It’s 1 p.m. on a Tuesday — not the busiest day and time for many restaurants. But at Couch’s Barbecue, there’s little room left in the parking lot, the tables are filled and people keep coming in.
At the tender age of 79, Couch’s is Chattanooga’s oldest, continuously running house of ‘cue.
It’s the kind of place where strangers are welcomed as friends; servers know most of the regulars by name; the paper menu sports ads from local businesses; service is as sweet as the tea that fills plastic pitchers; and payments are made at the old, weathered counter with green paper tickets. No QR codes or electronic invoices here.
Will and Agnes Couch opened their restaurant in 1946. Agnes Couch’s sister, Jessie Stiner, ran the restaurant for a spell, until her son, Kenny Stiner, took charge and ran it for 47 years alongside his son, Ken Stiner, from 2000 to 2018. Then they both retired. Couch’s is now in the hands of its fifth family member and third-generation owner, Sarah Stiner.
Not much has changed in the past 79 years at Couch’s. Kenny Stiner remodeled the old cinderblock building back around the turn of the century, and Brunswick stew was introduced to the menu about six years ago.