Cootie Brown’s

Stuck at a hotel in Kingsport on a Sunday night and every other restaurant seemed to be closed on Sundays. Finally, we found Cootie Brown’s, a little over 20 minutes away. Well worth the drive and the wait (it was a packed house when we arrived about 7:30pm). I had the NY Reuben and spiral cut chips and my husband had the Jerk chicken, grilled asparagus and black beans. We both enjoyed every bite of our food. Loved the décor and atmosphere (we took plenty of pictures) and our waitress was super friendly and prompt with refills, especially for how busy they were. We were impressed all the way around and will most likely stop there again for lunch tomorrow.

Delicious food, fun atmosphere, and wonderful service. My family and I stopped in on a Tuesday and drank $ 3 beers and ate $ 1.95 tamales. All of it was AMAZING. I will definitely be stopping here again!

Always fresh, fast and delicious!
The menu is wide and allows for many options. The pizza is amazing and so are the tamales. The salads are huge and service fast!

This was a super meal! Their menu had everything from pizza and hamburgers to seafood and burritos. For an appetizer my family ordered the black bean nachos with a side of salsa. The nachos were great, and the salsa was even better! I also enjoyed the black bean dip. As an entrée I ordered their burrito (without lettuce & tomato) it was super! I got a side of their house special «jerk sauce» to go with my burrito. It was, in all honesty, one of the best sauces that I’ve had the please of tasting. I actually bought a bottle to take home. My mother ordered their Caribbean pizza. It’s toppings consisted of: pineapple, mango, mandarin orange slices, spinach, jerk chicken, mozzarella and romano cheese, served on top of a homemade crust! If you like a twist on your standard pizza this is definitely for you!
This was all in all a great meal!

Had dinner there last night! The food was marginal at best, the service was not up to par, and the cost was more than the food or service was worth!

Atmosphere: Exciting, colorful, fun, eclectic! Indoor and outdoor dining available. Casual and friendly environment.
Service: Prompt and friendly. Our server was informative, answered all of our questions, and always had a smile for us.
Food: Outstanding! A large and varied menu. The homemade tamales were spectacular! Black bean burger was equally delicious. Crispy homemade chips are a great side. If you try anything, treat yourself to the desserts. All made in-​house, and you can taste the difference.

Dry, flavorless, overcooked would be the adjectives I would use for the delivery meal I got from Cootie Brown’s. Craving a meal instead of the normal pizza or Chinese I read the reviews and thought I was in for a treat — not so. Ordered the Grilled Yellow Fin Tuna Dinner with two sides. The tuna was cooked until it resembled shoe leather and I had ordered BBQ but instead got Blackened. The tuna was served with some dry «pellet-​like» rice and a small container of salsa. The two sides I requested were spinach & artichokes ($ 1 upcharge) and a baked potato. The vegetable was about a 2 oz. portion and the potato had a big huge blob of sour cream on it and a huge rotten spot (black) you could see at the side. I don’t like sour cream and when I ordered I assumed the toppings would come on the side since they did not ask what I wanted. The only reason for the second star is the house salad which was very good and fresh. So much for having dinner. $$

The atmosphere was really cool, and gave good vibes… however the good wasn’t that good… we might try it again, and order something different… and the waiters were all very young and inexperienced, which was a bit annoying.

The name drew us in and we were delighted to find a wide array of entrée choices in the ‘newspaper’ menu. Our server was very well versed in the menu and was able to give us solid replies to each question we had before ordering. The food came quickly and was exactly as described.
We had LOTS and LOTS of food, took it back to our hotel room and thank goodness… because the epic snowfall that came down shut the local restaurants within walking distance the following day and it became our lunch and dinner as we were ‘snowed in’ and not wanting to brave the roads the next day.
Fun, funky place and I’m sure the covered patio area is wonderful when the weather is a bit warmer. Server staff the night we were there was all quite young, but very professional and delightful.
Absolutely recommend Cootie Brown’s to anyone wanting tasty food in a fun atmosphere!

Ok food for the town it’s in. There is a cashier there named Ali or Ally who needs an attitude adjustment. I asked her a simple valid question and seemed like it was an issue. Other than that the waitresses seem ok and atmosphere was fine. I had the burger which was good but the chips they serve were cold and soggy. Probably won’t come back.

Cootie Brown’s has a little bit of everything for everyone. We’ve been a few times and have always enjoyed it. I love little quirky, artsy type places so I’m so happy to have something like this in Johnson City. The true gem is going on Tuesday nights for Tamale Nights where the tamales are sold at a special price. They are so good.
The one thing we still haven’t tried that we really want to is the pizza. We see the pizzas on tables and they look so good, but there are so many other yummy things on the menu that it’s hard to get to. We will have to go one night with a huge group and order a large selection to sample.

This place has something for everyone. Service is great, menu is large, and price is right. I had the Turkey Burger on Pretzel Roll with spiral chips and added a salad. Real food — tasted good as real food should. We tried 4 wings with jerk — these were amazing — large and charred. I would go back just for these alone. We had dessert — strawberry pie was very good — hybrid of cheesecake and cream pie. They do need to update their bathroom — what held it back from 5 stars — not great at all.

Different, funky, and fun are all words Id describe this place using. Good menu with enough choices to please everyone and a good beer list even! Vegetarian friendly which is a huge plus and a great addition to Johnson City.

Really enjoyed Cootie Browns! Great food and service with a local southern, casual charm. I had jerked chicken, the others chili and a jerked chicken sandwich. All really good. We did have to try the spiral chips that others race about. Delicious! And then if that wasn’t bad or good enough we decided we HAD to share a piece of strawberry pie. Pretty amazing stuff.

A really cute local place in Johnson City! I think the ambience is nicer than the food itself, but it was pretty good! The menus are like little newspapers and the décor is very sweet. Apparently the pies are also delicious! I got half a veggie sandwich with the homemade chips which were both delicious. I recommend this place when you’re in the area.

The food here is one of my favorites!
It is a great lunch spot with a fantastic atmosphere. I really enjoy the turkey and cheddar sandwich. The homemade ranch is the best to put anything in, especially the chips! I like to eat here all the time

When we go to the Tri-​City area, we always try to get a seat at Cootie Brown’s…and they are usually packed… so it can be hard sometimes. The food here is wonderful. I always get pizza, never fails… and it never fails. I LOVE IT… this time Tony ordered a Italian Grinder and Noël ordered the Nachos… and I tasted both. and well both to die for. I love the atmosphere and the décor here. I would definitely be a weekly regular if I lived in the Tri City area. if in the area… GO !!! Go to Cootie Brown’s…I know the name alone throws you but its GREAT FOOD !!!

I’ll first off with saying this place is quite cute and kitschy. I tried a local beer– a Yeehaw dunkle which was pretty tasty. I saw on the menu they had homemade tamales. For an appetizer, I had a beef tamale with toppings and it was really good. However my salad was terrible. I got the black and bleu salad. My steak was waaaaayyyy over cooked like they didn’t even try to make it medium. I would have sent it back if I wasn’t already absolutely starving and I’m not even one of those people who send things back. This steak was like a hockey puck though. The salad is just some iceberg lettuce-​meh. The server was slow as molasses for a very slow Monday night. I got the key lime pie as dessert but really not for me. I scraped off the top layer and just ate the bottom layer which was more like a typical key lime pie.

I used to frequent Cooties quite often before the sister restaurant opened — Jack’s City Grill — or maybe I should say brother restaurant?
The outside area is the best place to eat almost year round. Great place to meet up with a bunch of people. The homemade Tamales are a real favorite. you can get 12 tamales — mix and match — for the table and get the dipping sauce with them. really a nice appetizer or meal depending on how hungry you are.
The pizza’s are my personal favorite and they have plenty of unique and fun toppings to make them your own. They also have a big list of specialty pizza’s like the wood burner with sun-​dried tomatoes and spinach topped with goat cheese. yummy.
Really good beerr selection as well. I like the Mexican beers. Try that with the Taco-​rito and make sure to ask for a to go bag it is huge.
For desert like anyone that has tried it you have to have the key lime pie. There are very few equals to the taste of this one.
Overall a fun and good place to find a good meal and enjoy time with friends or people from out of town. It is a JC original.

Every town — of almost any size — should have a place like this. Funky, fun and relaxed with the seating and vibe, but serious about delivering quality meals and drinks.
Dunno, when you are on the road, something about stopping at a local roadside joint that just feels right. Like you are reconnecting with humanity. And Cootie’s patio was certainly warm and welcoming and very laid back. Local high school golf team rolled in, then a party with sleepy toddlers. All fit in.
We knew we wanted to try dessert (more on that later) so skipped starters, but orders of the Maytag chips (spiral potatoes deep fried and tossed with fresh bleu cheese crumbles and house bleu cheese dressing, $ 7) which rolled past us had us wondering. Your call.
Pizzas seemed a much-​praised choice, and the option to order a half of one of the speciality pies ($ 11) seemed a good call, especially a Bistro (basil pesto base — mozzarella cheese, spinach, roma tomatoes, artichokes, and roasted peppers. Topped off with portabella mushrooms) which given the crispy crust, was no so very heavy. In contrast to a Cootie’s Supreme Classic (Tomato sauce base, pepperoni, sliced beef, mushrooms, black olives, green peppers and onions, $ 18) which was enough to fill two teen hungers and leave just enough room for dessert.
Non-​pie eaters have several dinner options, including the Chipotle Grilled chicken Breasts (flavored with Chipotle pepper sauce Topped with sour cream and fresh cilantro, $ 12) — black beans/​rice and smashed potatoes as sides, you’ll be fine. Nice moist chicken, with just enough spice and tang.
Now desserts. The key lime pie was completely crazy. Easily one of the best desserts I’ve had — although both the coconut cake and the chocolate cake were very good. But that key lime — wow.
Special mention of the craft beer selection. So nice to drop into a spot featuring a dozen or more local (a couple hours away) beers from several breweries. Absolutely no reason to order something familiar. Support the local folks who help make the funk possible.
And then loosen your belt and have another bite of that key lime pie.