Just like Grandma made it!!! This is good old-fashioned down home country cooking. Stopped in with my hubby to this adorable little restaurant out in the middle of farm country. First off, the view is spectacular. This is such a beautiful area. As you would expect a place called "the cookie jar Café" has... Wait for it cookie jars everywhere! It's adorable. Servers were very friendly and food came quickly. Prices were very reasonable. But now the best part, the food. Hubby ordered the country fried steak with a side of mashed potatoes and fried okra. Country fried steak was perfectly cooked crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Very, very flavorful as well. Mashed potatoes were superb. I ordered the sweet tea fried chicken with a side of green beans and fried squash. Pleasantly surprised to see fried squash on a menu. You don't see that very often. The fried chicken was amazing! So flavorful and so tender. Green beans were a flashback to growing up in the country. The fried squash, just plain old yummy. I think my husband must've said "this tastes just like my grandma made" at least eight or nine times during the meal. Although we didn't sample the desserts... way too full, they looked delectable. Maybe next time. There will defiantly be a next time. read more

Not what it used to be,catfish was under cooked, squash and fried okra is store bought,cornbread is jiffy,there food used to taste fresh from scratch and used to get plenty of food but now ,store bought taste and skimpy on the serving amout,was so disappointed because we only got to go there when we would take a trip that direction, guess plan different trips now. read more

We recommend getting the fried chicken, or the fried chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato, plain. Ranch on the side. We only like the slaw and turnip greens. But we usually get double slaw. Fried chicken salad also. Tea marinated fried chicken is their specialty; so stick with that. We have been told that the catfish is popular also. We like the rolls instead of the corn bread. Mushrooms for an appetizer. You only get 6 small fried green tomatoes, and Champy's are much better. We like coconut cake, German chocolate cake, and coconut meringue pie. read more

Cookie Jar Cafe - Menu side 2 - Cafes Near Me - Dunlap, Tennessee

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Went 2 hr drive to cookie jar .the fish was under cook squash was not hot taste reheated the frys ok the sweet tea was not that sweet at the rolls ok corn bread was not hot my service was good just not the food read more

Beautiful location no doubt! Food was just ok or less. Fried okra, fried squash, and sweet potato were barely warm and breading was mushy. Fried pickle breading too thick and not crispy at all. Sweet tea chicken was good as was the coconut pie. Took cupcakes to go and were very dry though the buttercream icing was very good. read more

Cookie Jar Cafe - View from the dining room - Cafes Near Me - Dunlap, Tennessee

The food, service and atmosphere was on point. Our waitress said it was her second day so she kept apologizing. Was she slow? I call it attentive. My 8 year old granddaughter kept saying she was the best. She was so sweet and kind, I wish I got her name. The food was so good my granddaughter ate everything. read more

Cookie Jar Cafe - Cookie Jar Favorite or something like that. Turkey, bacon, cheese, lettuce tomatoes and ranch dressing on toasted sourdough bread. - Cafes Near Me - Dunlap, Tennessee

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Enjoyed a recent visit on a Friday for dinner. We came with a recommendation from someone local. Great views out front, worth taking time to sit and enjoy. The food was good and plentiful. We probably should have split a meal. The grilled chicken was good and had a similar seasoning to steak. The sides were great as well. We took a cupcake to go to enjoy later. It was fantastic too! Service was good and food came out quick. read more

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I was recommended this place by a buddy. I live in the Soddy area so it was a bit of hike. The Mac and cheese is some sort of off brand Kraft and it was cold. The meatloaf was mushy. And the mashed potatoes seemed to be fresh but with no gravy. I was the only table not offered bread as well. Also for what it was? Cost me $37 dollars for one person. I suggest going to home folks for better food read more

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Hello dear reader. To start it off, amazing food! I got the popcorn shrimp with fried okra, mashed potatoes and French fries with honey mustard. Absolutely delicious. The shrimp were cooked perfectly and the mashed potatoes were the perfect texture. As a Florida boy that was raised on mashed potatoes those were some amazing mashed potatoes. The waiters were always around and willing to help at any given point and are very polite and helpful! The decoration was very calming and I know it's called the cookie jar cafe but the vibes here are definitely cafe, the type of place you could talk for hours. Overall 10/10 place to eat and would definitely recommend! Amazing service, wait time, food and definitely the deserts. read more

Cookie Jar Cafe - My food. - Cafes Near Me - Dunlap, Tennessee

A little off the beaten path, this is worth a visit. Dog friendly covered outdoor eating area, though it could use an operating water fountain/spigot. Cozy interior. Ordered at the counter and the food was delivered to us at the covered seating. Food came with cornbread muffins that we did not order. We figure they are part of the meal. Unfortunately, they were quite dry and lacked flavor. Everything else was quite good. Did not sample any of the desserts but they looked very good. read more

Cookie Jar Cafe - Exterior - Cafes Near Me - Dunlap, Tennessee

REALLY-REALLY-REALLY GOOD!! So .... we are relative new to the area ... and we were going to a concert at 'The Yard' in Dunlap. Needed to grab dinner before the show. So I went to Yelp to help me find a spot. I came across THE COOKIE JAR and we decided to give it a try. What a nice surprise!!! I had read the reviews and it was a mixed bag. But let me tell you, those people are either crabby, or they happened in on a really off day. Our experience was 100% the opposite. Everything was amazing!! Our server was Presley :) What a cutie! She was just the sweetest. She was really good in helping us decide. Extremely attentive all the way from seating us until the very end of the meal. We had completely different dinners. I had the Country Fried Steak. Hubby had Catfish. Six different sides, and they were all really good. The mashed potatoes were honestly some of the best I've ever had the pleasure of eating. We both ate every single bite of food on our plates. Since this place is known for the deserts, we couldn't leave without having a piece of that amazing looking pie!! We split a piece of chocolate and it was to die for. I'm stuffed as I write this. We actually got a whole pie to go!! lol. Anyway!! If you find yourself near Dunlap, TN and want a really good meal, I highly recommend this sweet little spot. Update to earlier reviews! They had a fire in 2023 and the restaurant has been completely redone. It's clean and cute and the view is really peaceful. We hope to sit and rock on the porch next time around :) Thank you Presley! We had a really nice time and we'll see you again soon! read more

Without a doubt the worst meal I have ever had. Ordered the bacon wrapped pork, the pork was raw in the center.My wife had a baked potato that seemed to have been cooked days prior.The waitress said they had trouble cooking the pork without burning it, so quit serving it.Cracker Barrel next time for me. read more

I really wanted to like this place as I had read the great reviews. I had a vegetarian plate. The Mac and cheese was just ok, very dry. Pinto beans were a bit undercooked and had no flavor. The coleslaw had a strange taste, not at all sweet. And the cornbread salad was awful. The yeast roll was under proofed and had a very overpowering yeast taste. My husbands sweet potato was perfect and he said the green beans were good, but how do you screw up green beans. He also didn't like the cornbread salad. The coconut cream pie was amazing but served cold. Would have been perfect if it was room temperature. Maybe it was a bad day, maybe I should have ordered differently. The cakes looked amazing and delicious but we didn't try. Also the bathroom smelled nice but looked like a gas station restroom. It could use some decor and two sinks. read more

Everything is always great. Good home cooking and great service Close to our home and always a treat.

We received a recommendation to try out the Cookie Jar Cafe, so we took a road trip out into the beautiful country side of Dunlap, TN. The property is beautiful, and we enjoyed taking in the view from the parking lot. We decided to sit inside instead of outside for dinner. We started off with the rolls and corn muffins, and the rolls were delicious!! I ordered the plate where you pick a meat and sides. I did the daily special and tried the chicken casserole, which was stuffing with chicken. For my sides I ordered deviled eggs, creamed corn and mashed potatoes. For dessert, I had a cupcake, and it was dry but the frosting was good. The food was average. I do love the family history and story behind the cafe which you can read on the back of the menu. The assortment of cookie jars were cute decorations and fun to look at. There were a lot of flys inside the restaurant. read more

Cookie Jar Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Dunlap, Tennessee

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The food was so terrible! The potato salad has changed and tasted weird and the green beans. Was not good at all. I loved it in the past, but last few times we have bought from there, not so much. The cupcake wasnt even good either. And thats saying alot! So sad about it, use to be good food... read more

OMG!! I do not have the words. 1st my waitress, Michelle C was incredible. I really feel like I should have given her a better tip, something like 30%. The food is always good but the coconut cake; was truly the best I have had. I try coconut cake any time it's on a menu. So I know this is the best. The dessert coolers are great, but at the same time I can see how it might make it difficult for some people to decide which dessert they want to try, lol. The restaurant is clean and casual. They have their cookie jars on display. You'll find yourself smiling as you recognize some of them from your childhood. read more

Baked chicken and mashed potatoes were ordered along with cole slaw. The chicken was "sad looking" and coated in some kind of dry breading. Both chicken and mashed potatoes were on the lukewarm side. The kind waitress replaced them with a "warmer" order which really wasn't any warmer, unfortunately. So we ended up ordering a BLT where the bacon was so thin you could almost see through it. However, the cole slaw did pass muster. I also took home a piece of carrot cake which was ok. The flies seem to be pretty bad inside the restaurant. Service good and waitress very sweet....food not so good. Disappointed. read more

Our food in the past has always been fresh and wonderful. I am not sure what is going on or if we just picked a wrong night(Saturday). The ever delicious yeast rolls were replaced by way overcooked frozen rolls nothing like before..Sweet potatoes were badly overcooked and nothing hardly inside the burned peel and baked potato tasted like it was cooked yesterday and then reheated In a microwave. Green beans were not seasoned. Meat loaf was not fresh and also tasted as if reheated. Grilled catfish was dry and has a gas grill taste. We had driven all the way up from Dalton GA and were so disappointed. read more

The food was amazing and Michelle, our waitress, was top notch! I hope to come again!

Food was good, as always. Our sever Michelle C was the best! She is always so friendly and knowledgeable. We enjoy interacting with her. She is such a joy and I would give her 10 stars if it was an option! read more

What a cute place, so many cute cookie jars... Was a great place, and we went for Mother's Day this year while I was visiting family in Tennessee, but unfortunately, the chicken and dumplings had so much pepper was like they dumped the entire pepper shaker into the dish, and it was Not edible!! Sad because three of the five of us got this dish, and we all felt the same way.... I would go back again though and try the pork which my son got and it looked fabulous! He ate all of it so it must've been good.! read more

I started off my Mother'Day weekend celebration by taking my Mom to this Southern gem! We saw the cafe from the road while exploring the backroads of Dunlap one day a few months ago. An hour behind Chattanooga time on CST, we picked the perfect day and time of 11 am to hang out here and enjoy tasty food! We started our meal off with coffee and homemade corn muffins on the porch. For lunch, we each got a cheeseburger, Mom ordering a side of sweet potato fries with hers and I ordered a side of hushpuppies with mine. We got an order of fried pickle spears as an appetizer. Goal: Southern Saturday Comfort Food All of their ingredients are from local farms. Cookie Jar Cafe emerged out of a family trying to save their farm. The cafe feels like home, looks like relaxing with family and friends while enjoying delicious homemade food. The coffee was yummy. The fried pickle spears were the perfect tasty crunch! Our burgers were perfect. The hushpuppies were huge deliciousness! Mom had to get a to go box for just the sweet potato fries because there were so many. And then.....we ordered dessert to go....two slices of homemade pie: coconut and butterscotch. Southern Saturday Vibes. read more

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The service was lousy! The girls just stood around talking for 10 minutes before realizing my party was standing there waiting to be seated. The food came and it was ICE cold! We asked to reheat it and it was returned about 30 seconds later - still COLD. I am sorely disappointed as we drove 45 minutes to come out to the Cookie Jar. The deserts looked good - but we dared not waste anymore $$$ read more

Cat fish was undercooked & my cupcake had to be a few days old. Very dry. The cornbread was dry & the rolls were hard. Service was good.

Great food, large portions and delicious desserts. The Catfish was very tasty. A pretty ride up to Dunlap. read more

Cookie Jar Cafe - Catfish dinner - Cafes Near Me - Dunlap, Tennessee

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Food is delicious! This is a gem of a restaurant....beautiful scenery! Can't wait to move here so this can be our local spot to go every week! read more

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First of all you can beat the setting of this place! If you're looking for a calm ride in the country with a delicious destination, this is the place! Surrounded by farm land, the menu reflects its environment with burgers, Mac and cheese, green beans, mashed potatoes and much more. The menu is huge and you're bound to find options here no matter what type of eater you are. I had the veggie plate and it was really tasty. Our server was friendly and we didn't have a wait. One thing to remember is-if you live in Chatt or around there-the Cookie Jar Cafe is in another time zone! So don't be freaked out when you realize you lost some time lol. It opens at 11 but that means it opens at noon if you're coming from Chattanooga/Signal Mountain. The view is sweet with lots of space to eat outside on the porch if the weather is right. It's definitely worth the trip! I'd go again. read more

Cookie Jar Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Dunlap, Tennessee

Food was flavorless... Petting zoo was fun though... Better off going to soddy and finding food. Waste of money.

I was riding with a group of motorcycles and since I was not leading, I am not sure exactly where it is but it is definitely off the beaten path. Parking lot is gravel but plenty of parking. We called ahead so they were able to seat the 12 of us right away when we arrived about 12:30 (Central time). No alcohol (-1) but coffee was really good and even better because it was a cold day. Typical country type restaurant but had a huge selection of various "cookie jars" on shelves near the ceiling all around the store, which was cute. They had a pretty good menu and one item I wish I had ordered because a couple of our group did, and it looked great; grilled meatloaf!! They loved it. They gave us bread rolls, which were soft, sweet and really tasty. I had bacon burger and fries and it was good, but I missed out on trying some very good country cooking. I had not complaints. This gets a solid 4 for country down home cooking, atmosphere and service. Worth the trip. read more

My call in order wasn't ready after giving them more time than they needed to have it ready to go for take out. I waited for them to start to cook my order and get it finished. I stopped and put it on a table and checked it and they got it wrong. How can something like this be too hard. The deserts were left out completely along with the rolls. The people working there could literally care less and I made them give me a refund and they took the order back. I wasted an hour round trip just to get the order. The time before that went about the same way. I placed the order online and had the confirmation. I got there and they said that they didn't see it and I waited for the order to be cooked. I went home and everything was either wrong or horrible. I will never go back. Considering what they charge, the least they could do is cook the orders right. read more

This place along the country road, it's one of the nicest, friendly staffs who provided great customer services. I initially came here for desserts. However, it was one hour drive, I couldn't resist to order hamburgers, corn nuggets and sweet potatoes fries. I would recommend anyone to stop by and enjoy the scenery. read more

Cookie Jar Cafe - Various cupcakes - Cafes Near Me - Dunlap, Tennessee

Very over rated. Went there (a really out of the way joint) for lunch. Mediocre at best. Not very tasty, just hype. Will not recommend. read more

Great little restaurant with beautiful views of Sequachie Valley. Not your normal meat and three. More like going to grandma's house for dinner with a great view. All the vegetables and meats cooked to perfection. A few of the things we ordered were grilled meatloaf, fried chicken livers, and country fried steak. They also make homemade pies and cakes here. The Large variety of desserts will blow your diet. Will post pictures next time because I will come back here. Clean, great service and wonderful food. What a restaurant is supposed to be. Worth the drive to come to this great gem of a Family restaurant. read more

Just in town for the Dunlap Rodeo. Heard someone talking about how good this place was. So I took a drive. Holy Moly!! This place is amazing!! The food was marvelous and the deserts were the absolute BEST!! read more

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You got to want to get there to go there. Off the beaten path but well worth the drive. Enter a family farm to the top of a rise wrap around porch on three sides. Pets allowed while dining outside. Staff friendly and efficient. Home cooked food with very large portions and very reasonably priced. Multiple desert options that are sized for 2 or 3. The surrounding landscape just makes a beautiful scene for a slow quiet meal. Loved it. Make the trip you'll be glad you did. read more

I have been catfished by this place for the last time. Microwave Bacon, fries out of a freezer bag. Chicken and dumplings are not supposed to be gray. There are literally two gas stations and a former bowling alley in Dunlap with better food. Chattanoogans, listen to me, don't waste the gas and time. The best thing about the joint is the view. read more

After careful consideration, I have decided to come forth, disappointedly, with my latest experience at the Cookie Jar. My wife, her daughter and fiancé, had an early dinner which included the rib eye steak with loaded baked potato and a salad. When served, the steak was COMPLETELY raw and cold. The LOADED baked potato had one strip of pre-cooked, cold bacon, and cheese sprinkles that weren't even melted due to the potato being ice cold. The salad was a "garden mix" straight out of a bag with a few circles of onion. The fried okra was so cold and mushy, I could tell it had been sitting in a warming tray, not freshly cooked. With a legacy such as the Cookie Jar has had in the past, this was a slap in the face for the little town of Dunlap. If something is not done, and done quickly, the non-caring kitchen staff will ruin what has been a pillar of this community. If you are the owner, and reading this, PLEASE do something to protect your legacy. read more

I've have worked in restaurants on and off from my teenage years into adult hood. I've had people walk in the door with 5 minutes left to walking in after closing time. No matter what time you walked in that door you got the best service possible. With that being said you can look at a wait staff and know what kind of service you are going to get when you walk in close to closing time. My mother and I went to the Cookie Jar tonight with 25 to 30 minutes to closing. They seated us. Our waitress came to get our drink order and we ordered sweet tea. They waitress asked if they had any sweet tea left and the other waitress said the poured it out. I know you can use sweet tea the next day, but they can't or wouldn't make any more. So we got up and left. read more

Lunch last week on Weds. Seated right away and had a great server. Drinks and a basket of warm cornbread /rolls soon after drinks. Took her recommendation (I asked her, since my first time) and ordered the grilled catfish and sides. Catfish was delicious. I went boring on the sides based on some previous reviews but they were hot and tasty. Will definitely go back again. read more