downtown Chattanooga restaurants Archives - Page 13 of 20

Bea’s Restaurant-January 12, 2013

January 13, 2013

Okay, I’m not going to lie. I was a little bit grumpy about going here. The thing is….the last time we went we didn’t like it. It was five or six (or maybe even more) years ago and I don’t really remember what it was that we didn’t like but we didn’t. When family is in town, though, you have to go with majority rules, and since I couldn’t think of anywhere that I thought everyone would be happy with we just went. And it was all good, because whatever was the problem last time apparently wasn’t an issue this time. Hmmmm.

Bea’s is a Chattanooga institution. Located on Dodds Avenue (wayyyyyy downtown), it’s been around since the fifties, when an all-you-can-eat meal was $0.75. I didn’t catch the cost this time around since my parents were paying…but it was more than that.

The concept at Bea’s is likely quite different than what you have encountered at other restaurants. It’s all you can eat, sure, but there’s a limited menu. That is, it isn’t a buffet…you don’t get a tray and walk through a line. Instead, you sit at a round table with a lazy Susan in the middle. Your server brings out baskets and bowls of food-whatever is being served up that day-and places them on the lazy Susan, along with sweet tea and water and various “extras” like pickled beets, onions, and some relishy stuff that I didn’t recognize (chow-chow perhaps?). Here’s the catch: depending on how many people are in your party and how crowded they are, you may end up sitting with people you don’t know. This is not our idea of a good time (I haven’t made a secret of this in the past: we avoid Ichiban unless we are with a large group for this exact reason) but luckily (a) it wasn’t crowded; and (b) we were with a large group, so we did not have to sit with strangers.

Please forgive me for the terrible, blurry photos. The lighting was NOT good!

Today’s meats were fried chicken (famous city-wide and served every day) and barbecue. The chicken was quite tasty today, hot but not burn-your-mouth hot, crispy, and seasoned just right. My picky-eater 7-year-old nephew gnawed two pieces of chicken till he got every bit of the meat and coating off of them. The barbecue was not quite as attractive….a reddish color, very sweet. Philip said it reminded him of something you might get in school cafeteria, although he did comment that he liked that there was just a hint of spice to it. There was also chicken and dumplings, southern-style (flat dumplings, very thick gravy-like sauce, and shredded chicken mixed it). I liked the chicken and dumplings a lot, though the sauce was thicker than what my mom, my sister, or I make (my gold standard…I’ll share that recipe sometime).

The vegetables were new potatoes, fried okra, coleslaw, potato salad, and pinto beans. I don’t typically eat potato salad, so I have no comment on it. It just isn’t my thing. I also didn’t try the coleslaw….my mom liked it, but Philip felt like it needed “something”. The new potatoes needed some salt but didn’t have a bad flavor. We ate about three dishes of fried okra. I couldn’t decide if the okra was made there or frozen. It had the thick “jacket” coating which usually means it was previously frozen, but I can never tell because maybe other people know how to get that thick coating on their okra (?). I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I like fried okra whether it’s freshly made or frozen. So shoot me. The pinto beans were quite good, well-seasoned and just the right texture (not hard but not mushy). Often pinto beans served in restaurants are virtually tasteless. These were great.

As far as bread, they serve rolls and cornbread muffins. The rolls were extremely buttery (or maybe margarine-y, since there was Land O’Lakes buttery spread on the table…..waaaaaaahhhhhhh) and I am guessing they are probably packaged. The cornbread was southerny (that is, not sweet), which we appreciated….while we will eat sweet cornbread if it is all that’s available, I personally would rather stab myself in the eye than add sugar to my cornbread. It wasn’t as tender as my cornbread, though. You can’t have it all. I did enjoy the cornbread crumbled on top of a little bowl of beans (pinto beans & cornbread is an “easy” meal in my house, one that I plan for those days when I know I’m going to have too much going on to have any inclination to really cook anything).

There’s one dessert on the menu each day at Bea’s. For this day, it was peach cobbler, which was basically canned peaches swimming in a thick topping. That sounds like a slam, but it isn’t. My mom makes her peach cobbler like that (except that her topping is thicker…theirs was a bit liquid-y) and it’s definitely a comfort food for me (except that she always serves ice cream with it, so this felt incomplete). It was very, very sweet (as was the tea) and Philip and I were definitely having a sugar crash on the way home. The sweetness didn’t stop us from each eating two of the little bowls of it, though.

So, here’s the verdict. Bea’s isn’t a high culinary experience. I am sure that many foodies (you know how much I love that word) would shun them for their cuisine. Like I said, though, it’s a Chattanooga institution. The fried chicken is crispy, the tea is sweet, and the staff is very, very friendly. Our server was so nice, and the cashier was joking with my mom as he ran her card. It’s hard to get a table some nights. It’s been around forever, and it’s not going anywhere soon. The delivery of the food is definitely different…good or bad, that’s up to you and your personal feelings about it. Since I was dining with family, I was okay with it.

Bea’s is located at 4500 Dodds Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37407. You can call them at 423-867-3618.

Totto Sushi and Grill: December 28, 2012

December 30, 2012

One of Philip’s friends was in town for the holidays last week so we spent a couple of evenings with him. The first evening was spent at The Honest Pint, eating pommes tots and feckin’ awesome bread pudding (that’s really the name in the menu) and the second we decided to head to the North Shore-in the rain-to check out Totto.

I guess there was initially a little confusion about seating because it took a few minutes for anyone to come to our table to take our drink order. Our server was very friendly, though, so all was forgiven. We ordered our drinks and an order of shrimp spring rolls, which were wrapped in rice paper and fried crisp, served with white sauce and an interesting pile of carrot shavings or curls or whatever you want to call them. The spring rolls were quite tasty and fresh tasting and the white sauce was yummy, a little bit sweet. I’ve never had a spring roll served with white sauce but I liked it, although I did get a good laugh, as I always do, at the fact that white sauce is now served everywhere. I guess it’s a big hit with the locals. I hear it’s mainly a Southern thing…..yes, let’s perpetuate the stereotype that everything we eat is fried and laden with mayonnaise. But it tastes good, so what can you do?

The menu is arranged into “grilled” entrées (hibachi-cooked), katzu, which is bread-crumb coated and fried meat or vegetables (both grilled entrées and katzu are served with miso or chicken broth soup and and iceberg salad dressed with creamy ginger dressing), udon noodle soups, and Bento boxes (which showcase one of the grilled items plus soup, salad, rice, tempura, fried beef dumplings, and a California roll). There’s also a sushi menu, of course, but I’m going to break this down for you: I like sushi. I do. I eat it-yes, the cooked kind and the raw kind-but I don’t do it all that often and I don’t feel like I know a whole lot about sushi to be telling you about it. So I skipped the sushi menu. Forgive me, please.

I contemplated the grilled teriyaki chicken but ended up asking for the beef Bento box. Our server suggested that I try the bul-go-gi beef, spiced Korean-style beef that had been cooked with green onions and carrots (and apparently some garlic too, because though the taste wasn’t overwhelming while I was eating it, it was pretty strong afterward!). I asked for fried rice and miso soup, which I have had once, at a restaurant in Myrtle Beach. I hated it then but I was pleasantly surprised by this slightly salty soup with tiny chunks of tofu (I can take it in small doses) and seaweed that gave it a mildly fishy flavor (but not in a bad way). The salad was good….I’m never that impressed by the greens in these salads but this one was at least cut into small chunks as opposed to big, icy cold chunks that you can sometimes get at other restaurants, and the sweet, creamy ginger dressing was very good.

The Bento box was served with a fairly large portion of the beef, which I liked but I have no comparison point (Taco Sherpa does serve bulgogi from time to time so I’ll have to give it a try there sometime) but the owner of the restaurant is Korean so I’m going to assume she knows what she’s talking about. It was just a little spicy-not overwhelming at all. I really liked the fried rice…it had a flavor that I’ve never tasted in a fried rice before. I couldn’t quite taste it but this was some of the best restaurant fried rice I’ve had. Again, I can’t really be a judge of the California roll…honestly, I would never order a California roll off of a sushi menu because I’m not a lover of crab….but it was all right. The fried beef dumplings, made of ground beef fried up in wonton wrappers, were crisp and slightly spicy. I loved the tempura-two pieces of shrimp, a slice of sweet potato (yes, sweet potato-it was good!), zucchini, onion, and red pepper. It was just as good the next day, warmed on a preheated (to 450 degrees) baking stone for 10 minutes (which also works perfectly to crisp up fries, pizza, etc., etc. Try it…it works. I promise!).

Philip couldn’t resist the call of the grilled (hibachi) filet mignon, cooked in garlic butter (alternately he could have requested it cooked in soy sauce), with fried rice. It was also served with a small serving of fried udon noodles (I did not get a picture of these) and a large portion of hibachi-cooked vegetables (onions, green onions, red peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, and zucchini). He ordered his filet medium rare and it was perfectly cooked. It never ceases to amaze me that hibachi chefs can cut a piece of red meat into tiny pieces and manage to perfectly sear the outside while keeping the inside from cooking to a dull grey pallor. That’s talent. The filet was really delicious. The vegetables were also quite good, nicely seasoned, and the fried noodles were soy saucey and sweet.

Our total before tip was about $48. Definitely not a “regular” stop by any means. We did have enough leftovers to eat for lunch the next day, and, like I said…if you know the right reheating tricks, even tempura can be good the second day. Sometimes getting two meals softens the blow of a meal that cost a little bit more than you were anticipating. We enjoyed the food at Totto quite a bit and it was nice to be able to have a hibachi-cooked meal without the fanfare and having to sit with people you don’t know that comes at most hibachi restaurants (I mean, sure, it’s fun from time to time, but Philip and I avoid Ichiban unless we are going with a group because we are really antisocial and don’t want to sit with a bunch of strangers). They also serve a lunch buffet during the week and have an all-you-can-eat sushi special for lunch for $11.95. There is a 1/2 off drink special daily.

Totto is located at 330 Frazier Avenue, Suite 124, Chattanooga, TN 37405. You can call them at 423-508-8898. Check out their website: http://www.tottonooga.com/index.html and like them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Totto-Sushi-Grill/166745636787345.

Terra Nostra Tapas & Wine-December 15, 2012

December 16, 2012

Yes, there are now two restaurants in Chattanooga with the word “Terra” in the name. Yes, I wrote about the other one (Terra Mae Bistro) yesterday. It is sheer coincidence that I am writing about Terra Nostra Tapas & Wine today. I purchased a Groupon for Terra Nostra some time back (September? October?) that was specifically to be used in December. I’m having surgery Friday so we figured if we were going to use this thing, now was the time….so we made our reservation.

We’ve never eaten tapas (basically, a meal comprised of “small plates” or small portions of everything, ranging from appetizers to salads to items that would normally be served in a larger portion as a main dish). I have a funny story about tapas, though, and will forever associate this story with Terra Nostra: several years back, when Philip worked at Unum, he was having a conversation with a lady at work about restaurants. He mentioned that he really wanted to try the tapas restaurant. She thought he said “topless” restaurant and punched him in the arm in shock. Um, no. Anyway…

Philip had to drop me off because we were running way late after an unsuccessful attempt to take a self-portrait with our camera (set up on the tripod, with a timer). I was wearing stilettos and we did not see the sign in the front that says “parking in rear”, so Philip dropped me at the front door and parked in Coolidge Park. Oops. Oh well. I then entered the restaurant and told the hostess, “I have a Haymaker….I mean, I have a reservation for Haymaker…” Good grief. I was seated immediately and the hostess brought water to our table. Our server, Catherine, came to introduce herself and I perused the menu while waiting for Philip.

The menu is divided into seafood, meat, and vegetarian sections, and each of those sections is divided into hot and cold tapas. A triangle signals house specialties and a little squiggly that kind of looks like a backward 6 indicates gluten-free items. We knew almost immediately that we wanted some bacon-stuffed dates with Spanish blue cheese-a house specialty. Catherine agreed that this was a good choice. They came out quickly and, well, wow. The sweet date, the salty bacon (not overpowering but a nice background note) and the pungent blue cheese worked perfectly together. These didn’t last long, so we had to make another decision (making decisions here: not easy).

Upon Catherine’s recommendation, we ordered the avocado and shrimp, baby shrimp tossed in remoulade, served on an avocado half with a side salad with white wine vinaigrette. Shrimp and avocado? Yes please. We also ordered the spinach filo (similar to spanakopita, phyllo/filo dough stuffed with spinach, onions, and feta). Sadly, Catherine returned to our table and told us that she had just found out they were out of avocado (tear!). We decided instead to order the smoked salmon, served with capers, Boursin cheese, and housemade bread. While I was disappointed that I didn’t get to try the avocado and shrimp, I thought that the smoked salmon was delicious. It was wonderfully salty and smoky and paired perfectly with the herby Boursin (I puffy-heart love Boursin) and the soft yet crusty bread. I even ate some capers. Happily. The spinach filo was delicious, the cheese melting out of the hot pastry, the spinach seasoned just right and cooked till perfectly tender. It was served with a side salad and their white wine vinaigrette was pretty much perfect.

Finally, we decided to order a prime beef empanada (another house specialty): beef, onions, raisins, and olives stuffed into a puff pastry, and Darda’s artichoke dip, with roasted onions and a panko crumble. The artichoke dip came out first, bubbling and looking like someone’s hot chicken casserole (and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing). The dip was cheesy and creamy, the panko crumbs on top buttered and crispy. There were some wheat crackers served with it, and they were okay…but I was happy eating it with a fork. It was wonderful, but then I have to admit that you could put artichokes in just about anything and I’d love it. Philip liked it too, though, so it must have been good. There was just a slight peppery spice to it that I didn’t quite catch until I’d eaten several bites. Mmmm. The empanada was tasty too…I liked it more than Philip did, though. The spiced beef tasted of cinnamon (admittedly, different for my American tastebuds, but interesting. In my opinion, it worked) and sweetness, with salty whole green olives hanging out. Bravely I ate an olive…..that was a big step for me. They are not usually my favorite, but I felt like they worked beautifully with the meat.

Dessert was not an easy decision for us. Philip has a knee-jerk reaction to seeing crème brûlée on a dessert menu, which is, of course, to order it. I was interested in the flan, though, with Mexican chocolate, coconut, and Brandy Alexander. In the end, we ordered both. Good decision. The vanilla bean crème brûlée was topped with sugar so burnt it was bitter (this is a very, very good thing) and cracked into shards when we tapped it with our spoons. The bottom was full of black flecks of vanilla bean, and Philip’s eyes rolled back into his head when he took a bite. The chocolate flan was spicy on the back end, creamy and a little gelatinous at the same time (Catherine had described it to us as a cross between Jell-o and pudding) and so, so darkly chocolate. Both were worth ordering again.

This wasn’t an inexpensive meal….before our $40 Groupon, the total was $56 and some change. The food was amazing, though, and to some degree you are paying for the experience. The atmosphere is fun and Catherine was a terrific server, making helpful suggestions and handling Philip’s sarcastic humor like a pro. Supposedly the sangria is fantastic here, and I was so, so tempted to try one, except that (as you all well know) I hate wine so I probably would have ended up being very unhappy. They definitely have something for everyone, as the vegetarian menu was fairly large and I definitely could have made my entire meal off of it (Pear and walnut quesadilla? Artisan cheese tasting? Asparagus au gratin? Yes, yes, and yes….). Don’t go expecting a quick, inexpensive meal…but go. Just do it.

Terra Nostra is located at 105 Frazier Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37405. They are open Monday-Thursday, 4:30-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4:30-11:00 p.m.; Sunday, 4:30-9:00 p.m. You can call them at 423-634-0238 or email them at info@terranostratapas.com. Check out their website: http://www.terranostratapas.com and like them on Facebook.

Terra Mae Bistro-Chef’s Table Premier, 12.12.12

December 14, 2012

A few weeks ago I was followed on Twitter by an upcoming local restaurant, Terra Mae, located at Stone Fort Inn, a bed and breakfast on East 10th Street. I need to make an effort to go to Stone Fort for breakfast one of these days, but I haven’t quite yet. Anyway…back to Terra Mae. I was invited to their Chef’s Table Premier, which was a nine-dish sampler lunch served on the day of their opening.

Upon entering the first thing that you notice is how beautiful the restaurant is; it has been completely remodeled and they did a wonderful job. The lights on the ceiling and the wall of wines in the bar line your walk to the dining area, where beautiful light pours in the large windows. Gorgeous glass vases and bright flower arrangements alternately adorned tables, and the tiny salt and pepper shakers made me smile.

They call themselves an “Appalachian Bistro” and specialize in locally sourced (indigenous is the word that Troy, the general manager used) foods. If you are a regular Chattavore reader, you probably recognize names like Link 41, Crabtree Farms, and Circle S Farm-some of my favorite farmers market vendors. Those are just a few of the names on the Terra Mae menu. Chef Robert Stockwell specializes in a unique twist on Southern cooking as well as “deconstructing” dishes (instead of my trying to explain that here….see the chicken & dumplings below). He and his crew could be seen preparing our meals in the open kitchen (unfortunately, I didn’t catch Chef Robert in this photo).

Almost immediately after being seated, guests were presented with an amuse-bouche (literally “mouth teaser” or a bite-sized hors d’oeuvre) of cucumber, lemon aioli, smoked salmon, and a sunflower shoot (boy, I love sunflower shoots!). I didn’t really consider myself a smoked salmon fan prior to this…but perhaps I’ve eaten the wrong smoked salmon in the past? This was delicious, all the way around. And beautiful to boot.

After the amuse-bouche each guest was served the house salad, Lee and Gordon greens with Crabtree tomatoes, spicy candied walnuts, blue cheese, julienned beets (don’t they look like red tortilla strips?) and chardonnay vinaigrette. I loved the tang of the blue cheese (it was so tangy it burned my tongue a little!) with the cool tomato and the spicy (yes, they were spicy!) walnuts. Next came the appetizers (all dishes from here on were served to be shared among three or four diners) starting with smoked stuffed scallop-scallops stuffed with Link 41 andouille sausage, wrapped in prosciutto, and served with sunflower shoots and red pepper coulis. I didn’t think that I liked sausage, but I guess it should be no surprise that Link 41 proved me wrong. This was a delicious combination. Truffle-infused roasted beets came next, served with smoked feta. If you think you don’t like beets, you should at least give roasted beets a try if you haven’t already…they changed my mind for sure. Served with feta cheese, they were perfect. Finally, we were served a port-wine marinated foie gras torchon (which is foie cooked molded in cheesecloth as opposed to a terrine mold), served with poached pears and a brioche slice. Now, I am pretty sure that I have discussed this here before…I am not much for organ meats, and, while my husband loves foie gras (fattened goose liver, if you didn’t know) I have never been able to bring myself to try (I’m baring my picky-eater soul here) but I did taste it. I didn’t hate it, but I do think it is probably an acquired taste, though the seasoned foie gras eaters around me seemed pretty excited, so it must have been pretty tasty. The pears were absolutely delicious.

It probably won’t surprise you to hear that I got pretty excited about what we were served next: a Kobe burger served on a brioche bun with Sequatchie Cove farmstead cheese, housemade jowl bacon, mushroom pesto, housemade pickles, and Lee and Gordon lettuce with triple-fried parmesan fries. Forgive me for being so unsophisticated as to get all gaga over being served a burger, but you know that I am a burger girl. This one was quite delicious, the beef cooked just right, the bun a little crisp around the edges, the pickles lending just the right amount of sour, and the parmesan fries (so thick that I find it to be a minor miracle that they were not only cooked through, they were soft and fluffy inside) a crisp, cheesy, and perfectly salty accompaniment.

Next was roasted kingfish (black from a dousing of squid ink) served over poached wild mushrooms, spinach puree, and mussel cream with sorrel. I don’t think that I have ever had kingfish before, and I found this to be a wonderful texture, cooked just right, and not overly fishy. Mushrooms are one of those foods that gets me all excited, and these were amazing swiped through the mussel cream (by the way, the flowers are edible).

Next, the chicken and dumplings, deconstructed: chicken, cooked sous-vide (vacuum sealed and cooked in a water bath) and sliced, served alongside large, round “dumplings” with asparagus, tiny diced squash, chard, and a sauce. The chicken was amazingly tender (as sous-vide meats tend to be) and seasoned perfectly. The dumplings had a great flavor but I’m not going to lie….I’m just all about the traditional Southern flat dumpling. The asparagus and chard were perfectly cooked.

Finally, dessert consisted of a sampling of everything on the dessert menu (pictured clockwise from left): a deconstructed lemon meringue pie, a flourless chocolate cake, caramelized honey panna cotta (usually served with pistachio sponge cake), and white chocolate bread pudding. The chocolate cake and the bread pudding were perfectly lovely but what I think of as “the usual suspects”-easy to find on a dessert menu. The lemon meringue pie was sooooo lemony, and if you live in my world, that is a very good thing. I love all things lemon, and this little sliver was no exception. My favorite, though, was the panna cotta. Shut your mouth. This honey-infused creamy little gem made me want to grab the plate and fight off my fellow sharers with my fork…but I didn’t. It was amazing. Coffee was served as well, and while I didn’t take any (though I wished that I had as I fought off the after-lunch energy drain!), I took a photo of the beautiful mug being enjoyed by the diner to my right.

Terra Mae officially opened for business on Wednesday night, 12.12.12. They have a unique menu, offering several items that you will not likely find in other area restaurants, and executed it very well. The staff is open to suggestions and want their menu to reflect the sorts of things that local want to eat-after all, what good is local food if you aren’t making it the way the locals want it? I wish them all the success in the world and can’t wait to return for dinner with Philip one day soon!

Terra Mae Bistro is located at 120A East 10th Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402. They are open Wednesday-Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. You can call them at 423-267-7866. Check out their website, www.terramae.org. You can also like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter (@TerraMaeBistro).

Sugar’s Ribs (Downtown Location)-November 24, 2012

November 24, 2012

November 24…Small Business Saturday. Of course, Chattanooga small businesses are concentrated in the downtown area. We headed down there to meet one of the owners of Dish T’Pass Cooking School and Catering Co. (more info coming soon!) and check out some things at Mia Cucina. Downtown Chattanooga is chock-full of great restaurants…we decided to hit up Sugar’s on Broad Street today.

There were not a ton of people in for lunch when we were there. Our server was with us quickly with a carafe of water for the table. She suggested some queso and tomatillo salsa as an appetizer, which we were more than happy to order. The white cheese queso dip was delicious, thick and creamy and with just a tiny bit of salsa stirred in. We were wondering if the recipe was the same as the Boat House, which is owned by the same group as Sugar’s….we really liked their’s too. The roasted tomatillo salsa was also wonderful, not too spicy and salted just right. You know I’m a stickler for just the right amount of salt. The chips were thick and hot and also salted just right.

All of the menu items at Sugar’s are served a la carte, with meat selections of smoked butt, smoked chicken, smoked brisket, BBQ legs, and hot legs. There was also fajita BBQ that I think was pork but I can’t remember for sure….it isn’t listed on the menu online. They serve regular-sized and mini sandwiches, tacos, and “servings” of meat served with a cornbread muffin. I decided on a pulled pork taco (with cabbage, radishes, cilantro, queso fresco, and grilled sweet onion with a side of tomatillo salsa and margarita sauce, which was creamy, lime-y, and avocado-y) and a mini brisket sandwich, just brisket on a dry slider bun. There are six sauces on each table and the meat is not sauced prior to serving. I found that the pork and the brisket both had a healthy smoke flavor and were deliciously moist. Neither needed the sauce for flavor but I did add just a little bit of sauce to the taco and dipped my mini sandwich in a little bit of sauce. My favorite sauce was the Tennessee Sweet & Gloppy (though I also liked the mustard sauce). I also ordered the grilled okra, which, if you are like me and you are turned off by the slime that is often present in non-fried okra, you might be a little frightened of…but you shouldn’t be. It’s delicious, smoky, and not slimy at all.

Philip decided on the serving of brisket with vinegar slaw. The chunk of brisket was huge and tender and, again, perfectly smoky. Philip tried it with a couple of different sauces before declaring that, while he liked them both, he really thought that the meat stood alone without the sauce. In my opinion, smoked meat that doesn’t need sauce is the hallmark of great barbecue. The slaw was just plain chopped cabbage with a sweet vinegar dressing and Philip loved it, even declaring that he liked it better than Rib and Loin’s, which is really saying something…although, to be fair, theirs is mayo-based and Philip didn’t try their mayo-based slaw. The cornbread muffin was average, not really anything to write home about but not bad….definitely the only mediocre part of this experience.

Sugar’s also offers a salad, flatbreads (like pizzas), and a variety of desserts, like banana pudding and several pies, though we were way too full to sample any of them. They have an interesting atmosphere, darkly lit with a wall of records and a mural of musical icons. There was also a disco ball that a nearby toddler kept pointing out to her mother (“Ball! Look, ball!”) which we found hysterical. Our server was very friendly and helpful. We really enjoyed this Sugar’s experience and declared that it was one of our favorite (if not the favorite) barbecue places in Chattanooga. As I type this on Saturday evening, I can still faintly smell the smoke in my hair. That’s some good smoked meat!

Sugar’s Ribs is located at 507 Broad Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402 (as well as the original location at 2450 15th Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37404. You can call the downtown location at 423-508-8956 and the “Ridge Cut” location at 423-826-1199. Check out their website, http://sugarsribs.com. You can also like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

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