Before they closed the Food City store that was on Rossville Blvd., every Saturday morning I’d drive down the street past this purple building with colorful drawings on the outside, Chubby’s Bar-B-Q, but it was always closed.
I later learned they’re only open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. The reviews mentioned great barbeque, friendly staff, large portions and fantastic breakfast.
I thought it was time to check it out.
The purple painted and graffiti covered building at 38 Street and Rossville Blvd. has been serving the local community for 21 years now. Chubby’s Bar-B-Q is an iconic breakfast and lunch diner where customers sit at the high-top counter, handwritten meal tickets are spun around on an old fashion ticket spinner for the kitchen, and the owner knows most customers by name.
One wall is covered with several family photos of the owner, her children and her grandchildren. During one of my visits Deni Allison Bettis, the owner, was talking to a few of her customers. The banter was about upcoming travels, how the family is doing, and what is going on with so and so’s health.
My server Dusty Saylors took my breakfast order and later walked out of the kitchen carrying her one-year-old son, who was cackling with laughter and reaching out for Deni.
This family run diner offers classic country style breakfast. Biscuits and gravy, grits, eggs with ham, bacon, sausage, or pork chop. Biscuit and egg sandwiches and a variety of other biscuit sandwich options cover the menu for their breakfast options.
I ordered two eggs over medium with sausage, grits and a biscuit and my bill was $7.10. The eggs were perfectly cooked. In fact, I was so anxious to dig into my meal that I had already poked at the yolks and taken a bite of my sausage before I realized I needed to take a photo.
Opps!
They have pancakes, French toast, scattered hashbrowns and home fries. They offer a few different omelets, smoked or county ham and more!
Chubby’s Bar-B-Q has daily specials, and their hot or cold sides are listed on their board. They post their specials on their Facebook Page. The other day they posted about having rib ends, chicken and rice casserole and tuna salad, white beans, collard greens, garlic cheese potatoes, baked beans, mashed potatoes, fried okra, fried squash, coleslaw, Deviled eggs, cucumber salad, pickled beets, peaches, cottage cheese and more.
STOP!
You had me at rib ends, collard greens and baked beans, which is exactly what I ordered.
The rib ends were smokey and no barbeque sauce was needed. The baked beans also had a hint of smoke. They were thick and hearty and delicious. But the winner was the collard greens. Tender, flavorful with a nice broth.
Of course, they have pork and barbeque beef plates and sandwiches. You can choose a small or large pork sandwich, or hamburger, or barbeque beef or cheeseburger or bologna sandwich. They have more options on the menu too. They have hot dogs, BLT’s, corn dogs and my namesake, Patty Melt! I’m not even close to being done with other menu options they offer.
You can also buy their barbeque by the pound.
Let me not forget to mention desserts. I heard from one of their regulars, who was in the process of eating his slice of homemade peanut butter cake drizzled with chocolate and caramel, about Chubby’s highly rated banana pudding. Or how I missed out on their coconut or pecan pie.
You can’t beat their value. My lunch with a Sprite and tip added was only $17. Again, that’s after I added a tip.
It might be a tiny diner, but it’s huge on how they treat their customers and serving great food.
Chubby’s Bar-B-Q
- 3801 Rossville Blvd., Chattanooga, TN
- (423) 867-4422
- https://jiucaowang.com/rossvillerestaurant/