Fresh and unique burgers and Monday night 50-cent wings are only two reasons diners have become hooked on Market Street Tavern, a restaurant in the thriving heart of downtown Chattanooga.
"Our menu is something that has taken a little while to develop," says Aaron Long, coowner. "We do everything from scratch. We use local when we can. We use Neidlov's buns and think that's a big part of our sandwiches, and having the different options is a bonus for sure."
Market Street Tavern's menu takes the everyday burger and makes it into a delicious excursion with fresh beef from Sequatchie Cove, or guests can choose to try the leaner buffalo patties. Each burger is prepared to order, so guests can designate the temperature of the patty from rare to well done. It is not a full-on build-your-own burger menu, but Long says there are enough toppings to satisfy everyone.
Some of the most popular choices on the menu are the chipotle, the jalapeno jack and the classic mushroom and Swiss burgers. Market Street's chipotle burger features a house-made chipotle mayonnaise and is topped with Applewood smoked bacon, avocado and pepper jack cheese. The jalapeno jack is topped with fresh jalapenos and pepper jack cheese, while the mushroom Swiss is covered with sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese. For those bun fans who don't want red meat, guests can choose any and all the same burger options, but with a grilled chicken substitute.
Market Street Tavern is a popular stop for wing night on Mondays, with 50-cent wings available in house-made honey barbecue or buffalo sauce. The wings are first chargrilled, then flash fried to provide a crispy exterior and, finally, sauced to order.
"We're looking to expand into some different sauces," Long says. "I want to have four or five different flavors that are all going to be hand-done."
For dessert, Market Street partners with Long's mother, Lora Long, whose business, Belle's Cupcakes, has given many of Market Street Tavern's customers a chronic sweet tooth. Fresh jumbo cupcakes are prepared every day from scratch. The most popular flavors currently include a banana pudding cupcake with real banana pudding in the center and a Neopolitan cupcake that combines vanilla (yellow), chocolate and strawberry cake layers topped with strawberry icing. Jumbo cupcakes are available daily in a limited supply, but can be ordered in bulk along with regular-sized cupcakes and mini cupcakes with at least 24 hours notice. There are a dozen different combinations of cake, fillings and icing, such as the Boston cream or limoncello, to choose from when ordering a batch for parties or events.
"We always have the most popular cupcake, red velvet, and the chocolate cupcake is almost always here, and everything else is what I feel like doing that day," says Lora Long. "Blueberry lemon will be a good spring cup cake and I make an orange cream that tastes like a Creamsicle."
ADDRESS: 850 Market St.
PHONE: 634-0260.
HOURS: Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 11-2 a.m. and Saturday from noon to 2 a.m.