Skip to main content

Checking out Chickamauga: Railhead Station is an instant local hangout

 Residents of Chickamauga have embraced their newest eatery - Railhead Station.



Located off Gordon Street, where Phil’s Primetime Pizza used to be, the new restaurant is owned and operated by restaurateur Charlie Eich, who also owns River Drifters and Cesario’s Pizza. The food at Railhead Station features hearty hot and cold sandwiches, smoked meats, salads and pasta bowls.



Eich described it as, “A smokehouse with an Italian accent.”

It officially opened on Jan. 12, 2026, and so far, it’s been a hit. Each time I visited the place it was packed. People either waited for a table to open, sat at the bar, or took their meal to go and ate outside at the tables at the common area.

The menu celebrates Eich’s Italian heritage combined with classic southern sandwiches featuring smoked brisket, pork belly and tenderloin, his Nonna’s house made meatballs, salami, Mortadella and Capicola.

His fire box sandwiches all feature meats smoked in-house. On my first visit I ordered the Battlefield Beef Sandwich. House smoked brisket, cheddar cheese, honey bourbon barbeque sauce, horseradish aioli and crispy fried onions in a buttery Brioche bun.



It was messy in the best way possible. I probably used 20 napkins or more, but it was delicious. The brisket was tender and smoked to perfection. This is one of those sandwiches that has you licking your fingers after each bite. The bonus was those crispy bits of fried onions complementing the pull-apart beef.

On a subsequent visit, I waited a few minutes and then sat at the bar. Next to me were several middle schoolers. The place was standing room only, yet kids kept coming in.

They all came in for a specific reason, to order one of Railhead Station’s Dirty sodas.

There is a huge Dirty soda menu hanging on the wall called Flavor Departure. A Dirty soda is a customizable, non-alcoholic drink made by mixing a carbonated soda with flavored syrups, a splash of cream, and often a squeeze of lime juice, creating a creamy, fizzy treat like a soda float but with more variety. 

One kid ordered Shark’s Week. Starry, coconut, pineapple, blue raspberry, vanilla, cream and served with a gummy shark. Thay young man left with a huge smile on his face. There is a dirty soda named after Eich called Charlie’s Angel. It’s Mountain Dew, guava, strawberry, coconut and topped with cold foam. I’m a huge fan of Dr. Pepper so I think I’ll order the OG on my next visit. It’s Dr. Pepper, vanilla, coconut and cream. It sounds delicious.

And obviously, it is a huge hit with the local kids who kept coming in and out of Railhead Station ordering their favorite fizzy mix before walking home for the day.

Of course, they have basic fountain drinks like Pepsi, and they do offer a small assortment of beer on tap. On this visit I ordered The Embargo, their version of a Cuban sandwich made with pork belly. You know this Miami born and raised Cuban American who grew up in the Little Havana neighborhood had to size up this version of a Cuban sandwich.



Of course, the real deal is made with Cuban bread, but this sandwich was delicious. The pork belly was delicate, and the mustard, cheese, ham and pickles played their role in making this sandwich a decent version of the real thing. I was completely satisfied. This time I also tried one of their side options, Steakhouse potato salad.

It was amazing. It’s the type of potato salad you expect your aunt to bring to the annual family reunion. And if she doesn’t bring it, she is never welcomed again. It’s that good.

Another unique offering on the menu are the Jackets – English-style baked potatoes with various types of toppings. He has one called Mr. Pig. Smoked pork tenderloin, smoked Gouda pimento cheese, habanero bacon jam aioli and lime crema.

Another is The Old West. Butter, house-smoked brisket, cowboy beans, cheddar cheese, honey bourbon BBQ sauce & crispy fried onions. And you can’t go wrong ordering one of their pasta bowls where the bowl is edible crispy cheese.



Railhead Station offers catering and hosts groups and private parties. Thursday nights are trivia night beginning at 7 p.m. They are open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Sunday, they open from noon until 8 p.m.



Railhead Station

122 Gordon Street

Chickamauga, GA 30707

(706) 375-0247

https://railheadstation.net/

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tomato Patch Murder: Crowder up for parole review

Crowder’s file up for parole review Long County case became infamously known as Tomato Patch Murders Patty Leon After serving 14 years of a life sentence Billy Crowder has become eligible and is currently under review by the Georgia Department of Pardon and Paroles Board. Crowder garnered unwanted notoriety during his murder trial held in the summer of 1998 in Long County Superior Court. He, his family and his friend Jason Jordan stood accused of a heinous crime against his grandfather, Thurman Martin. The trial and subsequent series of events placed the small community of Ludowici on the map as events unfolded on the local news and later became a national sensation when a documentary about the family, murder and trial aired on A&E, Court TV and even 20/20. The story involved the alleged abuse of an entire family, a murder and a cover-up; all culminating to Crowder’s verdict and what even some of the jurors called a miscarriage of justice in the sentencing. Crow...
28 comments
Read more

Haunted locations of Liberty County, Ga.

The Frame Gallery on South Main Street The Haunting The former owner of the Frame Gallery store reported hearing noises and footsteps emanating from the second floor. Store merchandise was reportedly being moved around or placed, teetering, on the edge of display tables. A candle holder was thrown across the room, former employees saw apparitions and the activity was describes as being mischievous more so than malicious. The activities increased as the Christmas Holidays approached. This building was investigated by a paranormal group that picked up children’s voices on digital recorders as well as other unexplained voices. The investigators detected the odor of camphor in a certain room on the second floor and captured a few Orbs on camera. The History The building where the Frame Gallery was located was owned by Peyton Way and housed a drug store on the first floor and the first Hospital in Liberty County on the second. Dr. T. W. Welborn (1887-1962), who was a physician...
2 comments
Read more

Saving endangered species: St. Catherines Wildlife Center did its part

 Originally published in 2009. Most of the exotics are no longer on the Island, except the Lemurs. In the interior of St. Catherines Island, deer roam freely and wild hogs jog playfully throughout the woods. Suddenly, in the distance you hear a sound definitely not native to the area. A group of ring-tailed lemurs hang from the trees or a small herd of African Jackson hartebeest prance by. You might even glimpse an exotic great hornbill bird. You’re in the sanctuary of St. Catherines Wildlife Survival Center. When Lifesaver candy creator John Edward Noble purchased the island in 1943, he brought a herd of Angus cattle and allowed them to graze the fields once used to grow corn, rice and cotton. After Noble died in 1958 his foundation worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society to turn part of the island into a research and breeding station for rare mammals and birds. The St. Catherines Island Wildlife Survival Center is now a last resort for endangered species of birds and animal...
Post a Comment
Read more