Chattanooga's destination for food, drinks and good times!
Mellow is a state of mind, and for Mellow Mushroom, it’s also a way of being. The first location was born in Atlanta in 1974, a product of the “free-wheelin’ hippy culture” of the 1970’s. The idea back then was the same as it is now: to make the most delicious, craveable pizza on the planet. The founders of Mellow Mushroom dreamed of a world where happiness could be found in the simplest things, like a mouthwatering slice of pizza and an ice-cold beer.
Today the Mellow Mushroom family encompasses a wide variety of restaurant locations across the country. Walking into one Mellow is a totally different experience from any other in America. Open since 2001, the downtown Chattanooga Mellow Mushroom at 205 Broad St. is in the original Coca-Cola bottling plant and features oversized Coke bottle caps as awnings over its sidewalk patio.
The Hamilton Place Mellow Mushroom at 2318 Lifestyle Way, which was built from scratch in 2011, features an Alice in Wonderland theme and stadium seating for viewing the pizza bakers perform their doughy antics.
When it comes to Mellow Mushroom’s specialty pies, creative combinations abound. Popular choices include the Thai Dye, which begins with an olive oil and garlic base topped with grilled curry chicken, mozzarella, roma tomatoes, onions, fresh basil, cucumbers and a swirl of Thai chili sauce. The Magical Mystery Tour has a pesto base and crust with button and portobello mushrooms, mozzarella, feta, spinach and jalapeños. Ragin’ for Cajun? The Bayou Bleu’s spicy bleu cheese base is topped with grilled shrimp and andouille sausage, then covered in mozzarella and garnished with chives.
Diners can also enjoy vegan and vegetarian options like the Mega Veggie—mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, black olives, roma tomatoes, broccoli, feta, banana peppers, artichoke hearts and tofu—or hit the opposite end of the spectrum with carnivore choices such as the Mighty Meaty, a pizza featuring pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, ham and applewood smoked bacon. In addition to specialty pies on their spring water dough, Mellow Mushroom also offers calzones, hoagies and salads with a wide variety of ingredients and toppings.
Complementing the eclectic menu is a robust selection of beers. The downtown Mellow Mushroom has 40 selections on tap, while the Hamilton Place Mellow offers 64 draft choices. Both locations have additional bottled offerings, and up-to-the-minute beer menus are available on the Untappd app.
Thursdays are $2 wine days at both locations, and both Mellows offer hand-crafted cocktails for $5 every Sunday. Happy hour at both locations feature $3 draft beer selections along with $3 appetizers including bruschetta, hummus, pretzel bites and Capri salads.
Both of Mellow Mushroom’s Chattanooga locations are locally-owned and regularly support the community through give-back events. Recent partners have included Battle Academy, the TN 2 chapter of veterans’ advocacy group Rolling Thunder, and Partnership for Families, Children and Adults.