Wow so where to begin This place is a legend and hasn't changed a lot as decor or it's famous lazy Susan serving tray but I tried it all and will have to say outside of the chicken I've had better food at a golden coral. The sides lacked flavor looked like straight from can to plate even the Mac n cheese was bad. I think they spent the money on the sugar they poured into the tea and skipped on any seasoning The desserts I guess got worse how does it get worse you say? Well seems someone mixed up vanilla flavoring with lemon extract when they made the bread pudding and the apple cobbler tasted like the mix like it don't get cooked. For $23 a person I could go to a lot of places and this is not the best place in town to grab a bite and I promise I'll never return here read more

Excellent food and amazing services. First visit to Bea's restaurant and I see why it's been around since 1950. Tasty traditional southern comfort food hit the spot for Sunday family dinner. The inside is a nod to yesterday's nostalgia. The inside is homely, welcoming and nothing pretentious. The food is served family style on a lazy susan in the center of the tables. Refills are by request. Sunday dinner included fried chicken (breast only), ham, pulled pork, pinto beans, cabbage, collard greens, slaw, beets, corn bread, rolls, potatoes, tea, water and dessert if the day which was strawberry or peach pie. The service was excellent. The food was good. There is ample parking out front and it's great for a family dinner. Big plus is this place is locally owned and not a big chain. Definitely worth a visit read more

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A bit of mixed bag for me. First of, it's a buffet where they have lazy Susans on the table and bring you whatever's being cooked that day. So you can't choose what you get which in our case resulted in a lot of food waste. Unfortunately, they charge for boxing up the leftovers that can't be served to anyone else which again, seems wasteful. Our price was $21.95 per person including drinks, no alcohol available tho. The waitress was friendly and attentive. The place has been around since 1950, and I doubt it's been updated since. It definitely felt old and musty inside. Overall, the food was good tho. We were served collard green, potato salad, coleslaw, dinner rolls and cornbread, pinto beans, potatoes in cream, pickled beets, fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, and drumsticks. My friend really enjoyed the potatoes and thought it was like her grandma's. She also liked the pulled pork which was a tad vinegary to me. The chicken was fantastic. We were looking for southern cooking, and that is what we got. The restaurant is really just in need of being brought into the 21st century decor-wise. read more

Cashier at the counter as soon as you enter was very rude to my wife as we entered. He kept asking well who's going to pay as we were asking questions. This being our first time we weren't sure of how it worked. We were seated and drinks came out, then she began to bring food. It's very mediocre "southern" food. The fried chicken had very little meat to eat. No tender option for kids. It's was $76 for 2 adults and 2 kids, 8 & 5. Way over priced for a mediocre "buffet". read more

If you are in the Chattanooga area and Judy can't decide what you want for dinner... Just book it to Bea and let them set you up! $21pp and you get a crazy selection of hot and cold dishes, fresh and pickled veggies, fried chicken, fried fish, pulled BBQ pork, corn bread, biscuits and whatever dessert is on the menu for the day. And then you get to ask for additional servings of the sides and mains you want more of! I don't think the decor has been changed must since they opened 50 years ago but that's ok because it's still all clean and comfortable. The staff is phenomenal and so friendly and the owners came by each table asking if all was well too. No frills, just great stick to your gut, home style Southern cooking! Seriously cannot wait to go back! read more

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Food was mushy and nasty. Never going here again. I got really sick after eating there. Some of the food tasted sour and bitter like it was no longer good read more

This place has a ton of history in this town. Down home country cooking old fashioned. To start, no menu, you get what they give you and like it. You sit at the round table with lazy Susan and they just keep bringing the food. If you want more of something just ask. Known for their fried chicken but they have so much more. If you have never been here, hope over and see what it's about read more

Absolutely incredible local place with incredible management! The food is phenomenal; a local, Southern staple in the heart of the south. The fried chicken here is simply *chef's kiss*! This is THE place to go to for southern food in Chattanooga. Can't wait to go back!! read more

Best CHICKEN, coleslaw, pinto beans, new potatoes and rolls you will find anywhere! Not to mention their fried okra and dumplings...

I've been eating at Bea's since I was a child. That's over 50 years. Not known for healthy food but certainly known for delicious food and a unique experience, I've always considered going to Bea's a treat with bad experiences being rare. However, after eating there last evening (11/23/25), I'm not sure my wife and I will ever go back. We paid $46 for a pretty miserable meal. All the sides were cold. The bread was warm but not fresh and soft. And even their famous and usually fantastic chicken was mediocre. We were disappointed. And we could have complained, but we were with friends making it awkward. And if I have to pay a lot of money and complain in order to be served good food, then it's just not worth it. It was sad realizing that we could no longer trust Bea's and that we'd gone for our last time. read more

This was our first time in Chattanooga to visit a cousin there, and he was the one who took us to this delicious place! We came in 20 minutes before closing ( I know we got in very late and felt bad about having to hold up the closing process). The workers at Bea's seem very nice and friendly and happily let us in to eat. The restaurant is an old-fashioned Southern dining establishment, which is what I wanted. The tables seem old and the chairs were as well Honestly I didn't think much of it, especially after dinner. There's a big lazy Susan built into the table, the food is placed on it and you spin the lazy Susan to be able to get a bit of every plate to eat. Don't forget the Sweet tea, I will forever dream of that perfectly sweet tea! The chicken...omg the fried chicken was amazing! They were cooked perfectly, and the taste was delicious, juicy, and crunchy. The potatoes, beans, collard greens, and mac and cheese were all delicious! Everything was exactly what you want when you want some great food! They brought out dessert, and I thought I was going to pop! Peach cobbler and cherry cobbler, both delicious and warm. All in all, anytime I visit my cousin, I will be coming back to Bea's for sure!! read more

This place was a great surprise! The service was prompt, friendly, attentive, and make the experience memorable. The food was great. We had chicken, ribs, collard greens, corn, potatoes, cornbread, rolls, and likely some other things I forgot. The Apple cobbler dessert was great! This meal was a flat fee when you enter and the food just kept coming. The food is placed on a table that spins so you can bring the food right around in front of you. Look forward to visiting again. read more

Bea's Restaurant - Great comments on the napkin holder - Southern Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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Southern excellence, very tasty and abundant. Peach and apple cobbler with cookies completely satisfied my appetite. read more

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Fun place! Family style delicious fried chicken, pulled pork, and ribs served with red beans & rice, sweet potatoes, potato salad, coleslaw, rolls , and cornbread the food just keeps coming!! Then topped off with delicious peach cobbler! The service was great! Mmmm! read more

Best fried chicken I've ever had. The unique atmosphere and seating/serving arrangements are amazing. Nothing but fond memories here!

I really was hoping that Bea's was going to be as good as the person who recommended it to me!! Unfortunately it was not. The food was not very good. It's the kind of place where they bring out little dishes to the table, like a buffet without getting up. The greens were super salty. The potato salad was too sweet. The coleslaw was bland. The catfish and chicken were just okay, nothing special. And the peach cobbler was disgusting. However, the pasta salad was delicious and the rolls were light and fluffy. The service was excellent, fast and friendly. The restaurant was built in the 1950's and I doubt anything has changed since. Large tables with a lazy Susan in the middle. Old pictures from the 50's on the walls. I really wish it would have been better, but I just can't recommend it. read more

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The best fried chicken around! My personal favorite restaurant. Always great service and they know how to keep the chicken coming!

Delicious traditional Southern food in an historic restaurant that has been open for decades. It's family-style eating where you don't order, they bring what is available that day, put it in a turntable and everyone shares the wonderful offerings. read more

It's such a great concept. The service was amazing. The food was good but not great. However, the fried fish was very good.

I have to say that my poor husband freaked out and whenever the opportunity arose in the next 30 years of his life he said this was the worst place he had eaten in his life! I loved that my southern cousin, (from Georgia) took us here because it seemed like the perfect example of southern food! I'll stick to vegetarian Soul Food in the future! read more

When I visit Chattanooga, I must visit here. The food is always great. The place always has that good ole down home country feel. I especially loved those potatoes is the white cream sauce. Sometimes I can write long detailed reviews but in this case this place speaks for itself. A very simple place with very good quality food. read more

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Food quality is great Service is good been coming here for 30 years just keeps getting better adding more items to their table is great 5 stars read more

My wife and I were vacationing in Chattanooga and were lined up to see a play one evening. We initially stopped for dinner at Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw Bar...but God had other plans. After Boathouse had too long a wait time for us to make our play, He brought us to Bea's Restaurant (which was on our list to try). This place is truly of God. The food is served all-you-can-eat family style, and the selection is whatever they've got cooking. During our visit, I particularly enjoyed the pulled pork, whole potatoes, and fried okra. Service was swift and very friendly. While it certainly wasn't the finest or fanciest stop we made in Chattanooga, it was one of my favorites--ranked up there with Main Street Meats and Boathouse (which we eventually visited). In short, quality (which we find to be high in Chattanooga) was not sacrificed in favor of the epic quantity. read more

I've been eating here for as long as I've lived in Chattanooga and have never been disappointed. I drag all of my out-of-town visitors here for an old-fashioned, Southern dining experience. Great food, the owners and staff couldn't be any nicer... there's a reason this place is a local legend. read more

Service was good food was good but not as good as it was in the 60s and 70s yes I am showing my age.

The food was horrible, with the exception of the Cole slaw, chicken&dumplings and collard greens

My first time here while traveling. When we went in we told them it was our first time eating here and they were amazing. The host took us to our table and told our waitress it was our first time. She explained that she'll bring out the entire menu and anything we want refilled, she'll refill. I loved the fried chicken, pinto beans, green beans.....I could go on for a while because it was all good. And a lot of food. The cobblers for dessert were incredible too. I highly recommend read more

Gotta have that Chicken. Family ran, and service excellence always. Visiting Bea's is like going back in time. With lots of history on the inside. It's like eating at Mammaw's house, with your friends and family! If you're in Chattanooga and have never eaten here, I got to ask why? If you are passing through you gotta stop by. Love y'all read more

Came here one day after fasting for a surgical procedure and I was starving. It looks pretty dumpy when you walk in. There's plenty of food, but it's over cooked and much of it was cold. The catfish was so overcooked it was chewy. The fried chicken and mac and cheese were good. The potatoes were disgusting. Service was great. What bothered me the most was they served small portions so you weren't wasting a lot of food, yet they wouldn't let you take any leftovers home without paying a second time for them! Whatever food was left simply went into the trash, which I find wasteful, and frankly criminal. I won't be back because the food wasn't great, and they would rather rip you off by making you pay twice, or simply throw the food away. read more

Awful mess of all you can eat bland and mostly canned average food. I don't get the hype. With friends and at their insistence I've gone twice now. ... and thought first time it was maybe me and was just off. Nope it's awful. For the life of me I don't get it. Yuck yuck yuck read more

I have been eating at this place since 1987. It is my favorite come as you are place to eat in the country. The food is always fresh, quality is consistent and the service is always friendly. Food is served family style in small amounts but it is all you can eat so the server keeps bringing more. When you slow down they bring some sort of hot, fresh cobbler to end the meal. read more

Bea's Restaurant - Southern Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Off the beaten path, Bea's offers a family-style all-you-can-eat Southern meal. On a late Sunday morning in mid October, I found their fried fish to be outstanding, as were their greens (collards, I think). Their sweet tea was also very tasty. With plans to head to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum for a 1:15pm ride on a Sunday, I tried to find a breakfast or brunch restaurant open at 11-11:30am, and enroute to Grand Junction Station near Chattanooga Airport from Ft Oglethorpe, GA. Aside from fast-food chains, our choices were ridiculously limited before noon on a Sunday. After Mom declined a brunch option a bit out of our way near downtown Chattanooga, I suggested Bea's, with the caveat that they would be serving dinner-appropriate foods. Mom agreed. We arrived around 11:15am, and were promptly seated at a table with another couple that had already begun dining. Assuming that others would be seated after us, we sat next to the couple, leaving no empty seats between us. As it turned out, no one else was seated at our table, because many other tables were open & Bea's just wasn't that busy. Unfortunately, it seemed as though the other couple had started eating quite a while before we arrived, and only a couple of fresh dishes were brought out after we were seated. This is a shame. For example, the fried chicken was GOOD, but I'm sure it would've been excellent had it been hot & freshly served. Same with the bread. It looked like it had been sitting for a while so I didn't try any of it. Mom, who loves cornbread, didn't finish her piece because it was cold. However, freshly-made greens & fried fish were brought out, and both were delicious! Our tablemates suggested we try the "chow chow" with the beans. Having never heard of this, I asked them to point it out. In a small container was a red salsa or relish type topping. Mom loved it. And our tablemates advised this was a common condiment in grocery stores, available in many different flavors. So I learned something new! I definitely liked the round-table lazy-susan concept with this all-you-can-eat restaurant! But my #ProTip would be to dine during peak times so you're assured of being seated at table with fresh(er) hot food. I really wanted to LOVE Bea's, but I just can't since our experience was less than stellar. I will definitely return, but not right after they open. read more

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Love Bea's! Our family has went here for years. It's a great atmosphere and friendly staff with home cooking!

5! 5! 5! I literally think I died and went to heaven. When you think southern comfort, stick to your ribs, momma cooked food this is THE place you must go when visiting Chattanooga TN. I mean, it's a revolving table with all you can eat of everything. Best to come with a small group. You can order Al a carte but what's the fun in that. Their fried chicken is a staple and family recipe that hasn't changed since they opened their doors. Price has gone up so for 4 people is was about $70+ w/ tip. But it is worth it! read more

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Amazing!!! First time ever here and LOVED it! I was taken to this place and even warned before hand that I may want to leave (given some boards on the windows and in not the best of area)...however I never judge anyone or anything so I decided to give it a shot and boy let me tell ya- from a "Northerner" this was fab! We just sat and they started bringing out tons of wonderful TN traditional Dishes! Would recommend as it is a must! I cannot wait to go back! read more

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Been years since I've been here but it was always good. If I could still get out I'd get food from here.

Food was off the chain good ! Good home cooked meal with all the fixings! Would eat there again

People rave about Bea's fried chicken. I'm not a fan. Didn't care for the breading and you can only get white meat. ‍ Sides were okay. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Restaurant was clean. read more

The food was definitely not for everyone but it wasn't the worst. Sort of like a home made meal. The service was great the restaurant isn't for everyone so they weren't too busy. The staff greeted our party of 20 happier than ever and gave us the best service. It wasn't the cleanest but it wasn't gross. Tolerable but the place was slightly outdated. read more

My rating is not in line with the general consensus of people. I was no LT impressed with the food. The chicken was an exception - that's delicious and flavorful. Otherwise the service was only mediocre and the building itself is in disrepair. The main issue I had was the cost was FAR overpriced for the quality of location/service/food. I will say I'm in a minority. Most people love it ; I'm just not one of them. read more