The Boathouse; {Best restaurants on the River in Chattanooga}
The Boathouse is one of the best restaurants on the river in Chattanooga for seafood
Author: ArtsyChowRoamer
The Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw Bar
{BEST RESTAURANTS ON THE RIVER IN CHATTANOOGA}
On a pre-quarantine visit to Tennessee, we decided to stop for brunch in Chattanooga for some fresh seafood. Our pick for one of the best restaurants goes to The Boathouse located on the Tennessee River in the stylish Riverwalk area.
Not only does it offer breathtaking views with wrap around porches but it sits on a lovely walking path running alongside the river so you can walk off some of the guilt of what you just ate. 😋 This post will share some thoughts on the kind of dining experience you can expect to have.
It was a warmish day in March and since the porches are sort of enclosed with heaters when necessary it is often where we ask to be seated even though there is a fairly good sized indoor dining room along with seating at the bar.
BRUNCH WITH A BLOODY MARY
It was pretty busy and we had to wait to be seated for the porch area so they gave us a buzzer and we decided to wait at the bar. We watched a man gracefully shucking tray after tray of beautiful fat raw oysters and laying them down carefully on ice while adding lovely wedges of lemon and dollops of red sauce.
Our waitress hustled right over to take our drink order. Our Bloody Mary arrived quickly with a fresh garnish of olives, celery and salted rim. First sip-delicious!
Just the right amount of vodka and heat always makes it a great starter for a good brunch. I suspect they make their own mix as you can usually tell when a restaurant doesn’t; it just won’t give you the same bang for the buck.
FRONT PORCH SITTIN’ IN CHATTANOOGA
The host came to get us and gave us a nice corner table with a great view of the lovely homes across the river. We looked over menus and opted as usual to get small plates to share and try several different things.
The menu is very simple and straight forward with a Latin/Cajun vibe to the offerings for the most part. Laid out from appetizers and sharing plates ($7-23) to salads ($7-16), sandwiches ($13-17), plates ($13-35) and on to desserts ($7). We ordered what they refer to as “made to order” guacamole thinking someone would be coming table side to make it for us while we decided what else to try.
The dish actually came out in a bowl with chunks of fresh avocado, diced stacks of tomato, onion and jalapeno. Cilantro was sprinkled all over and fresh lime wedges were on small forks. Basically you smash it with just the right amount of things you want for yourself and scoop it onto freshly made tortilla chips for a super tasty starter. Such a good contrast between the flavor of the guacamole, the texture of the tender chip and the heat from the Bloody Mary.
SECOND COURSE AT THE BOATHOUSE
We pondered the stuffed poblano peppers, fried calamari, and cajun shrimp. We finally decided it had to be the mussels because they used Pernod in the sauce. For those who aren’t in the know that is a French liqueur with the flavor of anise.
I admit I am not as HUGE a fan of it as my husband is but I have to say these were possibly the best mussels we have ever had-hands down. The subtle seafood flavor (lookin’ at you fresh) along with the richness of the butter and the hints of sweetness from the Pernod balanced so well with a hint of lemon-total perfection!
The rich “likker” as we call it in the South is perfect for dipping their good bread in. Honestly we could have eaten another loaf of bread and made dinner out of just that dish. Don’t miss the mussels when you go and ask for a little extra bread too!
Dish of mussels with Pernod is perfection.
THIRD COURSE-SEAFOOD ANYONE?
So onto another course and we were thinking fish. We could have gone with the wood grilled salmon, the catfish tacos or the branzino sea bass; all were served with black beans and rice. But then we spotted the sushi grade tuna in a citrus sauce with radishes, green onions and strips of those tender tortilla chips on top. That was it.
Another sure fire winner for tuna lovers as all the fresh elements add crispiness and texture while the fish is soft and buttery and the underlying citrus notes just gave it the best pop of flavor. Every dish arrived swiftly and beautifully plated as well. This makes for an easy way to order and eat. Just a go, order as you feel sorta thing without having to wait a long time between courses.
Sushi grade tuna in citrus sauce with fresh tortilla strips
SO YOU DON’T LIKE SEAFOOD?
Ok so this is a place to come for seafood but let’s just say you’re like my sister and won’t touch the stuff (but she eats tuna salad…..say whhhaatt?) There were several types of wings, quesadillas and pork nachos on offer in small plates.
There were veggie dishes and salads with chicken and pork on top or to the side. Entrees of roasted or voodoo chicken along with a nice new york strip steak were offered with olive fries. The food is great enough here that I am sure those choices would be delicious too.
Got room for dessert? We did not actually but if we had, we probably would have gone for the key lime pie and a French press coffee. I did see one go by that looked pretty gosh darn good!
As I looked around I could see why The Boathouse is considered one of the best restaurants on the river in Chattanooga. It isn’t overly loud even when pretty full. The casual atmosphere feels comfortable and at night it even feels a little romantic.
The staff were friendly, helpful and quick at getting to you to say hello and get you started. I liked the table set ups and the crisp white aprons they wore. Everything felt clean, fresh and modern with a soft touch. The atmosphere really reminded me of some of my favorite seafood hangouts we haunted vacationing in Florida-good memories from my childhood.
CONCLUSION
The key to any good restaurant is the quality of the food and the capabilities of the staff. How they make you feel, what you got for what you paid and how tasty was the food. So simple but sometimes complex to provide. I liked this place-you will too. Visit it soon and tell them I sent ya OK?
If you liked what you read you might also enjoy reading other blog posts under Edible Fare. If visiting Chattanooga you might also like to know my thoughts on Alleia and J Alexanders. Both are also considered some of the best restaurants Chattanooga has to offer. Check them out and enjoy the little video I did above. Until next time…
Cheers,
ArtsyChowRoamer
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