How 1885 Grill Got Its Name
The origins of are name are as simple as the early beginnings of the restaurant itself. In June 2013, Leslie and Miguel Morales followed their dream and opened a small restaurant at the foot of Lookout Mountain in the historic St. Elmo neighborhood of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Residents of the neighborhood themselves, the couple loved the laid back, welcoming atmosphere of the area- where porch sitting is more than activity, rather a way of life.
Miguel and Leslie spent many evenings on their porch pondering names for the new restaurant- St. Elmo Fire, St. Elmo Grill- when they looked up to see a banner on the porch that read, St. Elmo established 1885. With a little nudging from Leslie, the restaurant had a name. The simplicity of the name not only pays homage to the area, but to the menu itself.
In 1839, following the Trail of Tears, Hamilton Country and the Indian territory merged, and the small village of Chattanooga was founded on the banks of the Tennessee River. The following year the state began to sell the former Cherokee property for $7.50 per acre and Chattanooga boomed. Then, in 1878, the yellow fever pandemic hit and nearly 12,000 residents fled the city, many settling on or near Lookout Mountain.
Acquired shortly after the Civil War by Colonel Abraham Malone Johnson and Thankful Whiteside Johnson, the area became a farm before being divided and sold into commercial and residential lots in 1885. Author Augusta J. Evans Wilson spent numerous summers on Lookout Mountain and remarked the view was similar to that of St. Elmo Castle in Naples, Italy. The name St. Elmo was taken from her 1866 novel, that became one of the three top selling novels of the nineteenth century.
The town began to flourish near the turn of the century with the opening of Chickamauga Chattanooga National Military Park, the electric trolley connecting St. Elmo and Chattanooga and later the installation of the Incline Railway, which transported passengers to the steepest part of the mountain.
Listed on the National Register of Historic places, St. Elmo is one of Chattanooga’s oldest suburbs. The restaurant sits across from the Incline Railway, in the center of the quaint historic neighborhood. At 1885 Grill, diners can relax on the patio while enjoying live music and scenic views, sip drinks with friends or enjoy southern coastal favorites from the comfort of the dining room. We invite you to join us at the restaurant that started it all!