Lunch in Chattanooga...

When Dawn Marie’s late summer visit came to an end, we drove her down to Chattanooga where she could catch a timely flight to Miami’s International Airport.   As her flight was scheduled for early afternoon, we decided to have lunch before she flew home.

 

We’d eaten at this J. Alexander’s Restaurant on the north side of Chattanooga on a previous occasion.  With a timetable to deal with, rather than try something new, we decided to confirm or refute our first experience...which had been positive.

J. Alexander’s is a casual dining restaurant chain that opened its first location in Nashville Tennessee back in 1992.  They now have at least 39 restaurants in 13 different states. (FL, GA, AL, LA, TX, CO, CA, MO, TN, KY, OH, MI and IL) To view a nationwide map showing these locations, just go to http://find.mapmuse.com/map/j-alexanders.

 

J. Alexander’s has an upscale look to it…lots of dark woods and soft lighting.  It’s a comfortable…’feel good’ interior.   I suspect that the cost of building one of these pleasant environments has been one reason that the expansion of J. Alexander’s Restaurants has been gradual…

 

 

Dawn ordered the Rattlesnake Pasta. ($15.00) It’s basically fettuccine Alfredo with southwest spices and grilled chicken.  She seemed to enjoy it…as there wasn’t any left on her plate when we were finished!  

The luncheon and dinner menus are similar, divided into sections labeled Starters, Salads, Burgers/Sandwiches/Small Plates, Taco Platters, Flatbread Pizzas, Entrees, Desserts and Sides.  The selection of entrees expands from 11 choices at lunch to 16 items for dinner.  The prices sometimes vary as well…with Dawn’s Rattlesnake Pasta priced at $16.00 on the dinner menu.

 

I love chicken…so I ordered the Rotisserie Chicken from the entrée selection. ($16.00) This was ½ a roasted chicken seasoned with herbs and spices and served with a terrific au jus type of dipping sauce and smashed potatoes.  The chicken was very good and with the sauce/au jus, it was even better…

The prices on the dinner menu range from $16.00 for the Rattlesnake Pasta as well as 2 chicken offerings, to $18.00 for a couple of shrimp entrees, and the price tops out at with items like Carolina Crab Cakes ($28.00) and the Filet Mignon with Béarnaise Sauce ($29.00)

 

Laurie ordered the Crispy Fish Sandwich with Kiawah Island Dressing. ($16.00)  I believe that it came with the French fries… Laurie liked this sandwich and would definitely order it again.

The reason that I commented on Laurie’s French Fries…stating that I thought that they came with the Fish Sandwich…is that sides at J. Alexander’s tend to be a bit pricy in relation to other restaurants.  French fries are $5.00…as are Black Beans and Rice, Broccoli, a Side Salad and Cole Slaw.

There are 8 sandwiches on the menu at J. Alexander’s.  They range from a Veggie Burger ($10.00), to a Cheeseburger with Tillamook Cheddar ($11.00), and on up to include at French Dip Sandwich ($17.00) and a Prime Rib Sandwich ($18.00).

Actually I feel that, in general, pricing at J. Alexander’s Restaurants is a bit high.  $15.00 for a chicken pasta dish…$16.00 for a chicken dinner…and $16.00 for a fish sandwich…the prices all seem a little over the top.  Despite that fact, if we’re on the road somewhere looking for a decent meal…J. Alexander’s would definitely fit our needs.

 

So…following our luncheon repast and a short drive to the Chattanooga Airport, Dawn Marie blew us a kiss as she headed back to her condo overlooking Biscayne Bay in Miami… She’ll return for another visit at Christmas!

J. Alexander’s Restaurant in Chattanooga is located at 2215 Hamilton Place Boulevard just off of I-75.  Phone: 423-855-5559.  For some reason the J. Alexander’s Restaurant website was not available at the time I was writing this blog.  If it’s working, the website can be found at www.jalexanters.com.   

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave