On a recent trip to Chattanooga, our family had something of a dilemma. We couldn't decide where to eat lunch. So I took to facebook and asked friends for suggestions. My friends did not disappoint. We got lots of great suggestions and after eliminating the ones that didn't serve lunch, we let the boys decide. They finally chose a seafood restaurant called the Boathouse. We set sail in two cars, since we all couldn't fit in one.
The Boathouse sits right on the banks of the Tennessee River, so even though the restaurant is located on a busy highway, the views out of the back of the restaurant are scenic. We were warmly greeted by the staff and quickly seated.
The boys wanted to start with a couple of appetizers, so we ordered freshly made guacamole and ceviche. I had a hard time getting pictures of the appetizers, because the boys were much too fast. They really liked the guacamole. They had never had ceviche before. I think Rob liked it better than JD did. I thought both were good, but the guacamole was my favorite as well.
When the server told us the trout amandine was her favorite dish, mom and Scott quickly decided to order that and they both chose a light slaw with a sesame oil vinaigrette and a baked sweet potato to accompany their fish. It was all a huge hit. In fact, Scott said it was the best trout amandine he had had in a very long time. I might have been insulted because I am sure I have made it not all that long ago. Whatever! The trout was locally caught, which might have accounted for the difference.
Daddy picked the fried catfish with olive fries. I had to ask what olive fries were. Our server explained they were just french fries fried in olive oil. They were really good and Daddy liked his catfish, too.
Rob settled on a rotisserie brisket with au jus and horseradish sauce. The brisket came with slaw and olive fries. Rob said it was all very good and he ate every bite.
JD was very happy with the wood grilled salmon he chose. The salmon came with two sauces for dipping. One was a ginger sauce and the other was a hot chili pepper sauce. His sides were the slaw and olive fries. He said the sauces were so good, he was looking for things to dip into them after all his salmon was gone.
I ended up with an overstuffed oyster poboy, also with olive fries and slaw. My sandwich was wonderful and I thought the fries were delicious.
View of the Tennessee River from the Boathouse porch. |
If your party doesn't include more than four people, ask to be seated outside...even in winter! Seriously, the side porch is enclosed and there are huge heaters that keep the place toasty. We had too many people or we would have moved to the porch. You can sit and watch the boats go by and enjoy the views of the river.
Notice the empty bowl of guacamole. Those two ate nearly the entire bowl by themselves. |
Love this bunch! |
The inside is huge...lots of tables! We were seated in a corner table near the porch. You didn't feel like you were right up against other diners. It was private and spacious.
They were actually burning real wood for grilling in the kitchen! We loved the old postcards which were enlarged and used to decorate the walls. You can't see it here, but ice for bar drinks dropped down from an ice maker in the ceiling into a bucket at the bar. It was really cool. We were so mesmerized by the falling ice that JD took a video, but I couldn't get it to upload.
For the wine lovers in your group, there is a Sips Bar for sampling the wines! Boathouse is fun and delicious. We are happy to recommend it to our friends.
Three Friends and a Fork sends our thanks to our friend, Will, for the heads up about the Boathouse and we give Boathouse 3 splashy Yums UP!
Now you have made me so hungry that I wish I were in Chattanooga. All those dishes sound so good and you do a good job of describing them it's almost as if I were there.
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