Not a bad word to say! That says a lot for me because I am picky! I have no clue how we missed visiting this place all these years but trust me, we will remember from now on!!! Service was speedy, open seating, clean floors and tables, fresh sweet tea and the food was utterly amazing! We had a wonderful and adorable waitress that told us all about a great theater in Cleveland while we waited for our food. Food was hot, fresh and obviously made with top notch ingredients. Burger was juicy (not runny or greasy) and side options were wonderful. Don't be intimidated by the "$$" rating! We paid the same we would at a Chili's or Applebee's and were nothing but pleased. 5-Stars ALL THE WAY! read more

Great lunch as always. Milano salad is good for a light lunch and you can't beat their meat and three.

I am pretty happy with my lunch I had here the other day. I got a half dozen, fried shrimp, a cucumber salad and mashed potatoes. Reasonably priced, I was satisfied with my good meal. The shrimp are hand breaded and very flavorful and the cucumber salad is more on the sweeter side than the vinegar side. I thought it was great. The mashed potatoes had to be homemade because there was big lumps of potatoes in the mix. I was so happy! The interior is way cute. I love the big stars and the layout. It just made you feel really relaxed. The display case of desserts was not bad either. I wish I wasn't so full after my meal! read more

Southern Star knows exactly what it is: a place that serves classic recipes that stand out because they are done perfectly and they use the best ingredients. The daily menu is short, but that's the point. You get their best on that day and nothing else. One time when I visited they had fried chicken. It didn't come out piping hot, and I was surprised. Then... I tasted it. It was perfect. They let it cool down a bit on purpose. You could really taste the crisp skin and understand that you were getting chicken that was absolutely delicious. If it had come out so hot that it burned my mouth I wouldn't have been able to really enjoy the flavours. It's some of the best chicken I've ever had. This restaurant will be a must-visit destination whenever I'm in Chattanooga. It's a modest, but perfect, place for great, fresh, affordable food and it does everything just right. read more

After not eating here for several years when the SS had a period of decline, I recently was more than pleased when I was invited by a friend to meet here for lunch to see and taste the great improvements. The three of us all had different items and shared bites with each other. All the food was first rate. My pork chops were tender and tasty. The mac and cheese as good as I've ever had anywhere. The green beans were perfectly seasoned and not mushy in the least. The banana pudding was reminiscent of a good home cook's and not at all like typical restaurant banana pudding which has a distinctly artificial aftertaste. We ate on the side porch on a nice 65 degree day and even though it was lunch time the service was friendly and efficient and my server got a big tip for her efforts. I'm glad to put the Southern Star back in the lineup of a great place to eat for family, friends, and business. Well done! read more

First off, we have been trying out new places in Chattanooga and this was not a disappointment. The food was very fresh and excellent! We love how the menu changes out and that everything is made from scratch daily. The chick pot pie that I got was delicious! The only reason I can't give a 5 star review is by how we were treated towards the end. Our server was great and attentive up until I guess she assumed we were giving her a bad tip. We told her to keep the change and while she was gone I dug out more cash to give her to add to it so she wasn't waiting on me to go through my purse (and also because I hate breaking big bills and needed to get my $5 and $1s). Before I could even give her the extra money she quickly sat down our change on the table like she was mad at us and took off walking while I was in the middle of telling her, "here's to go with the change". I had to chase her down to give her the money because she wouldn't stop. It was just very unnecessary but I still gave her a good tip even though I thought it was very unprofessional to assume somebody is giving you a bad tip before they're completely done interacting with you. Other than that we were very pleased. read more

Southern Star - Southern Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Very charming eatery with excellent service and a simple southern menu. I was in town for business and had time for a quick lunch before heading out. I looked all over Yelp and other search venues for a local establishment to try and settled on Southern Star due to the hype surrounding their daily specials and dessert options. I arrived at the start of the lunch rush and after sitting down the place was full within 20 minutes. I asked the waitress what her favorite meal was (as I often to do in new places) she said the chicken tenders are really good there, so I took her word for it and ordered the tenders, stewed vegetables and mashed potatoes. Everything was delicious and the potatoes and veggies tasted just like my grandmothers recipes. The tenders were indeed some of the best i have ever had. I ordered the banana pudding for dessert and it was quite good as well. It doesn't beat my family recipe but pretty darn close. The service and atmosphere both are something to boast about and the food is great. Check it out. read more

Southern Star - Banana pudding y'all! - Southern Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

The service by Paige H was amazing and she was on top of everything.. try to get in her area if possible. The food was good but not really a 5 stars because I have had better but it is indeed worth visiting. read more

First time down south and had told my friends I wanted real good southern cuisine and they suggested this place. I was NOT disappointed. Everything from the amazingly friendly waitress to the delicious food was phenomenal. I will definitely return and suggest that anyone reading to give it a try. read more

We ate lunch here with three little kids and four adults. The staff was very flexible and catered to our kiddos that were a bit wild. Several adults had the special of the day and were pleased. The sides were really good. The cheese grits a must. Fried Green tomatoes were middle of the road. I ordered the Sonoma Salad and it was fantastic. Fresh veggies and grilled chicken prepped just right. Now the desserts you MUST try. We ordered nearly all of them with our large group. The Nana pudding was phenomenal. Key lime pie is really a tart/tiny. The Chocolate cake was huge/can share with another adult. We will be back on our next trip to Chattanooga. read more

$2 sides! OH MY! From the sweet potato soufflé to the perfect mashed taters with gravy, Southern Star delivers the cheapest, tastiest sides. I'm a vegetarian and love their blue plate specials! The blue plate menu changes EVERY weekday! So, you never have to eat the same thing. They do have a set menu for those seeking "consistency"(whatever that is).The two different types of cornbread will win your heart over. Variety is Southern Star's specialty. Cheers to the best meat and 3 in Chattanooga! read more

The Dining Divas, a group of 13 women, ate lunch here today. We agreed the service was quick and very attentive for such a large group. The food was very good for the most part, though the ones who had the fried green tomatoes thought they were overbreaded and too thick. Two people thought the variety of vegetables on the salad could have been better. Most of us were very satisfied and thought the food was great, the cornbread and fried mush fritters were to die for. The chicken on the salads was tender and full of flavor and everything was well prepared. We sat on the patio and it was very pleasant. read more

Oh my goodness! So delicious! Great fast and friendly service. I had the Fried Green Tomato BLT and Baked Cauliflower....then Carmel Cake. All was equally amazing. I will be back when I am in Chattanooga again. read more

Southern Star - Southern Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

See all

I walked around this side of Chattanooga and unfortunately found several businesses closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Southern Star offered curbside and take out for dinner. I want to applaud them for their ability to think out of the box for dinner service. They had precooked meals set in coolers that could be taken and warmed up (think, your favorite left overs). The prices were affordable, the food was good, and the serving size was appropriate. It's hard to find Shrimp and Grits for $6. Hopefully I'll be able to return to take a look at a full menu in the future. read more

I was visiting Chattanooga for a graduate school field trip and on our final day, we had only one hour to locate somewhere to lunch, eat, and return to our seminar session. Southern Star was close by, but it looked extremely busy (a good sign) and my group wasn't sure if we'd be in and out on time. From the time we walked in, ordered, ate and paid, it was only 40 minutes! The service was excellent, quick, and our server was very attentive and on the ball. Needless to say, he received a good tip from all of us along with a huge thank you for being so efficient. My only real complaint was the food. Don't get me wrong, it was tasty, but as a lifelong southerner who grew up around some of the best southern home cooks around, the bar is set high. I got the veggie plate and had bean salad, fried green tomatoes, and collards. Overall, it tasted pretty good, the portions were just right, and it was filling and priced well. I would recommend this place based on having both good food and even better service. read more

I live 20 mins south in Dalton and we have tons of meat-and-three places, many of which are not great. I'd heard some great things about SS so I when I finally had a chance to try them recently, I jumped at it. The decor was more casual restaurant than country kitchen (big plus for me!!). I had the bbq pork with slaw, mac & cheese and sweet potato fries. It came with two pieces of regular cornbread and two pieces of what is apparently their famous flat cornbread (looks kinda like a thin crepe). The pork itself was really good but they were kinda stingy with the bbq sauce. The pork wasn't cooked in bbq - it was just plain - and I only had a small drizzle of sauce. Slaw was ok. The mac & cheese would've been great except someone loooooves pepper. I actually had to scrape chunks off in places. It was also an odd mix of rigatoni, corkscrew & elbow noodles. But the cheeses were really good. The sweet potato fries really needed some seasoning since they had absolutely none. They were great with a light sprinkle of salt. The strawberry shortcake alone would make me go back and bumped my food rating from average to very good. I've never had shortcake using a biscuit (I've always thought it was weird) but theirs is fantastic. The biscuit was less buttermilk than the usual b'fast biscuit and very fluffy. Tons of yummy whipped cream and berries made it the best part of the whole meal. I plan to go again just to check out some of the other menu items. read more

Great southern food! Best Banana Pudding in the South!! Chicken Salad Sandwich is wonderful. Brunswick stew is amazing. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu to be honest. Sad thing is I don't get to go here very often anymore, though I used to work for Rick and Nancy (owners) back in college when the Southern Star was in a different locale (closer to St. John's near the Chattanooga Choo Choo). Great people to work for (though I did gain about 15 lbs working there eating their wonderful food 5 days a week). Keep up the great work Rick. read more

I have nothing bad to say. This place is down home cooking with simple fresh ingredients is a casual welcoming atmosphere. What I love: chicken salad croissant, tortilla chips and black eyed pea salsa, black bean soup, fries...and their desserts looked massive. Great spot I'd recommend to anyone. They don't have a huge menu, they do a few things but they'd I them very well. Out of our party of five, everyone loved it. Excellent southern hospitality!!!! read more

A friend needed a bowl of soup so I ran over, ordered to go and delivered in 5 minutes, she said it was great!

Great place for good southern vegetables, and the chicken fingers were pretty dang good!

Hamburger steak w onions & chicken mash green beans Good food good price good service downside corn bread too dry read more

Southern Star - hamburger steak w onions and mushrooms chicken fried mash fresh green beans fruit salad very tasty downside corn bread dry. Clean good $ - Southern Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

I found this restaurant to be ok. The service was a bit slow. All of the food seems to be pretty fried/slightly greasy. Not to bad if you know what you are getting yourself into. read more

Pretty good! I had the baked chicken. It was good but not a lot of meat which was surprising and disappointing. The sides were all good - mashed potatoes, fresh peas and Cole slaw. No wine on the menu, but they do have a small selection of beer read more

For a true Southern cuisine experience, Southern Star Restaurant is the place to go! Affordable prices and delicious food, you can't beat it. read more

Well-cooked Southern specialties, reasonably sized portions, old favorites and new, consistent quality, very nice wait staff, we have never been disappointed. Casual, not expensive, family place. read more

Wow!!! Our precious server, Chandler, was amazing and so friendly. Wanted to take her home!! And the food was hot and just came off the stove. Just say, Blue Plate Special!!! And the orange coconut cake was amazing!! A must go! read more

YUM! This place was so awesome. Was staying across street at Chattanoogan, this place is within walking distance and was so fabulous. Quick seating, service and great food! read more

What's not to love! Go with the daily specials on the caulk board and you won't be sorry. Five of us went for lunch and all went for the meatloaf. We were not disappointed! The squash casserole was delish! read more

This has been one of my favorite lunch places in Chattanooga, but I'm very disappointed that they got only a 75 ( ! ) on their Health Department inspection this week (3-22-18). One of the comments from the health department was that the owner couldn't demonstrate a knowledge of restaurant sanitation practices. Seriously? Time to get your act together, Southern Star! read more

Great food. Best chicken pot pie and banana pudding ever !! Their chicken fingers are pretty amazing too

We really enjoyed our visit for dinner. The pecan crusted chicken is so yummy! The banana pudding is an absolute delight, too. Very friendly service and good food makes for a great combination. We would absolutely eat here again. read more

Love this place! Yummy chicken salad...awesome meatloaf. I've never ordered anything that wasn't delicious!

I was recommended this restaurant by one of the college Counselors at a school that I visited today. I must say that it did not disappoint. I had the shrimp and grits and the cornbread had a kick to it that intrigued me. All in all, I would highly recommend this place to anyone in Chattanooga. read more

Service wasn't bad but the food was mediocre to say the least. Just bland; certainly nothing to write home about.

It was probably some of the best chicken tenders I have ever had . They were warm and basically melt in your mouth. So delicious and it had awesome options to choose from loved my mashed potatoes and hummingbird cake. 9/10 will go back. read more

Good experience at this location. great food, friendly service, all around good experience. It's nice to find a restaurant such as this away from our country style life at home. read more

One of my favorite places to eat in Chattanooga. The food is always fresh and yummy!!! Get there early!!

Great food you can't go wrong what ever you order. The atmosphere and the waiters and waitress are always nice and cheerful. I eat there at least once a week some times three times. read more

Special of the day was chicken and cheese casserole which was as fantastic as the peanut butter pie. Many at our tale had the banana pudding and were loving it. read more

Had a great lunch catching up with an old friend recently at Southern Star. The catfish special was excellent and as always the service was superb. Check out this great local restaurant if you have yet to have the opportunity! read more