bars/pubs Archives - Chattavore

Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint

November 1, 2017

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.

Flying Squirrel Bar

August 11, 2017

Flying Squirrel Bar is a trendy bar on Chattanooga’s South Side, serving beer, wine, cocktails, and a variety of small plates.

If you guys haven’t noticed, I have a hard time getting to restaurants that aren’t open during the day on the weekend…hence the fact that it took me literally years to try out Flying Squirrel Bar. Well, actually, they are open during the day on Sundays, but I am not one to stomach long waits so we haven’t trekked down there for Sunday brunch.

We went a couple of weeks ago on Wednesday night, and even fairly early on a weeknight found the inside basically overflowing. We opted to sit outside, which turned out to be okay as, even though it was seriously hot outside, it was fairly breezy and mostly shady (though we were pretty sweaty by the time we left).

Our server, Ben, caught up with us quickly with drink and food menus and got Philip’s beer to him quickly. He didn’t have to do much talking to talk us into pimento cheese ($8), made with Sweetwater Valley cheese, topped with bacon jam, and served with crostini. It was a little bit spicy and the delicious creamy saltiness was great on top of the crispy medallions of bread, and Ben kept our supply of crostini well-stocked.

It took me basically zero seconds flat to settle on the Cuban tacos ($13) – corn tortillas filled with mojo pork shoulder, pork belly, red dragon cheese, mustard, and diced pickles. Like a perfect Cuban sandwich, all of the flavors complemented each other perfectly, especially given the perfectly cooked pork belly. These were some of the most amazing tacos that I have ever eaten…I ate all three and honestly could have eaten three more.

I had heard a lot of great things about the fried chicken at Flying Squirrel, and Philip decided to give it a try. He got the single order of original chicken ($7 – the double order – two thighs and legs – is $12, and you can get spicy instead of original if you like). The chicken was crispy and well seasoned, and just a little bit spicy. I will admit that I was a little surprised that the fried chicken was just that – fried chicken in a bowl. As someone who eats in a lot of restaurants, I should have known that if no side dishes were listed, no side dishes would come with it. Philip was fine with no sides, but if you want a side be sure to order some chips or fries to go with.

We enjoyed our dinner at Flying Squirrel Bar. It’s definitely a cool place architecturally, and it’s also clearly a cool place as far as the locals go too. The food is worth trying. At $35.59 for a beer, pimento cheese, tacos, and some fried chicken, it’s not the least expensive but it’s on par with other similar spots. It’s definitely a hotspot so you might want to do a little research on the best time to go.

Flying Squirrel Bar is located at 55 Johnson Street, Chattanooga, TN 37408. They are open Tuesday – Thursday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday – Saturday 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (bar open till 4 p.m.). Interestingly, I did not find a phone number for Flying Squirrel; instead I found an email address: contact@flyingsquirrelbar.com. For more information, you can check out their website, flyingsquirrelbar.com. You can also like Flying Squirrel on Facebook, and follow them on Instagram (@squirrelbar) and Twitter (@squirrelbar).

Big News from Chattavore!

August 1, 2017

Okay, so this doesn’t directly involve the blog…not yet anyway…but something has been in the works for a while and here it is:

Philip went and bought a craft beer store.

Yep, that’s right. He’s been working at Sigler’s Craft Beer & Cigars for a year and some change now and he and some partners officially took over the store yesterday.

At the moment we are mildly freaking out. Business ownership is a huge step. I mean, this blog is a business but, you know, no inventory or overhead or any of that mess. So, we’re probably going to lay low on the restaurant posts for a little bit. I mean, I will still do some but just maybe not one a week for a while. You know, for money-saving and all. Also because time, which is something that Philip doesn’t have a lot of right now (I promise you some budget-friendly meal posts, though!).

If you’re in Chattanooga or nearby, or even if you just drive through Chattanooga sometime, we’d love it if you’d stop by Sigler’s and see Philip (or Phil, ahem…I just can’t get used to that. I will never call him Phil. Amen and amen.

So…Sigler’s Craft Beer & Cigars is a tasting room and retail bottle shop. You can stop by for a flight or a pint and pick up some bottles while you’re there. They also (obviously) sell cigars if you’re so inclined. They’re not really “closing” per se, but they’ll be having their grand “re-opening” on August 18 with a tap takeover by Reformation Brewery, so you should stop in and see them!

Sigler’s Craft Beer and Cigars is located at 1309 Panorama Drive, Chattanooga, TN 37421. They are open Sunday 12-5, Monday – Thursday 12-8, and Friday – Saturday 10-8. You can call them at (423) 485-3271. And be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Philip does lots of videos, so you can see more of this crazy guy I married!

Local 191 (Chattanooga River Front)

April 19, 2017

Local 191 is a popular bar located near the Chattanooga river front. Attached to the Blue Plate, it serves lots of delicious, locally sourced foods.

How is it that it’s already summer here? I mean, it’s only mid-April but guys, IT IS SUMMER. The temps have been in the eighties the last few days and I’m already having to pack anti-chafing gel in my bag (TMI, sorry about that).

Not that I am complaining. I❤️????summer. I made a vow a few years back that I would never complain about the heat in the summer because I wanted to be free to complain about the cold in the winter. And after the second winter of “will it or won’t it” in a row, I am ready for consistent temperature, even if it’s consistent heat and humidity. Anyway…

So, Chattanooga is an amazing city year-round, but it really comes alive when the heat comes. The river front is a center of the hustle and bustle in Chattanooga and a great place to see what Chattanooga has to offer. There are lots of restaurants, and the Blue Plate is one of my favorites. Serving lots of locally sourced foods from a kitchen that doesn’t have a microwave, it’s right up my alley. Local 191 is a bar connected to the Blue Plate, and we hadn’t managed to make it in there yet.

Early Saturday is a perfect time to go there. The lunch crowd was wrapping up at around 1:00 when we arrived and snagged the last table in the dining area. The patio was packed out. We took advantage of the 10-4 Saturday happy hour ($1.50 off cocktails, $1 off draft beers) with a Sun Also Rises (tequila, pineapple, grenadine, orange, and lime) and a Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ ale.

My search is on to find the best chicken sandwiches around, so I had to check out the Local’s Fried Chicken Sandwich – a fried chicken breast on a toasted Niedlov’s bun with slaw, house pickles, and honey mustard ($7.50) plus house made chips ($2). Lightly breaded and crunchy, the chicken was juicy and flavorful…but I would have left the slaw off or maybe just used about half, because the sandwich was a little messy and hard to eat. The pickles were great and the house made chips were crunchy and perfect.

Philip went for the chicken and pancake – an Aretha Frankenstein’s pancake served with a crispy chicken tender and loaded hash browns ($10.25). The chicken was basically the same as mine and paired perfectly with the tender, fluffy, sweet, and flavorful Aretha’s pancake (someday I’m going to figure out how to make a pancake that thick). The menu said that the syrup was maple syrup, but we thought it tasted like pancake syrup. Our server swore that it was real. It’s a mystery – has anyone else had the syrup here? What were your thoughts?

Regardless of whether the syrup was maple or pancake syrup, Local 191 serves fantastic food at a fair price, particularly when you consider how local the food is. Our pre-tip total was $31 and some change. Our server was friendly and attentive and the atmosphere was casual and laid-back. Local 191 is a great place for a meal or a drink!

Local 191 is located at 191 Chestnut Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402. They are open Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, 9 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, check out their website, like Local 191 on Facebook, or follow Local 191 on Twitter.

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.