Right when you thought Chattanooga may have reached its saturation point of restaurants, several new ones opened in the past year.
"Chattanooga is fortunate to have had a number of great restaurants that have opened recently," says Charles Wood, vice president for economic development for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. "We've been blessed with phenomenal restaurateurs and entrepreneurs with great creativity."
Selections on the restaurant menu range across the gastronomic table, from upscale fusion to down-home Southern, from simple burgers to as much steak as you can eat.
Some of the restaurants that opened in 2015 and early 2016 include:
* The Feed Co. Table & Tavern, 201 W. Main St. | 423-708-8500 | www.feedtableandtavern.com
Located in the old Chattanooga Feed Company building - renovated, but in keeping with the old, open warehouse "decor," Feed quickly established itself as a major presence on the rapidly growing Main Street food scene when it opened in summer 2015. Feed's menu might be described as "Southern comfort fusion." Think short rib pot roast with buttermilk whipped potatoes, tobacco onions and whiskey-glazed carrots.
Good choice: A starter of Buffalo calamari with blue cheese and ranch ($8.50) followed by a Tremont burger ($9.50) with a side of maple-bacon fried Brussels sprouts ($4).
* Rodizio Grill, 439 Broad St. | 423-777-4999 | www.rodiziogrill.com
Setting up shop in the new, $19 million Holiday Inn, the Brazilian steakhouse - a chain that calls itself the first such steakhouse in the U.S. - serves up 16 types of rotisserie-grilled meat. Lots and lots and lots of rotisserie-grilled meat. As much as you can eat, actually. Carved and served right at your table, you can try Maminha, a sirloin; Bife Com Alho, beef coated with a garlic rub; or Assado, which takes two days to prepare and more than six hours to cook. Rodizio also serves pork, poultry, lamb and seafood with endless appetizers and a huge salad bar. Dinner is $34.99 for adults, but doesn't include drinks or dessert.
Good choice: Any of the beef dishes.
* Wine Down, 9431 Bradmore Lane, Ooltewah | 423-531-9463 | www.winedownbar.com
Offering 50 wines by the glass, Wine Down opened in late summer 2015, creating a perfect place to wind down after a busy day. Enjoy chardonnays or a French vouvray with a board of local cheeses. Or try a dinner filled with local flavors.
Good choice: Braised short ribs with mashed parsnips, heirloom carrots and red-wine tomato braise ($15) with a glass of Buehler cabernet ($15).
* Screen Door Cafe, 1106 Lee Pike, Soddy-Daisy | 423-777-4868 | www.screendoorcafe.com
Screen Door Cafe opened its doors in late 2015, bringing upscale Southern fare to the restaurant desert that is Soddy-Daisy, a community with few choices other than fried foods, fast foods and meat-and-threes. The restaurant offers burgers whose meat is ground on the premises as well as Low Country favorites such as shrimp and grits. You can even get a fried bologna sandwich just like Grandma used to make.
Good choice: Start with fried green tomatoes served with pimiento cheese and herb aioli ($5) followed by a Reuben with house-smoked corned beef ($9).
* Merv's, 8968 Dayton Pike, Soddy-Daisy | 423-451-3033 | www.mervsburgers.com
Long known as serving one of the best burgers in town, Merv's opened a second location in Soddy-Daisy in February 2016, offering a place for families to gather for a burger and conversation in a laid-back atmosphere.
Good choice: Burger All the Way ($8.25) and fries ($3.75-$4.99).
* Puckett's Grocery, 2 West Aquarium Way | 423-708-8505 | www.puckettsgro.com
Puckett's has been a Nashville-area landmark for years and opened in Chattanooga in January 2015, quickly establishing itself as one of the best places in town for down-home vittles. If you want groceries, go elsewhere. That's just part of Puckett's history, as is live pickin' and singin' on Friday nights.
Good choice: Chicken-fried chicken - boneless chicken battered and topped with white pepper gravy and served with mashed potatoes and green beans ($13.99).
* Stir, 1400 Market St. | 423-531-7847 | www.stirchattanooga.com
With an astounding 350 brands of liquor, a dedicated ice chef who creates amazing sculptures and artisan ice for drinks, as well as an oyster bar and a menu that's locally inspired, Stir is stirring things up among foodies in town, breathing new life into the Chattanooga Choo-Choo.
Good choice: To drink: The Boxcar, made with apple brandy, Tennessee moonshine, orange liqueur and freshly squeezed lemon juice. To eat: A dozen oysters ($14.95) or Simply the Best Fried Shrimp, served with fries, turnip slaw and Stir sauce ($15.95).
* Southside Social, 1818 Chestnut St. | 423-708-3280 | www.thesouthsidesocial.com
A restaurant that's a playground for all ages, offering everything from skee ball to pool and bowling inside. Outside, there's corn hole, bocce ball and horseshoes. Oh, and there's food when you tire of gaming. Southside Social quickly became the most fun place in town for the active set when it opened in February 2015.
Good choice: Bison burger ($14); grilled chicken quesadilla ($9).
* Main Street Meats, 217 E. Main St. | 423-602-9568 | www.mainstreetmeatschatt.com
Opened four or five years ago as a butcher shop, Main Street Meats expanded in August 2015 to include a 40-seat restaurant. Chef/restaurateur Erik Niel (also the chef/owner of Easy Bistro) offers hand-crafted bourbons and a menu with fresh vegetables, salads and entrees as well as charcuterie plates filled with meats from the butcher shop next door - yes, it's still open.
Good choice: An Old Fashioned with Old Grand-Dad bourbon, spiced apple syrup, angostura bitters and Peychaud's bitters ($8), and Simpson Farms New York strip with bordelaise and cheddar potato gratin ($28).
* Robar Cocktail Bar, 191 Chestnut St. | www.therobar.com
Restaurateur Rob Gentry (Blue Plate Diner) picked up a 1950's cocktail book and created a new concept for Chattanooga's cocktail hour. The small bar, which opened in May 2015, is intimate, with handcrafted cocktails from yesteryear and a small menu of hors d'oeuvres such as crab wontons, cream of havarti cheese toast, herb goat cheese dip and chocolate strawberries.
Good choice: A Singapore Sling cocktail ($12.50) paired with beef tenderloin sliders ($10) or steamed mussels with fries and garlic mayo ($9.50).