2 Best Restaurants in Chattanooga, Tennessee

In the kitchen here, four-time nominee for Best Chef in the Southeast, Daniel Lindley, choreographs his culinary pas de deux with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and refined technical skill to present an elegantly balanced menu that is unquestionably en pointe with his loyal dining audience. Pad your wallet and prepare your palate for upscale Southern preludes like smoked trout hush puppies with Benton's bacon remoulade. Seafood dishes, by the way, are fresh as a ballerina's bouquet. And muscular entrées like Wagyu beef zabuton steak are outfitted with colorful accompaniments such as potato gratin, Brussels sprouts, and king trumpet mushrooms. Vegetarian selections are thoughtfully orchestrated too.

The concept was born when Mike and Terry Monen brainstormed a place that would combine their love of bourbon and burgers. The result is this vibey burger bar and lounge, in the circa-1827 former Southern Railway baggage building. The menu combines not-for-sissies Southern appetizers like Smokin' Hot Pimento Cheese Dip (sharp and white cheddars blended with roasted red peppers, smoked jalapenos, and bacon) and urban classic sandwiches, including Hamberguesa Mamacita (crumbled chorizo, red onion, avocado, pickled jalapeno, brushed with chipotle aioli, dressed with lettuce and tomato, and frosted with Fiesta cheese). Liquid accompaniments include craft beers and signature cocktails such as "Down and Dirty"—16-ounce PBR with a shot of Old Crow.