City guide · Chattanooga, Tennessee
Where to Eat Barbecue in Chattanooga
Killer potatoes, scrap plates and old gas-station smokehouses, from the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Barbecue and picnic fare · St. Elmo, Hamilton County
The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe
Rainbow Sandwiches, barbecue plates and banana pudding next to the Incline in St. Elmo.
- Today
Why go
Tony and Lisa Davis started out with The Purple Pig concessions trailer. They opened The Purple Daisy in 2005 at another St. Elmo location and moved to the current one in 2007.6 Tony Davis created the hot slaw, the Brunswick stew and the rub for the barbecued meats.6
The signature Rainbow Sandwich layers homemade chicken salad, pimento cheese and cucumber spread on crustless white and wheat bread.6 When it opened in 2005, the menu's "Slow Smoked" section listed hickory smoked and charcoal grilled items.5
The Purple Daisy sits at the foot of Lookout Mountain in Historic St. Elmo, next to the Incline Railway.1 It has served barbecue and picnic sandwiches since 2005. The Pulse describes three house sauces on every table: sweet, hot and original.3
What to order
Good to know
Order ahead
Pickup and delivery on the spot's site.1
What people are saying
In the press
- May 18, 2026The Pulse · Purple Daisy Cafe: an iconic diner at the foot of Lookout Mountain
- Jul 10, 2025The Pulse · The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe celebrates twenty tasty years serving St. Elmo
- Jul 7, 2005Chattanoogan.com · Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe is in the heart of St. Elmo
What we don’t know yet
We only publish what we can source. Here’s what’s missing.
- Photos
- Wood and pits
- Cash or card
- The pitmaster
More barbecue nearby
Little Coyote
Open dailySt. Elmo · about 0.1 mi
3950 Tennessee Ave
Chubby's Bar-B-Q
Rossville Blvd · about 2 mi
3801 Rossville Blvd
Chatt Smoke House
Open Tue to SatEast MLK · about 3 mi
416 E M L King Blvd
Nearest trail: Franklin and Williamson County Trail, about 100 miles away.
Related guides
Researched by Erik Peterson, sources linked below.
Sources (6) · every fact on this page links to one
- Home · Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe · Checked Oct 27, 2026
- Food menu · Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe · Checked Oct 27, 2026
- The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe celebrates twenty tasty years serving St. Elmo · The Pulse · published Jul 10, 2025 · checked Oct 27, 2026
- Purple Daisy Cafe: an iconic diner at the foot of Lookout Mountain · The Pulse · published May 18, 2026 · checked Oct 27, 2026
- Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe is in the heart of St. Elmo · Chattanoogan.com · published Jul 7, 2005 · checked Oct 27, 2026
- ?print= · timesfreepress.com · published 2011-02-23 · checked Oct 27, 2026