Chattanooga Pulse

On any given day, you could park outside either location of City Café Diner and watch people come and go—and the majority of those people would leave carrying a takeout box. Why is that?  It’s because City Café Diner has “good food and plenty of it”—so much so, they’ve made that their slogan.  “Good food and plenty of it.”  Kind of catchy, definitely true.

According to Max Vasquez, one of the managers at the Carter Street location, size of the portions, quality of food, quality of service, and speed of service are the requirements set by owner Lee Epstein.  Mr. Epstein has a long history in the restaurant business, and can often be found at the grill or peering through the pass-through window into the kitchen.  He is involved in all of the restaurants’ catering jobs.

Prior to opening City Café Diner on Carter Street, Epstein had a number of City Café Diners in the Atlanta area.  He has since closed those restaurants, and is focused on making his Chattanooga locations the best they can possibly be.  A native New Yorker, Epstein modeled the City Café Diners’ style after the diners of his youth.  Upon arrival, you’ll see lots of chrome, mirrors, neon, and plenty of smiling faces.

When asked what their suggestions were from the menu, Vasquez and new General Manager Gary Haworth had one suggestion for everyone…try everything!  Both managers stress that there are vast options for your dining pleasure.

You’ll find breakfast on the menu 24 hours a day, Greek specialties, Italian specialties and so much more.  Never had souvlaki?  No problem, order a Combination Greek Platter where souvlaki is featured with a gyro, spinach pie, and dolmades, served up with fries and a Greek salad.

In the mood for some broiled stuffed flounder Florentine?  City Café Diner has it.  They offer two soups each day made from scratch, and there are more than 35 items on their lunch menu. Says Vasquez, “Cover to cover, there are approximately 400 items on our menu.”

Since they are open 24 hours, City Café Diner has a prep team working around the clock to ensure quality.    They also have their own off-site bakery that creates nearly all of their more than 70 well-known desserts—including several sugar-free or gluten-free items—and bakes all the breads used at City Café Diner.

City Café Diner at Carter Street does a brisk lunch business. Gary Haworth says people should never be concerned about getting their meal, eating and making it back to their desk in the allotted time.  Still a little worried?  That’s OK…call City Café Diner up for delivery.  City Café Diner offers Chattanooga’s only 24-hour delivery service, and between the two locations, they cover everywhere from Collegedale to the foot of Signal Mountain.

Aside from the great meals, amazing desserts, generous portions, and timely service, City Café Diner at Carter Street also offers sweet libation.  The recently updated lounge, The Office, is open from 4 p.m. until 3 a.m. Monday through Friday and 5 p.m. til 3 a.m. on Saturday—and has a surprisingly large selection of domestic and import beers.  You’ll find everything from Budweiser to Fat Tire.  Monday through Friday, they offer happy-hour specials that will blow your mind—well drinks for only $2 and drafts for $1.

Need a drink, a meal, or some of that sweet, sweet dessert?  City Café Diner has you covered.

City Café Diner is located at the Best Western Heritage on Lee Highway and at the Days Inn Rivergate on Carter Street.