Toot's

We took a trip to Toot's one lunch not realizing how long the drive form downtown would actually be. For some reason that day I was thinking of being healthier than usual or I may have just had a burger, so I went with a chicken caesar wrap, or so I thought that is what I ordered. The menu made it look like it would be a caesar salad in a wrap, with lettuce, grilled chicken and cheese. But that is not what I got. I got what looked like a normal chicken wrap with tomatoes, shredded lettuce, not romaine and some different sauce. I didn't complain because I wasn't up to it and every one else got what they ordered. It wasn't very good to say the least so I will leave it at that.




However, the fried pickles were very good. Some of the best I have ever had. That was the main reason why we made the trip up in the first place. I think if I ever made the trip back up there, it would be to just have some drinks and some appetizers. I don't think anyone really enjoyed their main dishes, but everyone loved the appetizers we ordered.





It has a real fun atmosphere and looks like it would be a fun place to watch some sports. I did like the decoration of random signs and funny jokes. So go for the pickles, but leave for the entrees.

Herb & Thelma's Tavern

The hardest part about not blogging for 5 months is it is hard to remember which restaurants I have already reviewed. I have still been eating (don't worry about that), and I still have been taking all my normal photos, I just haven't been sitting down to write everything out.

When I looked back at some of my pictures of when I stopped blogging, I was shocked that I never reviewed Herb and Thelma's Tavern. We visited here on July 22nd (or right around there) even though we actually tried visiting there a week earlier but found out they were on vacation that week.



Herb and Thelma's is a hole in the wall bar in Covington. It has MAYBE 5 or 6 tables and one main bar area with a very small and dark second room (I think it is only there for emergencies). When we arrived there was only one other table that was occupied so we sat in the main area right by the bar. I sat with my back to the bar and to my right was a huge bobble head and sports collection all behind glass. You could tell this bar has been around for a long time.



The bartender is also the cook (which is how it normally is at these types of places, just like City View Tavern) and he was very nice and helpful. We came for one reason only, the burgers. Even though they did have $1 cheese coney's we stuck with our choice to get their double cheese burgers.



The burgers were hand made right behind the bar and I actually got to see how they were cooked. They use a cup/bowl (I am sure there is a name for it) to cover each individual burger while it is on the grill to help cook the whole burger and not just the one side at a time. The burgers were very thick so I can see why this was needed, almost turned it into an individual oven.



The burgers are thick but not very wide and stacking two of them on top of each other makes it a VERY tall burger. It was served with a bag of chips and a can of pop. I do believe we got all 3 items for right around $5 (which was another reason we wanted to check this place out).



The burger was good, very juicy and different than most burgers. I wouldn't put it in my top 5, but it might fall into my top 10. For the money, it is hard to find a better burger. It is just a simple burger, no crazy flavors or additives. Sometimes that is all you need is a good plain bar burger and Herb and Thelma's truly delivered.

I am sure we will be back, maybe even to try out their $1 coney's. It is hard not to return to a place that serves great food for a great price all while making you feel welcome.

Aretha Frankensteins

I have been holding on to this restaurant review for awhile even though it is one that I talk about a lot. It was on our last day of our vacation on our last stop in Chattanooga. The place is called Aretha Frankensteins and the reason we went is because Urbanspoon had it ranked as the best place breakfast place to go to in Chattanooga. And after eating there, I can see why it is ranked number one.

While driving to try and find it, I was worried that our Garmin was lost again. We ended up in a little neighborhood with houses that reminded me of being in a college town, with older houses with great character. We had "reached our destination" and we were still on the same small street. But low and behold, we looked over and there it was, just another one of the small houses with character, but with a sign saying Aretha's and people relaxing on the front porch and down below on a concrete patio.



We parked on the street and walked over to the "house" with our two young kids and tried to figure out if we should seat ourselves or wait to be seated. Since no one was coming to our rescue, I asked a local and they told us we can sit where ever, the only problem was that there wasn't a 4 person table anywhere. There were bar stools around the bar inside and all along the wrap around front porch, but our baby would have had a hard time balancing himself on the stool, so we decided to wait. We got there at the worst time, there was no line, but there was just enough people there that we were the odd men out. Finally when people left, about 3 tables became available at the same time, so we chose our best option and sat down.



We had been looking over the menu already and knew what we wanted to get. I got the sausage, egg and cheese biscuit and home fries while Joanna and the kids got some french toast and bacon to share. I actually think Joanna got something else too, but I cannot remember what it was.

My biscuit sandwich was very good and very big. The biscuit itself was amazing and having them cover the entire thing with melted cheese just took it over the top. The home fries didn't really stand out in my mind, but they were still good.



But what makes me want to go back and visit Chattanooga was the French Toast. It was soooo good. I have never even been a fan of french toast because it is usually just really soggy and not that good, but that was not the case here. At Aretha's you could really taste the cinnamon and it was almost cake like. It was not mushy and stayed together even after dousing it with syrup even though you didn't need any. It is hard to explain it, you'll just have to make a trip down there to try it, you won't regret the 5 hour trip. While you're down there, head to The Terminal Brewhouse the night before and wake up for Aretha's the next morning, and request the bed at the Sheraton :D


I had already cut up the french toast for Grace, so I don't have a picture of it in full form.

The only downfalls of this place is the service, it was hard to find much since there seemed to only be about 2 or 3 people working. The wait they couldn't do much about, but it did take awhile to get our food, but it might have seemed even longer because we had two young, whiny kids that just wanted to get home. I would have not minded relaxing and waiting for my food if it was just Joanna and me. And that is exactly what a lot of the over night nurses were doing, some with beer in hand.

I would love to take a trip back down to Chattanooga with a small group of friends, I think it would be a blast. Let me know if you ever go down there and try this place out.

Mac's Pizza Pub

I can't believe that I had never heard or even seen Mac's Pizza Pub for how many times I have been to Clifton and especially in that area. It is right across the street from Penn Station on W McMillan Street (which could be the reason I have never seen it since I am always starring at Penn Station). After not being able to find any parking on the street, we found some parking in a metered parking lot for 12 minutes for every quarter we put into it up to 8 hours. The group I went with and myself didn't realize till after we were done eating that they actually have a parking lot designated for their restaurant and the King Wok right behind the building. So next time, because there will be a next time, we will know to just park in the back for free without trying to find anything on the street.

We headed inside to a pretty empty restaurant, I think I only saw one or two tables filled and then a few at the bar. We missed the big sign on the floor telling us to seat ourselves, but we eventually figured it out. I did notice before even coming in and then again all over the walls the amount of beer specials they had. Since we were at a work lunch, I decided not to take advantage of these specials, but it did make me want to come back and try some of the beers they had. They also had some food specials as well, including their 7 for $7 menu. This menu was a list of 7 choices that were all, you guessed it, $7. I don't remember them all, but I do remember one was a Sam Adams beer and 8 wings, another was a specialty burger, fries and a soda and another one was a meatball hoagie, any toppings and a soda. We didn't get any of these deals today.




Instead, we decided to split two medium pizzas and we also ordered some onion rings and loaded fries for some appetizers. It was way too much food for us to put down. We still have close to an entire medium pizza left. We got the Mac-Attack Pizza (with jalapenos and spicy beef) and their Meat Lovers Pizza (with pep, ham, sausage and bacon). I liked the Meat Lovers more, but the Mac-Attack was very good, just more spicy than I cared for.



The onion rings were some of the best I have ever had. The breading was perfect and the onion didn't all come out when you took your first bite into it. And the loaded fries were awesome. They have their "famous" waffle fries and they load them up with cheese and REAL bacon. The appetizers were my favorite part of the meal, but I love bar food like that. If I could have had a couple of beers with the appetizers, I think I would have been set and left a very happy man.



The reason we ended up going to Mac's today was because of a Groupon I got for $20 worth for food for $10 and I am glad we went. With or without a coupon, we will be back. The service was extraordinary (maybe because we were the only people in there) and our waiter treated us like regulars. They seemed very interested in what we thought of the food and wanted to make sure we had the best experience possible. I have definitely found my new favorite pizza and beer restaurant (and I actually can't wait to try out the burgers and sandwiches they also serve).

Keystone Bar and Grill

Today I went to Keystone Bar and Grill for lunch. It is located in Covington right across the river in a nice little area with a bunch of bar/restaurants around. It has a nice bar feel to it and I could tell it would be a fun place to be at night. They had drink specials all over the place, so I could tell it was my kind of place : D ... We got seated in a back room with a small TV in the corner of one of the rooms with the Big East tournament on in HD even.

I ordered the Buffalo Chicken Wrap while my dad got the BBQ, Bacon Burger and the other two who were with us got their Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals. My meal was VERY good, but VERY spicy. If you know me, I love spicy food, but my body think that I am on fire while eating, so it decides to drench me. I was definitely dripping and drinking a whole pitcher of water. The best part of my meal, I would have to say, was the Saratoga chips and BBQ sauce. I love that combination and will go anywhere who has them. The Boat House has some awesome ones as well as Rock Bottom. I need to learn how to make Saratoga chips and maybe even my own BBQ sauce, but the BBQ sauce sounds much more challenging.



Tonight they have a beer special of 5 domestic bottles for $5. Supposedly all the bars in the area have that same special on Thursday nights from 9PM - Close. I think Joanna would like this place too, so when the kids get better, I might have to bring her down.

Murray's Wings Pub and Grill / Louisiana Fish Bar

It wasn't my first time at Murray's Wings Pub and Grill, but it has been quite awhile. Most people I know that are my age have been there at least once in their life. It isn't in the nicest neighborhood, but they do serve some great bar food. I thought it was funny reading a review on Urbanspoon about this place. The guy said the food was too greasy. It's a bar! Bar food is suppose to be greasy hahaha. The greasier the better, I say.




Today I had the burger and saratoga chips. It was very good. The burgers are very large and juicy. I added some of their wing sauce that they kept on the table to my chips and I couldn't have asked for more. If it wasn't a work lunch, I would have loved to include a nice tall beer with the meal. I would have enjoyed the wing sauce even more.




Not sure how long ago they combined, but the Louisiana Fish Bar is apart of Murray's now. They have one of the best fish sandwiches I have ever had and one of the few fish sandwiches I would recommend to someone.



They have a nice little bar and a good amount of TVs. I was disappointed to not see any in HD though, not a place I would really go to watch a sporting event. Although they do have a nice sand volleyball court out back which I have played on during some volleyball leagues.

All in all it is a nice little place with affordable food and drinks.