Definitely charming. Apparently you need a reservation though. I suggest you make one and not just stop in like we did. We ended up sitting at a bar like table facing into the sun because the other tables were reserved. It sucked. Definitely uncomfortable at 5pm. The husband got the meatloaf sandwich and I got the thanksgiving style dinner one. It wasn't horrible but if you're expecting turkey like you have on thanksgiving you'll be disappointed. It was more of a turkey loaf. Wasn't anything special. The cranberry walnut salad was the bomb. Best part of the meal. Not the best waitress. The sun melted the ice in my tea so it got warm and we ate half the meal without something to drink. Staff was friendly though. I'd probably try it again. Just to see if this was normal but I'd make a reservation next time so I could enjoy it without getting a headache staring into the sun. *they did ask us if we would like to sit there so part of it is our fault we underestimated the sun. They should add a retractable awning or something? read more

Ooltewah Whistle Stop - Sandwiches Near Me - Ooltewah, Tennessee

I'll start with the good. The place is very cute and has some fun features for families with the arcade games and tv upstairs and the mini golf and fire pit on the patio. I'm kind of surprised they have the kid friendly games and such because their menu is not kid friendly or even very appealing to men in general. It is definitely a menu much more suited for a group of women. Most of the men at my table ordered the sandwich that is basically a Thanksgiving meal. They thought it was good, but all three of them did not eat the top of the Ciabatta roll. Too much bread for them. I had the Cranberry salad with the candied nuts and Goat cheese. It was good, pretty much an average salad. The three teenage boys with us all ordered shakes and every one of them was underwhelmed! They had the mint chocolate, cookies and cream and the Don't be Cruel chocolate one. My husband and I shared a chocolate malt. First off, I had pretty low expectations for these shakes from seeing the pictures. Too much sugar and crap around them, but I didn't expect the ice cream in the cups to be sooo watered down. I have never had such watery shakes. I seriously think they mix them with water. My son commented there was probably a cup of ice cream total in his shake. They all drank what little "ice cream" was in the bottom and left the rest uneaten. These shakes were about 15.00 a piece too!! We will never buy shakes from here again. Even my 8.00 malt was very watery with clumps of malt powder and ice and half the glass was whipping cream. The boys said the whipping cream was half the glass in theirs as well. Very cute restaurant, but they need to learn how to make a good shake--especially when you're charging 15.00 for it. A shake should never be pure liquid!! If you want to eat lunch at a cute place, this is the place for you. If you want good ice cream, go to Clumpies!! read more

I brought someone who had never been here before and he wanted the milkshake. He was blown away! He had the meatloaf sandwich and said it was good. I had the ham & cheese croissant and it too was very good. We shared the pretzel appetizer to help fill us up (portions are not over the top, EXCEPT the milkshake) so I recommend an app. Great spot, very nicely done. read more

Unique location, delicious menu options, friendly staff, and let's be honest--you're here for the milkshakes and won't be disappointed. They were reservation-only during the pandemic, but are now taking some walk-ins (us) and we were seated quickly. Will eat here next time we're in town. read more

Great milkshakes and friendly service. Always a fun place to visit if you can get in.

My daughter wanted to come for her 13th bday. We bought the lobster roll, Ruben, fruit grilled cheese, shrimp and corn chowder, fried green tomatoes, GF shake, malts, and shoe shine milkshake. The tomatoes are amazing. It comes with 4 thick slices and topped with like a palmento cheese. Very good. The sandwiches were all good and sandwiches come with chips. There are several selections- which is nice, as most places only offer one. The house came with bread- and GF is available...but the chowder is probably not GF. All sandwiches can be made GF. Then for dessert, we had various milkshakes and malts. It's a lot of sugar! The milkshakes are really a bit much with various snack cakes, cakes, and donuts on it...but is fun for bdays. The malts were delicious. The amount of shake seems to be a good size- not over board. While good and good service, I don't think the price reflects the food. They are expensive for what you get. However, it is nicely decorated from years before and is clean. The train comes through, which is exciting for kids. They offervarious other local restaurants - like the sourdough bread and donuts comes from local restaurants. Overall good and we would come back again. read more

Ooltewah Whistle Stop - Fried green tomatoes - Sandwiches Near Me - Ooltewah, Tennessee

Drove 40 minutes away to go eat here and it was 100 percent worth it! We had the cotton candy milkshake and it blew us away!

Nice nostalgic atmosphere, but be ready to get your wallet out. They have an expensive menu.

The milkshakes are super fun, my daughter was delighted! Vegan milkshake was very good as well for lactose intolerant. Contrary to other reviewers, I thought service was good, certainly very friendly. The building and decor are amazing ....... which makes the food all the more disappointing. We had fried green tomatoes and "Italian" sandwich, and calling them mediocre is generous. The pimiento cheese is great and outsourced (the chef and his wife). They serve cocktails, why not boozy milkshakes/frozen bev? And what better for milkshakes than burger/patty melts and fries? Or even more retro fare. read more

Such a fun experience! Staff are very polite and provide helpful tips to tackle the mountain of ice cream they provide!

It's my first time dining here. I had the footlong loaded as well as my friend did too. The Mac & Cheese was amazing!! Their potato salad is good. I didn't have a shake although I believe it's a specialty here! (You can add alcohol). The shakes I've seen look so delicious! My friend had the banana split in which he would highly recommend! Overall it's a must visit again place! Awesome service as well! Will definitely be back! read more

Ooltewah Whistle Stop - Banana split! - Sandwiches Near Me - Ooltewah, Tennessee

Service is really good, food very tasty and the ambience of this place is fantastic. Highly recommend this to anyone who's in the area

Great mac n cheese chicken is yummy and chips are great! Milkshakes look very cool. Very good place

I got a Yelp account just so I could write this and warn others. The food is HORRIBLE. I ordered the chicken and waffles. The waffles were dry, hard and cold. The chicken was a breaded, frozen disc that was cold and soggy. I think they heated it up in a microwave. I took one bite of each and set the plate aside. My son ordered the chili dog. He also took one bite and pushed it to the side of the table. We were at least looking forward to the yummy shakes. We chose the peanut butter one. It was just OK. Nothing to write home about. It looked way better than it tasted. We won't be going back. read more

This place had been recommended to us so on our trip from VA to MS we stopped to try it out. The building itself is beautiful and it is wonderfully decorated inside and out. The location right next to the train tracks makes it unique and special if a train passes while you're here. The sandwiches, salad and soup were very tasty but the showstopper here is definitely the shakes! Very creative and tasty. I had the cinnamon churro shake and my husband had the oreo shake. Both were very good and looked amazing. We will be back on another trip this way. If you're driving Interstate 75 in this area do check it out. It's an easy stop off the interstate. read more

We love it!!! The staff was wonderful and super friendly!! Food was very tasteful as well. The milkshakes speak for themselves read more

Ooltewah Whistle Stop - She was in love with hers. - Sandwiches Near Me - Ooltewah, Tennessee

The food was SO yummy! The milkshakes are HUGE and truly a work of art. The whole atmosphere is so welcoming and the customer service was fantastic. Definitely recommended and I will be coming back. read more

Everyone should go once, but it would be difficult to make Whistle Stop a frequent place. The server was precious, however very inattentive. We sat down at 11:17 & ordered minutes after being seated. We did not receive our food until after noon. We spent two hours at lunch...not just to chat, but simply waiting on drinks, then food, then dessert then to close the transaction. The taste and presentation was very high quality but there are more than a handful of things that need attention. Would recommend the following items if you so choose to visit: Banana Split Meatloaf Sandwich read more

We went here for Mother's Day because we had heard lots of great things about the food. We were overall disappointed. We had 4 adults and 3 children under 5. They seated us on the roof..which seemed okay at first but we had a 8month old infant who then was out in the sun for 2.5 hours..because it takes that long to dine there. We didn't bring sunscreen or a hat because we were going to a restaurant to eat not to the beach. The service was very slow but I can imagine it had something to do with the 3 flights of stairs our service had to climb to reach us. The bathroom on the second floor had no toilet tissue so we trecked to the first floor to find a long line...did I mention we had 3 children under 5years of age? The food was good BUT I went there for the James County Special and they were out of it....ummmm. The games on the roof distracted the 2 and 4 year old but we were there 2.5 hours. I wish the hostess would have looked at our situation and sat us inside since we had an infant. read more

My family and I came at the recommendation of my college-aged niece. We made the reservation 2 weeks in advance, but when we arrived, we were told we were not on their list. We spoke to the manager, and she seated us in the nearly empty restaurant. The prices were outrageous for the quality of my soggy "good golly miss molly" grilled cheese. My daughter's mint milkshake had a blonde hair in it. Overall, the server checked on us one time. She had an empty floor, and yet still never brought up our appetizer or filled up my coke. It pains me to see such an beautiful restaurant fall to sub fast-food quality. read more

So this was my first trip to whistle stop. I understood the name after I heard the train whistle so loudly And watched it come down the street. Other than it being really loud it was cool to watch. So on to the food, me and mother decided to not get lunch or dinner because the menu wasn't really anything appetizing or anything we were craving so we decided to only get dessert. I ordered the vegan milkshake called "whatever Lola wants" but I ordered it with regular vanilla ice cream because I don't like coconut ice cream Lol. Which defeats the purpose of it being vegan but anyway the milkshake was good Bt the vegan cupcake was so dry and brittle. One of the worst vegan cupcakes I've ever tried Nd I couldn't get the wrapper off. My mother got the milkshake called " Chattanooga shoe shine cookies and cream" she said her milkshake was good. Overall I think the milkshakes are good but nothing too special. I would go back but it's definitely not a fan fave. Other than the milkshake toppings nothing is special about the dessert. Also you have to make a reservation to come to this restaurant, they say no walk ins are welcome. Also the parking is limited and a separate parking lot is available a little up the street. read more

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I just stumbled across this place and pulled in to see what it offered. I got the Jailhouse Rock Roast Beef and BBQ Kettle chips. I got to say, I'm not much of a sandwich guy, but this was good and hot. I would go back again for this sandwich. read more

If I could give a lower grade I would . Went to eat lunch and we were told they close down at 2pm and reopen at 5pm. It was 2:05pm and they asked if we had a reservation and we were told they were no longer doing that because it was 1st come 1st served. There was tables out side and we would have waited but they refused us. I have worked in upscale restaurants in Chicago and Gatlinburg and we never refused a paying customer. So I do not recommend the Whistle Stop they don't know what true customer service is or they would take care of a paying customer. read more

A good place to eat. The sandwiches are good. We ordered the Angry Beehive (breaded chicken), and the Conductor (lunch meats). The tomato bisque was excellent! The Whistle Stop is known for their shakes, and they are very good. We shared one three ways and it was plenty for all of us. The wait staff are friendly and efficient. The prices are a little high read more

First they were reservation only booking a month+ out, then posted online you did not have to have reservations, then have now switched back to reservations. So confusing and based off reviews not worth the hassle of trying to even visit. There are many other better restaurants in Ooltewah! read more

We were soooo wanting this to be a positive experience. Birthday Reservations for rooftop dining weeks in advance. Arrived and was told rooftop was closed. Server mentioned it was her first day, so we were very patient with her. After waiting for an hour we were given the Wrong adult drinks ( nowhere close to what we ordered) and the wrong food order, but we tried to make the best of it. Since we were already there so long, we were starving and needed alcohol. Our server Seemed to disappear, after two hours they tell us that the desserts we requested were unavailable. We ask for the check and our server disappears again for what seems to be forever. We go downstairs to just try to pay and we are met with rude staff who are responding to us as though WE were the problem. As we left, a server was standing in the window waving bye at us In a sarcastic -don't come back- attitude. Grow up! Just genuinely say you're sorry .. I want this business to do well. Learn from this, do better. read more

I do not recommend this place!! Disappointing. Overrated (even on yelp). Chaotic. LOUD beyond anyone's comfort level. Overpriced with small servings. Food is mediocre. Service is not great. I made my reservations weeks in advance wanting to take our family of 6 to a fun dining experience. That is not what we got. We arrived and were taken upstairs to our table - a small table for 4. A small table for 4, and told by the hostess she would put chairs on the end. Nope. One of our 6 was a baby and this would not work. We asked to pull a 2-seater table over. We were told no. Another employee came over and said yes. So we were seated comfortably. The place was outrageously loud and not because of the train. A gust of wind blew up out of nowhere and blew the place apart. Vases tipping over spilling water down the backs of customers, napkins flying, cups falling on the floor. A young boy ended up going to the hospital as a result of the upstairs door slamming on his arm because of the wind. The force was powerful because a huge window was open The manager even made these young moms PAY for food after this traumatic event. My husband took one look at the menu and said he was not paying that much for food that did not appeal to him. He left. Drove home. I wish I would have followed. The whole experience was just too much for him. My daughters and I ordered food. A sandwich and bag of chips is $15. My daughter said Jimmy John's was better and lots less expensive. She even got a pickle at Jimmy John's. We decided to order the crazy expensive shakes. They looked "fancy" but the actual shake itself was watery and not very flavorful. Our bill for 4 adults and an 18-month old was almost $130! Do not waste your time and money. It is not worth the wait. read more

Loved this restaurant!! The atmosphere is great. The train went by twice while we were there. I had Jailhouse Rock Roast Beef and it was very good. For dessert I had the DONT Be Cruel Chocolate. Everything was great including very prompt service. I highly recommend. read more

Very rude. Said we had to have a reservation after the website does not say that. They just let us stand there over 10 minutes before even acknowledging us. They were very rude and I will not be going back. read more

I have never known of a business that would turn away revenue while they were open and still seating reservations. Wow! Walk-ins not welcome here! read more

Amazing milkshakes! We got the Oreo and the white chocolate raspberry milkshakes. Can't wait to come again. The toppings are very rich and yummy! The atmosphere is so cute. read more

Food is decent, deserts are awesome looking. But I'll never come back, just for a sandwich and a milk shake took over an hour and a half from start to finish because the service is absolutely terrible. Better clear most of your day just to wait for service. Not to mention there's no one in the restaurant so there's no reason for the service to be so terrible. Won't be back anytime soon. read more

Beautiful place to dine. Nice staff personalized small town hospitality. Terrific hearing the trains go by while dining. Food was delicious n ice cream desserts were delicious. Unique local dining experience. Will definitely go again and bring family when they come to visit. read more

I wanted to like the Whistlestop Cafe - I really did. It came highly recommended by a friend. It seemed very popular because it was hard to get a reservation. Today though I finally went with my husband and a friend. Our reservation was at high noon. We waited for over 10 minutes while oblivious servers passed us by. The location is very picturesque and the inside was pretty as well. However, we now know why it is called the Whistlestop Cafe. Numerous trains pass by and they blow their whistles which sounds charming but in reaility is earsplitting. They had their large garage door type windows open because it was a lovely day. This sadly only made the sound louder. We finally got the attention of the hostess who took our drink order and then finally a server came by. I ordered the Sidecar which is basically a ham and cheese on a croissant. I tried to order the soup of the day that was proudly displayed on their sign but was told it was not yet "ready". I asked if that meant it was a soup of the evening instead of the day but was met with a blank stare. My husband ordered the meatloaf and my friend got the Pullman sandwich and the tomato bisque. My Sidecar was dull, uninteresting, barely even warm and tasteless. My husband said his meatloaf was passable. My friend said the tomato bisque was good but her sandwich was too greasy. We had to ask for napkins and silverware since they were not brought with the food. I also ordered the Junior Charcuterie board. Both the ham and cheese on it were deplorable but the grapes and crackers were decent. Then I ordered the Peanut Butter shake and my friend ordered the standard shake but asked for it to be made with the vegan ice cream and the vegan whipped cream. Note: nowhere on the menu does it say that would be an upcharge. Thankfully before they made it our server did come by and mention that both the ice cream and the whipped cream would be an upcharge and my friend asked them to cancel it. The peanut butter shake was a vision to behold but sadly was completely lackluster in taste. The ice cream was supposed to be "peanut butter" flavored. It appeared to be vanilla ice cream with actual peanut butter not peanut butter sauce mixed in. It was gritty and quite tasteless until we discovered that all the peanut butter was at the bottom. After mixing it up it improved marginally. It took forever to get all of these items and the check. The check was incorrect as they had included my friend's shake which she cancelled. After that was removed it was still $65 for this debacle. We will not be back. read more

Ooltewah Whistle Stop - Soup of the day - Sandwiches Near Me - Ooltewah, Tennessee

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This is a great place to take a date or a friend if they have a sweet tooth. The milkshakes are amazing with how they're covered in everything and topped with the flavor you order. A literal piece of cheese cake, or birthday cake on top of a pretty good milkshake makes it the best thing in the area. read more

Although we've lived in the area for quite awhile, yesterday was our first trip to Whistle Stop for lunch. What stood out to us the most was the friendly staff. A friendly young man greeted us at the door, and took us upstairs to our table. We were lucky that a train went by shortly after we arrived, which is a neat novelty. The wait staff was extremely friendly. Once we got our mojitos, the manager came up to check on us, and check on our drinks. She was very invested in our experience, and was genuinely interested in our feedback. My husband got the loaded foot long hot dog with mac and cheese, and I got the Angry Beehive. Both were great, and perfect, and filling for lunch. We wanted to try a milkshake, or another drink, but we were more than full from lunch. We enjoyed our meal, and will definitely be back. It's so nice to have excellent dining options close rather than making the drive to downtown Chattanooga. read more

Great food, service and atmosphere! I've never seen a milkshake with so many awesome toppings and neat edible decorations. It's amazing how they do that! read more

I was so unimpressed by this place. I heard that lots of people liked it, but when we actually got there- it was not good AT ALL. The food did not taste good and the milkshake I could've made at home, to taste better, for a better price and with better quality ingredients. The milkshake was not mixed, it was just scooped ice cream and was not something I ever needed again. Some of the staff was friendly, but our waitress was not. We paid with cash and she did not count it correctly, so we had to pay the rest on a card. Needless to say, this miscounted cash, was then her tip. I would have to say it is one of the worst places to eat in Ooltewah. read more

I am very disappointed with how my sons birthday went here ! The atmosphere and food were great! Our one server was super kind ! The management and whole booking process was very poor! My party of 42 people started at 2 I was told I could come and decorate at 1:30! I showed up with all decorations to be told I couldn't set up until 2 which is when my party started .... All family and friends were piling in and I'm running around frantically trying to decorate for 42 people ! We were also rushed out the door around 3:40 saying there was another party after us ! We are now frantically trying to bag everything and get everyone and elderly out the door! There should always be at least a 30 minute window for set up and clean up for after the party, not back to back with no times especially with that many people ! My husband was also approached saying there was a 25 dollar clean up fee because a child popped a balloon and was told that his wife signed a contract ...... I did not sign nor see any such contact . As being an event planner myself for Ruth's Chris steak house for 4 years in the past, this is not how events should be executed ! Very disappointed with how Cassie the manager handled everything ! Will not be returning ! For that kind of money to be spent and to have that experience.... Not worth it at all! read more

My wife and myself visited the Whistle Stop in Ooltewah for the first time on Saturday 5-1-21. I did not know what to expect but they delivered a homerun. We did not have a reservation but they do take walk in customers as well. The venue is old style parlor like soda fountain, sandwich and ice cream shop. We were lucky enough to sit on the roof and we had three trains come by which brought back lots of memories. Cheyenne our waitress delivered excellent customer service in all facets. Cheyenne was very attentive in keeping us posted on when our orders would be ready. We ate sandwiches and they were delicious. Then we had milkshakes that were out of this world. I normally do not give this type of review but when you have this type of experience then the reward must match. Go visit the Whistle Stop in Ooltewah and ask for Cheyenne you will not be disappointed. read more