Background: Canyon Grill was started by Lawton Haygood, a Lookout Mountain native, with his wife, Karen. He started as a chef in Texas, Florida and California. Haygood returned to Georgia in 1996 to open the Canyon Grill. The Haygoods are also responsible for the Boathouse, Sugar's Ribs and SideTrack on Hixson Pike at Lupton Drive. After 20 years of training with the Haygoods, Johnny Holland, with wife Jessica, took over Canyon Grill in 2014. It is located on Lookout at 28 Scenic Highway, just down from the Trenton-LaFayette Highway and not far from the entrance to Cloudland Canyon State Park.
First Impressions: I recently found out that while many factors come into play when choosing where to eat, 67 percent of guests weigh the overall experience as a top priority. Canyon Grill’s experience is so good you almost can never get in without a reservation. From the outside this charming white building nestled in the mountains seems like something out of a novel. The lighting is calming and the view of the nearby woods makes the whole restaurant peaceful.
Food: I don’t say this lightly: that may have been the best meal of my life. Automatically a place is better just for having bread service. I had the privilege of having the Wednesday special chicken piccata with garlic mashed potatoes. The chicken was tender and lightly breaded to perfection. Pa had the olive oil pasta which was also so flavorful.
Overall: Canyon Grill has amazing servers who are cheerful, helpful, and on top of everything. The atmosphere is charming and a perfect date night to get dressed up for. The food is to die for and well worth the drive and a bit more money.