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.
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