C.

    The pancakes are the real star of the show here with the ambiance a very close second. The walls and ceiling were lined with vintage cereal boxes, movie posters, skeletons, and goblins. For all the tangible, retro, nostalgia-coated decor that calls back to a time when practical effects were how monsters were made it is so surprising then to see their merch emblazoned with AI slop. I wanted a shirt because I'm a sucker for glow-in-the-dark anything, but not enough of a sucker to buy the slop shirt. The biscuits were so-so, the gravy tasted like Cracker Barrel's (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just not what you'd expect from a place like this), but the fried potatoes and the pancakes were so good. I'll definitely skip the biscuits and gravy and just order the pancakes and potatoes if I make it back there again. Those were the standouts to me. The poor girls working the front of house were short staffed and being run ragged, but they were still very nice and attentive. It also seemed to be one of their birthdays unfortunately. This is such a cool little spot marred only by the fact that the wait times get crazy and some of their merch uses AI generated imagery

    The restaurant.
    Steve S.

    The food was delicious with large portions. Seating was limited, but we arrived right at opening time and were seated immediately. I did feel sorry for those waiting for a seat. Host just wasn't overly friendly, but got the job done. I would go there again, but I would arrive at 8 AM.

    Jennifer L.

    Absolutely delicious breakfast. Get the fluffy pancakes. Just do it. Super adorable space, located in the heart of a residential neighborhood. Love the front porch and all the cool retro rocker decor. Breakfast was incredible and service was so good. We had a blast enjoying our breakfast, which came out hot with perfect eggs. This is 100% on our list of must-visit places!

    Breakfast burrito, breakfast potatoes
    Amy R.

    It's a VERY SMALL establishment and parking is limited, mainly street parking since it's located in a residential area. There's maybe 4-5 tables inside plus a bar area, leading to an hour+ wait which was okay since our Airbnb was close by and we had inquired about a table after running in the 7 Bridged race. The service was average but the food was good. The biggest bummer was it was a Sunday morning, popular brunch day/time and we were there around 1030ish and they were out of gravy! Another let down, was they didn't have any nondairy milk option so i couldn't order a latte. The biscuit appeared to look like a grands pillsbury biscuit. The star of the show was the breakfast potatoes. I have been to their second location in knoxville and had a better experience. Maybe chat was just having an off day?

    Small stack
    Jen D.

    You could spend hours just looking at the decor. There's not a lot of indoor seating so we sat at the bar, gave us the opportunity to interact with the staff - they are very friendly. There's street parking (no lot). Food is fantabulous! Small stack, bacon, Dave's scramble

    Amber B.

    Pancakes with blueberry melange is amazing! Pancakes are extra thick and fluffy with a crisp outside. If you like 80s and 90s memorabilia, this is the place. Service was awesome. Our waitress helped us out and served us quickly.

    a man in a restaurant
    Julianne R.

    Okay, have you ever seen pancakes this fat before? I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm obsessed. I couldn't finish the pancakes, so I took the rest to-go and ate them cold as leftovers right out the fridge. It reminds me of corn bread, which I don't normally eat, but these were perfection. I also ordered the Sod Buster omelette (3 eggs with potatoes, onions, applewood smoked bacon, and cheese). Could have used more meat inside, but it was still delicious, especially alternating bites with the grits. I wasn't sure why the grits were labeled as spicy, but they were still well made. The servers were friendly, and the vibe was very casual. Like most places in Chattanooga, parking is hit or miss, so maybe the earlier the better.

    Two pancake specials
    Jeff L.

    Just like Aretha Franklins song says "What you want, baby I got it" friends took us there for an amazing breakfast. Did you ever go into a restaurant and realize this place is special? This is one of those places. We went because we heard their specialty is pancakes, and although none of us are big pancake fans I must say we all tried them and we all were very impressed. Thick pancakes and our server asked us if we wanted to try their special blueberry butter. He said we consider it the icing on the cake and we were all glad we did give it a try. The coffee was perfect the servers were fun and friendly and the atmosphere amazing. The first oddity we noticed were all the framed cereal box fronts on the ceiling. The more we looked around the more interesting things we found to look at. The food was done to perfection the only thing that was even a problem was finding parking, since they have no parking lot you must park on the street. The restaurant itself is a converted old house and you can eat inside or on the porch. Prices very reasonable, service was quick and I am definitely going to return multiple times.

    Pancakes are phenomenal but go easy on the compound butter, it is very sweet.
    Allen H.

    A feast for the eyes and the stomach! Busy and bustling but never so much that you don't feel appreciated! Love the nostalgia eliciting kitschy decor and laid back atmosphere!

    My daughter had the delicious Elephants Gerald waffle and it didn't disappoint!

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    The food is very good and it's a cute little spot to take out of town guests. My son from Texas recommended it to all his local friends.

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    Food we very good. Nice quaint little place with solid service. We will be back whenever we are in the area again.

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    Page 1 of 20

    Aretha Frankensteins Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Aretha Frankensteins

    Are they closed permanently? We went by for brunch today and they weren't open :(

    They seem to be. Phone is out and website only has main page. We were there day before Thanksgiving and same situation.

    Are pets allowed on patio?

    Yes

    Do they have highchairs?

    I did not see any, it's a pretty small place and I doubt they do.

    Is breakfast served all day?

    Yes!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    4.2(1.3k reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

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    STIR - Oyster Rockefeller

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    4.2(940 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

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    STIR - Dining room

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    Public House - Cornbread

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    4.5(1k reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    I got the trout as the main dish, and it came with two sides of your choice. I got the Chef's…read morecollard greens and beets with goat cheese. I have to say, this meal was SO good. Every one of the sides looks so good and fresh that I wanted to get each one of them just to try it! The fish was cooked perfectly and was nice and tender. The added little muffin I didn't expect was a nice touch and delicious. The collard greens were SO GOOD. I'd get them again. So flavorful and cooked well. The beets were fresh and the goat cheese carried so much flavor. For the desserts, we got the carrot cake with pecans and chocolate cheesecake. Both were soooo good. I would get both of them again, especially the carrot cake which was so warm and moist. And the candied pecans were such a nice complement to the cake - not too sweet at all. The ambience is super nice and fresh, and our server was so sweet and engaging. The hostess as well. Everybody there was so nice and welcoming. They validate parking if you park in the garage nearby!

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    4.7(243 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    Took the wife and mother in law out for a change of scenery to the wonderful place called…read moreChattanooga. Wound up at the aquarium for a couple hours and ended up hungry at the very end of it. Not far from where we were parked we found the Wooden City conveniently across from it all (dare I say a brisk walk's worth) with Mellow Mushroom and Ben & Jerry's establishments at both corners. We were given the options of staying inside or being placed outside and we chose (biased a lil) the opportunity of eating outside. We were taken care of accordingly by Jonathan, who is a perfect example of someone that makes tourism worth it, we chitchatted back-and-forth and came across some great options on our appetizers and drinks. While we waited for drinks, we were served water with ice as the weather outside was pleasant but a little too hot for the afternoon... When the appetizers arrived, we were greeted by not only demonstration, but taste above what I've had as of recent. Wife enjoyed the freshness of the tomatoes and cheese whilst I was mesmerized by how subtle and uber smooth my Old Fashioned was. We unwinded and talked about our day here in this city and then our next meal plates arrived. I had the very unique and well presented Beet Ravioli and the wife had the exquisite Spicy Lamb Rigatoni. Immediate upon arrival to our table my wife and I exchanged a bite of each other's plates to give a chance for our taste pallets to experience one another. The Beet Ravioli took back my wife to a time where she made something of similar taste and the Rigatoni took me back to California when I tasted something familiar then. Towards the end, I saved the location at the name of the restaurant, as I would like a near future to come back and visit with more time. Jonathan was an absolute help for our satisfaction in Chattanooga and we are thankful.

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    Bread and butter, cocktail.

    Aretha Frankensteins - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

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