Harrison/Ooltewah Archives

El Jinete (Ooltewah, Tennessee)

May 20, 2017

El Jinete is a Mexican restaurant in Ooltewah, Tennessee. It’s owned by the same group that owns area El Metate restaurants.

For someone who lives in Soddy-Daisy, I spend a surprising amount of time in the Ooltewah area. A lot of the kids that I see are in that part of town, so I drive through there a lot. Several months ago, I noticed a Mexican restaurant named El Jinete. I looked it up and realized that their menu was essentially the same as El Metate, one of the Mexican restaurants that Philip and I frequent on “don’t feel like cooking” nights.

Philip and I decided to go to El Jinete last weekend after he got off from work. It was about 4:15 when we got there and we were seated immediately, but there were not many tables available so we were seated at the largest booth in the house. It was pretty comical, actually. I immediately noticed that the place is quite a bit smaller than the El Metate restaurants in Hixson or Soddy-Daisy but the decor was very nice.

Naturally, the chips and salsa were immediately delivered to our table. They were definitely the same chips and salsa – crispy but sort of non-descript chips and just barely spicy salsa with a heavy hit of oregano. Our server, Dalia, quickly brought our waters, and we ordered some cheese dip (of course). The cheese dip was pretty standard – drippy American cheese dip with a little bit of jalapeño. Just what I was expecting…cheese dip is my pig-out food.

I usually just order tacos when I go to El Metate, unless I’m feeling sassy enough to get a taco salad or some nachos. On this visit, though, I decided to get the Pollo Charro ($11.99): seasoned grilled chicken breast topped with sautéed mushrooms, onions, and cheese. The pollo charro was served with flour tortillas, a side of rice, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. There were two thinly pounded grilled chicken breasts topped generously with grilled onions and mushrooms, with cheese sauce. I was honestly surprised at how delicious it was. The chicken had a great grilled flavor and the vegetables were perfect. I will definitely order this again.

Philip decided to go for his usual Mexican restaurant order: a ground beef chimichanga ($10.49). For those of you who don’t know (I’m sure that you all know), a chimichanga is basically a fried burrito. The chimichanga at El Jinete is served with cheese dip, lettuce, tomato, guacamole, and sour cream, with a side of rice and beans. Philip finished the chimichanga, which I’ll take as a sign that he enjoyed it. I mean, how can you go wrong with a meat-filled deep fried tortilla?

The total for our order: cheese dip, pollo charro, and a ground beef chimichanga – was $28.92 pre-tip. The food took a little bit longer to come out than I am accustomed to at El Metate, but it was definitely very tasty food. If you’re looking for Mexican food in the Ooltewah, Tennessee area, El Jinete is a great place to find it!

El Jinete is located is 5559 Little Debbie Parkway, Ooltewah, Tennessee, 37363. They are open Sunday – Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. You can call El Jinete at 423-713-5400. They don’t have a website, but you can find El Jinete Ooltewah on Facebook.

Wine Down Ooltewah

December 27, 2016

Wine Down is a wine bar in Ooltewah, Tennessee that also has a great beer list and fantastic lunch, dinner, and brunch menus!

I’ve been meaning to go to Wine Down for a while now. Actually, for the longest time I assumed that they didn’t really serve food, aside from some appetizers/finger food type things. I was wrong. Then, I was concerned because I, well, don’t really like wine. That was silly, because it’s totally okay to go to a wine bar and not drink wine. But…you can also ask your server to make a recommendation for something that you might like.

We decided to go to Wine Down for lunch during the week before Christmas. We were the first diners in the place, arriving a little after noon. Our server, Molly, told us to sit wherever we liked, then she filled our water glasses and reviewed the specials with us. We decided to order the deviled egg of the day – bacon and feta. Philip ordered a Dogfish Head Midas Touch for $5 (Wine Down has a pretty impressive beer list), and, on Molly’s recommendation, I ordered a glass of Caposaldo sparkling peach moscato ($8.50). And guess what? I liked it!

We were served 4 deviled egg halves ($7). They were stuffed with a filling that, in addition to the traditional mayo/mustard included feta cheese. They were topped with large chunks of thick, chewy bacon. The salty bacon and feta was the perfect foil for the creamy filling. They were delicious!

I wanted to order something fairly light and the soup and sandwich combination ($9) seemed perfect. The soup of the day was mushroom bisque, which sounded delicious. While the French dip sandwich sounded amazing, I was torn between the sun dried tomato sandwich (burrata mozzarella, spinach, and pesto on Niedlov’s ciabatta) and the grown-up grilled cheese (4 cheeses – local smoked cheddar, Irish porter, midnight moon cheese, and creamy montchevre, bacon jam, and green tomato on Texas toast. The soup was creamy but still had a little texture to it from the pureed mushrooms. The mushroom flavor was strong and satisfying, and I was surprised at the little bit of spiciness in the soup. The sandwich was buttery and crunchy, the cheeses melted perfectly. The bacon jam lent a little sweetness, and while I don’t typically like goat cheese very much, I liked the tangy pungency of the montchevre on this sandwich.

Philip decided to go for the WDO burger ($11) with Wagyu beef, Red Dragon dijon cheese, bacon jam, and caramelized onion aioli on a Niedlov’s bun. Philip chose the fries as his side (the other option was a mixed greens salad). The burger was pretty much gigantic and it was cooked perfectly. All of the flavors worked well together and Philip commented several times about how tasty the burger was. The fries were hot, crispy, and peppery.

There were a few other tables occupied by the time that we left. I have a feeling that nights and weekends are their busy time. The atmosphere at Wine Down Ooltewah was casual and relaxing and Molly was an excellent and attentive server. I was very happy with the variety of foods available (the dinner menu is different from the lunch menu) and with the quality and flavor of the food. And I found a wine that I like (baby steps)!

Wine Down Ooltewah is a great place to go for a relaxed but slightly upscale lunch or dinner, especially if you want a great glass of wine!

Wine Down Ooltewah is located at 9431 Bradmore Lane Suite 109, Ooltewah, TN, 37363 (in Cambridge Square). They are open Monday, 4-10 p.m., Tuesday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. for brunch. You can call them at 423-531-WINE(9463). You can find out more about Wine Down Ooltewah on their website, or their Facebook page. You can also follow Wine Down on Instagram.

Ceniza Cuban Restaurant (Ooltewah, TN)

October 12, 2016

Ceniza Cuban restaurant, located in Cambridge Square in Ooltewah, TN, opened in the spring of 2016 and serves Caribbean and Southern fusion food and cocktails.

I’ve been wanting to try Ceniza Cuban restaurant (or Ceniza Caribbean & Southern Fusion) for quite some time. They opened in late spring serving Cuban and Southern fusion food, but we waited a while to try it out to give them time to work out the kinks that a new restaurant inevitably goes through. It was kind of a tough wait because I love Cuban food and obviously I love Southern food. I held out, though. I heard a lot of mixed reviews about the service and the quality of the food, so I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect when we headed out.

We decided to hit up Ceniza Cuban restaurant late on a Saturday afternoon, around 4:00 p.m. We weren’t really sure where to go in; there is no signage over the entry door, which is on the back side of the building. There are two sets of double doors and on one door of the first set it says “Use other door”. That means use the other door in that pair. It will take you in to the hostess stand. The other set of double doors will lead you to the stairs that go up to their cigar lounge. At any rate, there were not a lot of people there when we arrived, so we were seated immediately. We chose to sit on the patio, but as we walked through the dining room I took note of the bright, beachy colors of the dining area and the bar.

Our server, Christina, checked in with us quickly and brought us water while we looked over the drink menu. Philip decided on a Chattanooga Brewing Company Chestnut Street Brown Ale ($6/pint), which he says is one of the best brown ales he’s ever had. I decided to have a Cuba Libre 1900s ($8): rum, Angostura bitters, Mexican Coke, and lime. I love rum and Coke, and the bitters and lime definitely finished it off perfectly. I loved the pottery cup that it was served in! We contemplated getting some tostones (fried plantains) nachos ($12) or black bean hummus ($7) but ultimately decided against it.

The menu is divided into small plates, salads, cigar box sandwiches, entrees, sides, and desserts. I didn’t have to think too hard about my order because I knew that I wanted to try their version of the Elena Ruz sandwich so that I could compare it to the one that I had at Embargo 62 and the one that I make myself. The Elena Ruz is grouped under “cigar box sandwiches”, which are literally served in a paper-lined cigar box. Served pressed on a semi-sweet roll with roasted thick-sliced turkey, cream cheese, and strawberry jam, the Elena Ruz is sweet and savory all at one. This one was just a little bit crunchy and was not messy as one might expect a sandwich with that much going on. The ingredients were well balanced and there was a good flavor to the turkey (I can have a problem with the flavor of poultry that has been cooked ahead of time). The sandwich itself was $8, which did not include a side. I added plantain chips (mariquitas) for an additional $2. It always bothers me when sandwiches do not come with a side; I would prefer that the price be $10 than to see $8 on a menu then have to pay an additional $2 for a side. Maybe that’s weird, but it’s one of my hang-ups. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed both the sandwich and the thinly sliced, slightly salty plantain chips.

Philip decided to order the CFC (Ceniza fried chicken) and Mac ($13). The chicken was a large, thinly pounded chicken breast coated in a regular better coating then dipped in coconut and fried until crispy. It was seasoned well and cooked just right – done through but not dry at all. The macaroni and cheese was creamy and cheese (of course) had little bits of roasted red pepper in it, giving it a bit of a pimento cheese flavor. It was also served with the vegetable of the day, which in that day was zucchini and yellow squash.

Despite some of the negatives that I had heard and read about Ceniza Cuban restaurant, we enjoyed our experience. The atmosphere was very nice and Christina was friendly and helpful. Our food was tasty and the prices were comparable to similar restaurants (our pre-tip total was about $37 for a beer, a cocktail, a sandwich, a side, and an entree). We will definitely return to Ceniza Cuban restaurant to try some of their other Cuban and Southern fare.

If you like Cuban and Southern food, you should definitely check out Ceniza Cuban restaurant and let me know what you think!

Ceniza Caribbean & Southern Fusion is located at 9454 Bradmore Lane, Ooltewah, TN 37363. They are open Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can call them at 423-760-4198. To learn more, check out Ceniza’s website. You can also find Ceniza Cuban restaurant on Facebook and follow @ceniza_lounge on Instagram and on Twitter.

Puleo’s Grille (Ooltewah, TN)

August 31, 2016

Puleo’s Grille is a small, regional chain (5 restaurants) based in Knoxville, TN. Their newest location is located in Ooltewah, TN.

A few months ago, Philip came home from his job at Sigler’s Craft Beer & Cigars and handed me a business card. The card was from a guy who worked at Puleo’s Grille who had come into Sigler’s looking for advice about what craft beers to include on their beer list the new location they were getting ready to open off of Exit 11 in Ooltewah. Philip had mentioned that his wife was a food blogger and the guy gave him his card.

Honestly, I thought up to that point that Puleo’s Grille was a large chain. I ate there once in Knoxville several years ago and didn’t realize that it was a very small, regional chain. The Chattanooga location is only their fifth location. They opened at the beginning of the summer, but we generally try to give places a few months to hit their stride before we go in. This past weekend, we decided that we’d given Puleo’s Grille long enough and headed to check it out.

We arrived at Puleo’s Grille around 4 p.m. on Saturday, so it was between the lunch and dinner rush and we were seated immediately. It took a few minutes for our server, Victoria, to check in with us, but I got the impression that they were having a quick server meeting in the back, as all the servers seemed to come into the dining area at once.

Victoria was very attentive after that. She got our waters (Philip also ordered a Schneider Weisse beer) and suggested the fried green tomatoes. We had been considering the fried green tomatoes and the fried pickles, and Victoria recommended the fried pickles, which are a Puleo’s Grille specialty. The fried green tomatoes are served with stone ground cheese grits and country and tasso gravy. The tomatoes themselves had a light cornmeal coating. The grits were very thick (as you can see from the fact that they stayed in the “scoop” shape) but that worked well with the tomatoes, as I was initially concerned that the grits might make the fried green tomatoes soggy. The tasso gravy was a little spicy and smoky, and the country gravy cream with just a hint of sausage. I thought it all worked really well together.

I immediately saw the fish tacos and initially thought I would order those, then I saw the fish and chips and I was torn. Then I saw the chicken penne pasta (grilled chicken, penne pasta, baby spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms in a Parmesan cream sauce) and I was really torn. I asked Victoria for her recommendation between the fish and chips and the chicken penne pasta and she told me that those were her two favorite dishes, but ultimately she would choose the fish and chips.

The fish was not your typical beer battered fish that you would expect with fish and chips. The coating was more of a light breading with the slightly pebbly texture of cornmeal. The inside of the fish was very tender and moist, and the garlicky dill caper remoulade was a nice complement. I also liked the Napa cabbage slaw, which also contained shredded carrots, diced green peppers, fried noodles, and sunflower seeds in a light vinaigrette. The fries were pretty average restaurant fries – pretty sure they were frozen. Good not great.

Philip was craving a burger, so he settled on the fairly pedestrian bacon cheeseburger, hickory grilled and topped with Applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion, and also served with fries. His comment was that he probably should have gotten something else – not because the burger was bad but because it was just a basic burger, nothing special, and he probably should have gotten something more interesting for blog purposes.

By the time we left around 5:00, the crowd was picking up. In its location right by Interstate 75 and in a town that’s still relatively short on restaurants will definitely keep their business up as long as they continue to serve decent food. I didn’t find that what they were serving was really all that innovative or interesting, but it definitely tasted good and I guess that’s ultimately all that matters. Our food total was $34.93 ($9.99 for the cheeseburger, $12.99 for the fish & chips, and $8.99 for the fried green tomatoes) so right in the same ballpark as similar restaurants – chain or not. Victoria was a great server and we enjoyed talking to her, and the atmosphere is nice. We will go back.

Check out Puleo’s Grille and let me know what you think.

Puleo’s Grille is located at 6108 Artesian Circle, Chattanooga, TN (just off of exit 11). If you go to the first light past their location, you will see a sign to turn in (there’s a turn-in closer to the restaurant but it’s a little inconveniently located). They are open Sunday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. You can call them at 423-803-2271. You can check out their website, puleosgrille.com, like Puleo’s Grille Chattanooga – Ooltewah on Facebook, or follow @puleosgrille on Twitter.

Couch’s BBQ – Ooltewah, Tennessee

September 7, 2015

Couch’s BBQ is a popular, family-owned barbecue restaurant in Ooltewah, Tennessee, near Chattanooga.

When Philip and I were trying to decide on a place to try this past weekend, I had two criteria: it needed to be somewhere that I would not regret not ordering the burger (I’m taking a month or so off from burgers after writing the list) and I didn’t want to have to walk any sort of distance to get there, as grass or ragweed or something that is blooming is killing me. That second caveat effectively killed just about any place downtown. We went to McKay’s to peruse their used books (where I found Sarah Wu‘s Fed Up with Lunch, about which I was pretty excited) then decided to head over to Couch’s Bar-B-Que in Ooltewah, just a few short miles away.

Couch’s BBQ came highly recommended, as Amanda from Dish T’Pass had told me a while back that it was her family’s go-to barbecue joint and Southern Living recently proclaimed Couch’s Bar-B-Que one of the top fifty barbecue joints in the South. Besides, it’s been around since 1946, so they are clearly doing something right.

It was around 2 when we arrived but there was still a fairly hefty lunch crowd (though we didn’t have any trouble finding a seat). A friendly server brought us our waters while we checked out the menu and we ordered fried pickles because, you know, I have a rule (i.e. if fried pickles are on the menu I’m required to order them). I was a little disappointed when they turned out to be the same frozen fried pickles we were served at Choo-Choo BBQ and Kevin Brown Burgers, but oh well. Fried pickles are like pizza…even when they aren’t great they’re still pretty good.

I considered ordering a barbecue sandwich. The sandwiches here are topped with lettuce and tomato, which I find to be an interesting concept and I’m certain one that I would enjoy. In the end, though, I decided to order the pork “Couch Potato”, which apparently is somewhat of a claim to fame for the establishment as they have several signs stating that they are the “home of the Couch Potato”. In my opinion, the potato here is a cut above most other places around town-they are crusted in salt then topped with a generous but not exorbitant amount of butter, sour cream, shredded cheese, and whatever meat you choose. They are also served with a couple of rolls (pre-packaged).

One thing about the pork here, as you may notice in the picture, is that it is not pulled or even sliced but rather shaved. According to Grant, who writes the blog Marie, Let’s Eat!, Couch’s BBQ uses uncured hams rather than the usual Boston butt (aka pork shoulder), smokes them, then shaves them on a deli slicer. It is definitely a different barbecue experience, but not different bad or even different good-just different. We liked it; the meat was flavorful (if maybe just a smidge dry) and paired well with both of the housemade sauces (signature and sweet, which had a telltale molasses hit). The fact that they make their own sauce here is a huge advantage, as I have found very few places around here that do. There is nothing that I hate more than walking into a barbecue joint and being greeted with a food service container of sauce sitting in plain view.

Philip decided to get the pork plate, which is served with three sides and rolls. He decided to get the slaw, baked beans, and fried okra. Honestly, he was fine with all of the sides but didn’t think that they were anything outstanding. The okra was the familiar frozen okra and he couldn’t really tell if the other sides were homemade or not. I will say, again, that Grant touts their hot slaw on Marie, Let’s Eat! as delicious albeit “magically weird” (actually, in his first review of the spot he says, “It has a smell-the-back-of-your-brain kick and leaves a sharp and very strong aftertaste. It is all kinds of fantastic. I have no idea what is in it. I am absolutely clueless, but they don’t list it as a side on the menu so you have to know to ask for it.”) I’m not sure if Philip forgot to ask for it or just decided against it.

If we hadn’t been so full, I would have loved to have had a slice of one of their homemade pies: coconut, pecan, buttermilk, key lime, and (I think) chocolate. We just. couldn’t. do it. So, instead, we paid our bill ($21.03 pre-tip) and headed back toward home.

Couch’s BBQ was good, but it’s quite a drive for me so I don’t think we’re going to become regulars anytime soon. As seems to be par for the course, they pay a little less attention to their sides than to their meat, which I guess makes sense for a barbecue restaurant but good grief, I just want to find a spot that fries their own okra. Still, I’d definitely go back to Couch’s Bar-B-Que, and I highly recommend the Couch potato.

Couch’s Bar-B-Que is located at 8307 Old Lee Highway, Ooltewah, TN 37363. They are open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. You can call them at 423-238-4801. You can check out Couch’s website, www.couchsbbq.org, and like Couch’s BBQ on Facebook.

Disclaimer: This post contains an Amazon affiliate link for the book Fed Up with Lunch, because I think it’s so eye-opening that you should read it if school lunches affect you in any way. If you click through and buy this book from this link, I will make a small commission. For more information, read my disclosures/privacy policy.