Oakwood Cafe | Our Story
A family table in Dalton since the 1940s
Oakwood Cafe has been a gathering place on Cuyler Street for generations — built on homemade Southern cooking, a deep love for this community, and a simple promise: if you don't feel like family, let us know.
How it started
In the 1940s, Johnny and Mary Metcalf took over a 30-year-old diner and moved it to Cuyler Street in Dalton, Georgia, where it still stands. What began as a humble family diner has grown into a community institution across eight decades.
Georgia's finest BBQ
Every meal starts with real Southern cooking — slow-smoked BBQ, homemade sides, and scratch-made pies. From breakfast plates to dinner specials, nothing here comes from a can or a freezer.
A higher purpose
Our mission has always been to be a community meeting and eating place with a higher purpose: to glorify God. Closing on Sundays is a small, deliberate reflection of the values Oakwood Cafe was founded on.
Rooted in this community
Every Oakwood Cafe location hosts charitable functions, supports local churches, and takes part in community fundraisers. Dalton isn't just where we're located — it's who we're here for.
Come find your seat
Decades on, the welcome hasn't changed — pull up a chair, seat yourself, and let us bring you something good to eat. We're here Monday through Saturday, and we'd love to see you.