There are a few places in the Chattanooga food scene that are iconic. For me, one of them is Marsha’s Backstreet Cafe, which celebrates its 26th anniversary this month.
“January 11, actually,” said Jimmy Bain who helps run the cozy diner off Brainerd Road with his mom Marsha Bain. Tucked in the shopping strip behind Lamplight Liquor, Marsha’s opened in 1999 and is well-known for their “best clucking chicken salad in town”.
Some of their regular customers have been dining there since day one and it shows. They are greeted by name and have their beverages on the table by the time they take their seat. Those looking to chit-chat with long-time server Logan, or Jimmy tend to sit at the barstools spilling the beans on what their kids are doing, where they are taking their next family vacation, local happenings and, at times, national politics.
Jimmy and Logan handle the front of the house like well-oiled machines. Taking orders, busing tables, refilling soft drinks and even moving the customers’ vehicles in the parking lot that is much too small for the number of hungry locals and occasional newcomers they receive each day. But they power on knocking through a massive lunch rush and attending to those who decided on an early lunch or coming in after 1 p.m.
Marsha Bain and her helpers are hard at work in the kitchen turning out homemade comfort food, healthy salads and fruits and a few southern classics.
Regulars know to check the chalkboard as they enter or look on Facebook for the daily specials, and their sandwich and salad of the week.
You had better get there early when they offer their pork chop special with baked beans, and potato salad. Same on Thursdays when they typically offer their spaghetti or grilled or fried chicken Parmesan with a salad. Fridays it’s their hamburger steak or grilled chicken or fried fish with a baked potato and a salad. But on certain Fridays they serve smoked burgers with fries instead! They change up some of their specials, especially on Mondays and Wednesdays so keep an eye out for that as you don’t want to miss a great special of the day!
I went there one Monday and saw the special was fried shrimp with a baked potato and salad. The shrimp were big and there were a lot of them! Marsha’s doesn’t skimp on their servings; you get plenty and some!
All the regulars know that all the sandwiches come with pickles and chips, so if you want their onion rings or fries you had better ask for them.
I’ve eaten here frequently in the past two years. You name it, I’ve tried it and still have other specials I have yet to try! Marsha’s is, hands down, my favorite spot for a classic Patty Melt on Rye bread with onion rings!
Their cheeseburgers are fantastic. Marsha’s meatloaf served with coleslaw, white beans and mashed potatoes is the epitome of southern comfort food. I ordered a hamburger steak special once that came with potatoes, and broccoli casserole. I had my hamburger steak topped with cheese and grilled onions. The options and the specials make this a place where you can dine at every day and try something new on each visit!
As for their claim of having the best chicken salad in town, it is the best I’ve tasted! I’ve ordered their chicken salad sandwich, and their cold plate which is chicken salad, tuna salad, cottage cheese and fruit. A great healthy meal and refreshing during the hot days of summer.
I think I’m still a bit green when it comes to Logan and Jimmy knowing my name as I walk in the door, but I have earned a nickname from Jimmy. I had a horrific break in my right humerus a year ago. One day I walked into Marsha’s while wearing a sleeveless top and Jimmy noticed the massive scar that starts at my elbow and goes all the way up and just past my shoulder. We talked about my accident and how it happened. Since then, whenever I visited, he would ask me how I was healing.
One day, I walked in, and he said, “There’s the girl with the robotic arm, how are you doing?”
Robo-Arm is doing fine, because the best place to eat is at a place that makes you feel like a member of the family!
If you are carving a meal from Marsha’s but can’t make it out to them, they have delivery available through Door Dash!
Marsha’s Backstreet Cafe
- 5036 Brainerd Road
- Chattanooga, TN 37421
- (423) 485—7911
- facebook.com/MarshasBackstreetCafe
- $-$$