Countryside Café
Address: 8223 Mahan Gap Road Hours: Monday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Phone: 423-344-8646
I arrived to Countryside Café a few minutes before opening. The staff bustled about the kitchen while a server moved about the dining area, hand-writing daily specials onto the café’s whiteboards. “Meatloaf; chicken and dumplings; whole fried trout” she wrote.
Every day, Countryside Café offers an array of fresh meat and veggie specials. After all, the Ooltewah eatery is all about freshness. Much to this fruit-lover’s delight, this time of year that means strawberries.
Countryside is officially bringing in ripe Florida berries, which are showcased in recipes such as the decadent strawberry shortcake – homemade shortcake, topped with sweet strawberries and stacked with fluffy whipped cream.
“We’ll be getting fresh strawberries from Dayton starting in May,” said café owner Marlene Geren.