Blacksmith's Bistro & Bar

Nestled at the bottom of the Incline Railway in the St Elmo district of Chattanooga is Blacksmith’s Bistro and Bar, a charming and eclectic place for a good meal.  You will not be overwhelmed when you walk in the door, but rather pleased by the Southern hospitality and unique look of the place.  The menu itself was written on a big chalkboard and kudos must be given to whomever is given that task each day. 

We had just taken a trip on the Incline Railway and desired lunch before heading on to Rock City and Ruby Falls.  Being from out of the area, Lady Gianna and I decided we needed something with a local flair.  Blacksmith’s was right across the street and easily fit the bill.  I have to say it does not look like much on the outside and the sight of a big chicken on their sign did not instill much confidence, but I was pleasantly surprised.

We were greeted by a friendly staff and took our seats right by the big board.  Lady Gianna quickly decided on a salad while the young prince knew instantly that he wanted the chicken fingers basket.  I was more of a problem.  There were lunch specials that I think were about $5.00, but none of them really appealed to me so I went up to the bar to ask for some advice.  The woman at the bar, whom for today we will call Krystal, was very helpful.  She broke down the specials for me and I explained how I was pretty darn hungry.  She suggested I try one of their hearty burgers.  Since Sir Griffin is more than a little bit fond of burgers I thought she had just given me a great selection. 

They had some burgers that were, frankly, a bit on the pretentious side, but I stuck with something a little more traditional.  I do not need blue cheese or feta on my burger.  As far as Sir Griffin is concerned the best cheese for a burger will always be American, despite my British heritage.  Aged cheddar is an excellent choice as well and I went with that along with tomatoes, onions and some sort of spicy sauce.  I’m sure the burger had a name, but I probably forgot that the minute I walked out the door. 

Before I talk too much about the burger I do want to say that Lady Gianna loved her salad.  She said it was absolutely delicious.  If I remember correctly it had some walnuts and fruit in it, but I can’t say that for sure.  I am not a salad person.  The young prince turned out to be not that hungry and pretty much just ate barely more that one of his chicken strips.  Lady Gianna and I finished them up and I will tell you that they were delicious.  The batter they are made in made a wonderfully crisp outside while keeping the chicken fresh and juicy on the inside.  Pretty much what one would expect of a chicken strip, but then again I have had some pretty crappy ones in my day.  This, fortunately, was very flavorful.

The burger was served with French fries and I’ll start with those.  As I always say the best fries are the ones that need no condiment to accentuate their flavor.  A full potato flavor with just the right amount of seasoning is all I ask.  If I’m adding ranch dressing or, God forbid, ketchup to a fry it says you did something wrong.  These fries were delicious; seasoned just right and with just the right blend of crispness & sogginess.  They were full of flavor and piping hot. 

The burger was a half pound of deliciousness on a bun.  It may have been made from bison, but I really don’t remember.  The reason I think it was bison was because it was very lean and very juicy.  The spicy sauce served as a nice compliment to the burger and did not overwhelm it.  Both the young prince and Lady Gianna tried it and agreed it was a delicious burger.  Often times when I dine on a burger I want more.  Not because I am still hungry, but because I am sad that I have taken my last bite.  This burger was no exception, but if Krystal had brought me out another one there is no way I could have eaten it.  Well, maybe if I had not gulped down all those fries and a chicken strip I could have, but still, I doubt it. 

Blacksmith’s does have outdoor seating, which I would think would have been lovely, but it was a rather hot & humid day so all the patrons chose to dine inside.  It’s not a big place at all and I can imagine that it gets quite crowded on the weekends for dinner.

My only problem with the place was that you had to pay for your meal at the bar prior to eating.  The reason I have a problem with this is when paying with a credit or debit card it requests you place a tip on there.  Well, I was not comfortable with the pre-tip option so I explained this to Krystal and told her I would tip in cash accordingly after we dined.  She was okay with this and said to just drop whatever I felt was appropriate in the tip jar when we were done.  I fully intended to keep my promise. 

How was the service you ask?  Well it was very good.  There have been times I have been dining at places that were not crowded and got horrid service.  One particular night at the IHOP no one even came over to see us.  So I was very happy that my glass of tea was kept full and that Krystal and the other woman working, Jill, took plenty of time to make sure we were comfortable and did not need anything.  So after lunch I walked up to the bar, thanked Krystal and dropped a 20% tip in the tip jar.  I do hope she saw me do that.

So if you ever find yourself in Chattanooga doing the tourist thing, stop by Blacksmith’s for a good meal and a visit with the friendly staff.  I don’t think you will regret it.