Alaskan Halibut Shipped Overnight From Anchorage Alaska Served Hickory Grilled W/ Lemon Butter Or Sautéed With Capers Or Almonds $19.95

We are not about exotic ingredients and creative fusion. What we do is, buy great products, give them a lot of care and do our best not to mess them up in preparation.

Alaska’s catch today is on Canyon Grill Plates tomorrow.
The upscale Lookout Mountain restaurant takes pride in the freshness of its fish, and all other offerings, by using overnight carriers to deliver the finest cuisine available. Alaska is is the area of choice for much of what the Canyon Grill offers, such as the King Crab served last week, that was ‘so sweet, you didn’t need butter’. The salmon and other species of fish come from that North American locale when available, though the restaurant also ships fresh catch from Canada, pulls its Gulf of Mexico catch from Texas, and brings home Atlantic tastes from Boston.

Picturesquely situated in this northwestern corner of the state, along a winding two lane called Plum Nelly (plum out of Georgia, and nelly into Alabama), is a cloud-misted tip of the Appalachians, which slopes downward into Atlanta’s lush Piedmont. In Rising Fawn, Cloudland Canyon State Park is an impressionist portrait of breathtaking mountain scenery, so asking for more than simple country cooking seems selfish. Our favorite dishes here are humble, their subtleties elevating them to Cloudland altitudes. The Roast Pork Tenderloin is a perfect example, infused with garlic and rosemary, cooked a perfect medium pink, and served with cream sauce and broccoli. And when cabbage becomes a hauntingly memorable dish, you know you’re in the hands of a real chef – Johnny Holland.

I’ll tell you a secret, if I had to pick a favorite restaurant, this is it. Canyon Grill has never ceased to deliver great food. It just proves that people will go where quality is.

Canyon Grill has the freshest seafood in the area. Specialties on the menu change with availability, but the signature fresh trout, salmon and Slash and Burn Catfish are always core items.

Canyon Grill has become a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. Inside the former smokehouse, strings of tiny white lights line the ceilings of the side porches where floral cotton cloths cover the tables and photography by such local artists as Ellen Marie Moore and Jamie Mackay adorn the clapboard walls.

This is normally nothing to boast about, but the NORTON SOUND KING CRAB definitely is! We have fresh, never frozen, clusters coming in Friday July 14th. We serve the crab without melted butter because they are so sweet and flavorful you don’t need it. You can really tell the difference between fresh and frozen once you try these. If after you try them, you would like some melted butter, we will be happy to get some for you.

Also this week we have WILD COOK INLET KING SALMON coming in. These are coming from Alaska and are shipped FedEx overnight. Alaska has some of the cleanest waters in the world and it really shows when eating the KING SALMON. It’s such a rich and flavorful fish and with all the added health benefits of omega 3 and more, it is the perfect fish.

The “SUMMER FLOUNDER” is back as well. If you’re looking for a light flakey fish with nice flavor, this is your fish. 

And back once again are my favorites, the NANTUCKET SEA SCALLOPS. You have to taste these sweet scallops to truly appreciate what we do. Our scallops come from a day boat that goes out for 3-6 hours and comes back in to process and ship out there catch. We receive our scallops within 36 hours of being caught, and keep them iced down maintaining 32-34 degrees to keep them fresh and sweet. If you have to put bacon and fruit sauce on scallops to make them taste good, then you are probably eating old or “soaked” scallops. We will NEVER serve these!

Thanks to everyone!

I have a lot of people ask why we don’t do the STUFFED POBLANO at CANYON GRILL anymore. Well I just don’t think it can compete with the one the Boathouse does. It is stuffed with rotisserie chicken, queso and feta cheese and is served with avocado, fresh chips and tomatillo salsa. It is a great appetizer, and has become one of my favorites and there’s enough for two people to share.  Plus it goes great with my ice cold glass of Newcastle from the tap!

I just had to write about these babies. If you haven’t tried these GRILLED OYSTERS you are missing out! Fire roasted with garlic butter they are cooked perfectly, with a light smoky flavor. I had them Monday and was supposed to share them with my girlfriend, but that didn’t work out too well for her.

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 proximity to the adjacent New Salem Mountain Market, an old-time corner grocer.

Still, Canyon Grill is packed, mostly with out-of-towners, on a nightly basis with guests savoring choices like Slash n’ Burn Catfish, Ground Mignon, Whole Rainbow Trout, Alaskan Red King Salmon and Rack of Lamb.

Owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Lawton and Karen Haygood, Canyon Grill was a 40-seat restaurant when it opened in 1996. Today, it has expanded to 142 seats. Named after Cloudland Canyon State Park, and Haygood’s cooking technique, Canyon Grill features fresh seafood flown in from a purveyor in Boston. Slash ‘n Burn Catfish is the signature item. The whole bone-in catfish is stuffed with ginger, garlic and jalapenos into thin slashes, cut into thin slashes, dredged in flour, deep fried and then topped with black bean soup.

Other intriguing items are the grilled cabbage and the crispy squash. The half-head of red cabbage is steamed until softened and then cooked on Haygood’s wood-burning grill. It is finished with a touch of garlic and anchovy sauce, and a bit of cream. The crispy squash is lightly salted and sprinkled with corn meal mix and dropped into peanut oil, yet it has just a hint of deep-fried taste.

Just by looking at the menu, Haygood’s passion for grilling is evident. Before he introduced the signature selections at Canyon Grill – and the Boathouse, a restaurant he and Karen operate along the banks of the Tennessee River in Chattanoogs – Haygood developed a first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill in the late 1970s when he served seafood at his restaurant, Turtle Cove, in Dallas.

“The traditional grill tends to burn hot in one spot and cool in another, which isn’t ideal when you’re cooking a high volume of orders,” Haygood explained. “I kept waiting for someone to come up with something, but nobody did, so I decided to invent my own grill.”

Haygood’s solution was to create a grill that operates on the principal of the convection oven. It produces even heat, which cooks food faster and more evenly, he said. The wood smoke intensifies the flavor of the food, Haygood added.

After designing the grill, Haygood was featured in Time Magazine, called a pioneer in mesquite grilling and received numerous calls from restaurateurs nationwide who asked him to make a grill for them. He soon found himself building and installing grills in restaurant chains like J. Alexander’s and Grady’s. Before selling his interest in the manufacturing company he and a partner formed, Haygood worked with some of the country’s most renowned chefs, including Wolfgang Puck. He has since created a second-generation model, the Tuff Grill, that prepares the cuisine at Canyon Grill and the Boathouse.

The story of Haygood’s debut in the restaurant industry is a tale in itself. Raised in Rising Fawn on Lookout Mountain, where Canyon Grill is located, his father was passionate about preparing barbeque over an open pit, and his mother owned a ham curing business that attracted customers from around the United States.

After earning a degree in economics from the University of Georgia, Haygood entered the insurance business and moved to Dallas.

Eventually, the charismatic and anxious entrepreneur grew tired of his first profession. When a fire damaged the historic townhouse where his business was located, he served as the general contractor and oversaw the renovation. That spurred Haygood to refurbish and sell other townhouses in the area, leading him to pursue the opportunity on a full-time basis until interest rates skyrocketed in the early 1980s.

Left with another career decision, Haygood ventured on a retreat to Port Aransas, a tarpon fishing town on the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. There, he ate at a waterfront restaurant that caught his attention.

“The view and the ambience was excellent, but the food was terrible,” Haygood said with a laugh. “I asked the waitress about the place, and she said that the owner was looking to sell. Later that day, I spoke with him, and a half-hour later I was in the restaurant business.

“The guy asked me what I planned to do there,” Haygood added. “I said that I would build a pit and cook fresh fish over a mesquite fire. And I’ve followed that concept ever since.”

Grilling is a practiced in restaurants and backyard barbeques across the United States, but it is a technique that was pioneered and perfected in Texas. So it is appropriate that a first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill for restaurants was developed by Haygood when he was operating a restaurant in Dallas. After experiencing success in Port Aransas and Dallas, Haygood decided to leave the restaurant business to develop his wood-burning grill, which brought him back to the Chattanooga area. He then divested of his interest in the grilling company and embarked on a new venture as a financial planner. Then the restaurateur lure returned.

“My mother had to close her ham curing business because of her health, and she wanted me to open a restaurant in the same space,” Haygood said. “That’s when Karen and I opened Canyon Grill.”

Interestingly, Canyon Grill’s seafood, chicken and beef is kept under ice instead of being refrigerated, which Haygood says is another element that differentiates the restaurant.

“Storing food this way keeps it from dehydrating and thus helps it retain its flavor,” he said. “It is an expensive and labor intensive process, and that is why most restaurants don’t keep their products under ice.

But we want to take every measure to ensure that our meals are superb,” he added. “People will not drive a half-hour or more for nothing short of an excellent dining experience.”

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 and operated by husband and wife Lawton and Karen Haygood – consistency and knowledge are the keys to applying the grilling techniques implemented to perfect the cuisine. Both restaurants use the innovative wood-burning grill Haygood invented for restaurateurs.

To the Haygoods, attracting and retaining a team of personable and passionate employees are critical elements of achieving their objectives. That is why they offer benefits such as health insurance and a 401(k) plan.

“At any restaurant, consistency in the food is important. At our restaurants, it is especially crucial because of the grilling techniques,” Lawton Haygood explained. “We cannot afford turnover, so we strive to create an environment that is attractive for our team so they remain with us for the long term.”

The Haygoods have built a loyal following with the Canyon Grill on Lookout Mountain and the popular Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw Bar on the banks of the Tennessee River in Chattanooga. Though they have distinct differences – Canyon Grill is only open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday while the Boathouse, which specializes in Gulf of Mexico cuisine, is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week – both restaurants feature menu items prepared with grilling techniques pioneered by Haygood, who invented a first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill for restaurateurs in the 1970s.

The location of Canyon Grill (www.cangrill.com), the couple’s first restaurant in the Chattanooga area, is 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 proximity to the adjacent New Salem Mountain Market, an old-time corner grocer. Still, Canyon Grill is packed, mostly with out-of-towners, on a nightly basis with guests savoring choices like Slash n’ Burn Catfish, Ground Mignon, Whole Rainbow Trout, Alaskan Red King Salmon and Rack of Lamb.

The Boathouse (www.boathousechattanooga.com), situated along the bustling Riverwalk not far from revitalized downtown Chattanooga, was opened in 2002. Boasting a serene riverfront view and a menu composed of the Haygoods favorite selections from their travels around the Gulf of Mexico, the Boathouse is much easier to find. Amid a décor of palm trees, nostalgic Rock City and Ruby Falls post cards, and a new mural that depicts where the restaurant’s menu items originate from, the Boathouse features favorites like Lotta Lotta Garlic Chicken, Matagorda Fire-Roasted Oysters, El Scorcho Shellfish Stew and Fried Tilapia.

Each restaurant is a unique concept that requires kitchen team members to perfect the grilling and food preparation techniques. The unique environment makes working there inviting to employees. Johnny Holland is a perfect example. He started in a kitchen assistant at Canyon Grill in 1998 and has since advanced all the way to head chef.

“I’ve learned a lot about cooking and about the restaurant business from Lawton,” Holland said. “We have an atmosphere that makes coming to work worthwhile and exciting. That is why I have remained here for so long, and plan to stay here.”

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 and led Lawton to develop a new type of grill that could control the heat, start the fire and ash control. Soon other restaurants ordered grills from him and his designs and patents pioneered the cooking style now common in thousands of restaurants, not only in the USA but internationally as well. Although being a restaurateur is his first love, he still tinkers with new ideas in the wood grills. He has been recognized by USA Today, Time magazine and numerous other publications for his work in wood grilling cooking techniques.Chattanooga, Tenn. – Mesquite grilling is a practiced in restaurants and backyard barbeques across the United States, but it is a technique that was pioneered and perfected in Texas. So it is appropriate that the first mesquite woodburning grill was developed by entrepreneur and restaurateur Lawton Haygood when he was operating a restaurant in Dallas.

Haygood, who now owns and operates the Boathouse Rotisserie &Raw Bar in Chattanooga and the Canyon Grill in nearby Lookout Mountain with his wife Karen, created the grill in the late 1970s when he served mesquite-grilled seafood at Turtle Cove.

“The traditional grill tends to burn hot in one spot and cool in another, which isn’t ideal when you’re cooking a high volume of orders,” Haygood explained. “I kept waiting for someone to come up with something, but nobody did, so I decided to invent my own grill.”

Haygood’s solution was to create a grill that operates on the principal of the convection oven. It produces even heat and a lower surface temperature, which cooks food faster and more evenly, he said. The mesquite wood smoke intensifies the flavor of the food, Haygood added.

After designing the grill, Haygood was featured in Time Magazine, called a pioneer in mesquite grilling and received numerous calls from restaurateurs nationwide who asked him to make a grill for them. He soon found himself building and installing grills in restaurant chains like J. Alexander’s and Grady’s. Before selling his interest in the manufacturing company he and a partner formed, Haygood worked with some of the country’s most renowned chefs, including Wolfgang Puck. He has since created a second-generation model, the Tuff Grill that prepares the cuisine at Canyon Grill and the Boathouse.

“Since the grill is air cooled and does not depend on insulation, it is more durable,” Haygood explained. “And, since the heat is not reflected into the kitchen, restaurants save money on air conditioning, and the kitchen is a more comfortable work environment since it is not so hot.”

Though they have distinct differences – Canyon Grill is only open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday while the Boathouse, which specializes in Gulf of Mexico cuisine, is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week – both restaurants feature menu items prepared with mesquite grilling techniques pioneered by Haygood.

The location of Canyon Grill (www.cangrill.com), the couple’s first restaurant in the Chattanooga area, is 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 proximity to the adjacent New Salem Mountain Market, an old-time corner grocer. Still, Canyon Grill is packed, mostly with out-of-towners, on a nightly basis with guests savoring choices like Slash n’ Burn Catfish, Ground Mignon, Whole Rainbow Trout, Alaskan Red King Salmon and Rack of Lamb.

The Boathouse (www.boathousechattanooga.com), situated along the bustling Riverwalk not far from revitalized downtown Chattanooga, was opened in 2002. Boasting a serene riverfront view and a menu composed of the Haygoods favorite selections from their travels around the Gulf of Mexico, the Boathouse is much easier to find. Amid a décor of palm trees, nostalgic Rock City and Ruby Falls post cards, and a new mural that depicts where the restaurant’s menu items originate from, the Boathouse features favorites like Lotta Lotta Garlic Chicken, Matagorda Fire-Roasted Oysters, El Scorcho Shellfish Stew and Fried Tilapia.

1. Restaurants say something like “freshest seafood flown in daily”.
For the most part this is one of the “four big lies”. The seafood may have flown somewhere on one of its days, but not to that restaurant, and not today. We do not “fly daily” but we do fly twice each week, and unlike any other restaurant, we know if we purchase directly from fisherman who “day boat”, pack the fish and over-night fed-ex direct to us. We also buy fresh trout and catfish from local growers. You will not get fresher fish anywhere.

2. We are one of the few restaurants that store all our meat, chicken, fish and pork under ice rather than refrigeration. This is expensive and labor intensive, but well worth the effort. Ice does not dehydrate and dilute flavors the way refrigeration does. Your captain will be glad to show you our system.

3. We love and care for our employees. It is impossible to be a great restaurant with turnover. Most of our employees have been here 5-10+ years. We provide a full program of fringe benefits to reward long term employment. This is critical to our superior product.