Restaurants Archives - Page 13 of 49

Merv’s Burgers Soddy-Daisy

April 20, 2016

Merv’s Burgers recently opened a new location in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. The burgers definitely lived up to the expectations set by the original location!

If you’ve lived in Chattanooga for a while now, chances are that you have heard of Merv’s Burgers on Mountain Creek Road. They claim to have the best burgers in Tennessee and a lot of people contend that they have the best burgers in Chattanooga. While you probably know who tops my burger list, Merv’s is on there with their classic burgers. So when it got out that Merv’s was opening in Soddy-Daisy, just about ten minutes from my house, I was pretty excited.

The new Merv’s location opened in February in a location that, unfortunately, has seen a lot of turnover in the past several years. It was a classic meat and three, Ronnie’s Restaurant, for years and years before Ronnie decided to hang up his hat and move on. Since then it’s been two different Mexican restaurants, an Italian restaurant, and a couple of other things. The location seems cursed, which is odd because Home Folks across the street has been there since I was a kid. We decided to go and check it out for lunch with my brother on his birthday.

They’ve done a lot of work inside. It’s been painted and metal panels have been installed on the walls, which is a nod to the Mountain Creek Road location. There’s a dining space and a pool hall space. They have a “seat yourself” sign, which I appreciate because you guys know I can’t stand when I walk in to a restaurant and I’m not sure if I should seat myself or wait to be seated. Our server, Shana, approached us immediately to get our drink orders while we perused the menu (we all went with water).

The menu at Merv’s Burgers is pretty basic: appetizers, salads and wraps, burgers and sandwiches, sides, and entrees. Philip’s eyes lit on the pork rinds on the appetizer menu, and at $2.99 it seems like we couldn’t possibly pass up freshly made pork rinds. For those of you who don’t know, yes, pork rinds are pieces of fried pig skin. These were fresh out of the fryer when they came to our table, still crackling and popping like crazy. They tasted like porky salted air. I honestly have never been much of a pork rind fan, but then I’ve never had them freshly made. These were delicious.

We all three decided to go with burgers – no big surprise there. I’d like to know how many meals a day that Merv’s serves that are not burgers. I had a L’il Merv with American cheese and no onion, Philip had the L’il Merv with cheddar and bacon, and my brother went for the gusto with a regular Merv burger with American cheese, grilled onions, and bacon. Here’s the thing about a Merv’s burger…they’re so simple that it almost seems too simple. There’s no fancy bun, no special sauce, no out-of-the-ordinary toppings, no swanky meat. And it’s it that simplicity that the Merv’s burger shines. With their irregular shape, they’re obviously hand-patted, cooked up just to doneness on the flat-top, cheese melted on top, and toppings judiciously done (i.e. the condiments and toppings don’t slip and slide all over the place).

We split a large order of fries ($4.99) and the basket was more than big enough for the three of us. Merv’s seems like the kind of place where the fries would be an afterthought, just a necessary but neglected menu item, something that goes beside the burger. That’s not the case, though…the fries are hand-cut, skin-on, and perfectly cooked and seasoned. I have a love affair with hand-cut fries, for those of you who don’t know.

I read some reviews on the Facebook page, and some of them were a little negative, not so much about the food but about the service. However, those reviews were all posted within the first couple of weeks that this location was open, so I have to guess that they were probably really busy and they were probably just getting their sea legs. Our food came out very quickly and Shana was very attentive.

To cap it all off, the three of us ate burgers, fries, and pork rinds (we drank water) for $29.31 pre-tip. That’s three adults eating in a non-fast food restaurant for under $30, and that’s not bad. There was a steady flow of diners coming in to eat lunch, with others coming in to shoot pool. I don’t drive that way often, but I’m guessing that they’re doing a pretty good business at night too. I guess it’s too early to tell, but I’m thinking that Merv’s might break the curse of that location.

Merv’s Burgers is located at 8968 Dayton Pike, Soddy Daisy, TN 37379. They are open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. They do not have a website, but you can follow Merv’s Burgers on Facebook.

Steamboat Sandwiches (Shallowford)

April 6, 2016

Steamboat Sandwiches on Shallowford Road in Chattanooga, Tennessee is a great place to get excellent sandwiches at amazing prices during the workday!

As I type this, I am already lamenting the fact that my spring break is nearly over. As you read this, I will already be back to work, no longer able to pull off the whole “full-time blogger” charade. I’m not complaining, just stating facts. One of the nice things about breaks, though, is the fact that it gives me the opportunity to eat at restaurants that are usually closed when I’m not at work. I don’t get many opportunities to eat at restaurants during my workdays; I’m lucky to have time to eat lunch at all. Itinerant staff problems.

I asked my Facebook friends for some suggestions of places that are not open on nights and weekends. I got several suggestions, some of which I’d already tried…then the winner. One friend suggested that we try Steamboat. A friend from work had recently had a Steamboat sandwich in the office and was gushing about how good their house-made bread and egg salad were. I made a mental note that I needed to eat there at some point and moved on, unsure of whether Steamboat still had a location on Shallowford Road or if I would have to go downtown and deal with paid parking in order to check it out.

Good news: the Shallowford Road location of Steamboat Sandwiches is indeed still open, hence plenty of free parking. It was around 1:00 when we arrived and, while I wouldn’t say it was crowded, there was still a steady stream of folks coming in to get their sandwich fix. The whole operation is unbelievably efficient. They have a small menu – 13 sandwiches (or build your own), a handful of sides, brownies, and cookies. You step up, tell the man at the counter what you want, he circles it with a dry erase marker on a laminated card, and he sticks it up for the lady who makes the sandwiches to see. Our sandwiches were ready before we finished getting our drinks. That, my friends, is what we call speedy service.

I decided that I needed to try the pimento cheese, as I’ve kind of made it my mission in life to try pimento cheese pretty much anywhere that I can find it homemade. I stayed simple, with just lettuce and tomato (no condiments or additional toppings), since I think that pimento cheese really does stand on its own. Too much more makes for a pretty goopy sandwich. I have to say, I was quite impressed. The pimento cheese was very simple – just shredded cheddar, pimentos, and mayonnaise – but delicious in its simplicity. It worked so well with the amazing bread, which is fresh-baked daily and so gloriously soft. It’s perfect for squishy fillings but not so soft that you feel like you’re eating dough (a common complaint that Philip has about a lot of white breads). The lettuce is shredded, which really does make for an easier sandwich-eating experience, since you don’t have to worry about pulling the entire leaf off of your sandwich. I got the combo, which includes chips and a drink. They had Salt and Vinegar Lay’s, so I was happy. They also have orange-flavored sweet tea, which does not taste like it has orange juice in it but rather orange Kool-aid or Tang or some other orange flavoring agent…and we loved it. I noticed that on Tuesdays and Thursdays you get a free brownie or cookie with your combo, so I was kind of sad that we didn’t wait until Thursday to go!

Philip decided to order the specialty, the Steamboat sandwich. The Steamboat includes smoked ham, Genoa salami, pork roast, Swiss cheese, special sauce, mayo, mustard, lettuce, and pickles. We heard several people ordering the Steamboat as they came in, so it’s obviously pretty popular. I tasted it and it was a great combination of flavors…I mean, how can you really go wrong with three variations of pork on the same sandwich? Philip really liked the special sauce and was trying to figure out what it was as he worked his way through the sandwich, ultimately deciding that he thought it tasted like Buffalo sauce. Like me, he thought the bread was excellent and that it definitely gave the sandwich an edge.

After we left, I decided to put a photo that I had taken on Instagram. I looked up Steamboat Sandwiches and realized that there was a location in Knoxville. As I read the website, I realized that it’s a small chain/franchise operation. Just FYI, that still fits into Chattavore guidelines…as long as it’s a small operation I’m good with it, particularly considering that it’s regional. Because of the hours, it’s unlikely that I’ll be going to Steamboat very often, but at $13 for two sandwich combos, this place has great prices on excellent food and it’s worth a visit when you have time.

Steamboat Sandwiches is located at 5950-C Shallowford Road (at Polymer Drive). They are open 10:30-3:00 Monday-Friday. You can call them at 423-499-6355. There is another location (I am not sure if they are owned by the same franchisee) downtown at 812 Broad Street. They are open 10:30-2:00 Monday-Friday and can be reached at 423-756-8388.

58 Teriyaki Grill

March 9, 2016

58 Teriyaki Grill is one of the great restaurants in Chattanooga to get delicious teriyaki, hibachi, or Thai food!

A few weeks ago, Philip and I visited Thai Chili in Ooltewah. A reader suggested 58 Teriyaki Grill, which I’d never even noticed even though I travel Highway 58 a few times a week. This past weekend I decided that I was craving chicken teriyaki. Our choices were 58 Teriyaki Grill and Teriyaki House (in East Ridge). Since 58 Teriyaki Grill was closer, we decided to go there.

When we walked in, we immediately noticed a sign to order at the counter. We were quickly greeted by a very friendly cashier/server, Hope. I immediately knew what I wanted – chicken teriyaki. Philip started to order hibachi steak, but then he noticed the Thai menu to the right of the regular menu. Hope urged him to order something off the Thai menu, so he decided to order pad-see-ew with chicken, which he just tried for the first time when we went to Thai Chili. We also ordered a couple of spring rolls.

We seated ourselves in the dining area, which is dimly lit but very nice. Straws and chopsticks are in a glass on the table (BTW: one of my bucket list items as of last week is that I must learn to eat with chopsticks). Hope brought our drinks along with forks and napkins. Our spring rolls came out quickly and she warned us that they were very hot, so we waited a few minutes to eat them. They were extremely crispy and filled with cabbage and noodles. They were simple and delicious.

Our entrees came out almost immediately after our spring rolls. My teriyaki chicken was served with a simple fried rice (the only detectable vegetable in the rice was corn) and sautéed vegetables (broccoli, carrots, and cabbage). The vegetables were very tender and lightly coated in the sweet and sticky teriyaki sauce – I would have liked more carrots and broccoli, though. The chicken was cut into perfectly bite-sized pieces and browned until just a little bit crispy before being coated with that wonderful sauce. It was fantastic. The rice was nice…as I said before, very simple, but with a good texture and flavor.

Philip was given the option of ordering his pad-see-ew mild, medium, or hot. He went for medium. At first as he ate it, Philip commented that he thought that the spice made it a little more interesting than what he had at Thai Chili, but as he continued eating he started sniffling and remarked that if he were to order it again he would probably go for mild because it became so spicy that the spice distracted from the flavors of the dish. He loved the flavors, though…I think pad-see-ew really has replaced Panang curry as his go-to Thai order.

Hope came to our table several times to check on us and make sure that we had everything that we needed. She was extremely bubbly and helpful and thanked us profusely for coming in (and she didn’t even know I was a food blogger!). As we walked out Philip gave her a Chattavore card and we met the daughter of the owner, who also thanked us for coming in. They told us that they hoped we’d be back, and we will. The prices were good (right at $20 for my teriyaki – $5.99, Philip’s pad-see-ew – $9.99, and two spring rolls – $.99 each), the place was very clean and nicely decorated (I was especially intrigued by the reservations-only Thai lounge!), the people were so friendly and welcoming, and the food was delicious. Definitely worth a trip.

58 Teriyaki Grill is located at 4762 Highway 58, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37416 (in the same strip mall as United Grocery Outlet). Ignore the hours on the menu I’ve included below; Hope told us that they are open Monday-Friday, 11:30-2:30 and 4:00-9:00 but they are open 11:30-9:00 on Saturday. You can call them at 423-296-2899. They don’t have a website, but you can like 58 Teriyaki Grill on Facebook and follow them on Twitter (@58Teriyaki).

For the menu, click here and here.

Talus (Lookout Mountain, Tennessee)

February 24, 2016

Talus serves what they call New American Cuisine in the beautiful backdrop of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.

I’m sort of running out of places to blog about in Chattanooga. Okay, not really…I have a pretty long list of places that I still need to visit. A lot of the places I need to visit, though, are on the outskirts of Chattanooga. I’m trying to spend more time around Chattanooga and less time downtown, particularly since I really kind of am running out of places downtown, at least places that are open on the weekends.

I haven’t been anywhere on Lookout Mountain up to this point. There aren’t a ton of places to visit up there but Café on the Corner (which recently reopened after a 2014 fire shut it down for a while) and Talus have been on my list for quite a while. We decided to head up, unsure of which one we were going to choose. Turns out they are just a few doors away from each other, so our decision was made by the fact that we parked directly across the street from Talus (parking is on the street or in a few spaces lining the front of the plaza that it’s in).

When we walked in we were quickly seated. There are two dining areas, a quieter and more subdued area with lots of art on the wall and slightly louder area with more modern music (as in they were playing nineties music) and a pool table. We decided to sit in the quieter area. The restaurant is very nicely decorated, with hardwood floors and dark wood tables. We were seated at a high top table.

Our server, Caroline, got to us quickly and took our drink order. We asked her opinion on appetizers, as we were stuck between pimento cheese hushpuppies (served with green chile jam) and fried green tomatoes (served with herbed goat cheese and bacon aioli). She recommended the hush puppies, so we decided to go with those (they also have a crab cake, a chip and dip trio, and seared ahi tuna). The hush puppies came out, hot, gigantic, and with just a little bit of cheese oozing from the top. They were very tasty and the green chile jam sweet but spicy enough to make me cough a little bit a few times.

The menu is divided into appetizers, salads, craft tacos (shrimp or fish), highbrow burgers, hand-held (aka sandwiches), and entrees (which are only served after 5:00 p.m.). I contemplated whether to order the bleu and black burger (cajun spiced with bacon, bacon, aged balsamic onions, and blue cheese spread on a potato bun), the Talus blue bacon cheesesteak with char-roasted beef, applewood smoked bacon, steakhouse dressing, caramelized onions, and house-blended cheeses on a toasted French baguette, or the craft fish tacos, with ale-battered market fish, shredded cabbage, salsa fresca, avocado slices, and Mexican crema. Ultimately I decided on the fish tacos with onion rings as my side (I know, I know, onion rings don’t really go with fish tacos, but I wanted to try them). I am fairly certain that the market fish was cod, and it was absolutely delicious-perfectly cooked in a light, crispy, and well-seasoned batter. There was a perfect amount of toppings (salsa, cumin-spiced crema, and avocado – though I could have taken a little more avocado) on a flour tortilla. I would have preferred corn tortillas, but it was definitely not a deal breaker. The onion rings were good, not great…not anything special.

Philip decided on the double bacon Lucy burger. Do you know what a jucy Lucy (not, jucy is not a misspelling, that’s just how it’s spelled for some reason) burger is? It’s a burger with cheese stuffed into the center of it as opposed to being melted on top. The double bacon Lucy had pimento cheese stuffed into it, and it was topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and red onion on a potato bun. Philip decided to order it without lettuce and probably should have foregone the tomato and onion, as it was definitely not easy to take a bite from. However, the meat was seared perfectly, the pimento cheese was melty and flavorful, and the bacon added a perfect salty & smoky hit to finish. Philip decided on fries as his side. The fries were definitely house-cut, cooked until just crisp and well-seasoned.

I can’t say that this was an inexpensive meal – for the hush puppies ($5.95), fish tacos ($12.95), double bacon Lucy ($9.95), and a draught beer that Philip ordered (around $6), our pre-tip total was $37.52. However, those prices are pretty much par for the course for restaurants similar to Talus, and the food was fresh and tasty so we were not put off by the price. Additionally, our server was very friendly and helpful (even when Philip sent her on a wild goose chase to figure out what variety of Bell’s beer they had on tap) and you can’t argue with the scenery when you are driving up and down Lookout Mountain (or just driving around and looking at the houses!). We will definitely make a visit back to Talus!

Talus is located at 812 Scenic Highway, Lookout Mountain, Tennessee 37409. They are open Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. You can call them at (423) 602-5604. They do not currently have a website, but you can like Talus on Facebook.

Thai Chili Asian Bistro

February 17, 2016

It may seem unassuming and out of the way, but Thai Chili Asian Bistro serves excellent Thai food in Ooltewah, Tennessee!

This weekend, Philip and I decided to head out to Ooltewah to try Aji Peruvian restaurant…it’s been on my list for quite some time now. When we got there, we discovered that they aren’t open on Saturday. Oops. I guess I should have check the hours!

No matter, though, because we had a backup plan. A friend had recommended Thai Chili a few weeks ago, and since it was just a couple of miles away we just zipped over there to check it out.

When we walked in, there was only one table occupied (it was 2:00 in the afternoon, so no big surprise that they weren’t crowded) and Kristen, the server working, seated us immediately. It’s a small space, maybe 10 to 15 tables (that’s just an estimate) and is decorated very nicely. Plus, their restaurant inspection is hanging on the wall and the score was 100. Nice.

They were still serving lunch, which is served from 11-3. The lunch menu consists of appetizers, entrees, rice and noodle dishes, and curries. We ordered waters and spring rolls, which are vegetarian crispy fried spring rolls served with a sweet chile sauce. They came out very quickly – impressively so – and were very hot and fresh. Kristen confirmed that they are made in-house (they were that perfect…they looked like they must have been made by a machine!). The chile sauce was very sweet and just a little bit spicy. Our meals were preceded by coconut soup, which is a perfectly flavor-balanced mixture of coconut milk, broth, lime, mushrooms, and green onions. It was a wonderful combination of sweet, sour, and salty. Delicious.

Since pad Thai is my standard Thai restaurant order, I decided not to buck tradition for my post. I ordered shrimp pad Thai, which was $1.00 more than chicken, beef, or tofu pad Thai. Pad Thai, for those who aren’t familiar, is thin rice noodles stir-fried with eggs and scallions, served with bean sprouts and crushed peanuts. As with our spring rolls, we were amazed at how quickly our food came out – we were still eating our soup! It was a good-sized portion, but not outrageously so. Everything was perfectly cooked, with noodles that were just a little firm and nicely cooked shrimp. Thai food is really all about balance, and like the coconut soup, the pad Thai was wonderfully balanced with sweet, salty, and tart (from a squeeze of lime) flavors and lots of contrasting textures from the rice noodles, the shrimp, the bean sprouts, carrots, and peanuts. This pad Thai was as good as any pad Thai I’ve been served in more established Thai restaurants in Chattanooga.

Philip typically orders Panang curry, but today he decided to go off script and order pad see-ew instead. Pad see-ew is wide rice noodles sautéed in a sweet light brown sauce with egg, broccoli, carrot, and your choice of meat (Philip chose chicken). He took one bite and declared that this was now his favorite Thai food order, replacing Panang curry. I was shocked, as he has been eating Panang curry pretty much exclusively when we visit Thai restaurants for 10+ years. When I tasted the dish, though, I completely understood. The brown sauce was very flavorful, with fish sauce clearly being the prominent flavor component (please don’t let the name fish sauce scare you…it gives an amazing, complex “umami” – that is, savory – flavor component to anything you add it to). As with my pad Thai, the textures and flavors all had amazing contrasts and balance. It was delicious.

The prices weren’t bad either. With the spring rolls costing $2.95, my shrimp pad Thai costing $7.99, and Philip’s pad see-ew costing $6.99, the total before tax was just under $20 pre-tip. The atmosphere was nice, the food came out incredibly quickly, and Kristen was a great server. She told us that she eats there every day, including on her days off, and that she loves every item on the menu.

Thai Chili Asian Bistro is located at 9203 Lee Highway, Suite 12, Ooltewah, TN 37363 (in the Food City plaza). It’s a very unassuming location and very easy to miss – it’s between China Rose and Liberty Tax. They are open Sunday-Thursday, 11-3 and 5-9:30, and Friday-Saturday 11-10. You can call them at 423-777-5055. They do not have a website, but you can like Thai Chili Asian Bistro on Facebook.

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