Sometimes the best travel meals are the uncomplicated local spots where you can settle in and enjoy some good barbecue, and Hickory Pit BBQ was exactly that kind of Chattanooga stop for us. We ordered both the pulled pork sandwich and pulled chicken sandwich, and it was fun being able to try two of the barbecue options. Both were satisfying, flavorful choices and made for a great casual meal while we were exploring Chattanooga. I especially enjoyed the local, no-frills feel. Chattanooga has plenty of dining options competing for visitors, but there's something about finding a barbecue place that feels more like a neighborhood stop than a tourist attraction. If you're craving a pulled pork or pulled chicken sandwich while you're in Chattanooga, Hickory Pit BBQ is definitely worth checking out. Come hungry, grab some barbecue, and enjoy a little local Tennessee flavor! read more

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This is exactly why I love Yelp! We found this spot on a road trip and wanted something local. Holy BBQ spot... this was a gem. We got several platters (chicken and pork) and various sides. Everything was so good and tasted like your family made it for you. Some standout items: the coleslaw is super finely chopped which gives it a really good texture, flavor is great. The potato salad was creamy and perfectly seasoned. The pork was so Smokey and tender. Their sauce is super great, would pour that on everything. The fried okra was so tasty, we ate every piece. They have so much cheese in the poppers, delicious. If you're passing through the East Ridge area of Chattanooga, I highly suggest checking out this awesome spot for great food at an even better price. Thanks for the great experience! read more

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This is The Burger Man, with Best Burgers in America Association, and I was invited to score their burger. I got the Skylar Double Burger. A 1-pound Burger. It is a fresh hand-patted-out patty, Not a frozen one. Top-grade ground beef. The toppings were amazing: fresh tomatoes, Iceberg Lettuce, Onions, Pickles, Ketchup, and two pieces of melted cheese. This burger checked all the boxes as being one of my Top Burgers for 2026. Customer Service was amazing as well. I recommend this place for great burgers, BBQ, and sides. read more

This is our first visit to Hickory, the owners are amazingly friendly. Our waitress was kind of neutral and acted like she didn't really want to be there. The food was good, but the major drawback is that a large plate only had four ribs, one of which you could barely call a rib. The second, drawback for me is that the ribs came with sauce already on them. That's like a major no-no in my book. I know, everybody has their preference, but I prefer to sauce my own food if I feel that it's necessary. To be honest, barbecue should stand on its own without sauce and sauce should only be there to enhance the flavor. The meat was tender, but I couldn't really get a feel for the flavor of the meat because the sauce interfered with that. The pulled pork plate was good. Also, my girlfriend said she enjoyed that. But again, sauce should come on the side in my opinion. I have no real complaint against this place, but I wish I had known ahead of time that the ribs came with sauce on them and I wish that I had known that there were only four ribs on the plate, I would've ordered a whole rack. Prices are good, the place is clean, and as I said, the owners are very welcoming and warm people. Give this place a go, it's worth a trip! But just ask questions before you order! read more

Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que - Pulled Pork plate - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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Wow, the fried okra is amazing. The pork has a very satisfying smoked flavor. The service is attentive and very friendly. Sorry, no collard greens, and I'm not sure why. The dining area is very comfortable with homespun large wooden kitchen tables. They serve catfish, but only on Saturdays. read more

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These were the best ribs I've ever had. Started off with the baked potato appetizer loaded with butter, sour cream, salt and pepper topped with pork which were finished off, the got a very reasonably priced rack of baby back ribs. Sauce served on the side which is a nice complement to the dry rub. Added bonus is that they make their own apple pie and banana pudding in house which was tasty, This is a great place to either eat in (small, ambiance is not fancy but it's functional) or drive thru and take out. Staff is top notch attentive. Classic TN experience! read more

Awesome service and the spare ribs and tried the catfish that both were very good! Prices were reasonable and the house seasoning was top notch! read more

My husband and I love a good bbq spot so we stopped by on our way to Nashville. We were starvingggg and couldn't wait to dig in since we saw all the amazing reviews. To get the full experience we decided to eat in. Their drive through stayed busy so we were excited. Indoor space is small and cozy, def very warm the day we were there but manageable. We ordered two plates, ribs and pulled pork, with additional sides of Brunswick stew, apple pie and banana pudding. Unfortunately nothing was really amazing but the service. Everyone was extremely attentive and genuinely nice! The ribs were probably the tastiest order we received except it was drowned in sauce. If we knew, we would have asked for the sauce on the side. Extremely tender, possibly finished in the oven after smoking but def wrapped. I should've taken a photo, the bones were very soft. I was most looking forward to the Brunswick stew and apple pie. Unfortunately they were both a little disappointing. The stew had macaroni noodles in it and I personally don't prefer overcooked noodles so that itself made it hard for me to enjoy. The apple pie was more like a cobbler, which as long as it tastes good IDC. The wait staff and manager really hyped the pie up for us as well when serving but I couldn't bring myself to really like it. The crust was not cooked through and it looked like someone had picked at it because even though it didn't hold shape, half the top was still missing.. I did appreciate the pie being served warm. That was nice. An optional scoop of vanilla ice cream to add would have been wonderful as well because that's all I could think of while tasting it. LOL Overall, glad we stopped by and was able to check another BBQ spot off our list. Service alone is 5 stars. Maybe we just came in on a not great day because food didn't hit as we'd like but def don't let that stop ya'll from trying them out! read more

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So yummmmmmy!!!!! Some of the best BBQ in the area. The owner was very attentive even as it got busy.

My yelp family did not steer me wrong here on this off the path BBQ pit stop between Tenn and Ga. Yum. We always try to find random bbq spots on our road trips and you win some and you lose some. This place keeps it simple for the win. You would drive right past and miss it - so pay attention bc it's in a shopping plaza but they don't have a big sign on main road. The pork was perfection and I trusted them to put their sauce on it - not too much not too little- it was covered to perfection and tasted amazing. Chopped small and juicy still. So many places don't have traditional baked beans anymore - but they do! So good. Loved the small chopped slaw too. Also, I got a beer and atlanta has me Broke because I haven't paid $3 for a Coors in ages. Wahooo. Setup inside is minimal and has 5 tables. You can order at counter to go or sit and order at tables ..orrr wait for it -- you can order at drive through window ! Win for the locals! The owner is very attentive and you can tell he wants you to have a great experience and meal. Appreciated the attention and would def come back when passing through. read more

Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que - Order at counter to go or order at table and dine in They also have a drive up window - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

The food was decent but not something to go back for. It seemed like they were out of half of the things we tried to order but they didn't let us know before giving our order. The service wasn't bad. The potato salad was my favorite part. They also got some of our order wrong and said it wasn't on their ticket. read more

Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que - Pulled BBQ pork plate - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Located along Ringgold Road in the Ridgewood Village shopping center, it's a little hard to notice. There is a sign in the front of the stand alone building, but it does not stand out. The building is next to Los Potros Mexican restaurant. Once you pull in, you need to make your way through the shopping center parking lot to the restaurant. Once there, the parking is pretty good. There is a handicapped ramp on the side of building, but the parking spots are barely marked. There is a small patio on the front of the building with a couple tables. Once you get inside, there is seating for maybe 15 diners. The ordering counter is straight ahead. Although the restaurant only had one table of diners, the drive through was constantly busy. The two workers were very friendly and helpful even though they were always busy. We ordered to go, and our food was ready in less than 10 minutes. The packaging was robust and kept the food warm and did not allow it to spill. The pork plate consists of a good serving of meat as well as two sides and a slice of Texas toast. The pork was tender and juicy without being mushy. The flavor was very good, with enough smoke but not overpowering. The potato salad and baked beans were both homemade and quite good. My dining partner had the 1/2 chicken, which was moist and flavorful. Again, the smoked flavor was evident without being overpowering. The french fries were crispy on the outside and soft inside. The cole slaw was also very good. Among the many bbq places in the area, Hickory Pit certainly stands out, both in service and quality of food. This is a must try. read more

We stopped in for lunch on a roadtrip, and it was a quaint little restaurant with antique/homey decor. The food was reasonably priced for the portions we got, and the meat was tender. We got sides of potato salad, fried okra, cole slaw, and corn. My favorite sides were the potato salad and coleslaw. The ribs were a bit too saucy, and the sauce was quite salty. Overall, the flavor was decent. Service wasn't the best. Our servers didn't seem too focused, and they kept chatting to one another. I had to walk up to the front cashier a couple of times to ask for extra napkins and the check. read more

Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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What a great discovery, and we will definitely be back. My husband had the small rib plate (3 ribs) and two sides. The baked beans are thick and yummy, just like my father used to make. The coleslaw is finely chopped and well seasoned, we wish there was a larger portion as we could have eaten three times the amount. It's good! The star of the show were the ribs, super tender with a tangy sweet sauce. My husbands first words were..."top 5!" All the other Yelpers were right about the ribs! I had a chopped beef baked potato. It was a massive potato with sour cream, butter and cheese loaded with beef. The beef was also incredibly tender and juicy, I loved the sauce with it! Plenty to share. Great tea and $3 beers. The only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars was because the potato was a bit uncooked. Luckily it was a large potato and most of it was done. It's a quirky little spot in a parking lot, definitely family run, super friendly. A load of wood was being delivered as we left, it's the real deal. There is a little porch where ate with our dogs, so it is dog friendly. The to-go window was hopping! read more

Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que - Loaded baked potato, don't judge me, I was getting hangry! I also stole a rib! - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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This BBQ place was very good!! Highly recommend! We had ribs and pork both tender must try the homemade hot sauce, fried okra perfect, potato salad and green beans all homemade...oh and don't forget the banana pudding , YUMMY!! The crew was amazing!! read more

Stopped in for a light dinner tonight. I had a wonderful dinner salad-generous portion and a great variety of ingredients. I also had the Brunswick stew. Could have a bit more ingredients, but the taste was great. And the price was such a bargain! My husband had a large BBQ pork sandwich which I can attest was delicious. We aren't used to a more vinegary sauce but the pork was so delicious!! Oh, and the smoky smell permeating the food and establishment was all the verification we needed to the authenticity of this great BBQ place. The staff was quick, very courteous and friendly. My main complaint/suggestion for improvement is for them to add more exterior lighting. Let the world know where you're at!! read more

Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que - Cute piggies waiting for their turn in the BBQ! - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Food was amazing. Small space with only a few tables but the food definitely made up for the ambiance. Friendly and helpful staff.

Cute small place. Food was delicious! We stopped on our drive through. Lots of regulars came in.

Small restaurant with an active drive through. Has only 6 tables inside and a small patio. It really feels like you're visiting someone's cabin. The food was delicious. The plates are large, baked beans were thick, Cole slaw was great - not too creamy and had a good vinegar taste, minced. The chopped pork had great flavor and wasn't fatty. Plates are served with Texas Toast and I enjoyed that it wasn't greasy. Service was great. Homemade lemonade doesn't have free refills and it's good, but very sweet. The sweet tea was the sweetest I've ever had, but I liked that it wasn't watered down. Actually tasted like tea. Will eat there again when in the area. read more

We found Hickory of course on Yelp getting very good reviews so we tried and extremely pleased. I ordered the Saturday Catfish Dinner special with fried okra and coleslaw delicious all homemade. My wife had the Pork Dinner with green beans and potato salad and fried mushrooms also excellent. We also ordered the homemade banana pudding but too full to appreciate that yet ( save for later) I was told 30 minutes when I ordered and had to wait awhile when I got there but it was worth the wait. When in Chattanooga give it a try......update just tried the banana pudding and it's worth the trip just for that. Also forgot to mention very reasonable prices. read more

Best stuffed potato in town. Excellent BBQ & sides, especially the coleslaw and fried okra. If you're not up for a potato, try the combo plates. Very friendly service. read more

Good Food, Good Prices, Good Full Belly! Friendly down home southern approach to service here. This is my one of those fancy rio off places that are big box franchises. This place feels like a good old fashioned mom & pop places. The half chicken is really good and a nice large sized serving! The chopped beef plate was good and o appreciate the under $10 price point which means this place is affordable for regular dining! Saturdays are catfish days here too, so we will have to check that out too! Stop by and tell them V sent you! read more

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My wife and daughter went looking for BBQ for take out as we are staying the night in Chattanooga at the Home 2 Suites Hamilton Place, well they found this Gem of a place. We love trying and doing BBQ ourselves and all I can say is WOW, this place makes a delicious smoked pulled pork, smoked pulled chicken and also had the fried pickles and mushrooms, my wife ordered me a smoked pulled chicken salad that was also absolutely delicious. They used baby spinach in the salad which was great with tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, shredded, I took some of their delicious bbq sauce and drizzled it with some ranch on my salad. I can say without a doubt one of the best BBQ dinners in a long time, the meat was juicy and was great without the sauce, it had a wonderful hickory smoked flavor. We absolutely loved it and if you love BBQ please do yourself a favor and try this place, you will not regret it. We also ordered cheesecake for dessert, can't wait to come back through Chattanooga. Your place rocks and can't wait to tell family and friends who live in Tennessee and north Alabama and any who are vacationing in the area, absolutely loved it. read more

I have been to Pappy's Smokehouse, Oklahoma Joe's, Arthur Bryant's, and Q39 and the ribs here are right on par with the big boys. Perfectly smoked with a huge smoke ring and very tender. The ribs are 5 stars. The sauce was plain and didn't do much for me, but the ribs didn't need it. I got tater tots and beans for sides. They were good, but nothing special. My daughter got chicken fingers and fried pickles. She said they aren't her favorite but they were good. The onion rings were very good, better than the sides I got. I will definitely be back for a slab of those perfect ribs. read more

Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que - Large rib plate, 4 bones. Look at the smoke ring! - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

I got a pulled pork sandwich and it was okay, seems they don't pull it they chop it and mix it with their house sauce. I would not recommend this sandwich if you want pulled pork. My wife got the beef, and when we asked what was the beef cut, they just told us Beef. I guess I was expecting something like Brisket. I would not recommend that either. Finally the talk show they like was booming so loudly we could hear each other at the table. I really don't mind something playing like background music but this was to the point of obnoxious. I might have been there for an off day, but I don't think I will be giving it another try. read more

Choose based on Yelp reviews and I'm glad we did! First time here but won't be the last if we are within 100 miles. I grew up in the Memphis area but have lived in Houston for over 30 years and I'm a fan of both Memphis and Texas barbecue. This was more in the Memphis style, pulled pork on hickory, but the slaw and sauce was somewhat different and excellent! We had a large pork sandwich with slaw on it, fried okra and a lemonade. The fried okra was some of the best I have had in my life. They were like light clouds of goodness. The lemonade was homemade, fresh, and delicious. Highly recommend!! read more

Felt like home! Big portions and friendly service. The BBQ was very delicious - they usually serve it with the sauce on top (which was fine by me). Our family had a variety of meals including: BBQ sandwiches, cheeseburgers, and plates of beef BBQ. We all ordered small portions - and I'm glad we did! It sounds like this is a generational business - and the son just purchased the restaurant from his dad. Menus items named after the grandkids. read more

Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que - Outside of restaurant. - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Excellent place!!! Service and food were on par. The food and service was fantastic!!! We didn't get the ribs but the table next to us did and they looked fabulous. read more

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This place has some good BBQ. Prices are reasonable and the place is clean. Staff is friendly. Worth stopping by if you get a chance. It's a place I frequently get lunch at. read more

Cute decor. Portions ample. The staff were quite attentive and personable. Delicious barbecue. Recommend the stuffed baked potato and the sauce was on point. read more

Outstanding food, friendly service and pre-inflation prices that'll make you think it's the early 2000s. Inside is a bit small so come early, or drive through and take home. We had the baby back ribs, pork sandwich and beef sandwich, all excellent. Honestly, no complaints here, this place is worth every 5-star review it's ever received. read more

I get over in this area once or twice a year and have had this place on my visit list. Yesterday I was able to check it off my BBQ bucket list. Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que is located in a small wooden hut with seating for around 20 people. It's quaint and rustic...visually appealing. Apparently they have different menus for take-out vs eating in. I ordered the chopped pork and green beans. The plate was quickly served and the service was phenomenal. She was very attentive and keep my drink glass full throughout my visit. The pork was finely chopped, cold, mushy, and had very little bark. The BBQ sauce was thin and a little tangy. The green beans were good, but had a slight hint of vinegar? One other disappointment was they were out of chicken. read more

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Small BBQ place with delicious ribs. We shared a rack of spare ribs that were yummy. We had 2 sides which were baked beans and tater tots. My favorite was the sweet and tangy baked beans. read more

Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que - Rack of spare ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Hubby and I were coming from Rock City Garden and I told him to look up a Barbecue place. We ended up at Hickory Pit Bar-B-Q. It was a little building in the shopping Center parking lot and we were skeptical about going in. We parked and started reading the reviews. So we decided to go in.... We are so GLAD that we did! The best barbecue we have had since moving to Tennessee! From the outside it did not look busy, but when we got in there and sat down, they definitely had people coming and going. The service was great and the food even better! I usually ask for a knife so I can cut the meat off the bone to eat and I didn't need to ask...I was able to cut it with my fork, it was so tender. The flavor was so delicious.We were so impressed we ordered a slab of ribs to go for later. This is a must stop, when you are in Chattanooga!!! read more

Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que - ows the front of the restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Solid BBQ! It is our go-to spot when we're craving some ribs, a pulled pork, or homemade sides. A relative regularly orders their fresh burgers. The location is small, so seating is limited. We always take our items to-go. read more

You are welcomed by friendly staff at this little local Southern barbeque cabin. The tiny dining room only holds six tables, so time your visit right to get a table. The decor is pure country cabin with tins and pig knick knacks. The oval tables are covered in tablecloths. Very homey and cozy feel. The menu is expansive with many options. Fried appetizers are inviting and reasonably priced $4-5 per plate and easily shared. We shared fried pickles, onion rings and fried jalapeño poppers. The food came out quickly and hot. The onion rings were fantastic. All were served with ranch dressing or ketchup. For dinner, I selected the pulled pulled pork plate with Bette's homemade cole slaw and fried okra. The food looked so good that I forgot to take a picture. Bette's slaw is fantastic and so were the okra. The pork was tender and juicy with hint of hickory. The meat was served with a mild sweet bbq sauce. I would have liked an alternate spicy sauce option included. There was also a piece of Texas toast included. Lots of food for $9. I couldn't finish it. The menu included other interesting items that I would want to try such as a one pound burger, smoked chicken salad and BLT. Oh, and a baked potato loaded with barbeque. They had a fried catfish special on Saturday night. They do not serve alcohol but serve sodas and tea. Carry out is popular too. Our server checked on us frequently and kept our water glassies full. He was great. I'll be back. read more

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Delicious! Large portions, great value, homey restaurant. Fried mushrooms were flavorful and crunchy (who knew it goes great with ranch?). The small platter of ribs had 3 large delicious fall-off-the bone ribs drenched in bbq sauce, served with a good sized portion of crispy okra and curly fries. The steak was flavorful, and the pulled pork was juicy. Staff was attentive and nice. Cute sofa in the bathroom. Plenty of free parking. read more

Everything is awesome!!! The food the service is exceptional. If you get a chance to visit, this is a great place to eat!!! The outta way, off the beaten path is always the best. read more

Hooray for BBQ open on Sundays! With so many choices for 'cue in the Chattanooga area during our long weekend visit, those choices greatly were narrowed down with it being a Sunday and many were closed. I'm glad we ended up getting take-out from Hickory Pit because it was SO good. A little confused as to why the gal who answered their phone said that they wouldn't accept call-in orders and that we had to place our order in the restaurant in person, but we sent my husband to order and bring back our food. By the time he returned and we took one look at the overflowing mountains of deliciousness, it was ALL Worth It. The only things we had that were duds were the chicken (too dry) and the cole slaw (tasted like generic grocery-store mayo-laden, no-seasoning cole slaw.) Otherwise, we were thrilled with the baked beans, okra, pork, beef and tots! read more

On our way back to Atlanta, we stopped in Chattanooga for a quick lunch. After some suggestions and a quick background check from Yelp, we decided on Hickory Pit BBQ. This place was NOT made for large groups, FYI, unless you're willing to split up. We needed a table for 12 so we split up 6 and 6 (ish) inside and outside. The weather was nice outside until things started blowing away, although thank God it was just napkins and straw wrappers, not food. Our server seemed a bit overwhelmed with the size of our group, even after we split up. However, we all got everything (eventually), so it worked out. Three of us split a full rack of ribs with two sides of baked beans and fried okra, as well as an appetizer of fried mushrooms. The fried mushrooms had no flavor, which was disappointing. They were just breaded and fried but no real seasoning. The beans and okra were much better. I loved the ribs - super meaty and not super saucy or salty. The meat doesn't fall off the bone but the flavor was good. To end our meal, we got the banana pudding, which was just ok. Overall, the barbecue here was solid. Nothing fancy, no frills. I wouldn't suggest coming during peak hours or in a large group. read more

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