If you go
› Where: Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw Bar, 1459 Riverside Drive› Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily› Price range: $5.95-$35.75› Alcohol: Beer, wine, liquor› Phone: 423-622-0122› Website: boathousechattanooga.com
EDITOR'S NOTE: This review concludes our Chattanooga Now series of suggestions by Times Free Press staff writers on their favorite locations for al fresco dining.
The Boathouse Rotisserie and Raw Bar has been a favorite of mine for years. Its casual atmosphere, reliable quality and inventive menu never disappoint. Sure, Chattanooga has lots of good restaurants, but the Boathouse's outside seating, great food and drink, and dramatic Tennessee River backdrop can't be beat.
THE SPACE
The restaurant is housed in a large structure that sits exactly where the late, great Sandbar restaurant once entertained countless multitudes with bar food, beer and too many great musical artists to mention.
Inside, it's cool and dark, with high ceilings adorned with nautical memorabilia, ample seating and a bar toward the front that churns out all manner of cold, alcoholic refreshment including the Lawton Margarita, named for proprietor Lawton Haygood. Outside, an L-shaped, covered patio offers diners some of the best views in the city year-round.
It was 90 degrees outside and the sun was beating down on our most recent visit, but we opted for a table on the patio anyway. Between the slight breeze coming off the river and the ceiling fans, it was extremely comfortable. Sitting there in late afternoon, looking toward Signal Mountain to the west, the setting sun rays glinted like a sea of undulating diamonds on the river's surface. Boats cruised casually by as swallows dove and glided overhead and great blue herons patrol the shoreline.
THE MENU
This place has a heavy seafood focus, which was on obvious display when we stopped by on a Monday. For the uninitiated, that's when they offer raw oysters half price all day. A sizable crowd was already there to partake of this weekly special.
Oysters aside, the menu is substantial, with a healthy assortment of salads, sandwiches, plates and appetizers available. Some highlights include New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp ($22.50), Wood Grilled Salmon Salad ($14.95), Rotisserie Smoked Brisket ($17.50), Catfish Tacos ($12.75) and Wood Grilled Branzino Bass Filet ($28.95).
The bar is stocked with a good selection of wines and bottled and draft beers, including locally brewed Hutton & Smith Igneous IPA.
THE FOOD
We ordered some Blue Moon Belgian White drafts ($3.25 during happy hour) and tried the guacamole and chips ($9.55) first. Minced jalapeno, blended into the requisite fresh cilantro, onion, tomatoes and thick chunks of avocado, gives this guac unexpected bite, but the flavor is exceptional, especially when paired with the extra-thick tortilla chips that come with it.
Smoked salmon ($9.95) was one of the day's specials, so we decided to try that, as well as the Voodoo Chicken ($13.95), my go-to dish here.
Pickled capers and a light tartar sauce garnish perfectly complemented the rich, fork-tender salmon fillet, which came with bread crisps. A real winner.
Although I've sampled a decent amount of the Boathouse menu, I almost always come back to the Voodoo Chicken. The wood-fired grill that's used to prepare the majority of Boathouse dishes renders this a flavor powerhouse of succulent chicken - slightly moist inside, crispy on the outside - that's served with a flavorful pepper dipping sauce, black beans and rice and sliced pineapple.
THE SERVICE
Our server, Manuel, did a good job of keeping up with our order and getting everything out on time, despite juggling orders from several other tables. It's been my long-held belief that the Boathouse kitchen staff is a model of efficiency in getting food out in a timely manner despite sometimes handling a lot of orders, given the size of this restaurant.
THE VERDICT
I miss the Sandbar, but I'm glad its successor on Riverside Drive does so many things right and offers so much. Every time I sit on the Boathouse patio, surveying the river with a cold beer in hand and a plate of Voodoo Chicken, all is well.
Contact Chris Zelk at czelk@timesfreepress.com.