Jonathan Reinert said in an interview that his family has always planned to move the 3rd Deck Burger Bar on the Southern Belle Dockside venue from the third deck to the second, but finances and COVID-19 delayed the move.
Those hurdles have been overcome and the family -- Jonathan; mom, Joy; dad, Joe; and sister, Jordan -- recently moved the operation one deck down and renamed it the Overboard Bar & Grille.
Visitors to the riverboat will know the space as the one with the mezzanine overlooking the gift shop area.
"It's about the same size, but it looks bigger," Reinert said. "But everything is brand new. We had Italian leather armchairs shipped in. It has 65-inch TVs, an arcade, shuffleboard and a brand new bar that we built. In fact, everybody on staff said they wanted to physically do everything themselves, so we did. Bartenders, engineers, everybody."
Reinert said the new space at Pier 2 has 18 chairs around the bar and plenty of tables for small and large gatherings. The former Burger Bar space will remain essentially intact with the dart boards, small karaoke area and deck area overlooking the river, available for private event rentals.
The menu will continue to offer burgers, steaks, seafood, chicken sandwiches and barbecue, but it is more of a set menu rather than a build-your-own one as the Burger Bar menu was. It will be open daily from 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
The Reinerts own several venues in town besides the Southern Belle Dockside, a large paddleboat permanently docked at Ross's Landing that includes a gift shop. They also operate the Southern Belle Riverboat, offering lunch and dinner cruises; Lat 35 Party Pontoon boat; the Chattanooga Ducks, a renovated WWII amphibious duck boat popular with tourists, and the Mayor's Mansion Inn.
IF YOU GO
— Where: Overboard Bar & Grille at Pier 2, 201 Riverfront Parkway.
— Phone: 423-266-4488.
— Website: chattanoogariverboat.com/overboard-bar-grille.
— Hours: 11 a.m.- 11 p.m. daily.
— Price range: Desserts are $4 and $7. Burgers start at $13 and are served with chips.
— Alcohol: Full bar.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.