South Pittsburg Stroll

Only a town like South Pittsburg could make me forgive Siri and her terrible, terrible directions. West of Chattanooga, this small town (which my iPhone couldn’t seem to find) is famous for the Lodge Cast Iron Factory, Pirate football and the Cornbread Festival, but has several places of interest for an afternoon out of town. If you have a free Saturday to get lost, head to Cedar Street for a visit and try something new. You never know what you might find!

1. Lodge Cast Iron Factory

503 S. Cedar Avenue

837-5919

This factory is admittedly the biggest reason I wanted to come to South Pittsburg. My fiancé and I have three Lodge skillets and a pizza stone, and we are obsessed with the American made cast iron cookware. So why wouldn’t I want to come to the Lodge Factory Store where I can find all of their items and even some (with hardly noticeable cosmetic imperfections) at ridiculous discounts? It’s pretty dangerous on your wallet but worth the trip. Grab a skillet and a few small kitchen novelties and mark someone off your Christmas shopping list.

2. Hammer’s Department Store

220 Cedar Avenue

837-7396

A South Pittsburg staple, Hammer’s Department Store is a sort of catch-all general store that’s anchored the strip for years. On the blustery fall day I visited, the store was lively with old friends catching up and comparing work clothes and home décor items. You can always trust a store with hand painted window signs, am I right? With a website tagline like

“Hammer’s Department Store probably sells it, has sold it, or will sell it,” you can bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised about the new selection each time you walk in the door.

3. Princess Theatre

205 S Cedar Street

837-5924

This quaint foothills town wouldn’t be complete without an old theater’s marquee lighting up the strip. The Princess Theatre, which was painstakingly refurbished for more than a decade before it made its grand re-opening in 2011, can be rented out for private parties, or you can catch one of the town’s fun events there. I’m especially interested in coming back for a South Pittsburg tradition-the annual Christmas Spectacular. Save one of those rosy velvet seats for me!

4. Dixie Freeze

837-6423

200 Elm Avenue

I live for places like this. Obviously retro, obviously amazing, the Dixie Freeze on Elm Street is a local standby. With a light-up neon sign and aged windows to order from, I feel like I’m in a scene straight out of Grease. Some people love the Dixie Freeze for their Dixie burgers and other comfort food menu items, but the real win at this dairy bar are the milkshakes. I opted for a chocolate shake to help me fight traffic back to Chattanooga but might come back for the Dagwood, a bacon-double cheese burger with a thick slice of Texas toast and a whole lot of nostalgia.