This place is rated highly for good reason. Sitting on a hillside overlooking the city (downtown is visible in the far distance), the service and BBQ were excellent. There is ample indoor seating with even more on the outdoor patio overlooking the city. The atmosphere is what you'd expect for a BBQ restaurant and there were classic 80s tunes filling the air. The service was fast and friendly. The fall off-the-bone BBQ ribs were some of the best I've had and were fine even without sauce. Speaking of, there were multiple sauces available. These are not your typical thick molasses based sauce, most featured vinegar as the main flavor. I thought this very unique and very good. My favorite was the Great Sauce - combo of habanero, onion and vinegar. My ribs were accompanied by basic but flavorful pintos adorned with onions and parsley and cornbread with real chunks of corn baked in. An added touch was the warm moist towel at the end of the meal. And to even make things fun, the provide cabbage to feed the resident goats! read more

See all

The service is always great here. We have a favorite server and she's very personable. My ribs were tender and easily pulled from the bone. The sides however need attention. The Mac and cheese and the beans needed seasoning. Both were bland. There is no reason for the sides to lack seasoning at a BBQ restaurant. The restaurant is always clean, and feeding the goats after eating is always a nice ending to end a meal. read more

Sugar's Ribs - 1/2 rack of ribs meal with beans and macaroni and cheese. - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Unique flavor on the mayo based slaw - not to thick and very smooth Pulled pork is average Brisket has great flavor and cooked very well Spicy sausage is a hearty and extremely flavorful Ribs are cooked to perfection with a stunning flavor The classic bbq sauce is a pretty good sauce Also have pet goats you get to feed read more

Sugar's Ribs - Bbq sampler - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

See all

Pros Great customer service, recommendations and patience with first timers with questions and more Beautiful view with clean inside and outside seating Feeding friendly goats is a bonus as well Meat is tender and options range Lots of parking Cons Every single sauce is overly and completely watered down, I didnt believe other reviews but I should have Corn Bread like other reviews mentioned, bland that just had some pepper and cheese in it but no flavor Left completely unsatisfied to the point I wanted to eat somewhere else after I did however take majority of the food to go and had the leftovers mixed with bbq sauce I had at home and it was so much better. So for that I would say 4 stars Highly recommended getting it to go and putting any other bbq sauce on it besides what they have there. read more

See all

This place was a mixed bag. I had the taco trio, one chicken, one pulled pork and one brisket, and thought they were ok, but the fattiness of the brisket & pork turned me off a bit. I did like the charred sliced jalapeños, which were the best thing on the plate. My husband had the ribs, and disliked the charcoal flavor of them; that's a preference, so I'll not split hairs, but I wasn't a fan either. The charcoal was too assertive and masked the flavor of the meat. Sides were ok, with the simple pinto beans winning out, but I make better collard/mustard greens at home. Sauces were good. Overall, just not great enough to return. read more

Second time we've visited. Food was as good as I remember. Service was good. Make sure to feed the goats! read more

Sugar's Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

See all

Absolutely loved this place! It's a counter-service spot, but the experience felt way higher than that. My friend and I both ordered the three tacos -- one of us got brisket and the other got pork butt -- and we shared. Everything was tender, flavorful, and so good. We both got mac & cheese on the side, and it was amazing. Once you sit down, there's a whole lineup of sauces to choose from, which was super fun to try. And even though it's not table service, there were always staff walking around checking on us and making sure we had everything we needed. Huge plus. They also have goats outside the restaurant and actually give you lettuce to feed them, which was such a unique, unexpected touch. Overall, great food, great vibe, and such a memorable experience. It's on the corner of a hill right when you pass out of Chattanooga so you can't miss it! read more

Sugar's Ribs - three tacos with mac & cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Delicious! The pork butt taco was scrumptious! The ribs are an absolute must! Fall off the bone and perfectly spiced! An added bonus is feeding the goats out back! So much fun! Love this place! Perfect for families! read more

See all

Service was awesome they are very nice love the views and feeding the goats after I ate lunch was a nice touch. I got the BBQ platter for two cause I wanted to try some of everything and it did not disappoint took home dinner as well there was so much left over. The cowboy pintos are amazing, seriously good. The BBQ was great brisket is delicious and the Jalapeño sausages are the bomb. The ribs are so good as well, next time I'm in Chattanooga this is the place to stop for sure. read more

See all

What a lovely lunch! You wouldn't think amazing tacos would be found at a bbq joint..... you would be wrong!! The taco trio I enjoyed at Sugars were the best tacos I have had for a long while. I commend the cooks, great job! And my husband loved the poppers. The service was excellent as always. Friendly and fast. We always seem to have the same amazing server each time we go. I only wish I knew her name!!! The decor is simple because the food and service is what makes it special! read more

Sugar's Ribs - Poppers - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

See all

As always, Sugars did not disappoint. The ribs were amazing as always, but I chose to change it up this time with something I haven't ever ordered before. I went in for the legs and wings. Man, oh man were they good. Smoky and a little bit of mopping glaze on them. Perfectly suited for some of their Hot Lips barbecue sauce. My girlfriend had her go to dish, the pulled pork and she chose the wood grilled okra. Do not knock it, it is amazing. This time we even fed the goats and they gave us a tray of cabbage to feed them. What a fun date night this was. Barbecue and feeding the goats! read more

See all

Stopped for lunch with friends, a rib plate and three taco sampler plates, with tea, water, and a Coke Zero were ordered. The menu is varied with several different ways to present your food. Sandwiches, taco's, sampler plates, single and multiple meat plates, etc. sides are plentiful with vinegar slaw OR ma yu o slaw, greens, etc. Our orders arrived after a short wait, the three who ordered the taco sampler plates agreed the pork and brisket tacos were better than the chicken, though my chicken was moist. Two of us ordered greens which came with grilled corn muffins, the other two ordered mayo slaw. We're coming back, there are too many options to ignore. We believe this will be on our regular stop list. read more

Sugar's Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

See all

Sugar's was great. Very Mom & Pop vibe with cool views and of course, the goats. My service was awesome and helpful. I recommend checking out Sugar's! read more

Sugar's Ribs - Pork Butt, Grilled Okra, Cornbread - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

I first saw this restaurant on Yelp while I was looking for places to try for our anniversary trip..I was automatically drawn to this place because of the goats. The staff is friendly and the food was absolutely delicious. I got the spicy pork belly tacos and mayo slaw - the tortillas tasted fresh and the meat was very tender and flavorful. We kept talking about how good it was on the way to our next activity. The goats are just a cute plus! read more

Sugar's Ribs - Spicy Pork Belly Tacos and Mayo Slaw - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

This is a counter service restaurant. Well you order at the counter and they bring out to you. We all order pull pork sandwiches. Meat was good but the sauces? well multiple ones to choose from and the all appeared to be watered down. Disappointed in atmosphere and you can't really enjoy patio seating do to the freeway traffic. Kids will enjoy as they can feed goats and overall for the price it was fair. read more

See all

We were all pleasantly surprised! My group of 5 split three plates, and there was enough food. We got a variety of meats, including chicken, ribs, and pork. All the proteins were a hit! We didn't love the cornbread or sides, but definitely still delicious. As for the service, you order up front and they bring the food to you. It's more of a fast casual style restaurant, but we did not need much help. We were also surprised to learn of some animals in the back? It was cold out so we did not visit, but definitely interesting! read more

Sugar's Ribs - Chicken Plate Q for 2 - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Love this ribs house on the hill in Chattanooga. Known for their ribs, they have excellent brisket and their ribs are delicious. They offer 5 different sauces of their own recipes. Staff crew were all very nice... or they all have that wonderful southern charm. Parking on site.oh they give you cabbage to feed their goats if you want... read more

See all

Got the brisket and pork butt tacos. Super flavorful and did not disappoint. 3 tacos and one side was the combo. We weren't the hungriest so we didn't finish but we split 6 tacos between each other. The Mac and cheese was just generic microwaveable kind but it all did the job. Oh and we got to feed the goats so it's definitely an interesting atmosphere around the place. read more

See all

The barbecue is fantastic. They have a wide variety of sauces to accompany the meats, however they taste great without them. As gar as sauces, they have sweet, regular, Tennessee style, mustard, and hot to choose from. The view is fantastic! Especially at sunset, you can see for miles. Make sure that you grab some cabbage on your way in to visit and feed the goats. This is just another perk of eating here. They are adorable. I was a little apprehensive to feed them, but had nothing to worry about, as they are not aggressive. This is a combination self /server restaurant. You order at the front, then the server delivers your food to you whenever it is ready, check up on you, and clean the table when you leave. The drinks station is self service. Great place to stop and get a meal while traveling on the 24 fwy or near Chattanooga. read more

Sugar's Ribs - Q platter for 2 , stew with cornbread, crispy potatoes and banana pudding - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

See all

We drove pretty far for them to tell us they closed an hour earlier than what's listed on here. Very disappointed.

Stopped in at Sugar's while visiting Chattanooga. It's located on a hillside and has indoor and outdoor seating. One interesting/quirky tidbit is they have goats that roam the hillside and they give you cabbage to feed the goats. It was a fun diversion while waiting for the food. Our group had some of the chicken tacos, ribs and brisket. All of the food was pretty decent. The sides were mediocre. The worst things was actually the sauces...they were runny, vinegar based and honestly didn't have very good flavor. There could have been a better selection of beer, especially featuring some local beers as there are so many great breweries in Chattanooga. The service was EXCELLENT! It was kind of a mixed bag for me. read more

Only gave 3 stars just because of the service. The service was awful! The girl at the register was so unhappy it dripped off her. Ribs were great! Brisket was dry! Always get the grilled okra and onions. Sugars has great ribs read more

I like to try things locals food when I'm visiting new areas. Well in the area this place had the highest reviews. The views from the outdoor seating are amazing. It's a cool atmosphere laid back. Parking lot was pretty full. Since everyone has to drive, even with a restaurant parking lot being full. There was still ample seating. Order the BBQ ribs, video attached. The meat fell off the bones. Amazing. Who doesn't love meat do tender it falls off. The chicken had a Smokey flavor. The offered BBQ sauces were tasty. Worth trying if you're in the area. read more

See all

While the service was out of this world, the BBQ left much to be desired. I ordered brisket and ribs. The brisket I received was very fatty and the ribs were oddly greasy. Neither were sauced and while the sauces on the table were plentiful, they were watered down. Too liquid to really stick to the meat and provide any flavor. Sad because the options looked interesting yet fell flat on taste. I absolutely loved the location. Up on hill, overlooking the skyline of Chattanooga was a beautiful site. It offered a relaxing diner feel with a good amount of space to enjoy my meal without other patrons being on top of me. read more

Brisket was very very tasty. I definitely recommend it. Lots of sauces to try too.! You should try their Macaroni & cheese!. Quick with the food. You'll love the view from the back porch. The view from the back porch is incredible. read more

In my lifetime, I have eaten a lot of ribs, and Sugar's Ribs has the best spare ribs I've ever had. They are truly fall-off-the-bone tender. If you pull at the meat, there's a solid chance all of it will come right off the bone. I ordered spare ribs and corn, and both came out very quickly. The ribs were obviously the highlight, but the corn was really good too. Since you order at a counter near the entrance, it's a little hard to fully rate the service, but the process was simple and efficient. They also gave us cabbage to feed the goats outside, which was unique and fun. The seating area is near windows with a great view of the mountains, which makes the experience even better. I downloaded Yelp just to write this review, so that should say enough. Definitely recommend Sugar's Ribs, especially for the spare ribs. read more

Great stop on your way back from Nashville to Atlanta! Exit 181A. Fantastic view of the city with very good BBQ!! I had the pulled pork sandwich with vinegar slaw & a bowl of Mo' Rockin' Stew. All good! The stew is what they call their version of Brunswick Stew but in my opinion it's more a vegetable soup and very good!! The service is good and quick. You order at the counter then deliver to your table. Just an FYI, no need to get BBQ sauce as you select your table as the server will bring you as tray of their sauces. They have a mustard sauce, a couple of tomato base sauces & vinegar sauce! Yum! Give it a try as they have many items to select from appetizers to sandwiches to full plates! read more

Sugar's Ribs - View as you exit 181A - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Ordered a half a rack of ribs, they were good I would give them a 3.5, I am a rib connoisseur and score them much tougher than the norm. Sides were also good but not 5 stars. Service was fantastic! read more

Sugar's Ribs - Half rack of ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Been stopping here since 2015 and to this day, best BBQ we've had from WI to FL. The menu is perfectly small and the food has always been incredibly delicious! read more

Sugar's Ribs - Today: Chopped Brisket sandwich and pork butt tacos w/red chili. So, so outstanding! - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

As self proclaimed BBQ enthusiasts, we always seek out the top barbecue joints in every city we visit. While not experts, I did become a certified Memphis in May BBQ judge, so it's always fun to compare to Memphis and Blytheville-style BBQ. On our recent trip to Chattanooga, we discovered Sugar's Ribs, a spot that claims to cater to the "purist BBQ fan." One notable distinction is their use of spare ribs instead of baby back ribs. The meat itself was solid but didn't quite leave a lasting impression, with flavors that felt somewhat standard. However, the sides truly stole the show! The Texas pintos were rich and savory, the turnip greens had a bold almost soulful flavor, and the spicy okra chips delivered a perfect crunch with just the right kick of heat. The service was warm and welcoming, complementing the laid-back atmosphere although we did have to ask for utensil and napkins. The server apologized for being off her game. Sitting on Missionary Ridge, Sugar's Ribs offers a fantastic view of downtown Chattanooga, adding a scenic charm to the experience. Despite these highlights, the overall vibe felt like a solid but not standout BBQ spot. Would we return? Possibly, but we're eager to explore other local options first. A unique touch was the goats out back, with each table provided cabbage leaves to feed them--an absolute hit with the kids! The restaurant also boasts an array of homemade sauces with playful names like Sweet & Goopy, Hot Lips, Classic BBQ, Mustard, Clearly Hot, and Carolina Red, adding a fun twist to the meal. My wife and I ordered the "Q for 2 BBQ Sampler," featuring pulled pork, chopped brisket, jalapeño cheddar sausage, and spare ribs, served with pickles, onions, mini buns, and the standout sides of Texas pintos, turnip greens, and spicy okra chips. Our daughter enjoyed the BBQ tacos, served on fresh-made corn tortillas with lime crema, grilled sweet onions, radish, queso fresco, roasted salsa, and cilantro--a vibrant and flavorful combination. Our picky son chose the BBQ chicken sandwich, topped with pickles and onions (on the side) and mayo slaw (omitted due to his allergy), paired with chips. read more

See all

Food was very very good!! All the different bbq sauces were the stars of the show!! You can tell that these people season the food to perfection!! Highly recommend this place, ambience was great and service was even better!!! Pet goats in the back was the cherry on top for the kids!! They loved this place!! read more

I love this place! The counter service is excellent! Food is delicious! And love feeding the goats!

Best ribs around! There okra I could eat for a meal. We go there as often as we can. It's one of the few places it doesn't seem to change and I love that. Service is mostly very pleasant.. read more

We had ribs and BBQ Chicken. Both were great. Ribs were done perfectly. Service was great including hot towels to clean up.

5/2/2025- Here's a version tailored for Yelp--friendly, concise, and perfect for quick reading: 5 Stars - Amazing Ribs, Okra, and a View! Stopped by Sugar's Ribs during a quick trip to Chattanooga and was seriously impressed. I had the half rack of spare ribs, fried okra, and coleslaw--every bite was delicious. The ribs were smoky, tender, and full of flavor. The okra was a standout--sliced lengthwise, not breaded, and perfectly crisp. Loved the coleslaw too--cool, fresh, and just the right balance. To top it off, the outdoor patio has a fantastic view--great spot to enjoy a great meal. Can't wait to come back next time I'm in town! read more

See all

First time there, just passing through. The service was great! We got a half rack of ribs for 2 of us. it was naked. The meat just fell off the bones. Sweet and Tangy sauce was my favorite sauce. Hubby loved the tender ribs. My daughter got a sandwich. She said it was really good. The crispy potatoes were actually crispy. it was fun feeding the goats outside. We sat on the outside deck. It was a pretty view up on the hill. I would definitely eat there again. read more

The food was OK not very large portions. The views are worth the stuff and for my farm kids the goats was an added bonus just making sure they washed their hands before they ate overall with the stop. read more

Some REALLY REALLY good bbq in chatt. Definitely a place you must go if you are in town, or if you live here!!! The ribs are FALL-OFF-THE-BONE tender!!! The sauces are great, even better when mixed, be your own DJ and remix it!! Catfish was good as well, not fishy, and quite crispy!! Pulled pork was juicy!! Things to skip imo: okra, mo rockin stew, also didn't love the corn bread but liked that it had cheese and jalepeno, just not corn mealy enough for me but it was fluffy!! SO SO GOOD PLEASE GO ASAP read more

See all

consistently good barbecue, get the grilled okra and the turnip greens for sure. Ribs are better than most catfish was excellent. The cornbread is just like your grandma used to make. And since we're in the south, the sweet tea is sweeter than those of us from the north know what to do with. The view is excellent from the patio. This is a must stop on any trip south for us. read more

Sugar's Ribs - Ribs, okra, cornbread - Barbeque Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

From the outside, this place looks like a simple, down-home BBQ spot, but don't let that fool you--it's truly a hidden gem. I ordered the brisket sandwich and it was absolutely amazing: tender, flavorful, and paired with BBQ sauce that was unlike any other (seriously, so good). The food alone is worth the stop, but the best part was getting to feed the goats! Great atmosphere, amazing food, and such a fun little experience. We'll definitely be back! read more