Top 5 Green Restaurants in Chattanooga

I am absolutely addicted to eating out. If I could afford to do so, I'd gladly eat out three meals a day, seven days a week. Unfortunately, I recognize that my addiction to restaurants comes at a cost to the planet. Restaurants-- particularly those serving fast food-- are often guilty of overpackaging food and using heavily processed ingredients.

Luckily, my home town of Chattanooga is host to a variety of green restaurants, which aim to reduce their ecological impact while providing a satisfying and affordable meal. If you are visiting Chattanooga or live in this increasingly progressive city, here are a few sustainable restaurants worth trying out.

1. Yellow Deli

This is, by far, my favorite green restaurant in Chattanooga. Born out of 1970s utopian idealism, Yellow Deli is owned and operated by Twelve Tribes, a sustainable community based in Judeo-Christian biblical principles. The foods served at Yellow Deli are exclusively natural and primarily organic, and many of the ingredients are sourced in small-scale community argriculture. Yellow Deli's atmosphere is earthy and artsy. The wooden balcony offers a stunning view of Lookout Mountain, and the inner building is decorated in hand-painted murals and rustic wooden furniture.

2. Sluggo's Vegetarian Cafe

Serving exclusively vegan food, Sluggo's offers some of the best sustainable fare in the Chattanooga area. The Sluggo's staff make every effort to be green, serving foods on real plates, with real cutlery, rather than taking the easy way out and using disposable goods. Many of the menu items are organic, and Sluggo's supports local agriculture. Because of the variety of convincing, familiar meat-like meals on the menu, this one's perfect for those who are new to vegetarianism and green living.

3. 212 Market Restaurant

"212" is by far the greenest restaurant in Chattanooga. It is solar-powered, serves all-organic, local food, and eschews the use of unsustainable disposable items. In terms of sustainability, 212 Market Restaurant is as good as it gets. The only drawback: patrons can expect to pay a pretty penny to dine in this upscale green establishment. If you can afford it, 212 is certainly worth the expense. But, if you can't shell out $15 for a child-sized serving of plain pasta and butter, you might want to look elsewhere.

4. Greenlife

A homegrown local grocer now owned by Whole Foods, Greenlife offers an impressive array of local, natural, and organic foods-- with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options available. The sushi bar, deli, panini shop, dessert case, salad bar, and buffet provide limitless options. Both indoor and outdoor seating are available, and the price is entirely reasonable. Greenlife's wide selection makes it an ideal go-to for sustainable meals in Chattanooga.

5. Good Dog

Adjacent to Chattanooga's beautiful Coolidge Park, Good Dog takes hot dogs to a whole new level. Serving vegetarian hot dogs and brats along with traditional all-beef franks, Good Dog offers a virtually limitless selection of meals and snacks. The dozen varieties of ketchup, if nothing else, make the Good Dog experience worthwhile! This sustainable restaurant recycles, uses earth-friendly disposables, and conserves energy, and is decorated in upcycled local art. Whether you eat cow-hotdogs or soy-hotdogs, Good Dog is a perfect go-to for casual, earth-friendly dining.