NOOGA-Q
Address: 301 Signal Mountain RoadHours: Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.Phone: 423-752-1935
To me, the scent of outdoor cooking epitomizes summer – those hot charcoals; that wood smoke. Through the aromatic puffs of white, I envision long, lazy days and, of course, smoked meats.
Indeed, Nooga-Q Smokehouse & Grille is the reason for the season, with its always-piping wood smoker filling the restaurant’s stretch of Signal Mountain Road with that sweet summer fragrance. Naturally, its menu features all the Southern barbecue staples: smoked pork, beef, chicken, brisket, ribs and a variety of chicken wing flavors. The menu also offers classic diner eats including chili dogs and cheeseburgers.
Should you need something more substantial to fuel your summer fun, every Friday from 4 p.m. to close, Nooga-Q offers all-you-can-eat catfish fillets hand-breaded to order. The catfish additionally comes with hushpuppies, all for $10.95.
Then, every Saturday from open to close, it offers all-you-can-eat smoked pork ribs. Slow-smoked and fall-off-the-bone tender, the ribs are served with a drink for $14.95. If the scent of smoked meats signify summer then, surely, NoogaQ’s racks of saucy ribs embody it.