Mountain Goat Market — Restaurant in Monteagle

More like a 3.5/5 but unfortunately half stars aren't an option.

Took a road trip up to Monteagle just to give this place a go after hearing lots of positive hype. Clearly, word has spread, because they were SLAMMED at around 11:45 on Saturday, and lines got worse / hadn't died down from then till when we left the area around 1:30. Parking was a little challenging due to the restaurant's popularity.

Luckily, it's a fairly large and spacious restaurant. The actual market/gift shop type space is on your right as you enter. You place your order at the counter. There's indoor and outdoor seating available. The menu consists mostly of deli type sandwiches, salads, and pizzas. They have a very impressive array of desserts in cold bars and on the counter -- cheesecakes, pies, cookies, and more.

Despite being pretty busy, the line moved quickly and we also managed to have a fairly easy time finding a spot to sit. Price was ~$30 for a sandwich combo (sandwich, chips, drink), the smallest size pizza, a slice of cake, and a second drink, so decent prices! You're given a buzzer that will alert you when your food is ready. The girl who took our order was...surly and not very communicative. But luckily we knew what we wanted and didn't have any questions, so...it worked out okay.

I had the Blazin' Club, which is Buffalo chicken, pepperjack, lettuce, bacon, tomato, and mayo on sourdough. I asked for no tomato, which they accommodated. I settled for Miss Vickie's sea salt kettle chips for my chip choice. I know it's neither hip nor healthy, but idk what so many sandwich places have against just having regular Lays potato chips available. It's really all I want, lol. The sweet tea I drank was nice and had a good tea flavor.

As for the sandwich, it was alright. I'll say right now I think my parents and husband out-bought me with their pizzas. The sourdough bread was nice, but frankly, I didn't think the sandwich had much flavor outside the bacon. A couple of bites were pepperjack-ish, but no sign of Buffalo flavor and honestly not any heat to the sandwich, either. It wasn't terrible, just not what I was really expecting.

The pizzas were pretty good. Husband got the Goodfella - basically a supreme style pizza. Fresh toppings, gooey cheese, crispy crunch. Wish the pepperoni had been smaller - these covered almost the whole slice. Parents had the pickle pie, which was the best item of the experience. Creative, interesting, sour and salty. Nice combo.

For dessert, husband and I split some kind of chocolate / Mississippi mud type of cake. It was decent -- good moisture -- but wish it had been more chocolatey. My parents were too full to eat dessert then but their later report on the turtle cheesecake was simply "good."

Overall, an intriguing and fun place to stop, and perhaps the best option in the area for a tasty, unique...

We love stopping at the mountain goat market when we are in town to see a show at the caverns. This is one of the best places to eat in the area and a must visit spot if yours swinging through town. The food is high quality boar's head meats with gluten-free options. The pizza also has gluten-free options but it's made of cauliflower which can also be tough on people's digestive tract. I haven't ever tried it but I'm sure it would hurt my stomach so I avoided it each time we visit. But the smell of the pizza is hard to resist. The place is almost always jam packed, so if you want to eat there you should plan to stand in a line. Lines are good because that means the food is special and worth standing in the line for. Had the buffalo chicken sandwich with bacon and cheese on a gluten-free bread and it was fantastic. The person I was with had the pesto chicken sandwich also. Equally wonderful. The potato salad was some of the best i've ever had. I had a London fog drink with oat milk and they had a chai latte. Both drinks were great! The chocolate cake that was gluten-free was one of the best things about my meal. We even got a second piece to take home with us. Because this place is so busy, it's a little annoying and a stimulation overload at times. Also the people who work there seem very busy all the time because of how many people they serve. Kudos to that organization for keeping their head straight because if I'm correct the same people waited on me each time I've been there the last 2 years. Clearly this is a good place to work for because I would see more turnover of employees. This speaks volumes for this business. High five to you mountain goat market people because I think you guys are doing a great job for your...

Busy, popular place! Known for great and creative sandwiches, and pizza. Quality food, and delicious homemade desserts. Lots of dessert options. You order at the counter and get a buzzer that alerts you when ready. There is a limited outdoor eating area, but quite a bit of inside seating. I am vegetarian and had the tree hugger sandwich. It was a melted sandwich served on a baguette with mushrooms, roasted red and green peppers, provolone cheese, onions, sprouts, and Cajun Mayo. Great sandwich, but for me, I didn't like the sprouts. Will order without sprouts next time. And there will be a next time. Lots of tasty options here. I can't begin to describe the desserts. They were homemade, and impressive and I don't often get dessert. I ended up buying a homemade Oatmeal Cream Pie. It was like a Little Debbie Oatmeal pie, only gourmet and on Steroids. What all Oatmeal Cream pies should be- large, moist, creamy and delicious with a surprising touch of taste that I think was Cinnamon. Delicious. The cases of desserts to look at, and choose from, are overwhelming. Check out this jewel when you're passing through. Lots of comfort food that...