Head to Ocoee, Tennessee, for a dam fine meal

Dam Meat Sandwich. Blow Me Down Dam BBQ. Hiwassee Dam Burger. Paradise Dam Pastrami Reuben and Heifer Pen Dam Burger Wrap. The possibilities of names for menu items are endless if you own a restaurant by a dam and the water.

Such is the case for the Ocoee Dam Deli and Diner, where Friday night’s all-you-can-eat catfish dinners flow like rushing water from the kitchen. Or chow down on a plate of Fat Dam Stacks of pancakes, giving rafters the fuel they’ll need to face roaring rapids on a river that was the venue for the Olympic kayaking events back in 1996.

Michelle Anderson owns the deli/diner, an eatery she started with her late husband, Johnny Gorman. But it’s Anderson who developed the names of the dishes.

“I have a sarcastic sense of humor and giggled when I named the menu items,” she says.

Head to Ocoee, Tennessee, for a dam fine meal

Anderson’s not the only one. Guests, too, often get a laugh. But then they wonder what the names represent. The back of the menu explains all that. Among other historical notes and geographical information, it states:

“As you take a look at the menu, you will see that many of our items are named after dams across the United States, not only Ocoee No. 1 Dam just a mile up the road from the restaurant.”

The decor, too, reflects the restaurant’s position near the river and dam with a fitting decor theme: a kayak suspended from the ceiling, dam photos hung on paneled walls and other knickknacks depicting life around the river.

Taste the Freshness

There’s no breach of flavors when it comes to this deli. Unlike some big deli chains, Ocoee Dam Deli and Diner places a strong focus on buying local.

Having visited Ocoee Dam Deli and Diner twice on her way to North Carolina, Joanne Bramlett has become a fan of the pimento cheese burger, one of several hand-patted burgers on the menu. No frozen patties here.

“You’ve just got to taste it,” she says. “I crave it whenever a burger-craving hits, so I’m kind of glad I live in Chattanooga and can only have it a couple of times a year when I pass by the diner at lunchtime.”

Anderson appreciates the support, even if it is just a couple of times a year.

“Folks know what they like, and if we strive to make their food the way they have always remembered … I think we can only be thankful that they choose to dine with us.”

Like most all menu items, the pimento cheese is made from scratch.

“Our pimento burger is a fave, as we make our pimento cheese in-house, and it comes out all melty and delicious on our fantastic fresh-pattied burger that’s cooked to your liking,” Anderson says.

Other guest favorites are the slow-cooked roast, perfectly seasoned and served with carrots and potatoes. It’s a hearty meal to warm up to after running the rapids on the Ocoee, along with a side of creamed corn made fresh with local, in-season ears.

“Folks want good meals with quality ingredients,” Anderson says. “We can’t source all of our products out locally, just because there is not enough availability for what our restaurant needs to serve the public.”

A Look Back

When Ocoee Dam Deli and Diner opened 20 years ago, almost every restaurant around served frozen chicken and burgers. But Anderson and her husband took a different approach, and that has made all the difference. The restaurant brings in people from all around – local, out-of-town, out-of-state and even international diners.

“We appreciate all the locals for their continued support and folks who return to us from year to year,” Anderson says. “But we really would not survive without the tourists who come to visit our beautiful scenic trails and rivers.”