Great Chattanooga dive bar. If your coming through town looking for non presumptuous place to simultaneous eat drink and smoke, then this is your place. Decent craft beer selection, nothing special in terms of cocktails, but food is very satisfying bar food. Get a sandwich, a beer and a few bourbon shots. Ask for Julian, great service. Only wish they had a bit more local beers for the booze tourist like myself. read more

Do yourself a favor and avoid this place I've lived here for 40+ year and theirs a certain eletism that I've had to deal with at this shithole stay away hipster douches a plenty and shitty service, I don't drink and I nearly walked in with guest's that I hadn't seen in 13+ years and I had an expired ID and apparently that makes me less than human fuck this place its shit! read more

Ventured into Pickle Barrel late one night on a whim after enjoying some drinks at another local bar. It was quiet and calm, and the service was good. Sitting in there looking out the window made me feel like I was completely separated from the dreary Chattanooga streets and in a quieter, more comfortable place. Good drinks, food, and service. Will be returning! read more

I have attempted to dine at Pickle Barrel twice now and both experiences have been horrendous. The servers, bartenders, and hosts have been extremely rude and dismissive both times with no consideration towards their guests, almost as if they could care less about the customer. Very disappointing as it is located in a premium location in downtown Chattanooga. It would probably be a boost for the city if the restaurant were replaced with a better establishment at this point, the customers are beyond rude and despicable customer service by the employees to put it bluntly. read more

What can I say about dinner here? The tater tots were the best thing on the plate. The bacon on my bacon mushroom Swiss burger was a close second. It didn't occur to me until I took a bite of the burger that the waitress didn't ask me how I wanted my burger cooked. That should have been a red flag. "It's dead. Jim!" Well done and dry. (I typically order rare or medium rare.) The char on the outside was beyond that good grilled char. I'd describe it as burned charcoal. The mushrooms were minimal. The Nooga Moon Pie was supposed to be a deep fried. Neither my friend or I could discern any deep frying. It was warm, but deep fried? Not likely. Good for the sweet tooth though, if you like moon pies. And now let's move to the service ... slow and minimal. Let's just say we were glad we ordered our entrees when we ordered drinks. When she brought the drinks she said someone was cutting lemons and she'd bring me back some wedges for my water. Still hadn't materialized by the time our burgers arrived. Had to ask for the lemon. She never came back to ask how our food was. When dessert came, there was no check. Moon pie polished off, we continued chit chatting, catching up, talking current events, with no sign of the check or waitress. We finally got her attention and got that rolling. When she brought the checks we quickly proffered our credit cards before she could disappear. read more

Outstanding. Awesome menu. This is my favorite restaurant. The menu consists of sandwiches. They are all awesome. Great beer selection from local and domestic brewers. Awesome atmosphere and wait staff. read more

As a connoisseur of punk rock dive bars I can handily recommend this joint. We were just passing through Chattanooga and this place was a pleasant surprise. Great food great beer great music. read more

Nothing better than a business who supports the BLM movement. Cool rooftop seating and great drinks make for the perfect Chatt dive bar.

My wife and I went here for dinner and a beer. The burger was absolutely incredible! The beer was decently priced and the bartender was very attentive and polite. Overall I had an amazing time! read more

The pickle barrel is my "cheers" love the staff, drinks, and food! I have been coming here for years and the service has never faltered. It's always nice to go somewhere that everyone knows your name read more

Our waitress had no personality. The nachos were described absolutely delicious but they were worse than Taco Bell. When I told the waitress that I this was not what I was expecting, she gave me a disgusted look. As we were leaving, there is a very weak board on the porch and I told one of my friends to be careful, this same waitress shook her head and rolled her eyes. There was a mandatory 20% tip add to our bills that we were not made aware of and was not obvious on the menu if it was there. She did not earn this high of a tip from me. When I paid my bill, she told me it looks like I am short over $0.50! The fried pickles and the drinks were good and my friends enjoyed their sandwiches. Due to the service, I would not recommend going. read more

Nice beer selection. Good fried pickles. Bloody Mary wasn't the best. But overall good experience.

Loved the atmosphere of the bar, very laid back and relaxing! Avery (our bartender) did and outstanding job at making sure we received everything we needed. When I find myself in Chattanooga again I will definitely be a going back! read more

First off, this is a SMOKING establishment for patrons 21 and older. If you have issues with either of these things this is not the place for you. Don't go leaving one star reviews bc you couldn't be bothered to do ten seconds of research or read the signs posted all over the door. The historic flat iron building has been there for close to a century and the Pickle Barrel has occupied the space for 35 years. The atmosphere is one of the coolest things about the place. There are multiple seating areas on two levels including an outdoor space. Comfort of the seating will depend on where you chose to sit. We selected the club sandwich with house made sidewinder fries and the Whistlestop Burger (topped with fried green tomato and thick cut bacon) accompanied by the House made kettle chips. The burger was tasty and cooked exactly to order and the sandwich was delicious as well. The house kettle chips were crispy and a nice accompaniment. The stars of the meal however were the sidewinder fries. These are by far the best in house fries I've ever had. I'm not sure what their secret is but they are perfection! Crispy outside and soft inside with an amazing flavor! There is an extensive beer menu if that floats your boat as well as a handful of signature cocktails. All in all a good experience. read more

I had the best burger ever at the Pickle Barrel. If you are a burger fan: GET THE BLACK AND BLEU BURGER. It was one of the juiciest burgers I've ever had in my life. It was spiced perfectly. It had bleu cheese, chipotle mustard, some kind of a spicy cheese, raw onion, and the juiciest/tastiest patty I've ever had. The fries were hot and amazing. It's in a modest setting; kinda rustic. You have to commend a place that stays open till 3 AM. Sometimes you just need good food in the late hours. This is the perfect place to do that in Chattanooga. Also: try the fried pickles! read more

This is by far the best gay bar in town. From its subtle imagery to its fantastic rooftop balcony with dark corners (hint hint), I couldn't get enough of this place and returned three times during my short visit to Chattanooga. Pitchers of booze for crazy prices to wet your whistle (ahem), and super strong, hard drinks (if you know what I mean). Also, the bartender compared us to the Revolution, so we're pretty stoked overall. read more

The bartender and waiter were complete dicks. The waitresses though were friendly and gave good service (a bit slow). The food was really good read more

A perfect dive bar! Totally funky joint with carved everything, greasy tasty yummy food, good beer selection and the funkiest bathroom I've been in since the old days at the Zephyr Bar in Reno. It was a cold night in Chattanooga and the big heater in the middle of the floor just added to the character. The 50's music, the smell of cigarettes... I tell ya, if you're looking for hoity toity uppity class joint, don't come here. If you're afraid of extreme character, don't come here. If you love Generica or the latest trends, don't come here. But if you appreciate the funk of a great dive bar - COME HERE! read more

We tried out a couple gay clubs (very disappointing) before finding this fabulous gem, coming back every night of our stay. We loved playing deep throating games with the larger than life pickles. read more

if I could give this place a negative, I probably would. I had this place bookmarked to try for over a year and finally made it...what a let down. I've said it before and I'm saying it again. Your servers will make you or break you! This was some of the worst service ever. We sat there for about 15 minutes before anyone came up to us. Finally a burn out came over and asked us if we've been helped. We told him no, ordered our drinks and an appetizer (fried pickles) and told him we were super hungry. 15 or more minutes went by, we were out of drinks, he asked if we'd like more to drink and to order our entrees. we said yes but where was our appetizer? he said it was on it's way. I asked about how the potato salad was, is it mustard based or mayo based? He said, hmmm I dunno...did he offer to find out? Um no. I asked about a couple if other items on the menu, he didnt know about that either. So 20 more minutes and he brings our entrees out. no drinks, no appetizer. What? So I ask about the drinks and what ever happened to the appetizer. Oh man he said, I forgot. So he goes back and brings the fried pickles. Um...nevermind, dude. I ask for salt. Oh and still no drinks. We are done eating and finally we get more to drink and my salt (which my fiance had already went inside to get for me because I was pretty sure I may never get it). Mine and my friend's entrees were supposed to have black olives. We asked about why we didn't have any. His response? Guess?! He didnt know... The food wasn't that great either, but I may have given 3 stars based on the quaint atmosphere and the patio. But if service is that bad and food is just okay, no thank you. Get your servers' crap together, Pickle Barrel. read more

Had Chat Whiskey. Great cocktails and knowledgeable bartender. Will return every time that I am in Chatanooga.

Went there Sunday night. Sat at the end by the bathroom. Don't know if the bartender thinks it's annoying to have guests sit there. But wasn't asked if we needed anything else. Had to tell him. I feel rude when doing that, being a bartender myself. I know how to treat customers. He was cutting up with other patrons, not busy at all. Mind you, I'm in the industry...so I tip well. I left him 5 on 28 when I should have not left him anything. No, that's not a good tip. He would have gotten 10. Seems like he picks and chooses who to accommodate. Being right by the register you would think "hmmm, this is easy. You want another one? " I'm not a picky patron regarding drinks, the time it takes, or if you're a dick or not. If you've got time and ignore me, then I'm not happy. He wasn't slammed, thus I tipped the minimum and never would i do that. Next day-worked 12 hours....came to the establishment to eat, hadn't eaten all day. Ordered a much needed bourbon shot from the server, when it came it was a half pour. Server said something to bartender, much to his chagrin. Avery gave him maybe an extra 1/4 oz shot to bring to the table, then in front of everyone complained and became angry. I am very turned off by this behavior. He walked out for a minute shouting. If i behaved this way then I would want to be disciplined. I strive to always do my best, and that was not his best. It seemed that he was pissed off about a 5 dollar tip on a 28 dollar tab. I'm a patron. Do your job. Be cordial. Shut your mouth if your upset, because you are the face of the company. Disclaimer:I feel that it is bad karma to complain, put another being in jeopardy. I work for my money and would never treat a guest like that. I would never want someone to lose their job, but if it happened to me, I bet you that it's happened to others. read more

What a cool little hometown spot. Historically a train station it has exposed brick and wood...nothing fancy here... small and broken in like a old catchers glove. Def a hippie/granola feel. Bring your pocket knife or sharpie and you can write/carve on the table. read more

I was really excited to try this place out but was disappointed that the food was mediocre at best. I was hoping for some delicious dive bar find but everything was very bland and similar to run down diner food. Wait staff was excellent, probably a great spot if you are just looking to go for a drink. read more

One of the best views downtown. Their deck looks out over downtown Chatt. Lots of seating outside. Food is good drinks are even better. This is a great dive bar for day drinking on the patio and just kicking back. read more

It's a small, cool building but don't go if you are claustraphobic. I had a hard time enjoying my lunch in what felt like a very dirty bar and my food tasted like cigarette smoke. I probably should have had the burger, but I opted for the reuben and hubby had the philly cheese steak. Both were good, but we felt was typical bar food. I wouldn't vote to come back but it's a place my hubby would bring his drinking buddies when they come visit. The bloody mary was pretty good though. read more

Solid location. Cheap beers. The upstairs patio is a nice retreat in the middle of the day. Service is slow but kind for the single beer that I ordered. The collection of patrons was *interesting* midday on a Saturday. The bathroom was etch-a-sketch but is probably less offensive with a few more beers or in darker lighting. read more

Best bar in Chattanooga. Great bar food with very reasonable prices. My favorite bar in the area.

This is a quirky spot. Go for the atmosphere, not the food, which is OK bar fare. The spot itself is a wedge-shaped building. Do NOT study the ceiling near any ventilation ducts. If you avoid any place that smells of smoke even when no one is there, this place is not for you. read more

Coolest place in Chattanooga for a craft beer... but only if you can get a seat on the patio. The inside is, well... cramped, to say the least. Definitely one of my favorite places to go, though. read more

From the outside, it looks like an east coast sort of pub [shhhh - don't tell the local's I said that - but it's a complement!]. In the inside - all southern comfort and hospitality. The friendliest people around were hanging out there. Next time I'm back in Chattanooga - I'm coming back here. It's that little bar that makes you happy to have taken a chance, stuck your head through the door, tripped on the way in the door and sat down and had round after round of cheap drinks served by the nicest bartender. Thank you Avery for being so kind and obliging. read more

We came in on Memorial Day. The bartender kindly took our order even though it was close to the kitchen closing. The atmosphere was dive barish, in a good way. It felt like sitting below decks on a ship (as I'm sure was the intent, being nautical themed) They have a lovely upstairs patio but we wanted to place our order as fast as possible since we knew we had come in close to kitchen shut down. The gentleman behind the counter was attentive without being oberbearing, got us what we needed and exchanged some pleasant small talk. The food was quite good, came out quickly and was piping hot. Their was some fun old school music playing and several of the customers as well as the staff were playfully singing along to alot of them. I had a good experience, and the location was very convenient if you're in the downtown area. I will revisit on my next trip to Chatanooga. read more

Great bar with decent selection of beers. The vibe is classic and a bit old world with knotty wood furniture. An eclectic mix of urban and college types make up the crowd. A viking or hobbit would look eat home with a giant dripping mug of brew at the tables. Don't go if you're not into a smokey environment. read more

If you are trying to avoid fried food, don't eat at the Pickle Barrel. Their fried pickles are mega tasty. The soup and salad are nothing you couldn't do better at home (the salad was boring, with dressing straight out of a giant Sysco bottle; the French Onion soup was oddly thick but predictably salty and flat). The beer selection is pretty great and I dig the funky, angular first floor bar as well as the roof deck. Just know this is the place for deep fried snacks and a couple rounds, not dinner. read more

Great patio seating in a unique building. Get the Tachos!

Absolute best food in Chattanooga! I came here when I was a kid and returned as an adult. It's a unique atmosphere and the food is excellent!! I got the buffalo pickle brined chicken fingers and I have been craving them ever since. Can't wait to go back! read more

A great dive bar! Loses 1 star for allowing smoking inside. Very cool spiral staircase leads to an awesome rooftop deck. If you want to throw some grease on it, this is the place to do it in DT Chattanooga -- fried pickle spears, tater tots, and huge curled potato fries are just the trick. Would appreciate a bigger selection of beers on tap though. Fun place to go with a group of friends! read more

Pickle Barrel is a Chattanooga classic. It's divey and a little grimy, but that's part of what makes it awesome. Try to sit in either the flat iron table in the very corner of the downstairs or upstairs on the patio. The food is good and the beer is served quickly. read more

Ok..just to be clear.This place is straight up 110% proof bizarre. It's a hole of epic proportions...that being said it has AWESOME burgers and truly terrible service. It's not even pretending to be concerned about it though...Food is great and it's definitely worth checking out...However I'd be aware that it's pretty sketchy neighborhood at night. Homeless folks abound...Again I've probably been 5 times now as I pass through Chattanooga.It's not remotely convenient to get to ,to park or to order...and yet I continue to go and dine. If for nothing else you gotta see the place as I think Bilbo Baggins was the designing architect. read more

Good times to be had by all. Grab a beer & grab a sandwhich...yum! I enjoyed a french dip & would come back again. Cool looking spot with a deck on top. Chill & laid back. My only problem was the smoke. TN has laid back rules on smoking like most of the south. I never thought I'd be one of those people...Anyways, the food, atmosphere & staff were great! read more