Bars, Breweries, & Pubs Archives - Page 2 of 7

Beast + Barrel

January 18, 2017

Beast + Barrel is a gastro smokehouse and bar located on Chattanooga’s North Shore serving creative drinks and a simple, elevated menu in a cozy atmosphere.

It’s been almost three years since Beast + Barrel opened on Chattanooga’s North Shore, in the former location of North Shore Grill. I wrote about their soft opening, which my brother took me to (he works at The Honest Pint, which is owned by the same group that owns Beast + Barrel). However, though I’ve been back many times since the opening, I haven’t written about a normal service at Beast + Barrel…so I thought I’d fix that.

Philip and I arrived around 4:00 on Saturday afternoon. The bar area of the restaurant was teeming with diners, so we were seated in a booth in the back section of the restaurant. We’d never been back there, and it offered a birds-eye view of the kitchen, which I found interesting. We were given several menus – the regular menu, a happy hour menu, a specials menu, and a libations menu. Sara, our server, quickly came to fill our water glasses and take our drink orders. Philip ordered a beer cocktail, of which I can’t remember the name. He liked it but said he probably wouldn’t order it again – he’s a beer “beer” guy, not a beer “cocktail” guy. I stuck with water.

A couple of appetizers were discounted for happy hour, including the single wide – beast (shoestring) fries, pulled pork, cheddar bisque, cherry Coke BBQ sauce, and mustard slaw – which was $4 (they’re $8 regular price). I’ve had these as an entree before, so we decided to order them. It’s a generous serving, particularly if you’re having them as your meal. The pulled pork is smoky and perfectly tender, and the cherry Coke BBQ sauce is just a little sweet, a little spicy, and a little tangy. The cheddar bisque was, well, a perfect cheese sauce, and the mustard slaw was a nice tangy topping to offset all the other flavors in the fries.

I’ve had several meals that I loved at Beast + Barrel, including the Big Katz (reuben) and the Executive Chef Salad. For this meal, I decided to go for the Crescent City Chicken dinner – Cajun fried chicken, maple gravy, goat cheese whipped potatoes, and vinegar greens ($18). I decided to sub the special side – broccoli and bacon salad – for the vinegar greens. The chicken was fried perfectly crisp and was ever so slightly spiced with Cajun seasonings. The sawmill gravy with maple sausage was the perfect complement to the chicken, and while I’m just developing a taste for goat cheese, I really enjoyed the perfectly creamy goat cheese whipped potatoes. The broccoli and bacon salad was like a slaw, finely shredded, with carrots, red onion, and a little bit of cheddar in a light dressing (it was not creamy, so I don’t think it was mayo-based like my broccoli salad). It was tasty but I would have liked for it to have more bacon.

Philip went for the burger special, a PB (yes, peanut butter) burger – basically a basic burger (called a “Braveheart Burger” on the menu) but with only peanut butter, bacon, and red onions for topping, on a Niedlov’s bun ($14.50). They forgot the bacon, but Sara let the kitchen know and they got a couple of strips out in just a matter of minutes. Now, I know that peanut butter on a burger sounds a little strange, but it really works. The burger was cooked well and the flavor from the peanut butter and the bacon was fantastic.

Our server, Sara, was very helpful and attentive. The atmosphere at Beast + Barrel is cozy, intimate, and casual. I’ve heard mixed reviews from some, but I’ve never had a bad experience here. It’s a little more pricey than the restaurants we usually visit (our total was $43 pre-tip) but not terribly so. The atmosphere is great for a date night. The menu is simple but creative and the drink options are limitless.

We really enjoy Beast + Barrel and will definitely return.

Beast + Barrel is located at 16 Frazier Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37405. They are open Monday – Thursday, 3 – 10 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. to 12 a.m., and Saturday – Sunday 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. You can call them at (423) 805-4599. For more information, check out their website, beastandbarrel.com or the Beast + Barrel Facebook page. You can also follow Beast + Barrel on Instagram.

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.

Happy Birthday, Tremont Tavern!

December 7, 2016

Chattanooga’s most popular burger spot, Tremont Tavern, turns 10 this month. They’re celebrating with a weekend full of fun!

When I decided to write a top burgers in Chattanooga list, I discovered just how passionate Chattanoogans are about burgers. Honestly, I was a little taken aback by how strongly people felt about their burgers. It was an eye-opening experience.

Over and over again, I have been told (or read, or otherwise heard) that Tremont Tavern has the best burger in town. Indeed, it is one of my favorites too, and with good reason. Huge burgers made from house-ground beef with any number of toppings – how could you go wrong? Plus, there’s the whole tavern/place where everybody knows your name vibe.

Dustin Choate, Tremont Tavern’s owner, set out in 2006 to create a new beginning for himself after a dissatisfying stint in the corporate world. We all know about restaurant failure rates, and at the time that Tremont opened, the area wasn’t exactly a prime restaurant location. It would seem that the odds were stacked against the survival of a hole-in-the-wall dive bar in a previously vacant building…but the odds can be wrong. And wrong they were.

Instead, Tremont turned into a destination for Chattanoogans and out-of-towners alike. What started as a tiny two-room bar has more than doubled in size – but that doesn’t mean there’s a lot of space. That just means more people can squeeze in, and squeeze in they do. On a recent visit, Philip and I could only find seating at the minibar in front of the windows – there wasn’t a table to be had.

It’s pretty much undeniable that Tremont Tavern set the bar for burgers in this town. They’ve not only won local accolades, being voted the Best Burger for the 2016 Times Free Press Best of the Best, but they’ve also been recognized in Garden and Gun as one of the best burgers in the South. The burgers and the beer are not the only good things about Tremont, though – they have a small but varied and well-crafted menu and everything on it is good, as far as I can tell. The fish and chips and Reuben that we had on our recent jaunt certainly were.

And the atmosphere is pretty much unmatched. Like Waffle House, Tremont Tavern is one of those places that everyone just fits in, regardless of who you are. It might be a tavern, but it’s cool to take the kids; everyone in the neighborhood does it, for sure. It’s just as great of a place for a casual date or a night out with friends, though.

Tremont Tavern is turning 10 this month. They’ll be celebrating Friday and Saturday (12/9 and 12/10) with food and drink specials and live music from Mike McDade, Gabriel Newell and Jordan Hallquist & The Outfit on Friday and BJ Hightower, Slim Pickins, TJ Greever and Danimal Pinson on Saturday. Don’t miss your chance to stop by and say happy birthday! And be sure to have a burger while you’re there.

Tremont Tavern is located at 1203 Hixson Pike, Chattanooga, TN 37405. They are open Monday 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., Tuesday – Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday, 12 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. You can call Tremont Tavern at (423) 266-1996. You can find more information about Tremont Tavern on their website or their Facebook page.

Lakeshore Grille

September 21, 2016

Lakeshore Grille, located near the Chickamauga Dam, is out of the way & easily overlooked, but they serve good food with great views of the Tennessee River!

I love it when you guys suggest recipes for me to make and restaurants for me to check out. Have I mentioned that before? I’m pretty sure I have. Yeah, I’ve definitely mentioned that before.

A few weeks ago a reader emailed me to let me know that her favorite burger in town was at Lakeshore Grille. To be honest, Lakeshore Grille wasn’t even on my list – or even my radar. I knew that it existed, but that’s about it. Tucked away far from any main roads, Lakeshore Grille never even crossed my mind.

As per usual these days, since Philip doesn’t get home from work on Saturdays until 3 or 3:30, we arrived at Lakeshore Grille around 4:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. There were a few patrons inside, but it was pretty empty. We contemplated sitting outside (they have ample outdoor seating) but it was pretty hot so we decided to sit inside by one of their huge windows instead. Our water glasses were filled and Philip set to checking out their beer list. He ended up ordering the Sam Adams Octoberfest, which he was pretty happy about.

The happy hour menu was set out on the table and spinach Gouda dip was calling my name. I rarely order it because it’s so easy to make at home for much cheaper than you can get it in a restaurant, but at only $4 for happy hour the price was right. I wouldn’t have ordered it, though, if I’d realized that a complementary basket of house-made potato chips drizzled with a just slightly spicy white sauce and sprinkled with chopped chives would be delivered to our table. We made quick work of the chips (because we hadn’t eaten since breakfast at 8:30). They were warm, crunchy, and well-seasoned, and the creamy sauce was a delicious addition. The spinach Gouda dip was a small portion, served with crisp baguette slices for dipping. It was tasty but not really anything mind-blowing.

Jane and Ken (the readers who emailed me) highly recommended the “Laney” burger ($12), with smoked Gouda cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, and roasted red pepper aioli on a kaiser roll. The burger was well-cooked with a nice grilled flavor. The onions were just a little bit crunchy…I like for my caramelized onions to be super-soft and syrupy, but they still tasted good. Smoked Gouda is always a welcome addition to just about any savory dish. I would have liked for the burger to have more red pepper aioli; I couldn’t really taste it. I thought that the lettuce and tomato on the side were unnecessary – with bacon and caramelized onions, you really don’t need cold toppings. The fries were pretty standard – frozen, good but nothing special.

Philip considered the shrimp and grits ($16), but their shrimp and grits were not the cream-based style that he likes best. He ended up deciding between the sausage and shrimp penne ($14) and the catfish and fries. Eventually, he settled on the catfish and fries ($13). Typically, I think of fried catfish as being breaded in cornmeal before frying, but this was dipped in a peppery batter. It was well-seasoned and crispy, drizzled with a chipotle aioli that made it just a little spicy. Like me, he thought the fries were pretty good.

The decor in Lakeshore Grille was minimal (there was a cute little Chattanooga-specific display right when you walk in) but the place appeared clean and well-kept. The view of the marina and the river was really all we needed to keep us entertained, especially as we watched a family come into the marina with their very excited dog on the boat. The staff was friendly and our service was good. The total pre-tip was $36.05, so comparable to similar restaurants. I would definitely go back.

Lakeshore Grille has good food at decent prices with a great view!

Lakeshore Grille is located at 5600 Lake Resort Terrace, Suite 300, Chattanooga, TN 37415. They are open Tuesday – Thursday 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday 5 p.m. to 12 a.m., Saturday 3 p.m. to 12 a.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can call them at (423) 710-2057. You can read more about them on their website, lakeshoregrille.com and on their Facebook page.

FEED Co. Table & Tavern

August 31, 2015

The FEED Co. Table and Tavern is a fabulous restaurant on Main Street in Downtown Chattanooga serving great Southern food and other classics created by Chef Charlie Loomis.
When it was announced a while back that Dustin Choate of Tremont Tavern fame, Miguel Morales, own er of 1885, and Charlie Loomis, 1885’s chef, would be joining forces to open a new restaurant, FEED Co. Table & Tavern, in the Craftworks building on Main Street, I got awfully excited. I was a fan of Chef Loomis’s cooking at the now long-since defunct Elemental, which Loomis left to take the helm at 1885 Grill. I adore 1885’s dressed-up Southern food and the amazing atmosphere and service there. And, of course, Tremont has won me over with their amazing burgers.

I was decidedly against the idea of having a burger today. There are several places that people have suggested that we needed to go to try burgers but y’all, Ima have to pace myself. I’ve eaten a lot of burgers over the last few months. They’re one of my faves, but I didn’t want to go to any of those suggested places. Not just yet.

I made a short list of places to check out and let Philip pick. He chose Feed Co. since we went to Clyde’s a couple of weeks ago (so I could get a picture of their burger) and saw people going in. We had actually kind of forgotten until then that they were open. We parked on the street (which is free if you can find a space). If you can’t find a spot on the street, there’s a Republic lot behind Clyde’s. For lunch, you enter on the Tavern side (the Table side doesn’t open until dinnertime).

The hosts told us that the wait would be 15-20 minutes and took our phone number to text us. We had barely walked down the sidewalk to get a few shots of the outside before they texted us, though. We were seated at a bar in front of the arcade games (really!) and our server, Brian, immediately greeted us and took our drink order. They have an extensive beer list and Philip ordered a Yazoo Sly Rye Porter. They also have lots of specialty cocktails…I entertained the idea of ordering a 50 Shades of Pimm’s martini (Pimm’s No. 1, muddled strawberries, orange mint, and cucumber, fresh lemon juice, and Pure Sodaworks strawberry jalapeño soda) but ultimately decided against it.

Brian suggested the Brussels sprouts & artichoke dip, served with fresh farm bread, which did indeed sound delicious. However, I of course noticed the fried pickled green beans. So did Philip. Fried pickles are fried pickles, you guys, regardless of whether the pickles are cucumbers or green beans. So of course we ordered them. All I can say is oh.em.gee. They were fantastic, briny and tart with a light tempura-like batter, served with ranch dressing for dipping.

My eye went straight to the fish & chips as I was deciding on what I would order for my meal. I briefly entertained the idea of ordering the sloppy Joe (grass-fed sloppy joe, yellow mustard, Niedlov’s bun) because how many restaurants serve sloppy Joes?!?!?!?! In the end, though, I went with my gut instinct: CBC beer-battered cod, house cut fries, house pickles, cole slaw, and malt vinegar tartar sauce. The batter on the fish was thick and just slightly bitter with the flavor of the beer, the fish just cooked through. The fries were ultra-skinny, skin-on, and perfectly seasoned. The slaw was a little creamy, a little vinegar-y, with cabbage, carrots, red onion, and Brussels sprouts, and the tartar sauce had the unmistakeable tang of malt vinegar with chopped pickles and a little whole grain mustard. Those house pickles were pretty on point too.

Philip decided to step out of his comfort zone and go with the hempnut burger with a quinoa & hempseed patty, pickled okra, basil mayo, lettuce, tomato, and onion. He ordered tater tots as his side (other options include the fries, buttermilk whipped potatoes, french green beans, cole slaw, and vegetable succotash). The burger had an unmistakeable grilled flavor and the texture was much more “burger-like” than you might have imagined. We weren’t really sure whether the pickled okra made it into the burger somehow…Philip said he didn’t taste or notice it. Not that it mattered…he really loved the burger. The only complaint that he had was that it was a tad crumbly, but the flavor made up for it. The tater tots were pretty standard.

The atmosphere at FEED Co. Table & Tavern is fantastic. The tavern side is completely laid-back and casual with a huge patio for outdoor dining and, as I mentioned, arcade games for killing a little time (or if you just need a Dr. Mario fix. I am not kidding. Angie, we gotta go!!!). The “table” side is a little more dressed up but still completely cozy. The menu is great-inventive but not off the deep end. I would expect no less of Chef Loomis. Our service was wonderful-Brian was very friendly, attentive, and professional. The FEED Co. Table & Tavern has definitely won our seal of approval.

The FEED Co. Table & Tavern is located at 201 W. Main Street, Chattanooga, TN 37408. The food service hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and the “tavern” hours are 11 a.m.-12 a.m., Monday-Thursday, and 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday. You can call FEED Co. at (423) 708-8500. You can check out The FEED Co. Table & Tavern’s website. You can like The FEED Co. on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

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