bars Archives - Chattavore

Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint, part of a small regional chain, is one of Chattanooga’s newest places to get a great burger and a beer.

There are few things better in my opinion than a great burger. It’s pretty widely known that I love burgers-I mean, I have done not one but two top burger lists…so it shouldn’t be surprising that when Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint opened downtown people started telling me about it and asking if I had been.

So it took me a while to get there. I took some time off from writing restaurant posts when life got a little hectic back at the beginning of August. We finally got to Jack Brown’s a few weeks ago, on a lazy Saturday…Philip’s first Saturday off in months.

In the early afternoon there were not tons of tables taken, and the bartender told us to feel free to sit wherever we’d like. We chose a table by a couple of regulars from the shop and started looking over the menu. Philip chose a bottled beer (Victory Golden Monkey). They have eight taps and a wide selection of bottles and cans.

The two bartenders waited on us (and I didn’t catch their names…the receipt just said “bar share”). I asked for a recommendation between the basic cheeseburger and the Greg Brady. Our server recommended the Greg Brady without hesitation, and it was definitely hard to resist: a wagyu beef patty on a potato roll, topped with creamy macaroni and cheese and Martin’s BBQ chips. The burger patty was the way that I make it at home: thin and a little crispy on the edges, with that soft potato roll soaking in any juices. The creamy and cheesy mac and the crunchy BBQ chips were a perfect foil to the burger. I ordered sweet potato fries, which were just basic crinkle cut fries but were served with a slightly sweet, slightly spicy mayo-based sauce with what I think were finely minced shallots in it.

Philip went for the special. There is a daily special with Saturday’s special being a “freestyle” chef’s choice burger; I didn’t write down the name of that day’s special and can’t remember it for the life of me! No matter, though. It was the wagyu patty between two cinnamon pancakes, with bacon and maple syrup. I know that sounds a little crazy, but dang, it was delicious. And now I need to make a pancake burger.?Philip went for the regular (crinkle cut) fries, which were also served with the sauce that mine came with. In hindsight, we could definitely have split the fries.

We are not usually dessert orderers expect on special occasions, but when fried Oreos are on the menu it’s pretty hard to resist. At $1 each, it was hard to resist getting a couple. Battered, deep fried, and tossed with powdered sugar, these tiny confections were pretty irresistible. I love an Oreo dipped in milk, but deep frying = next level Oreos.

Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint is a fun little place with a friendly staff and some tasty and well-cooked burgers. The prices are pretty average: our total for two burgers, two orders of fries, a beer, and two fried oreos was $32.75 pre-tip. Check it out for yourself!

Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint is located at 818 Georgia Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37402. They are open daily, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. You can call them at 423-682-8198. For more information, check out Jack Brown’s website or follow them on Facebook.

Cherokee Brewing and Pizza is a brewery and pizza restaurant located in downtown Dalton, Georgia serving housemade pizzas and a variety of craft beers.

So…you guys should have gotten this post back in March. Except I got a new phone immediately after I ate there and my photos weren’t in my cloud…so I lost them. Oops.

Philip actually discovered Cherokee Brewing and Pizza Company when he went down there with one of his friends. He brought me back a couple of slices of pizza and I was pretty impressed, so we got back down there pretty quickly. He was not too sad about going back a third time, since they have a good selection of craft beers on tap, some of them that are not available in Chattanooga, including their own brews.

We went a little after lunch on a Saturday afternoon. There were quite a few people in there but I wouldn’t call it crowded. We sat at the bar…if you sit at the bar, the bartender will take your food and drink order. If you sit at a table, you order at the counter and then if you want a drink you can go to the bar to get it.

We each decided to get a salad – I got a house salad with homemade ranch dressing, and Philip got a Caesar salad. The first time we went we shared a large Caesar salad and it was big enough for a family of six. The house salad, topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, tomato, cucumber, and red onion. A lot of thinly sliced red onion. If I had known that, I would have ordered it without the onion…but the salad was delicious otherwise. The Caesar salad was good – fresh, crispy lettuce with creamy Caesar dressing, shaved Parmesan, and croutons (boxed). The small salads were $4 each.

As for pizza, we contemplated the Hot Mess Chick with housemade pesto, pulled smoked chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and Parmesan ($11.50), the Big John with BBQ sauce, pulled smoked pork, jalapeño, pineapple, white cheddar, and mozzarella ($11), and the Heavy D with Buffalo sauce, smoked pulled chicken, garlic, provolone, and mozzarella ($11.50). Ultimately, we settled on the Heavy D. The bartender brought us some ranch dressing to eat with the pizza as well.

The pizzas at Cherokee Brewing and Pizza Company are a perfect size for two hungry people or three not-so hungry people. The crust is thin, crispy around the edges, and just chewy enough. The toppings ratio was great – not too much or too little of anything. If you’re hesitant to order the Heavy D because you are afraid it might be too spicy, don’t be. It has just a tiny bite, but I had no trouble eating it. In the past, we have tried the Big’s (red sauce, pepperoni, meatballs, ricotta, fresh mozzarella, and Parmesan for $11.50) and the Whig (truffle oil, mushroom, onion, spinach, roasted garlic, risotto, and mozzarella for $11.50). Both were excellent.

Our total before tip was $31.57, which included two small salads, a pizza, and two draft beers (Philip enjoyed both their house-brewed beer as well as the Wicket Weed stout that he tried). The service has always been friendly here and the food is great. It’s a hike down to Dalton, but it’s worth it to try the pizza and beer at Cherokee Brewing and Pizza Company.

Cherokee Brewing and Pizza Company is located at 207-B West Cuyler Street, Dalton, GA, 30720. It’s toward the back of the building so you have to walk around the corner before you see it. They are open Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., closed Sunday. You can call Cherokee Brewing and Pizza Company at (706) 529-9478. For more information, you can check out their website, cherokeebrewingandpizzaco.com and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.