Ellington

At Rallo’s Bar & Grill, everybody knows your name.

“Everybody knows everyone up here,” co-owner Ron Potter said. “It’s easy to get to know people; it feels like a family more than anything.”

The community feel of Rallo’s Bar & Grill keeps customers coming back to Potter’s counter time after time. Known for its “good food and good people,” regulars stop in to grab a beer, a meal or to just sit at the counter and talk with friends.

“It’s really a laid-back, comfortable environment and full of good people,” said regular James Marshall.

Ron and Samantha Potter started their business on the “back side” of Signal Mountain in 2006. The bar began with a small selection of beers and a pizza oven, but the menu, as well as the business itself, expanded, winning the reputation of “best burger on the mountain.”

“I’d always wanted to own a bar; I thought it would be like running [the bar on] ‘Cheers,’” Ron Potter joked. “When I first started I really had no idea what I was getting into. … You have to work, but I really do enjoy it.”

He admitted that he used to worry about his competition on the mountain, with restaurants such as Pepper Jack’s, Poppy’s Smokehouse and Gin Gin’s recently popping up. Potter said he found, however, that business at Rallo’s steadily grew despite the influx of new restaurants in the area.

“Businesses that open up on the front side of the mountain probably affect each other more than they affect me,” he said.

Though pizza is no longer served at Rallo’s, the menu features an assortment of appetizers, sandwiches, salads, burgers and, of course, an ever-growing variety of beers.

Regulars utilize the drive-up window, calling in orders ahead of time for carry out. The bar also features a pool table, touch-screen jukebox and an impressive Wi-Fi connection.