Canyon Grill (28 Scenic Highway, Rising Fawn, Georgia; 706-398-9510) is perched atop a mountain in rural Georgia. A generic freeway provides fast access from Chattanooga, but I opted for the scenic route, driving out of town via Broad Street to the base of Lookout Mountain (note: Right there is an interesting-looking Thai restaurant, plus a [...]

Rising Fawn, Ga. – Not far from Cloudland Canyon State Park, Canyon Grill’s location is remote – so remote that most guests drive at least a half-hour along a scenic road on the back side of Lookout Mountain. First-timers are told to recognize the building from the cars in the gravel parking lot and its [...]

Consistency is important at any restaurant. At Canyon Grill, it is especially vital because of each concept‘s unique grilling techniques., This is why husband-and-wife owners of the dining destinations have created an atmosphere designed to attract and retain devoted team members.
Chattanooga, Tenn. – At Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw Bar and Canyon Grill – restaurants owned [...]

In Texas, when Lawton built his first restaurant in the 70’s, the concept was to grill seafood over natural wood. This was the original wood grilling restaurant. He built a typical fire brick pit with a grill on top, similar to the open barbeque pits. The pit style grill created enormous problems with heat control [...]

Just as they do from their backyard barbeque grills, consumers like the “just cooked” taste of barbeque when they dine at restaurants. We have taken this in mind with the concept of Sugar’s Ribs. Our barbeque will be defined by its “just cooked” taste in a highly consistent manner. We plan to perfect this concept [...]

Johnny Holland climbed the ladder from a high school kitchen worker to executive chef of the popular Canyon Grill through practical, hands-on experience, and guidance from restaurateur Lawton Haygood.
Rising Fawn, Ga. – Johnny Holland does not have a certificate from an esteemed culinary school showcased in a fancy frame. The executive chef of Canyon Grill [...]

Lookout Mountain, Ga. – Perhaps what Chattanooga is best known for – even more than its Civil War sites and its venerable choo-choo – is the ageless nostalgic attractions on Lookout Mountain. Generations of tourists have climbed to the top of Lookout Mountain aboard the Incline Railway and journeyed through Rock City Gardens and Ruby [...]

Lawton Haygood invented a first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill for restaurateurs in the late 1970s. Since then, the grilled cuisine specialist has developed creative items like a cast-iron oyster holder, an artistic ice chute that extends from the ceiling and a rotisserie oven that uses wood instead of gas or electric for his restaurants in the Chattanooga [...]

Canyon Grill’s signature dish showcases Lawton Haygood’s grilling techniques and a menu item bursting with freshness and flavor from herbs, spices and ingredients like garlic and jalapenos.
Rising Fawn, Ga. – Featuring a menu of simple recipes bursting with flavor and freshness, Canyon Grill attracts guests to its remote location on Lookout Mountain with savory steaks [...]

Chattanooga restaurateur Lawton Haygood developed an innovative wood-burning grill that attracted the interest of chefs. Hardwood Grill LLC is striving to place the grill in high-end restaurants across the nation.
Chattanooga, Tenn. – The first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill for restaurateurs has a new marketing arm and a new name. The Smokey Mountain Grill, which is a second-generation [...]

Chattanooga, Tenn. – On a balmy Saturday night, Chattanooga’s Walnut Street Bridge stirs with activity.
A musician plays his saxophone as passers-by toss coins into an open case. Walkers and joggers hustle along the wood-planked street as lovelorn couples gaze from the railing that overlooks the Tennessee River and offers a view of nearby mountains in [...]