downtown Chattanooga restaurants Archives - Page 5 of 20

Puckett’s Grocery Chattanooga

September 14, 2015

Puckett’s Grocery Chattanooga is a fantastic Southern restaurant located on the riverfront near the Tennessee Aquarium.

This weekend we decided to take advantage of the amazing weather and head downtown to walk on the bridge. We talked through our options for lunch…I’m still avoiding burgers for another week or two. I have a few places that I want to try, including Talus on Lookout Mountain and I need to check out Main Street Meats‘ expanded space. However, since we were in the area, we decided to check out the newly opened Puckett’s Grocery Chattanooga location.

Puckett’s Grocery opened just a few weeks ago in the former TGIFriday’s location next to the Tennessee Aquarium. If we want to get technical about it, Puckett’s is a chain, but it’s a very small (4 locations), regional (Nashville based) chain so, like Tupelo Honey and Universal Joint, it fits in my guidelines for Chattavore. I’d heard good things about the Nashville locations of Puckett’s Grocery, though I actually hadn’t heard anything about the Puckett’s Grocery Chattanooga location. I was excited to try it out.

It was around 1:30 when we got there Saturday afternoon, a little late to try their breakfast (which is served daily from 7-11 a.m.) but that was okay because we weren’t really interested in trying breakfast anyway.We were told that the wait would be twenty minutes or less and that they would text us when our table was ready. It took maybe ten minutes before we got the text and were seated near the bar.

Our server, Ashton, quickly greeted us and took our drink orders. Philip asked if they served beer flights and Ashton checked with the bar, telling us that it had been discussed, but they do not (yet, anyway). He decided on a Blackstone Pumpkin Ale, which he thought was fantastic (and he plans to do a review if he can find a bottle of it).

We got stuck on the appetizer menu, trying to decide whether to order fried pickles, fried green beans, or fried green tomatoes. We ultimately decided to order the fried green tomatoes since we had fried pickles last week at Couch’s and fried green beans the week before at FEED Co. All three are served with bacon-chipotle ranch dressing, which is quite tasty, with a distinctive bacon flavor and a sneaky but sharp bite from the chipotle. The tomatoes were nicely breaded with an herby cornmeal crust (hi guys, how do you get your cornmeal crust to stick so nicely????) that was quite delicious. The tomatoes were wonderfully crunchy and not greasy at all.

The lunch menu is full of options, including plates with meats & vegetable sides, a selection of salads, and a large variety of sandwiches. I had a hard time deciding between the grilled cheese sandwich with pimento cheese (you can also choose American, Swiss, Cheddar, or Pepper Jack) or the Brisket Taco Salad: romaine drizzled with BBQ Ranch and topped with black beans, house-made pico de gallo, shredded cheese, tortilla strips and slow-smoked beef brisket. I asked Ashlyn and she said both! buuuuutttt….if I had to choose, to get the taco salad. I was not sad that I chose this. The salad was very fresh, topped with a generous but not outrageous portion of very tender and flavorful brisket (so so good), monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, and a generous amount of pico. The BBQ ranch dressing was, I assume, made with their signature BBQ sauce (which you can purchase bottled in the store). I would highly recommend this salad!

Philip (unlike me) loves spicy food, so he decided to order the Music City hot chicken sandwich, though he traded the Texas toast that the sandwich is usually served on for sourdough instead (Nashville hot chicken is normally served with plain old white bread, as in Colonial or Wonder Bread, but Philip just can’t deal). The sandwich was just spicy chicken (hot chicken is made with a generous amount of cayenne pepper) and pickle slices, with coleslaw and fries on the side. Philip said that the sandwich definitely got hotter as he ate it, which is how it goes typically. The chicken was well-cooked, juicy, flavorful, and well-seasoned. He also liked the fries and the slaw.

Other menu items included several burgers (of course), a regular fried chicken sandwich, a smoked bologna sandwich, and quite a few traditional Southern entrees, like Southern fried chicken and Cajun shrimp & grits. They have a pretty delicious menu of Southern desserts, too…chocolate chess pie, banana pudding, maple pecan pie, a deep fried brownie (!!!!) sundae, and a cobbler of the day (which was blackberry yesterday). Of course, we were too full to eat dessert. Regrettably so.

One thing I wanted to mention….something happened with our order and it took longer than expected to come out. Our server and two managers came by to apologize to us and we were also offered a complimentary soup or salad to eat while we waited. The thing is, we’ve both worked in food service and we know that those things happen. If the food or the service had been bad, we would have been upset…but both were great and the fact that they acknowledged the mistake and offered to “make it right” if need be totally made up for it.

I definitely recommend Puckett’s Grocery Chattanooga for a great atmosphere, great service, and delicious Southern food. Our pre-tip total, including a beer, an appetizer, my salad, and Philip’s sandwich was $35.56, which is on par with other similar restaurants. By the way…they also have live music at least one night at week. Go by and check them out!

Puckett’s Grocery Chattanooga is located at 2 West Aquarium Way, Chattanooga, TN. You can call them at 423-708-8505. Check out Puckett’s website: puckettsgro.com, like Puckett’s Grocery Chattanooga on Facebook, and follow @PuckettsGrocery on Twitter.

FEED Co. Table & Tavern

August 31, 2015

The FEED Co. Table and Tavern is a fabulous restaurant on Main Street in Downtown Chattanooga serving great Southern food and other classics created by Chef Charlie Loomis.
When it was announced a while back that Dustin Choate of Tremont Tavern fame, Miguel Morales, own er of 1885, and Charlie Loomis, 1885’s chef, would be joining forces to open a new restaurant, FEED Co. Table & Tavern, in the Craftworks building on Main Street, I got awfully excited. I was a fan of Chef Loomis’s cooking at the now long-since defunct Elemental, which Loomis left to take the helm at 1885 Grill. I adore 1885’s dressed-up Southern food and the amazing atmosphere and service there. And, of course, Tremont has won me over with their amazing burgers.

I was decidedly against the idea of having a burger today. There are several places that people have suggested that we needed to go to try burgers but y’all, Ima have to pace myself. I’ve eaten a lot of burgers over the last few months. They’re one of my faves, but I didn’t want to go to any of those suggested places. Not just yet.

I made a short list of places to check out and let Philip pick. He chose Feed Co. since we went to Clyde’s a couple of weeks ago (so I could get a picture of their burger) and saw people going in. We had actually kind of forgotten until then that they were open. We parked on the street (which is free if you can find a space). If you can’t find a spot on the street, there’s a Republic lot behind Clyde’s. For lunch, you enter on the Tavern side (the Table side doesn’t open until dinnertime).

The hosts told us that the wait would be 15-20 minutes and took our phone number to text us. We had barely walked down the sidewalk to get a few shots of the outside before they texted us, though. We were seated at a bar in front of the arcade games (really!) and our server, Brian, immediately greeted us and took our drink order. They have an extensive beer list and Philip ordered a Yazoo Sly Rye Porter. They also have lots of specialty cocktails…I entertained the idea of ordering a 50 Shades of Pimm’s martini (Pimm’s No. 1, muddled strawberries, orange mint, and cucumber, fresh lemon juice, and Pure Sodaworks strawberry jalapeño soda) but ultimately decided against it.

Brian suggested the Brussels sprouts & artichoke dip, served with fresh farm bread, which did indeed sound delicious. However, I of course noticed the fried pickled green beans. So did Philip. Fried pickles are fried pickles, you guys, regardless of whether the pickles are cucumbers or green beans. So of course we ordered them. All I can say is oh.em.gee. They were fantastic, briny and tart with a light tempura-like batter, served with ranch dressing for dipping.

My eye went straight to the fish & chips as I was deciding on what I would order for my meal. I briefly entertained the idea of ordering the sloppy Joe (grass-fed sloppy joe, yellow mustard, Niedlov’s bun) because how many restaurants serve sloppy Joes?!?!?!?! In the end, though, I went with my gut instinct: CBC beer-battered cod, house cut fries, house pickles, cole slaw, and malt vinegar tartar sauce. The batter on the fish was thick and just slightly bitter with the flavor of the beer, the fish just cooked through. The fries were ultra-skinny, skin-on, and perfectly seasoned. The slaw was a little creamy, a little vinegar-y, with cabbage, carrots, red onion, and Brussels sprouts, and the tartar sauce had the unmistakeable tang of malt vinegar with chopped pickles and a little whole grain mustard. Those house pickles were pretty on point too.

Philip decided to step out of his comfort zone and go with the hempnut burger with a quinoa & hempseed patty, pickled okra, basil mayo, lettuce, tomato, and onion. He ordered tater tots as his side (other options include the fries, buttermilk whipped potatoes, french green beans, cole slaw, and vegetable succotash). The burger had an unmistakeable grilled flavor and the texture was much more “burger-like” than you might have imagined. We weren’t really sure whether the pickled okra made it into the burger somehow…Philip said he didn’t taste or notice it. Not that it mattered…he really loved the burger. The only complaint that he had was that it was a tad crumbly, but the flavor made up for it. The tater tots were pretty standard.

The atmosphere at FEED Co. Table & Tavern is fantastic. The tavern side is completely laid-back and casual with a huge patio for outdoor dining and, as I mentioned, arcade games for killing a little time (or if you just need a Dr. Mario fix. I am not kidding. Angie, we gotta go!!!). The “table” side is a little more dressed up but still completely cozy. The menu is great-inventive but not off the deep end. I would expect no less of Chef Loomis. Our service was wonderful-Brian was very friendly, attentive, and professional. The FEED Co. Table & Tavern has definitely won our seal of approval.

The FEED Co. Table & Tavern is located at 201 W. Main Street, Chattanooga, TN 37408. The food service hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and the “tavern” hours are 11 a.m.-12 a.m., Monday-Thursday, and 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday. You can call FEED Co. at (423) 708-8500. You can check out The FEED Co. Table & Tavern’s website. You can like The FEED Co. on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

Mike’s Hole in the Wall

August 24, 2015

Mike’s Hole in the Wall is a popular bar near Chattanooga’s North Shore that serves some of Chattanooga’s best burgers and fries!

So, after I posted “The Top Ten Burgers in Chattanooga (according to Chattavore)“, I learned that you guys like burgers a little bit. And you have pretty strong opinions about them, which I have thoroughly enjoyed hearing! I’ll be honest, I was a little concerned that some people might be rude if they disagreed with my rankings, but no one has-everyone has been respectful (with maybe a few good-natured digs, which I am so okay with). But one message was conveyed: while most of you were at least mostly in agreement with my list, I still have some places to try.

One of those places was Mike’s Hole in the Wall. I’d actually heard of it a while back, but because it is literally a hole in the wall it’s pretty easy to miss, or to not think about. Several people told me that I really did need to try it, so we decided to make that our burger destination for this weekend (I’m not going to lie, as much as I am obsessed with burgers, I think I need to take a burger break for the next week or so…next weekend’s review will not involve a burger).

We went to Mike’s at around 2 p.m. on Saturday, parking in the gravel lot next to the building (others were parked on the street, and we also saw people park in the paved lot of the business next door, which was not open…that may be a no-no during that business’s business hours). There was a server/bartender and a cook working. The server (whose name I completely forgot to ask for, which I hate because I really do like to mention my servers by name) told us to sit wherever we’d like (we sat on the deck) and brought us food menus. Philip was glad to see they had some craft beers on draft, though they only had standard domestics in bottles. He ordered a Goose Island IPA, which he declared “solid”.

Mike’s has a pretty impressive menu for a bar (by the way, it’s a non-smoking establishment and I assume all-ages…I don’t recall seeing any signs otherwise. Please correct me if I’m wrong!). They have quite a few appetizers, including some that aren’t standards-like Buffalo shrimp, Fritos chili pie (I was sooooo tempted), and Buffalo egg rolls. The burgers can also be made into chicken sandwiches, and they have 10 burgers to choose from, including the Classic, the Black & Blue (with blackening seasoning and blue cheese), and the Faith (with bacon, American cheese, honey mustard, Mike’s wing sauce, lettuce, and tomato). They also have deep fried hot dogs, several sandwiches, and a few salads.

We really didn’t need to think much about it, though, quickly settling on the Classic burger (I did consider the Faith, but decided to stick with simplicity for this visit). I ordered mine with American cheese and no onions, while Philip got his with cheddar, all the way. The burgers took a little longer to come out than I might have expected, but they were worth the wait. They are served on a Niedlov’s bun (5). The meat was well seasoned, thickly patted and cooked to a slight crust on the outside, but still juicy with the slightest bit of pink on the inside (3.5). The cheese was melted nicely on the burger, and you can choose your own (it’s $.50 extra on the Classic) (5). I didn’t find the condiments to be too heavy, and while the toppings were pretty standard (and I don’t usually put lettuce or tomato on my burgers), they have a great variety of ways to top your burger (4). For structural integrity, the burgers get a 3. Mine held together pretty well all the way to the end (getting a little messier on the last few bites) but Philip’s didn’t fare so well…I think the onion sent his over the edge. For size, it gets a 4…not too big, not too small, particularly considering the price ($5.99). The overall rating for this burger: 4.08. This puts them into the #9 spot on the list. So, thanks to all of you who told me to go to Mike’s!

The burgers and sandwiches don’t come with a side, so we ordered fries, which are listed on the appetizer menu ($1.99). There was a bit of a mix-up and we didn’t get our fries right when we got our burger, but they quickly came out after. They are described on the menu as “hand-cut, twice-cooked fries with a light seasoning”. They were absolutely delicious, some of the best fries I’ve had. They were cut thinner than most hand-cut fries, and the seasoning was perfect. It was a pretty gigantic bowl but we ate most of them…I just can’t resist good fries.

Our server was very friendly, and there were several people there while we were there who were obviously regulars. It’s a small place (though I’ve been in smaller), but the deck is great and there are quite a few tables. The prices are also very good, as our pre-tip total for 2 burgers, a gigantic order of fries, and a beer was $19.63. There are televisions and dartboards as well. So, if you’re on (or near) the North Shore and looking for a great burger, check out Mike’s Hole in the Wall!

Mike’s Hole in the Wall is located at 538 Cherokee Boulevard, Chattanooga, TN 37405. You can call them at 423-475-5259. They don’t have a website, but you can like Mike’s Hole in the Wall on Facebook. They are open 7 days a week for lunch, dinner, and “late night” though I forgot to check their hours and couldn’t find exact hour online, so if anyone knows them please let me know!

Innside Restaurant (Downtown Chattanooga)

August 3, 2015

The Innside restaurant in downtown Chattanooga is the best restaurant in Chattanooga you may have never heard of!

All right, guys…I am very close to being ready to write a follow-up of my post from a few years back, Chattanooga’s Top Five Burgers (According to Chattavore). I’m shakin’ things up, y’all, I can tell you that much. I’m not quite ready, though, so give me a couple of weeks. Part of the holdup is getting to a few places that I can’t easily visit during the school year when I’m working full-time. I knew that I needed to visit Zarzour’s and I’d had several people tell me that I needed to have a burger at the Innside Restaurant.

My reaction to that was, “What in the world is this Innside Restaurant of which you speak?” I’d never seen it or even heard of it. Except that I probably had and just didn’t realize what I was looking at. Turns out that the Innside Restaurant has been on Chestnut Street (in the Pioneer Building) for over 20 years. Apparently I don’t get to Chestnut Street much? It’s pretty much right across the street from Figgy’s Sandwich Shop, another spot that I need to visit.

We had been told to try to get there before the lunch crowd, so we arrived a few minutes before 11:00. There were still quite a few tables open, some people starting the lunch crowd and others finishing up breakfast. They stop serving breakfast at 10:30, which our server, Holly, made sure to let us know when she came to take our drink order. No matter…we were there for the burgers. Anyway, Holly was a very friendly and energetic girl who told us that the Innside opened before she was born. Shut your mouth, Holly. I was probably in high school (feeling old….I turn 37 in 3 weeks, y’all!). She brought us our waters then took our orders.

The menus are on the tables and the prices of each menu item include tax. We perused very briefly but honestly I didn’t notice much other than the burgers. I will have to make a trip back to try other items on the menu! I decided on a regular cheeseburger with no onions ($5.25), while Philip got a bacon cheeseburger all the way ($6.25). All the way means mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion. The burgers were gigantic, made with pretty standard meat on an also pretty standard sesame seed bun. The lettuce was iceberg. They were topped with American cheese. However, if you think that I am saying that the “pretty standard” part of this burger description means that I was unimpressed with the burger…that is not the case. It was delicious! The meat was well-seasoned and well cooked, and there was not an inordinate amount of mayonnaise or mustard. My only complaint was that there might have been a little too much lettuce; however, it didn’t interfere with the structural integrity of the burger too much, as it held together all the way to the last bite (and yes, I ate the whole thing!). So score: meat, 3; bread, 3; cheese, 4; toppings, 3; size, 4; structural integrity, 4.5. Overall burger rating: 3.58. That seems like a pretty low score considering how good this burger was. We really enjoyed it!

On the side, we got fries and tater tots. Again, pretty standard frozen fries and tots. However, the tater tots tasted like they were either fried in some interesting oil or had some sort of unusual seasoning on them, but Holly told us that they were just fried in peanut oil. They don’t have any special seasoning on them either. Maybe it’s the brand? Who knows? Anyway, you know I love skin-on fries, but I pretty much love all fried potato products as long as they are crisp rather than limp and soggy, so even a frozen fry or tot gets a “still pretty good” rating from me.

I am fairly certain this place has a lot of regulars. They seemed to know quite a few of the people that were dining with them. It’s not hard to understand why, because everyone that we encountered (which was several employees) was extremely nice. We were concerned prior to going about whether such a small spot would take credit cards, but they do (with the understanding that there is a $0.25 cent additional charge to pay with a card on orders under $5.00). The prices are pretty reasonable considering the amount of food you get…our order (2 waters, fries, tots, cheeseburger, and bacon cheeseburger) was $14.00 pre-tip. We really enjoyed the Innside Restaurant, and while their location/hours will prevent us from going back often, we will definitely go again, this time to try non-burger menu items or perhaps a special (they change their specials daily, and you can see each day’s specials on their Facebook page). I can’t speak to the other menu items, but the Innside Restaurant is definitely a great place to go for a tasty burger!

The Innside Restaurant is located at 800 Chestnut Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402 (in the Pioneer Building). You can call them at 266-7687. They are open 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Friday, serving breakfast until 10:30 daily. They do not have a website page, but you can like Innside Restaurant on Facebook.

The Bitter Alibi: Brunch Edition

July 27, 2015

The Bitter Alibi opened just over a year ago and a lot has happened in a year! They’ve grown like a weed, expanding their space and adding brunch to their food offerings. I’ve got the lowdown for you!

First of all, let me say happy (belated) birthday to The Bitter Alibi. I’m sorry to be tardy to the party…I saw the post on Facebook and just forgot to say anything. You’ll forgive me, won’t you Bitter Alibi? On July 3, this hip downtown Chattanooga (former) hole in the wall turned one. They had a whole lot more than a year of serving up pints to celebrate, though.

When we visited The Bitter Alibi last July, shortly after their opening, they were located in the basement of their building and who knew what would be joining them in the upstairs space, formerly Joe Friday’s (a coffee shop that closed before I got the chance to visit). Turns out that they would be taking over that space as well, expanding from a nighttime-only bar with a little food operation (when we visited there was a guy making sandwiches in a small spot behind the bar) with a number of employees that you could count on one hand and have some fingers left over to a brunch and dinner spot complete with a full kitchen, a coffee bar and fifteen employees. Not bad for a place that a couple of guys (Matt Skudlarek, who formerly owned Pasha Coffee and Tea, and Jason Bowers) that just thought, “What if” they opened a bar in a spot they used to visit (Philip suggested getting a picture of me with Matt under the sign).

Anyway, they’ve been posting an awful lot of tempting photos of their brunch offerings on their Facebook and Instagram pages and I knew I had to get there ASAP. We decided to head over on Friday in the early afternoon. We found a metered spot on Houston Street (and discovered the meter was out of order only after we’d fed it two quarters) and headed in. The brunch operation takes place on the first floor. There were quite a few people in there but still several tables open. Matt, who knows my husband and me by-proxy, greeted us and directed us to a table , brought us waters, then took our drink orders.

Philip decided to order a Hutton & Smith vanilla stout (Hutton & Smith is a new local brewery…they opened just weeks ago and are located right down the street from The Bitter Alibi on East MLK). He thoroughly enjoyed the beer but found it a little difficult to try to take notes for writing a review while also eating lunch, so you’ll have to go and try it for yourself. I would normally just stick with water, but they were serving up Velo Coffee and it’s been toooooo long, so I decided to get an iced latte. When my latte was delivered to the table, the barista (Bradley-I believe that was his name) told me that it was made with Boneshaker espresso and that they use a smaller amount of coffee and pull it after 40 or so seconds instead of the usual 20-something (can you tell I am not familiar with the process by which espresso is brewed), contributing to a different flavor. It was perfect….I drink coffee without sugar these days and it really allows me to taste all the nuances, though unlike Philip I am not good at picking out exactly what all those nuances are.

The menu is small but varied, with traditional brunch items like French toast (tiramisu French toast, to be more precise-aptly named “The Cheat Day”-hand me my fat pants, please!) and hash, a breakfast burrito, and a kale salad as well as sandwiches-called handhelds (they’ve added a burger to the lineup). I considered ordering the Seoul Train: red potato hash, Korean pork, soft boiled egg, spinach, and sambal. However, after Matt mentioned that he would recommend The Arnold, which was the other item I had been considering, I was sold. The Arnold consisted of two slices of sourdough toast, each topped with an over-easy egg, maple espresso bacon, and a slice of flat-top griddled tomato. Avocado cream was dolloped on the side. Are you kidding. This was brunch heaven on a plate. I am now tempted to start making this at home every day of the week. The eggs were perfectly cooked…there is no bliss like a gloriously runny yolk, in my opinion. The bacon was not overwhelmingly flavored but had a nice hint of espresso and bacon blending with its salty, chewy crispness. The Niedlov’s sourdough had a great sourdough bite and the tomato was wonderfully ripe and completed the stack. The avocado cream was just the right finishing touch, with just a bit of creamy tartness to drag the toast through, blending beautifully with the runny yolks.

Philip scarcely glanced at the menu before he decided what he would be ordering: The Cumberbatch, a cheesy biscuit topped with (and essentially swimming in) chorizo gravy with cheddar and an over-easy egg. Pretty much anytime Philip encounters chorizo on a menu, he is rendered unable to order something else. It didn’t hurt that Matt mentioned that it was one of his favorite menu items as well. One bite and Philip was in love. This basically a bowl of gravy made with house chorizo, with a big ol’ cheddar biscuit plunked in the middle and a runny yolked egg on top, and who can argue with that. The gravy was creamy and just a little spicy but not mouth-searingly spicy. It wasn’t greasy at all, and grease can definitely be a big issue with chorizo-based dishes. And, of course, that runny yolk poured down over everything and completed the dish just like peanut butter completes jelly.

I am fairly certain that I could have ordered anything on the menu and I would have been happy, but I was so pleased with my choice to get The Arnold and Philip was definitely satisfied with The Cumberbatch. The total, pre-tip, was around $29, which included Philip’s beer ($5) and my iced latte ($4). Perhaps not the least expensive breakfast/brunch/lunch in town, but when I consider that it’s a small, local business supporting other small, local businesses (they try to source locally whenever possible), I’m okay with it. Besides that, the service at The Bitter Alibi was stellar and the food was impeccable. This was upscale quality food in the most unpretentious environment possible. Plus, Matt and Jason are just super nice guys!

Go show The Bitter Alibi some love!

The Bitter Alibi is located at 825 Houston Street, Chattanooga, TN, 37403. You can call them at (423) 362-5070. They are open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., Friday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Tuesday, 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. Check out their website, www.thebitteralibi.com/. You can also like The Bitter Alibi on Facebook and follow @thebitteralibi on Twitter.

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