downtown Chattanooga restaurants Archives - Page 4 of 20

Stir Chattanooga at the Choo Choo

May 18, 2016

STIR Chattanooga is a fairly new restaurant located at the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo, specializing in unique cocktails (and ice!).

Last Saturday was my first official Chattavore dining experience since ending my restaurant fast a couple of weeks ago. I’m planning to start in the month of June alternating between blogging about new restaurants and doing return reviews of restaurants I’ve already written about. I also decided to get more reader input about what restaurants I try.

This past weekend I posed the question to my Facebook followers: should I try STIR Chattanooga, Two Ten Jack, or Café on the Corner? Two Ten Jack got several votes but STIR was the clear winner. We headed down for a late lunch, parking on the street on Rossville Avenue and walking around (they were offering free valet parking at the Choo Choo but we like to park and walk when possible). We were seated quickly, initially choosing a seat outside for better lighting. The weather was fantastic. However, we quickly discovered that it was way too windy to sit outside and we moved inside to a hightop table.

Our server, Taylor, brought us water and glasses and took our drink orders. Philip was pretty disappointed with their beer list – only six beers on draft and a handful of canned and bottled beers. He tried a sample of the Tennessee Brew Works and ultimately decided to stick with water. I don’t often order drinks out, especially when they are over $10 (!), which I’m seeing more often. However, since cocktails are their specialty, I decided to order the CoCo Choo Choo, with rum, gin, grapefruit juice, orange juice, coconut cream, and cumin ($12). It was served over crushed ice (ice is a big deal – they have an ice chef who designs the ice and checks in on the processes regularly, and they have seven – that’s right, seven – varieties of ice). It tasted very tropical and did not have a strong alcohol flavor (I kept stirring it to keep the alcohol well mixed in).

There were several appetizers on the menu that sounded delicious, including the seasonal dip trio (with hummus, pimento cheese, and smoked salmon spread), fried green tomatoes (I was already planning to make those Saturday night, so we took a pass), and fish tacos (which the couple next to us were eating, and they looked amazing). We didn’t want to fill up on an appetizer, so we decided to split an order of the crab bisque ($6.50), with crab, sherry, basil oil, crostini, celery leaves, and micro basil. Taylor had the kitchen split the bisque between two bowls for us to make it easier for us to eat. The bisque was fabulous – creamy with plenty of sweet crab meat and a deep flavor from the sherry. The basil oil finish was very nice and the crostini was the perfect dipper.

I considered getting a burger, but ultimately decided it wasn’t what I wanted. I was stuck between the fried chicken sandwich, with mayonnaise, turnip slaw, and house pickles on a Niedlov’s bun, and the fried shrimp, served with fries, turnip slaw, and Stir sauce. I asked Taylor for her recommendation and she told me that, while the shrimp was very popular, she would recommend the chicken sandwich ($10.95), which she described as kind of like a gourmet Krystal Chik. Um, SOLD. I don’t know if you guys know how much I love Krystal, but I love Krystal. She was not wrong…it was like a Krystal Chik in the very best way. It was gigantic (so not like a Chik in that respect) and the chicken had a wonderful, well-seasoned breading that was fried to golden brown perfection. I had never had turnip slaw – had never even heard of it – but it was fabulous…thin shreds of turnip in a creamy sauce. House pickle and mayo completed the sandwich. The fries were house cut, skin-on, and deliciously crispy. We told Taylor to recommend to the chef that they add fried chicken to their menu as a stand-alone entree. It was just that good.

Philip took one look at the menu and decided what he would order. I am sure that you guys can take a guess…yes, that’s correct: shrimp and grits ($12.95). The shrimp and grits were composed of stone ground white cheddar grits topped with shrimp, mushrooms, green onions, and a sauce made from shrimp stock. Now, Philip’s shrimp and grits preference is a cream-based sauce over fried grits cakes, but he is definitely a lover of all (well, most) types of shrimp and grits and these were no exception. Everything was cooked just right and the grits were creamy, tender but with a little bit of a bite, and well-seasoned. The more he ate, the spicier it got (I assume it was seasoned with a little cayenne, but I could be wrong about the source of the spice). He told Taylor that he would order them again.

Because of my $12 cocktail, our order was a little more pricey than usual at $46.95 pre-tip. It was worth it, though. Taylor was a great server (we got to talk to her quite a bit and she was so much fun!). the atmosphere is beautiful, and we really enjoyed the food.

We will definitely go back to STIR Chattanooga!

STIR Chattanooga is located at 1444 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN. They are open Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 12 a.m., Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 1 a.m., and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. You can check out their website (stirchattanooga.com) and their menus (stirchattanooga.com/food). You can also like STIR Chattanooga on Facebook and follow them on Twitter (@STIRChattanooga) or Instagram (@stir_chattanooga).

Mike’s Smokehouse (Chattanooga BBQ)

March 23, 2016

Mike’s Smokehouse on South Broad Street in Downtown Chattanooga serves great barbecue in a cozy setting!
March is almost over, y’all! Let me fill you in on what I’m doing in April…I’ve challenged myself to eating in for the month of April. That’s right – no dining out! I’m going to focus on freezer meals, make-ahead meals, and creative ways to use leftovers. Don’t worry, though – spring break is next week and I plan on getting ahead on restaurant reviews before April hits!

Okay, on to Mike’s Smokehouse. I’ve been meaning to try it ever since we ate at Mike’s Pizza and Burgers in Fort Oglethorpe, when our server told us that Mike was the Mike of Mike’s Hole in the Wall and Mike’s Smokehouse, where all of the smoked meats for the pizzas were prepared. I had a bit of a craving for BBQ this weekend, so we headed down to South Broad.

The log cabin that Mike’s Smokehouse is in has been a barbecue restaurant for as long as I can remember…most recently, I believe it was Sweeney’s, but I think it’s been others in the past (don’t quote me on that, though). When we arrived around 2:00 on Saturday, the parking lot on the side of the building was full, so we parked in the back. There was a family waiting to be seated, and we waited about five minutes to be seated. They seemed to be a little short-staffed in the dining room, as it was basically full and there were only two servers working.

We perused the menu and decided to order the pulled pork egg rolls ($7.99) with pulled pork (obvs) and spicy slaw wrapped in an egg roll wrapper, fried, and served with Alabama white sauce. These were fried to a perfect crisp and the flavor of the pulled pork and slaw was awesome, though the spicy slaw eventually got to be a bit much for me. The white sauce was a little thicker than what I make, peppery and with just a bit of a bite. By the way, if you want to make pulled pork egg rolls at home, I might know someone who has a recipe…

Since a BBQ stuffed potato is my standard barbecue joint order, I decided that I had to order the pulled pork potato ($6.99). This potato is topped with pulled pork, butter, sour cream, cheese, and sliced green onions. The potato itself was actually coated with the house dry rub, which I thought was a nice touch that set this potato apart from those served at other BBQ restaurants where I’ve had a stuffed potato. The pulled pork was extremely well seasoned with the rub and honestly didn’t need any sauce. It was excellent – very tender and flavorful, some of the best I’ve had. The potato was well cooked and the toppings ample. This potato was huge, as barbecue stuffed potatoes tend to be…I only ate half.

Philip decided to go for a barbecue plate. He wanted pulled pork but decided to get a combo plate ($11.49) with the brisket as well so we could give it a try. He also got macaroni and cheese, which I had read rave reviews of on Yelp, and fried okra, of course. We couldn’t decide if the fried okra was frozen (my guess is yes) but it was pretty decent. The macaroni and cheese, on the other hand, was obviously house made, as prepackaged mac and cheese always has a suspiciously creamy sauce with no sign of actual cheese. This was like what you’d be served at a Sunday family dinner, though I would have liked a little more cheese and seasoning on it. The brisket, which they refer to as “Texas-style”, was well-seasoned with the dry rub and extremely tender. Again, the pork was pretty much perfect. They know how to smoke some meats.

As I mentioned, the servers seemed a bit slammed so the service was a little slow, but they were very friendly and were obviously doing the best they could do. The food did come out pretty quickly, though. The atmosphere is cozy, as the dining area is divided up into three separate spaces in the log cabin. The prices are about average…our total for our meal was $28 and some change pre-tip. This was some of the best barbecue I’ve eaten in a restaurant around here, so I’d recommend that you give them a try soon!

Mike’s Smokehouse is located at 3147 Broad Street, Chattanooga, TN 37408. They are open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can call them at (423) 668-8341. Check out Mike’s Smokehouse’s website, mikessmokehouse.com. You can also like Mike’s Smokehouse on Facebook.

Mojo Burrito – St. Elmo

November 11, 2015

Mojo Burrito in St. Elmo (downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee) serves great Tex-Mex food in a fun, casual atmosphere with a focus on local food!

I’ve written about Mojo Burrito before, but the Red Bank location. Besides, it’s been a few years. The original location, the St. Elmo Mojo Burrito moved a few weeks ago into the location that formerly housed Slick’s Burgers and, before that, Sugar’s Ribs. They’ve done quite a bit of remodeling on the location, brightening it up, changing the seating arrangement, and adding an expansive outdoor seating area (both covered and uncovered) for those who like to dine al fresco.

The first thing that you notice when you walk in, at least if you’ve ever been to the previous location, is that the line makes sense now. The last time I went into the previous location before it was lunch time on a week day and the line got out of control. No one knew where to stand. That kind of thing stresses me out.

Typically I order nachos when I go into a place like Mojo Burrito. I just have a thing for salty tortilla chips gooey with melted cheese. The fish tacos caught my eye, though, so I decided to order those-fried tilapia tenders, served with remoulade sauce and pineapple salsa, with beans and rice on the side. I ordered black beans with my rice, Mexican-spiced rice. I took my tacos on soft flour tortillas (you can also get crunchy corn tortillas). The fish was cornmeal breaded and fried till crisp, nicely seasoned. The tacos came with lettuce and I also got a little bit of fresh jalapeño. The remoulade was delicious, just lightly spicy with a few capers (if you hate capers, don’t worry…you won’t even taste them). The pineapple salsa was fantastic…pineapple with a little onion and jalapeño, very fresh. Everything worked really well together.

Philip stuck to his usual, a burrito. He’s a traditionalist. He got it with ground chuck, which the guy taking the orders told him was “very garlicky”. He was not lying. He also got rice, black beans, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, pico de gallo, and a little of the hot salsa. It was quite a burrito, and I am always astonished by the ability of the burrito makers to fold those gigantic things so proficiently. The guy made it look easy! The burrito was huge, very fresh, and delicious. The burritos also come with a side of chips and salsa, plus we ordered a small basket of chips with the mild salsa because I wanted some too. The chips were light and perfectly salted, the salsa garlicky and just a tiny bit tangy with jalapeño.

The thing that I love about Mojo Burrito is their commitment to fresh and local ingredients. Their prices are really very close to similarly structured chain restaurants (e.g. Moe’s) and the portions are generous to say the least. They have a creative, varied menu with something for everyone. For fresh, local, and delicious Tex-Mex in St. Elmo, check out Mojo Burrito’s new location!

Mojo Burrito St. Elmo is located at 3950 Tennessee Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37409. You can call them at 423-822-MOJO (6656). You can check out their menu and learn more about Mojo Burrito on their website, mojoburrito.com. You can also like Mojo Burrito on Facebook.

The Camp House – Downtown Chattanooga

November 2, 2015

The Camp House is a coffee shop in Downtown Chattanooga that serves breakfast and lunch on weekdays and brunch on Saturdays.

I’m not really sure why, but for some reason I have a tendency to neglect coffee shops here on the ol’ blog. It’s not that I have anything against them (I definitely don’t), it’s just that for some reason I don’t really think about them. This week, I realized that and added several local coffee shops to the “must try” list.

After examining a few menus we decided to go to The Camp House down on MLK. We’ve been to The Camp House when it was in its previous location on Main, but (1) we’d never eaten there; and (2) we’d ever been to the new (well, newER) location. They have a pretty extensive menu, serving breakfast, lunch, and, on Saturdays, brunch. I’m going to be honest, I did not realize that they only serve brunch on Saturday and I was a little disappointed that they didn’t have the items on the lunch menu I checked out (because they had several things that sounded pretty fantastic). Oh well. I sucked it up and ordered brunch with the understanding that we’ll have to go back on a week day for lunch soon (look for an update to this post).

The first thing that you notice about The Camp House is that it is really a massive space. Not surprising, as it doubles on Sundays as a chapel for Mission Chattanooga. There are cozy sofas as well as dining tables and lots of people hanging out with laptops. There is also a very large outdoor seating area. The decor is dark and muted with lots of wood, cool chandeliers, and little potted succulents on the tables.

Specials for the day were a pumpkin waffle or French toast. I debated the migas (eggs, chorizo, corn chips, salsa) and the meat and cheese waffle (melted Gruyere, strawberry jam, ham, and honey) but eventually settled on the potato cakes (potato cakes, tomato, sour cream, onions, chorizo and a fried egg). I was a little concerned because I am not always a big fan of chorizo (it can be a little overpoweringly spicy for me) but I needn’t have worried because, while it was spicy, it was not mouth-searing. It was very flavorful. The potato cakes were extremely brown and crispy, the tomatoes and sour cream a cool complement to the sausage and potatoes. The egg was perfectly over-easy with a gorgeous runny orange yolk. I decided to skip coffee in favor of water.

Philip wanted a waffle and asked for the classic waffle (with just butter and syrup) but instead he was served a Camp House waffle (granola, yogurt, strawberries, pears, and date syrup). It didn’t have date syrup on it, though…it had honey on it. And it was delicious. The vanilla flavor in the waffle was very strong and the fruit, honey, yogurt, and granola all melded together perfectly. He also ordered a scrambled egg, which was just a pretty basic folded egg. He decided to order a chai latte. The latte had a very strong cinnamon and ginger flavor (the ginger burned!) and was nice and hot (they prepped it while we waited at the counter).

Like I said, we’ll be going back as soon as we get the chance to try out their lunch menu, which is served weekdays from 11-6. The food we were served today was fresh and tasty and definitely not the “usual” brunch (at least mine wasn’t, and I did think that Philip’s waffle was pretty unique). The atmosphere is nice and mellow and relaxing as well. If you are downtown and looking for a casual coffee shop atmosphere for breakfast, lunch, or an early dinner, The Camp House is a great option!

The Camp House is located at 149 East Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402. They are open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. with breakfast served 7 a.m.-1 p.m. and lunch served 11 a.m.-6 p.m., and for brunch Saturday 8 a.m.-3 p.m. You can call them at 423-702-8081. You can also check out their website, thecamphouse.com and like The Camp House on Facebook. You can also follow @TheCampHouse on Twitter and on Instagram.

Embargo 62 Cuban Restaurant

September 21, 2015

Embargo 62 is a Cuban restaurant on Cherokee Boulevard, near Chattanooga’s North Shore. They serve tasty food and great drinks in a casual “Cuban-style” atmosphere.

It seems like there are lots of new restaurants cropping up in Chattanooga lately! This week I all of a sudden got an urge to check out Embargo 62, the new Cuban restaurant on Cherokee Boulevard. My urge was solidified after I checked out their menu online.

When we got there at around 1, it was open seating (unsure of whether seating is open all the time) and there were quite a few tables open. We decided to sit on the covered patio. It’s a kind of beachy atmosphere, with glass light fixtures and bright furniture and lots of wood.

Our server, Lucy, quickly brought us our menus and waters, told us what beers were available, and recommended that we order the mojito gold. Philip decided to order a North Coast Brewing Puck saison and I stuck with the mojito criollo, with white rum, fresh lime juice, fresh mint, sugar, and club soda (I didn’t want to pay extra ?? to get an extra shot of rum). Our drinks came out quickly; my mojito was refreshing and light. You can check out Philip’s review of Puck here.

We decided against ordering an appetizer, but the appetizer menu consisted of ceviche, empanadas, mussels, and fried plantains with truffle oil. I had a difficult time deciding whether to order a sandwich (the Elena Ruz, with roast turkey, cream cheese, and strawberry jam on a semi sweet bun sounded very tempting) or a Completa, or complete meal. Ultimately, I decided on a completa and set to making a decision between the lechon, slow roasted mojo marinated pork, served with Congri (black bean and rice blend) and sweet plantains, and the palomilla, marinated top sirloin served with black beans over white rice with sweet plantains. I finally settled on the palomino, which turned out to be a huge piece of top sirloin that was surprisingly tender considering how thin it was. The rice was cooked well and seasoned perfectly, and the black beans were delicious, with lots of herby seasoning. The plantains were also great, lightly fried, no seasoning.

Philip thought the El Barrigon (burger) sounded pretty tempting. Their burger was a half pound blend of ground sirloin and pork belly (which was what sold him on the burger) with melted Monterey Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. The pork belly adds a pretty substantial amount of fat to the burger, which = flavor & tenderness. The burger was well-seasoned, well-cooked, and very tasty. The sandwiches are served with plantain chips, which are ??delicious??; Philip also decided to order a side (which was a pretty substantial basket) of their hand-cut fries for $3.00 and wow. They were fantastic: light, crunchy, perfectly golden, and perfectly salted. We had to move the basket out of the way so we’d stop eating them!

Our server, Lucy, was friendly and attentive. The atmosphere at Embargo 62 was really cool and the menu limited (which, if you read my blog very often you know I think is a good thing because they can focus on making the few items on the menu great) and authentic. The prices were reasonable (that is, competitive with similar restaurants); our pre-tip total including a beer, a cocktail, a burger, fries, and an entree was about $37. If you like Cuban food (or just want to find out if you like Cuban food) you should definitely check out Embargo 62! By the way, we parked in the pay lot near Whole Foods and walked down, but Embargo 62 offers complementary valet parking.

Embargo 62 is located at 301 Cherokee Boulevard, Chattanooga, TN 37405. You can call them at (423) 551-4786. They are open Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-12 a.m. and Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m. You can read more about them on their website, www.embargo62bar.com, like Embargo 62 on Facebook, and follow @embargo62 on Twitter.

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