- Attraction: Hello Monty
- Location: 306 W Main St, Chattanooga, TN 37408
- Industry: Restaurant
- Website: https://www.hellomontyonmain.com/
Brothers Rob and Clay Gentry opened Hello Monty in fall 2021 with a straightforward vision: recreate the soul of a backyard cookout inside a Chattanooga restaurant.
Every dish here gets introduced to fire through custom-built coal ovens, giving each plate that unmistakable charred, smoky depth you’d expect from your neighbor’s grill—but elevated to restaurant quality.
The Southside location occupies a historic brick building at Main and Cowart streets, and the restaurant’s name honors B. Rush Montgomery, a colorful local figure who once boldly declared that Main Street (originally Montgomery Avenue) would become the center of the universe.
While Chattanooga might not quite be the cosmic hub Monty predicted, this restaurant has certainly become a darling of the downtown dining scene, drawing crowds for its wood-fired fare and fresh-brewed beers from the in-house Dynamo Brewing operation.
Wood-Fired Menu Highlights
The Monty Burger: This double-stacked black angus creation hits all the right notes with white American cheese, special sauce, charred onions, lettuce, tomato, and pickles on a local bun.
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Keep Exploring →The burger comes cooked to order—medium yields juicy, flavorful beef that’s tender without being greasy. Those fingerling potato wedges served alongside offer a welcome change from standard fries, arriving crispy on the outside while staying soft inside.
Blackened Salmon: Don’t let the dramatically charred exterior fool you—underneath that dark, flavorful bark lies perfectly pink, juicy salmon.
The blackening rub adds just the right amount of heat without overwhelming the fish, and the generous portion size ensures you won’t leave hungry. It’s paired with romesco cream and grilled cabbage with black garlic vinaigrette for a complete plate.
Crispy Brussels Sprouts: Perhaps the most frequently praised appetizer, these sprouts arrive with a satisfying crunch and just enough kick to keep things interesting.
The charred lemon aioli dipping sauce adds brightness and richness that perfectly complements the vegetables’ caramelized exterior. Portions are generous enough for sharing around the table.
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Discover MoreIcy Blue Mussels: These mussels showcase the kitchen’s skill with seafood and bold flavors. Cooked in that signature wood-fired style, they come bathed in a sauce worth soaking up with the accompanying bread.
Blistered Tomato Toast: This shareable appetizer layers tomato compote, prosciutto, goat cheese, and spiced honey on grilled bread. The combination of sweet, salty, and tangy flavors creates something memorable—the kind of dish that’ll have you thinking about it days later.
Springer Mountain Farms Chicken: The charcoal-roasted half chicken arrives deboned with the wing still attached, marinated in curry yogurt and finished with pickled onions, fresh herbs, and garlic oil over jasmine rice.
The skin turns beautifully crispy in those coal ovens, while the meat stays tender and flavorful throughout.
Sweet Tea Brined Chicken Sandwich: This sandwich takes Southern comfort food seriously. The grilled chicken breast gets its flavor from a sweet tea brine, then gets topped with Alabama white sauce, crispy onions, and slaw on a local egg bun. The potato wedges complete the plate.
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Keep Exploring →Cast Iron Cheese Dip: Arrive hungry for this one. The house-blended cheese gets enriched with Dynamo lager, pickled banana peppers, and roasted garlic cloves, all served bubbling hot with grilled local country bread for dipping. It’s rich, indulgent, and perfect for groups.
Italian Sausage Flatbread: The wood-fired flatbreads showcase the versatility of those coal ovens. This version comes topped with smoked mushrooms, tomato jam, white cheddar, and green onion—a satisfying combination that works equally well as an appetizer or light meal.
Shrimp Skewers: Grilled shrimp get elevated with garlic oil, gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), fresh herbs, and comeback sauce. The skewers deliver just enough heat and plenty of flavor. They’re also available in a grilled shrimp sandwich version with crab salad and comeback sauce on a local hoagie bun.
Dynamo Brewing & The Beverage Program
House-Brewed Beers: Clay Gentry, who’s been brewing professionally for nearly 30 years and helped bring craft beer back to Chattanooga in the 1990s, oversees Dynamo Brewing inside Hello Monty.
The brewery features a unique setup with horizontal serving tanks visible behind the bar, dispensing beer via a proof coil system that delivers some of the freshest pours in town.
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Discover MoreThe lineup typically includes seven to nine rotating beers—straightforward styles like Hefeweizen, Helles, Porter, and Mild executed with Clay’s three decades of experience. Each style gets brewed true to form, showcasing clean, fresh flavors.
Craft Cocktails: Beyond beer, you’ll find creative batch cocktails that complement the wood-fired menu. The drinks use fresh ingredients and show the same attention to detail as the food.
Happy hour runs Tuesday through Friday from 3-6 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering good deals on both beers and cocktails.
Atmosphere & Design
The Open Kitchen Experience: One of Hello Monty’s most distinctive features is the open kitchen with booth seating along glass walls that look directly into the cooking area.
Watching the kitchen crew work the coal ovens creates an engaging dining experience—it’s almost choreographed the way chefs move around each other, handling multiple dishes simultaneously.
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Keep Exploring →These booths are prime real estate for anyone who loves seeing their food prepared.
Indoor Dining Spaces: The restaurant makes excellent use of its historic brick building, with exposed brick walls adding character throughout. One main dining area features the bar with windows looking into the brewery’s gleaming stainless steel tanks.
The other dining section offers tables and booths with a more traditional setup. Despite the restaurant’s popularity, the space never feels overcrowded—the layout maximizes capacity while maintaining comfort.
The Outdoor Patio: The spacious outdoor area might be Hello Monty’s best-kept secret. Described as one of Chattanooga’s finest outdoor dining patios, the yard-style seating area features bright yellow umbrellas and connects directly with the bustling Main Street energy.
On pleasant evenings, the patio transforms into the ideal spot for enjoying wood-fired dishes and cold beer while people-watching. The outdoor space extends the backyard cookout vibe that inspired the restaurant’s concept.
Lighting & Ambiance: The restaurant’s lighting design deserves special mention. Both inside and outside, thoughtful illumination creates a warm, inviting atmosphere without being too dim or harsh.
The overall vibe reads as trendy yet comfortable—upscale enough for date night but relaxed enough for casual meals with friends. Background noise stays at moderate levels even when the restaurant fills up.
Practical Considerations
Pricing & Value: Hello Monty lands in the mid-tier pricing category for Chattanooga dining. Entrees typically range from around $19-24, with appetizers hovering in the $11-15 range.
Given the generous portion sizes, quality local ingredients, and the skill required for wood-fire cooking, most diners find the prices reasonable.
The food quality justifies the spend, especially considering you’re getting chef-driven dishes rather than standard restaurant fare.
Reservations Recommended: While Hello Monty keeps a few tables available for walk-ins, making reservations through Resy is strongly suggested, particularly for Friday and Saturday evenings. The restaurant has turned away walk-ins during busy periods, so planning ahead saves disappointment.
Brunch Service: Weekend brunch runs Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and has earned praise as some of Chattanooga’s best.
The menu expands beyond the regular offerings with items like the HM Grits Bowl, Brunch Burger, and French toast. The calm Sunday morning atmosphere stands in stark contrast to the more bustling dinner service.
Parking Situation: Being located in the Southside district on Main Street means you’ll likely need to find street parking or use nearby lots. The neighborhood location makes it walkable for residents and easily accessible for visitors exploring downtown Chattanooga.
Dietary Accommodations: Hello Monty clearly marks gluten-free items on the menu and shows awareness about celiac concerns.
However, they use a shared fryer, so the crispy Brussels sprouts and other fried items may not be safe for those with severe gluten sensitivities.
Vegetarian and vegan options appear throughout the menu, and the kitchen demonstrates flexibility in accommodating dietary needs.
Pet-Friendly Patio: Four-legged friends are welcome to join you at outdoor tables on the yard patio, making this a solid choice for dining with your dog.
Hours of Operation: The restaurant closes Mondays. Tuesday through Friday, hours run 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with lunch service from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., with brunch service until 3 p.m.
The Moon Pie Cheesecake: If you spot this dessert on the menu, don’t skip it. This playful homage to Chattanooga’s Moon Pie heritage reimagines the iconic treat as a sophisticated cheesecake, honoring the dessert Rob Gentry served at his former Blue Plate restaurant.
Hello Monty
📍 306 W Main St, Chattanooga, TN 37408
