I don’t know how many times I’ve driven north on I-75, looked to my right near Ooltewah and seen Local Goat, wondering if it was part of the Hampton Inn next door or a privately owned restaurant in a great location right next to not only the Hampton Inn but the Holiday Inn Express, too.
So when I happened to be in the neighborhood on a recent afternoon, hungry and looking for a place to eat, it was a good opportunity to experience Local Goat for the first time. I discovered that it’s a locally owned and managed eatery, separate from both hotels, featuring a host of made-from-scratch items on its menu.
(READ MORE: Local Goat restaurant planned for Chattanooga area)
THE MENU
I was impressed by Local Goat’s menu protocols. Beef is aged a minimum of 28 days and never frozen; buns are made fresh daily; all juices and bar mixes are made in-house; and 22 of the restaurant’s 24 draughts are from regional craft breweries. I don’t know any other chain — there’s another Local Goat in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee — that can make such claims, and I appreciate its commitment to the local food scene.