
St. John's Restaurant
729 Chestnut St, Chattanooga, TN 37402
About St. John's Restaurant - steak house in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Seasonal, elevated American fare is served in a vintage space with modern decor.
Customer Review Summary
St. John's Restaurant is highly praised for its excellent food, beautiful ambiance, and top-notch service. Reviewers commend the knowledgeable and friendly staff, especially highlighting servers like Tommy and Margaret for their exceptional service. The new location is appreciated for its beauty, though some have noted it could benefit from better kitchen ventilation. The menu offers seasonal items that are consistently executed well, with dishes like antelope and different salads receiving particular acclaim. However, there are complaints regarding larger group dining; parties of 10 or more are limited to a less impressive menu, dubbed the "Waffle House menu," which disappoints some guests hoping for more unique offerings. Overall, the restaurant is considered one of Chattanooga's finest dining experiences, though a few guests have indicated they may not return due to dissatisfaction with large group accommodations.
Key Features
Service options
- Takeout
- Dine-in
Highlights
- Great beer selection
- Great cocktails
- Great coffee
- Great dessert
- Great wine list
- Live music
Popular for
- Dinner
- Solo dining
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
- Wheelchair accessible seating
Offerings
- Alcohol
- Beer
- Cocktails
- Coffee
- Happy hour drinks
- Hard liquor
- Organic dishes
- Small plates
- Vegan options
- Vegetarian options
- Wine
Dining options
- Dinner
- Dessert
Amenities
- Bar onsite
- Restroom
Atmosphere
- Cozy
- Romantic
- Trendy
- Upscale
Crowd
- Groups
- Tourists
Planning
- Reservations required
- Dinner reservations recommended
- Accepts reservations
Payments
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
Children
- High chairs
Parking
- Paid parking lot
- Paid street parking
Customer Reviews
Rating Distribution
alex martin
Food and ambiance is 100% the price. The experience was golden due to the wonderful, unpretentiously knowledgeable, and friendly service of Tommy. Thank you for making my girlfriend’s birthday dinner a wonderful curated delight.
Michelle Buchanan
Make a reservation. Beautiful upscale restaurant with great ambiance. Service was amazing and staff were extremely friendly from entering to leaving the restaurant. We had the crab cakes for table share, 1st course scallops and then main course we had lamb chops and a filet. The entrees were delicious with perfect portion sizes.
ChrissyMay
I haven’t been to a nicer restaurant in all of Chattanooga. The building is so beautiful and truly adds to the special experience this place provides. The bartender is fantastic, we had a few delightful cocktails prior to dinner. Our server, Margaret, was absolutely lovely. Everything we ordered, with a few recommendations from our server, was delicious. She really made our anniversary special. I’m so glad Chattanooga has a restaurant of this quality. We will definitely be back.
Jennifer
I rarely leave a review because it is normally not worth my time, however this review was warranted. My husband and I have been to St. John’s in the past at their previous location. We wanted to go to their new location. We enjoyed the new location. The service was outstanding. I think her name was Grace (I apologize if this is incorrect). The service she provided was the best we’ve had in a long time. The meal we had was exceptional! From the bread, the lump crab cakes, the beef filet, roasted chicken to the Italian cream cake and bread pudding, everything was absolutely delicious!!! It takes a lot to impress me. I was very impressed!! I hate I couldn’t give a 10!
Jordan Faircloth Loperena
It is hard to beat a night out to St. John's! I find it to be one of Chattanooga's only fine dining experiences. My family and I love to dress up a little bit and take our time having a wonderful meal here. The drinks are always great, the food is always exceptional, and the service is top notch.
Justin Vizaro
Absolutely fantastic experience. The menu is seasonal, but some things seem like staples. If the antelope is on when you visit, do not hesitate. New location is beautifully done, but needs a little better kitchen ventilation. Fish reaches the dining room. Our impressions: January 2025~ Beet salad: 6/10 - mint did too much Winter veg plate: 10/10 - porcini broth needs to be a fixture Vegan tiramisu: 10/10 Elk w/ribeye setup: 10/10 Summer 2024~ Toast: 7/10 Bison tenderloin: 10/10 Heirloom salad: 10/10 Veg plate: 7/10 Spring 2024~ Beet plate: 7/10 Spring salad: 8/10 Elk: 11/10 Grilled tofu: 11/10 Bombe: 10/10 Vegan choco: 9/10 Summer 2023~ Beet plate: 10/10 Shisito peppers: 11/10 FGT: 8/10 Coulotte: 9/10 Vegan cheesecake: 8/10 Spring 2023~ Beet plate: 10/10 Veg. Entree: 11/10 Halibut: 10/10 Scallops: 10/10 Summer 2022~ Cheese app: 10/10 Trout fritter app: 10/10 Summer salad: 9/10 Quail entree: 8/10 Wagyu: 10/10 Antelope: 12/10 Honeysuckle brûlée: 10/10 Peanut butter: 10/10
Jeremy Singleton
BIG PARTIES BEWARE!!! Our family always comes to St John’s every year, close to Christmas, to have a nice dinner. The old place and the way they ran it was amazing, however, the new location has completely changed their structure on handling parties over 10. Our server was great and we were in a private room in which they have privacy blinds which is great since we can get loud, but the food….. was very disappointing. The most disappointing thing is the WAFFLE HOUSE menu they make you order off of when you have a big party, our party was 12 people. No info on website regarding party size. The menu is nothing special. The main courses are steak, chicken, trout, and a veggie option. Which are things you can order anywhere in town. They didn’t even include their beef tartare on the app list… we love the unique items on the main menu, elk, duck, bison ribeye, but unfortunately we had to order from the WAFFLE HOUSE MENU. If I’m going to spend money on good food, I want the good stuff! I understand y’all want to serve everyone in a timely manner, but I’m okay waiting a little longer for something I can’t get anywhere else. My fiancé and I split a salad and the steak as I was not going to waste my money on a WAFFLE HOUSE menu. Then we went to Goodfellas and got a slice of pizza! Never left a restaurant still hungry. Hopefully y’all change your business motto because y’all are losing out on a lot of money! We don’t plan to be back next year!
Jerry Kezhaya
Wow, where to start? Our first visit was at the original location and last night at their new location. Same great food and service! We will return.
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