Mike's Smokehouse in Chattanooga: Smoked Meat Sandwiches and Sides by the Pound

Mike's Smokehouse is a counter-service barbecue restaurant on North Shore that specializes in Texas-style smoked meats sold by the pound, with sandwiches built to order and a compact menu of sides designed to be shareable or stacked.

What Mike's Smokehouse actually is

The operation centers on a working smoker visible from the ordering counter, where brisket, ribs, and pulled pork spend 12 to 16 hours over oak and hickory. Unlike Memphis or Carolina barbecue joints that build identity around sauce or regional method, Mike's follows a Texas model: meat seasoned with salt and pepper only, sliced thick, and served on butcher paper with pickles and onions on the side. The sandwiches are built fresh, not pre-assembled, so you choose your meat, weight, and bread (white or wheat). The space is small, roughly 800 square feet, with limited seating indoors and a few tables outside. It serves primarily as a lunch and early-dinner spot for office workers and families in the North Shore neighborhood rather than as a destination barbecue pilgrimage.

Menu, pricing, and portion structure

Smoked meats are priced by the pound: brisket runs approximately $18 to $20 per pound (verify current pricing), pulled pork around $12 to $14 per pound, and ribs by the half-pound. A typical sandwich portion is half a pound of meat, which costs $9 to $13 depending on the cut. Sides (mac and cheese, collard greens, cornbread, baked beans) are $3 to $4 per pint. A single-meat sandwich with one side runs roughly $14 to $18 before tax. Combos that pair two meats with two sides exist but are ordered by weight rather than as fixed platters, so costs scale with appetite. The brisket is the flagship; it breaks into a clean slice and holds smoke flavor without drying. Pulled pork is more forgiving for first-timers and pairs well with the house sauce (tomato-based, slightly spiced, served on the side).

How Mike's Smokehouse compares to other Chattanooga sandwich and barbecue options

In the sandwich subcategory specifically, Mike's differs from Rib and Loin and Aretha Frankenstein's (which lean toward fried chicken and deli builds respectively) by committing entirely to smoke. If you want Texas-style brisket on bread, Mike's is the primary option in Chattanooga; no other counter-service spot uses the same methodology or meat sourcing. Compared to full-service barbecue restaurants like Old Hickory Pit or Sticky Fingers, Mike's is faster, cheaper, and more transparent about weight and doneness, since you watch the meat come off the slicer. The tradeoff is atmosphere and service: you order at a counter and eat quickly, not at a table with a server. If you want sauce-forward, Carolina-style pulled pork on a soft roll, Old Hickory Pit's diner setup and house sauce may suit you better. If you want Texas brisket specifically and prefer to eat in 15 minutes without frills, Mike's is the choice.

Who Mike's Smokehouse suits and does not suit

The restaurant works best for office lunch runs, families with children under 10 (short wait, simple menu, no overwhelming noise), and people who prize meat quality over ambiance. It does not suit groups larger than six (seating is tight), diners seeking a full cocktail program, or anyone uncomfortable eating with fingers and paper towels. The smoke smell lingers on clothes; plan accordingly if you have a meeting afterward. Vegetarians have no main options; sides alone do not make a full meal here.

What the first visit involves

You enter from North Shore, read a laminated menu board above the counter, and decide on meat type and weight. The staff will ask how thick you want the slice and which bread. Payment is at the counter, and the order goes to the smoker station. Wait times run 5 to 10 minutes during off-peak hours (mid-afternoon) and 15 to 25 minutes at noon or 5 p.m. Grab a number, find a seat if available, and the order is called when ready. Meat arrives on butcher paper, warm and steaming. Pickles and onions are self-serve from a small bar; sauce is optional. There is no table service, so refills and extras require a return trip to the counter.

Hours, parking, and logistics

Mike's Smokehouse is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and closed Sunday and Monday (verify hours, as kitchen closure for smoking prep sometimes shifts the opening time). Parking is street parking along North Shore; a small lot is shared with neighboring businesses. The restaurant is cash-preferred but accepts card payments. No reservations are taken, and no catering is offered despite the smoked-meat focus.

Mike's Smokehouse fills a specific gap in Chattanooga's sandwich landscape: accessible Texas-style brisket without the price or formality of a full barbecue destination. For anyone craving thick-sliced, properly smoked meat on bread, it delivers more consistently than ordering the same thing from a full-service spot.