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    River Drifters

    4.5 (140 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    RIVER DRIFTERS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - River Drifters

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    Yan C.

    Didn't get to try the lobster Po boy! But instead the blackened shrimp one still was amazing right before the creek! Good service & friendly cooks and overall vibes made you feel home!

    Susie R.

    We stopped into River Drifters while breaking in Captain's new Yamaha T7 on the Prentice Loop. We sat outside which provided a somewhat view of the river which is across the road. We were quickly greeted by Laura and she quickly got our order and drinks. We decided to split the River Drifters Club and an order of beer battered fries. ($20) The sandwich was a double decker on grilled sourdough. The fries were hot and very tasty. We were extremely pleased with this find and have spread the word that it is a must if in the area! Come as you are! A great location after a day on the river, work, or cruising by on the bike!

    Catfish, fried
    Kathy F.

    Oh my goodness!!! Lunch was so good! We had the catfish plate and the fish and chips. My catfish was seasoned and cooked perfectly. And please don't get me started on the fries...best ever! But the real star was the coleslaw. The addition of pineapple sent it right over the edge of goodness! The fish and chips were delicious. Nice batter on the fish. The service was second to none. Quick and friendly with a great sense of humor. The interior is everything you could ask for in a riverside dive. We loved it!!

    Lobster Rolls!
    Holly K.

    Great food (the lobster rolls were so good) understandably pricey but a real treat. Charley and his staff always makes you feel welcome and at home atmosphere......only wish we lived closer.

    We got the Sheet Pan BBQ Nachos.  They were really filling and the perfect appetizer to share.
    Holly W.

    Nice spot to stop across the river! It was already very busy at 11:30 on a Saturday. The service and food was great and seems to be a popular local hangout spot. We got the sheet pan nachos to share and grabbed a few beers. It was a perfect midday date.

    Marilyn D.

    We would have never found this place off the TN river if not for word of mouth. A unique diner/dive bar off the main roads. The restaurant sits directly across the street from the Tennessee River. They do have an outdoor patio but it was too cold the day we went. It appeared the locals enjoy coming here for food and football. The appetizers looked delicious so we started with those. After having the special egg rolls with pulled pork that were so yummy and Nachos we were stuffed. The nachos were served on a cookie sheet and definitely plenty for a crowd. The staff were friendly, courteous and attentive. We definitely will make a point to go back and try some of the regular menu items. This is also a great spot if a group wanted to meet to watch a sporting event. If you want good food, low keyed or to watch a game and have a view ( when sitting outside) I would recommend trying this place.

    Fish & chips...It tastes better than it looks!
    Claire M.

    The perfect post-kayak hangout!! River Drifters is located right across the street from a boat ramp on the TN river, making it the ideal spot for a meal after your boating adventures. This place is super casual with a friendly staff & fairly quick service. They have a variety of drinks to choose from and some sweet deals depending on when you visit. The menu is pretty expensive with something for everyone! I ordered a mimosa + the fish & chips and was so satisfied with it all! The fish was sooo flaky and tasty - I'd definitely order that again! We'll be back!

    Meatball and Mozzarella Skillet
    Mindful P.

    Service was quick and the ambiance was beautiful you sit close to a lake that overlooks the mountains. The food by far was fulfilling I barely could finish the burger. You can tell that the ingredients are authentic very impressed with this local place after a good hike.

    Bison Burger and Mozz Log

    Bison Burger and the Breakfast kick up (I think) burger were absolutely amazing. Will definitely come back if we're ever driving through

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    6 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Went their for lunch after church on Sunday. Great service, good food and large portions.

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    8 months ago

    Really loved river drifters. The food was excellent, the staff was friendly and the location was pretty cool. I look forward to returning!

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    8 months ago

    The tacos were wonderful! The service is good. It's a wonderful place to eat and get drinks by the river!

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    9 months ago

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    6 months ago

    Another hidden gem on the outskirts of Chattanooga. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. Definitely worth checking out!

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    1 year ago

    Casual surroundings, excellent service. Diverse menu well prepared. Creative dishes simply delicious.

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    Food, atmosphere is so amazing!!! Service, karoke... they've got it all! Great place to stop i after a casual day floating the river!

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    2 years ago

    Absolutely delicious!! Smash burgers and fish and chips were great, service was great!!

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    2 years ago

    This place is well worth the drive. Great food and the service was exceptional. Tasha was wonderful

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    2 years ago

    Very relaxed. Service was excellent. Just a quiet, lazy spot to have a great burger and a beer and watch the river go by. Great afternoon!

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    1 year ago

    Brie took great care of us and food was bomb!!! Highly recommend the place on Tn river

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - River Drifters

    Review Highlights - River Drifters

    It was such a beautiful day and my friend from out of state and I were planning to kayak a few hours along the Tennessee River.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

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    Oddstory Brewing

    Oddstory Brewing

    4.6
    (195 reviews)
    6.8 mi
    $$

    Stopped by because my husband wanted to try the burger. Didn't realize the food is a stand within…read morethe brewery. Not a huge deal, but kinda annoying to wait in the giant line instead of having a server (it was busy). My salad was ... fine. I liked the sauce but the chicken was a tad overcooked and dry. Burger was decent but not crispy on the edges like some smash burgers. I think the food is decent if you come here to drink, but I wouldn't go just to eat. The spot is cool and would be nice to sit outside on a nice day. You can bring dogs but you have to control where they potty which seems unlikely at least with our dogs lol.

    We made Oddstory our last brewery in Chattanooga before having to head to the airport…read more The only thing that I would say we were sad about was that they did not have any TVs and we were still in the sports mode. Luckily their wifi worked perfectly fine so we just put the game on one of our phones. They did have a few sours for me to order and enjoy and then had plenty for Ben to order. They don't do flights per se, but they do half pours. I walked around a little bit to take in the scenery as I did notice that they had food but you do have to go outside order and pick up which is no problem because it's literally right outside the door to their back patio area. The back area was full of families and furry friends. Our servers were attentive to our needs and fun to talk to. You could see that they all enjoyed each other's company as well which I believe is very important in the service industry.

    Photos
    Patio area
    Patio area
    Loved the heaters in this chilly night
    Loved the heaters in this chilly night
    Oddstory Brewing

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    Oddstory Brewing Co: The Greenhouse

    Oddstory Brewing Co: The Greenhouse

    4.5
    (21 reviews)
    5.8 mi

    Great experience overall. Although it is very hot in there, not much circulation or maybe the air…read morewasnt working on the day I went. Welcoming environment with game boards to play or even some darts or shuffle board in the back area. Staff was nice and patient with questions and guidance. Beer was good and fun to choose flights. The food was delicious, comes from a food truck in the back. I highly recommend the curry tacos and any of there battered crisp crunch fries with the toppings that come with them. A must try spot.

    We are blessed with some very good microbreweries here in Chattanooga. Oddstory is clearly one of…read morethose at the top of the list. One of the important things to realize is, the family has two locations, the "Mothership" on Central and their original storefront here on MLK, The Greenhouse. They are two separate operations, each with their own unique attributes, some unique beer options, and particularly when it comes to food where both locations, do a bit of their own thing, looking to one-up their sister operation and the winner is, we the customer. The Greenhouse is a smaller, more intimate location, it's adults only, operates on fewer days, with a typical 4:00pm opening time. The staff, is great, the food is wonderful and the beer, is top notch, and always rotating new beer offerings. Oddstory is the only brewery in town, where I am willing to sample a sour, they are, that good.

    Photos
    Oddstory Brewing Co: The Greenhouse
    Love the atmosphere here
    Love the atmosphere here
    Oddstory Brewing Co: The Greenhouse

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    2nd

    2nd

    4.5
    (57 reviews)
    6.0 mi

    Happy 2026! We rang in the New Year with an incredible meal at 2nd on NYE, and it was the perfect…read moreway to start the year. I made reservations about a week in advance (highly recommend), and even arriving a few minutes early at 5:00 pm, the place was already buzzing. The hostess greeted us immediately and had us seated right away. Our server was on it from the start: waters filled, drink orders taken quickly, and excellent guidance on appetizers. We went with the tomato pie, which sounds simple... but don't be fooled. The flavors are anything but basic. This is not an appetizer you politely share and move on from. It's plenty for four people, though you may find yourself quietly plotting how to secure the last bite. For our mains, we shared the warm beet salad and the beef picanha. The salad had such a great flavor pairing that even my husband, who is not a beet fan, loved it (a true culinary miracle). The picanha was incredibly flavorful and may very well be the best thing on the menu... except for the mashed potatoes. Honestly, I would go back just to order my own bowl of those mashed potatoes and call it dinner. Amazing service, outstanding food, and a great atmosphere. We will definitely be back very soon.

    Came to this place for a work dinner and they did what needed to be done!…read more When you walk in there is a huge candle statue that gives the place a unique energy. Anyone with eyes can appreciate it. The service was ideal, our waitress didn't skip a beat. The food was so good. The menu is diverse and interesting. Highly recommend this place for a date or business gathering.

    Photos
    2nd
    Apple pie with warm caramel sauce, dreamy!
    Apple pie with warm caramel sauce, dreamy!
    Beef tartare with Summer Daze cocktail

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    Beef tartare with Summer Daze cocktail

    River Drifters - beerbar - Updated June 2026

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