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Aretha Frankensteins
Category: Restaurants American (Traditional) American (Traditional) [Edit]
518 Tremont StChattanooga, TN 37405
(423) 265-7685
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
85 reviews for Aretha Frankensteins
Review Highlights
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"The waffle of insane greatness is aptly named." In 6 reviews -
"The pancakes are like nothing ever anywhere." In 33 reviews -
"Get the shrimp & grits." In 6 reviews
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85 reviews in English
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Review from Sia G.
Chattanooga, TN
4/24/2012
First things first. Be prepared to wait....
for a while. But they'll give ya coffee while you wait! This place is tiny and also kinda off the beaten path in the North Shore side of the river in a residential area.
Come hungry and prepared to hear an eclectic bunch of good tunes, stare at the awesome band posters and random art on the walls and ceilings and maybe get acknowledged by your server. I've had good and bad service but I'm really here for the pancakes/waffles which are ridiculously huge, yummy and why we come right?! You might get to sit at the ms. pac man table---bonus! I like the patio and porch seating too and how this place reminds me of Athens, GA. -
Review from Daniel B.
4/18/2012 1 photo
Here's the deal. It was almost midnight when I was passing through town...I wanted pancakes. I opened my lovely Yelp App...it gave me the information I needed to know Aretha Frankensteins was my destination. On my way, over the river and through a neighborhood, up a hill and around the corner.
Seriously? A house in the middle of a residential area is a pancake joint? Yep.
Inside the small place was a bar with a few hipsters...and a friendly host/server. I checked with the server that it was cool for me to order because it was almost closing time. He was very assuring that it was cool to order and hang out. I had my doubts.
I ordered a couple of pancakes, bacon, and sweet tea. I was the only one without a PBR, but no worries. It took about 15-20 minutes for the food to arrive but it was worth the wait! Each pancake was about an inch thick and as big as a place. Needless to say, I ordered 1 3/4 pancakes too many! The pancakes were delicious and had a great texture. The cheap butter and syrup were kind of lame, but who cares...the pancake was awesome.
The bacon was first rate.
The kindess of the server and the cook kids treating an old feller like me with kindness, the pancakes and bacon...racks up 5 Stars.
I can't wait to go back. -
Review from Daniel F.
Nashville, TN
4/14/2012
Our party of five waited one hour for a table on a recent Sunday morning. I hear that's typical, something we found out later. We had an infant and two children in our party, so we made sure everybody was ready to order the moment we sat down, yet our eggs and pancakes took another hour to come out. Our server was nowhere to be found for most of that time, although when I left the table to calm our baby who'd had about enough, I did spot her out back smoking and sucking face with the grill man. Might explain the wait.
No pancake is worth what you have to put up with at Aretha's. -
Review from Jim R.
Springfield, TN
5/15/2012
My wife and were visiting Chattanooga this weekend and decided to give Aretha Frankensteins a shot. I wish I could review the amazing pancakes, but we never made it to that point.
We arrived around 1 on Sunday afternoon. We knew it was peek hours and expected a long wait, so we were okay with there not being any seats available.
A guy was at the counter/bar area cashing some people out. I waited until he was finished and asked him if I could be put on the list. "She'll take your name in a minute," he responded while pointing to another employee and walking away, The girl he had pointed to not only failed to greet us, she never even made eye contact with us. She seemed overwhelmed though, so we let it go.
A few minutes later, the guy I had spoken to earlier returned to the counter/bar and asked "Okay, so is just going to be the two of you?" After I told him yes, he added my name to the list, told me it would be a 30 to 45 minute wait and walked away again. It made my wife and I wonder why he couldn't have taken my name when I first asked him, but realizing it was peek hours, we let that go too.
After around 5 more minutes had passed, a group of three guys walked in. They were obviously friends of the staff, because they received a prompt friendly greeting from both the guy who had been at the counter and the girl who had earlier ignored us. They were told to expect a long wait too, but were each offered a drink while they waited.
Having witnessed the contrast of how this group was treated vs. how my wife and I were treated, we decide we couldn't let it go any longer and walked out.
Don't make the same mistake we did. If you get less than stellar service when you walk in, it's not because they're too busy, it's because you're not in the Aretha Frankensteins Cool Club. I'm still mildly curious about the supposedly amazing pancakes, so I'd appreciate information on how to apply for a Cool Club membership card. -
Review from Lily S.
Franklin, TN
3/24/2012
If I could give Aretha's zero stars, I would. I've been here before, and the food was good. Today I returned expecting a similar experience... however, I left so appalled that I feel I must express how awful it was- though no words could possibly do it justice.
We waited to be seated for 30 minutes, then sat at a table without being approached for 15 minutes. In addition, a pipe from above was dripping on my head, so we had to move around the table. As soon as our "server" approached us, we ordered immediately. We then waited OVER an hour for our food, and the service was atrocious. The food arrived, tasting like it had been sitting out for half an hour, and some of the food was undercooked. When asking for to-go boxes for our food that took sooo long that we had to leave when it arrived, we were told "I'm not your server" and "you're server wanted to leave so I don't know who your server is"... Though he was about 15 feet away from us the entire time. The service was totally unapologetic and unbelievably rude. Mind you, I work at a restaurant and tip very well... because there was no service to tip, I left nothing.
If you want to leave feeling like you've been a nuisance and thrown away your money, go to Aretha's. Just buy the boxed pancake mix online or around Chattanooga. You've been warned. -
Review from Ann L.
2/22/2012
Best waffle I've ever had in my life. Done.
Why no fifth star? Parking is difficult and waitstaff lack any sense or urgency whatsoever. Also, although it adds character to use Miss Pac Man as a table, I felt like a perv straddling the lady my entire breakfast. -
Review from Ed W.
Memphis, TN
1/13/2012
Traveling for work and sick of bad hotel breakfasts, I pulled out Yelp to find a breakfast spot in town. I chose this place because it seemed like a fun story to tell. Let me begin by stating the obvious: this restaurant is an experience.
It was 830AM when I arrived. There was a table in the corner filled with 4 twenty-somethings, and they were drinking beer with their pancakes. I don't mean a Guiness to share, I mean 8 empty bottles were on the table. Smoking is not allowed in this tiny spot, but is encouraged on the front porch of this home in a residential neighborhood across the river from downtown. Jam band music was playing (blaring) on the sound system. It was tiny. Six tables of four surround a huge bar with five chairs. One of the two top tables is a 1980's Ms. Pac Man machine. There are four beers on tap. They sell PBR tall boys. With breakfast.
After enjoying some coffee and taking in some great people watching, I decide to look at the menu. There is a warning on the front that food takes TIME to prepare and serve here. I believe it. One hour and ten minutes for breakfast for one on a weekday morning. I can only imagine brunch on a weekend.
After chatting it up with the server, who was a really nice guy, I decide on the Italian omelette served with ricotta cheese, mushrooms, onions, Italian sausage, red peppers and a pinch of cayenne. Then I had to choose between potatoes and grits. My immediate thought: there is no way I am eating lunch. I went with potatoes, which had a clove-like flavor to them. There was also a gigantic and very buttered piece of Texas toast. I could not finish the plate.
The restaurant is supposedly known for pancakes and waffles, and in fact, they sell a pancake mix and t shirts. Sadly, I did not buy any and should have. It would have made a fun Saturday morning breakfast with the family. When I go back, I will eat the pancakes as the omlette was was just OK (3 stars). But I gave the meal 4 for the experience alone.
I spent the majority of the time talking to the server, watching the BBC late night talk show playing on the TV, or discussing music with the two band mates from Strung Like A Horse sitting next to me at the bar. They really made this experience a great morning meal.
I would absolutely recommend this place for a fun meal in Chattanooga, but be warned: they serve beer for breakfast (if that is un-cool for you), they take a long time to serve you the food (1 hour for me on a weekday), and the music is quite loud (if you dont' like that either). I had a great breakfast and recommend it for all. -
Review from Belinda B.
Los Angeles, CA
3/22/2012 1 photo
The down side to this place is the wait is longgggg. Takes a while to get seated and takes even longer to get your food that you're almost convinced they completely forgot about your food.
Parking is a bit difficult. The seating side felt a bit cramped. They were out of this chai drink that is supposed to be their special, so I was a bit bummed out. I ordered a cafe mocha instead, but I didn't taste mocha, so I don't recommend ordering it.
I ordered a mexican omelet, I think it was called. It was delicious.
Would I come back here again? Yes, but only if I was having a lazy day and a ton of time to kill with good conversations and friends.
BTW, people were drinking beer with their pancakes, so I'm not sure if this place would be good for the kids. -
Review from Jessica W.
Brooklyn, NY
1/22/2012
The wait time is usually long, then once you get a place to sit, you'll probably wait longer to order, then even longer for your food. The food IS really good, and my most recent experience there was good enough for me to go again, but not too much out of my way. We asked if we could eat outside on the deck, but they said they don't serve out there.
If you do get a place to sit & have the patience, get the pancakes. Hugely thick & yummy w/ real-deal blueberries baked in should you get the inkling. -
Review from Dean D.
"Diners, Drive-ins and Dives". This is a "Dive", in a good way. I'm going to ignore the long wait to be seated and the long wait to finally get served. After-all, the place has four tables and maybe 8 to 10 can fit at the bar but this is the kind of place that would be on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It has very cool character to say the least. The food is also outstanding. I'd have to say this is one of the best breakfast places I have ever eaten at. They also have a lunch menu and I'm sure the food is also outstanding. Parking is hell but it's all worth it. I had the breakfast burrito. You basically build your own. There are 7 to 10 different fillings and you choose 4. The Burrito is huge. It comes with a heaping portion of very tasty Jalapeño home fries and a huge biscuit. The biscuit 's and gravy looked great also. The pancakes are just enormous. I mean huge! The french toast is also very good. The bread slices are very thick, I just think they needed to be soaked in the egg batter a little longer, slightly dry in the middle. If you're really adventurous, try the Guinness with the shot of espresso, I hear it's actually pretty good. Finally, they have this espresso machine that looks like something out of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Pretty cool, I want one! Anyway, if you're looking for a quick breakfast you may want to try the City Cafe but the character and the quality of food at Frankensteins I think is something you need to experience at least once. Just accept the fact that things are a little on the slow side there and you'll be OK.
They do have outdoor seating and in the summer this is a great place to come and just hang out, drink good beer and eat good food with some very interesting people. -
Review from Cristy A.
New Orleans, LA
My boyfriend and I were on our way to North Carolina from New Orleans... we'd been driving for about 10 hours, when I decided to check Yelp in Chattanooga to see what would be a nice place to stop by for breakfast. We got here around 8AM. I pulled up and thought it was such a cute little place. I definitely did not expect what I saw. It was a lot smaller that what I expected... which is no problem. It just took me by surprise. There is most definitely a grungy character to this place. It's not over the top and too decorated, but there was just enough for touch of Halloween-feeling. The table we sat at was actually a pac-man arcade machine turned into a table. Really cool!
We weren't starving or anything, so we sat down, and luckily the menus were already on the table, because we weren't even greeted for about 5 minutes after sitting down. As I waited, I read more reviews about this place and found a reoccurring theme - long waits and slow service. So, I knew what to expect. I was not bothered by this because we weren't STARVING. Finally, we were greeted and we placed our order all at once. I also ordered pancakes, in addition to my traditional eggs, bacon, and potatoes because I also noticed that on Yelp.
To be completely honest, I was not crazy about the food. The pancake was good, as most of the other reviews have pointed out. The potatoes were kinda weird. I don't know how to describe them... very dark, kinda dry, overly seasoned... eh. The biscuit was a little overcooked because it was very very dry. It was also HUGE. When I saw it, I was like OH YEAH, huge biscuit! Then I tasted it and it wasn't as good as I hoped. You can't really mess up eggs too much, so that was fine. The bacon was thick and crispy. Yumm. Over all, it was A-OK. The portions are large. Also, one thing I missed in other reviews that I think is very important for you to know is that the pancakes are not only large in circumference, but in thickness as well... very thick and cake-y. So one pancake may be enough to share. If you want to try the pancake and you're with two people, get your own meal each and share a pancake. Then it won't be too much food. Hope y'all enjoy. It was definitely worth stopping by. -
Review from Kat W.
Collegedale, TN
9/17/2011
Aretha Frankenstein's is something of a local secret, located right in the middle of a gentrified old neighborhood across the river.
The food itself is pretty darn delicious, at least everything is on the breakfast menu I've tried. They have lunch selections, but the real reason to eat here are the pankcakes and waffles. Mmmmm, dem waffles. If this is your first time, don't get anything else. And honestly, Aretha F's only specializes in breakfast offerings - if you want quesadillas, go to a Mexican restaurant. If you want sandwiches, go to a deli. This place is all about the fried dough and sugar, baby.
Be advised, though - weekend mornings/early afternoons are the WORST possible time to visit. The place is insanely tiny, seating is limited, and this is a kitschy restaurant that serves PBR all day located in a college town in a middle of a hipster-populated neighborhood. You do the math.
So, unless you want to play "spot the 19-year-old with the tight pants and hideous old man beard" while you are crammed behind the last available table waiting over an hour for your food, don't come during peak hours. If you plan on coming with a group... good luck.
They serve breakfast all day, so this is more of a "pancake cravings at random hours" place for me. But definitely worth a try if you're specifically suffering from waffle withdrawal. MMM, WAFFLES. -
Review from mardi c.
New Orleans, LA
8/4/2011
I was tipped off by friends who used to live in chattanooga, to come to this joint, and have breakfast. most notably? pancakes.
what a great little kitchy spot. playing surf music, with all kinds of great stuff on the walls, and wonderful decor. a nice patio out front for outdoor seating, and a nice selection of brews.
we asked the server if pancakes? or waffles? he said waffles, so waffle it was. we also got a side of eggs, and some bacon, and some grits. the waffle was scrumptious. we didn't want to overeat, so we got just one, and then the sides. the rest of the order was straight up too.
we had a lovely conversation with him, and we bought a tshirt. we would've like to eaten outside, but we arrived at seven thirty am, and were told the patio doesn't open til nine. it is a residential area, so no worries there. we had our dog with us, so that would've been nice. but it wasn't too hot out, and it was overcast, so our pooch remained in the car.
there was some great stuff on this menu. I could spend many moments in here, trying new things. some mexican, some traditional breakfast, shrimp and grits, and great sandwiches, and they do stay open late.
next time we pass through? we'll be back. great experience! -
Review from Antony C.
9/29/2011
On first encounter, I found the eclectic decorations and slightly loud music pretty cool. We got lucky in getting a table as the inside had very limited sitting. We were there in the morning for breakfast so a bit brisk for sitting outside. Other than the bar, there were only about 4-5 tables.
Our order was promptly taken. But THEN, we waited...and waited...and waited. It took 30 minutes to get our food. Taking into consideration that we came at the tail end of the breakfast rush, I was very unhappy. To make matter worse, I noticed a table that came in 15 minutes after us actually got their food 5 minutes before us, which is one of those things that really tick me off!
I has ordered the steak and eggs, hoping the long wait would be worth it. Don't hold your breath. It was called a flat iron steak, described as a hybrid between a sirloin and a filet. I've eaten a lot of steaks, and there is no such thing. The way it tasted, it was more like a pounded down steak plus meat tenderizer.
Perhaps there may be some other things on the menu. But if you're looking for food other than carbo loading, you'll have to look elsewhere. -
Review from Reba Jean B.
Atlanta, GA
12/25/2011
These pancakes are the very best I've ever had, I swear to you. Had them with blueberries and very glad I did. The service however, was slow and irritating, making us move from our chairs while she did inventory. The place is very small offering just a few tables inside and a bar. If you are ever in Chattanooga GET THOSE DAMN PANCAKES just have time for sllllllllllllllloooooooooooooowwwwwwwww service. 5 star food 2 star service.
-
Review from R L.
Boulder, CO
3/31/2012
So to start, I was on a solo breakfast outing and was able to sneak in at the bar (right by the cash register so I was in a very obvious spot that could not be overlooked). The place was busy, and Jurassic 5 was playing and I was so excited to eat here after hearing so much about it from friends, Food Network, etc. A girl comes over and takes my drink order and then returns for my food order. I ordered three simple items off the single item section of the menu and after sitting there for 45 minutes with out even a simple "Hey, sorry it's taking so long your food should be ready soon." or "sorry for the long wait, we are short staffed in the kitchen" I got up and left (I left a couple bucks for my orange juice).
I get it now. Everyone went out the night before, they got up, didn't wash their hair, put their plugs and piercings back in, grabbed a shirt off the floor and squeezed into their skinny jeans, rode to work on their fixies and are too cool for service.
That's cool. I too am in the service industry and I tip quite well when it's deserved.
Save yourself the trip and just go to Mojo Burritos and buy a few boxes of Aretha Frankenstein's pancake mix (it's cheaper there anyways). -
Review from Mark W.
Alpharetta, GA
6/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
We tried AF because it was on the list of Rachael Ray's visits in the city.
If you are a tourist and stressed for time, skip this one. If you are a local and have all the time, its fine. Breakfast was good, nothing out of this world (but we didn't try the famous pancake) and it took 55min for our two breakfasts to arrive on a Saturday morning. (We timed it on my iPhone after reading the 30+min warning on the menu.) Food was fresh as promised, hot, etc. Butter and coffee cream was in packets-something that I expect at fast-food, not at a breakfast specialty place.
Limited seating in and out, quaint old house and its far off the beaten path. Wasn't a total waste, but we certainly wouldn't do it again or recommend to other out-of-town guests. -
Review from Kenneth S.
Norcross, GA
12/4/2011
Despite Yelp saying this is kid-friendly, I will never take my kids here again when visiting Chattanooga. We were basicalky ignored and we got dirty looks from the staff when we showed up with kids. I travelled 20 mins to get there based on the reviews and despite being not busy they made us wait 15 mins before anyone came to our table. They made us seat ourselves, never gave us menus, and then the waitress had an attitude when we said we were leaving because we couldnt wait any longer for someone to help us. Plus smoking is every where.
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Review from Shaggie D.
Chattanooga, TN
1/28/2012
The food is good and staff is nice. Where else are you going to go at 7 in the morning and have a beer with breakfast. A lot of Erlanger employees go there after work.
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Review from Clint M.
Chattanooga, TN
12/28/2011
Why do people take stars away for a long wait? It's well documented on here that you WILL wait a while for a table and you WILL wait a while for you food. Don't go when you're in a hurry and stop complaining. It's not IHOP- sorry your food won't be ready the minute you order it.. The food is well worth the wait. Great pancakes. Great biscuits. All around, a neat experience and definitely a must-go in Chattanooga.
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Review from LaFawnduh M.
Brooklyn, NY
5/14/2011
I was in town for just a day. I really wished I could bask in the friendliness for my soul and enjoy the low prices for my wallet a little longer.
Being from NY/NJ, I was blown away by the NICENESS of the server and the low prices on the menu. I had the pancakes, sausage and chai latte. It was standard, but delicious. The ambience is very homey. It's literally on a block in the 'burbs...in a house. There is seating outside and on the porch. I enjoyed my meal here and I hope to come back someday. -
Review from Molly B.
Atlanta, GA
2/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Aretha Frankensteins was my first Yelp App discovery while on a road-trip from Atlanta to Nashville. We were meandering to our destination and I wanted to find something other than a McDonalds, Burger King, Waffle House, etc.
We stopped here for the name, and the fact that they would serve us breakfast and beer. Cute, hipster vibe when we walked in (a Friday night around 8). Too cold to eat on the porch, but luckily there was one open table left.
The other reviews are right - this place is TINY! But they have a bar and a few tables and a porch when it isn't cold. I can't say that we had the same experience with service, though - our service was great throughout the night even though there was only one girl working outside the kitchen.
Important notes:
-Just because a beer is on the menu, doesn't mean they have it. They don't seem to keep a lot of "stock" at any given point, but that was okay with us because it got us to try something new and delicious.
-The pancakes are HUGE. Three is way too many. Two may even be a stretch.
-GET THE POTATOES. I still have dreams about the potatoes. I am thinking about driving to Chattanooga again this weekend for the potatoes. -
Review from Kevin W.
Mountain View, CA
5/13/2011 2 photos
Rachel Ray is so hot! Now that that's out of the way, on to the review!
My eyes first widened to the Irish Cue Ball - Guinness with vanilla ice cream - an adult milk shake. (They also have Guinness with two shots of espresso.) Sadly, they were out of Guinness, so the waitress substituted Highland's Black Mocha Stout - not as bitter and delicious - a perfect complement to lazing on the porch on warm summer nights. YUM-O!
I should have never asked the waitress what's good - my stomach was bigger than my stomach. I ordered the shrimp and grits - Charleston-style - shrimp, bacon bits, and peppers with a spicy red sauce and oozing cheese. The biscuit was huge! The super thick 1-inch pancake ended up being taken home, but the few bites I got in were YUM-O! -
Review from Suzy F.
Arlington, TX
12/30/2010
First of all, let me say that when we went to Aretha's we were in no hurry and we were looking for a leisurely breakfast.
Aretha's has 5 tables and bar seating inside. There is more outdoor seating in the summer. We probably waited about a half hour for a table, but I've had that experience at Cracker Barrel and Waffle House too.
Our server was low key but helpful and brought our food and drinks without much delay.
My husband ordered the Sausage, Egg, and Cheese biscuit and it came with fried potatoes for $4.50. He was pleased with his oversized and delicious selection. I ordered the Italian Omelet with ricotta cheese, mushrooms, onions, italian sausage, red peppers and cayenne. The omelet was giant and fluffy. I appreciated the choice of ricotta for my omelet, and I thought all the omelet ingredients were fresh and tasty. The omelet also came with fried potatoes and a biscuit for $7.50. The fried potatoes were just perfect (not soggy or undercooked) and flavored by onions and jalapenos .
We didn't order the pancakes but they sure looked giant, fluffy, and delicious. We also noticed that they had an eclectic list of beers.
We were both more than pleased with the food, atmosphere, and price. If you are in Chattanooga looking for breakfast, check this place out. -
Review from Hillery G.
Sacramento, CA
9/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
We had a ricotta and sausage omelet which for me had too much ricotta, but it was fine. The real thing to get is the waffle of incredible greatness. We ate it with no butter or syrup because it didn't need any. I wish I lived close so that I could go again.
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Review from Dan R.
Chattanooga, TN
11/14/2010 2 photos
The food is phenomenal. Shrimp 'n' grits has a pepper sauce (sweet and spicy) and liquefied cheese running through it. Their "waffle of insane greatness" is not an exaggeration.
However, the service is a disaster...consistently. It's insane. They're the nicest seeming folks in the world but completely incompetent in a restaurant setting. My wife says that just because you can make amazing food doesn't mean you're qualified to open a restaurant. Here's living proof. -
Review from Jay M.
12/5/2010 1 photo
Yes, the service is realllyyyy ssslllllooooooooowwwwwww..... but the food and coffee rocks and the atmosphere is awesome. If you are reading this and you haven't been to Aretha's yet, go, but make sure you have time and patience. This is NOT a good place for type-A personalities looking to get in and out with a full belly. This is for people who are willing to wait for a good thing. You will likely wait to get a place to sit (it took ten minutes on a Sunday morning for me to get a seat at the bar). You may need to ask for the menu (don't be afraid, they don't bite!). You may need to call them over to place your order. And you will wait for your food. But it is all worth it. Just be zen... relax... take in the cool stuff on the wall or watch the TV or play with your droid/iphone/blackberry or (gasp!) talk to one of your neighbours at the bar. Then enjoy.
I had the shrimp & grits and it was perfect after walking across the Tennessee River from downtown on a cold December morning. On my way out I was offered a coffee to go to keep me warm on the walk back. Despite being slow the service was very friendly and considerate. -
Review from Eric S.
Atlanta, GA
2/22/2011
Please note: The one star review.
Ok, so, to explain my precursor to the one star rating I have to tell you, I am still pissed about the 2 hour 15 minute wait for food here.
and before you go off on me about reading other reviews that mentioned the slow service. And before you even get to quoting the menu which says "expect a 30 minutes to an hour wait for food" warning, I KNOW THAT!!!!
And yeah, I was expecting about a 45 minute wait to be served food. What I didn't expect is to watch 3 other tables sit down after me, get served and pay their bill all before we got food. Explain that one to me?!?!
And to top it all off, the douche bag wait staff just stood around watching us watch them. And the best our waitress could do was half off of our ticket......to quote the highly regarded David K. hhhmmmm........
I would expect this type of treatment in little five points Atlanta. But Chattanooga?!?!? F to the A. You got served!
ok, I really didn't, but I liked the way that sounded.
This place started out 4 stars, and quickly dropped to negative 2. Then the food came and I tasted it. It was good so it came up 3 stars leaving us with our now 1 star review.
So, now that my rant is out of the way, here's my opinion on the food. It's good. Coffee is good. environment is good. 3 things to definitely try when you go here.
1 - the pancakes. And be sure and get the short stack. Trust me, your gullet will thank you for it later. THEY ARE HUGE!!! and yummy.
2 - the potatoes. unbelievable.
3 - the biscuit. They are much like Flying biscuits, but only GIANT!!!! so ask for a box and take it with you. But don't forget to ask for the apple butter to go along with it.
We had the Super Dave which had mushrooms, jalapenos, potatoes and cheese. I'm not going to lie to you. It was pretty darn good.
Ok, that just about does it for me. Just remember, if you go here, be ready to waste half of your day. -
Review from Tilia M.
2/14/2011
We went there just yesterday, visiting from Atlanta for the weekend. The inside of the restaurant is small and has limited seating. If you're anything like me, you don't want to come out of an eatery smelling like food, so, outside on the porch area may be a better option for you on a nice day.
Cons - their VERY limited seating, and, while you'll probably be seated pretty quickly, your meal will take FOREVER to get to the table. We only ordered pancakes and eggs and bacon, and it took around an hour and a half to be served. Good thing we weren't starving when we got there! And, just before we were about to raise hell, the food came!
Pros - the food and atmosphere. Definitely a local cool, hipster kinda vibe. Classic rock like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles played....kinda all reminds me of Flying Biscuit in Atlanta. Pancakes were amazing, as was the bacon, homemade biscuits and apple butter. Our waiter was pretty entertaining too.
I'd visit again, but be warned! The service is average at best and slow! -
Review from Josiah R.
Chattanooga, TN
8/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
If you think the latest M Night Shyamalan film was good, you may think highly of the service at Aretha Frankensteins.
If you somehow luck-out on a day where there are no other customers, after a 30 minute wait you may get to taste some killer pancakes, but you're better off just buying the mix and making it yourself.
Generally speaking, this restaurant is a testament to the failure of market economics to weed out weak, inefficient, or incompetent businesses.
The decor is cute. They have a nice patio. That's it. -
Review from Katya L.
Asheville, NC
8/30/2010
I was drawn in by the name. Traveling allot, we are always looking for kitsch places to eat or get a drink. We had eaten at Mojo Burrito and saw posters for this place and decided to go to get pie and coffee there. It was a Sunday but contrary to what several people said , it was not busy at all.
The waiter was a bit jittery and nonchalant. They only had one of the 2 pies, Pecan. Since I'd never had a restaurant pecan pie before I don't know what it's supposed to taste like but I just about had a seizure from the sweetness. The coffee (mocha) was ok, pie was good but, like I said, seizure inducing. The decor was pretty cool. I especially liked the death masks above the door. We will probably be back there before we leave town since we're only really comfortable at places with personality and will be here a couple weeks no doubt. Next time I will try the raved about waffles. -
Review from Sye R.
Houston, TX
8/26/2011
Fantastic pancakes! Humongous in size. I didn't think 2 would be enough and figured I would have to order something else but I couldn't even finish what I had.
Service was a little slow but not horrible the waitress was very nice and we weren't in a hurry. We ate outside and it was a cool night. College kids, reminded me of artsy restaurants in university towns. Nice selection of beers.
My husband had French toast and that too was excellent. Next time we come to town we will be going to Aretha's for sure. I also hope I can find Landshark Lager in Houston when I get home. The waitress recommended it when I asked for a Corona and they didn't have it. I loved that too!!! So good! I had never heard of it before. -
Review from Eliza R.
9/2/2011
Every city I've ever been to has at least one quintessential breakfast-only institution that everyone obsesses over and recommends to other people. These places are so popular that it's nearly impossible to get seated in a timely manner and you have to wait awhile for the supposedly excellent food. Well, Aretha's is that place to Chattanooga, although perhaps slightly overrated. Don't get me wrong, the waffles and biscuits are uh-mazing (!), but everything else on the menu is just average breakfast food - your basic egg dishes, meats and starches. It's really hard to mess up breakfast and there is nothing particularly unique about the place, so I can't get *too* excited about it. You'll definitely get hipster creds if you hang out there, though. Worth a visit if you're in town or new to the area!
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Review from Jason G.
Waffle of incredible greatness lived up to its name. Biscuit and Italian omelet were good.
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Review from J L.
Keller, TX
11/24/2011
This place is the thing we most miss about Chattanooga (besides friends)! Breakfast on the patio! The waffles and pancakes are a must, as is the potatoes. We love it so much that we have friends send us their mix! Eclectic, great food but you might have to wait. Well worth it, though.
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Review from David O.
9/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm thrilled for them for being so busy but after driving 2 hours to be ignored the bad taste In my mouth is not for the food because we never got a table or were even told when or if one might ever be available
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Review from Tara M.
1/21/2008
For my 300 review it had to be somewhere awesome 5 star worthy and funky. Thinking back over all the fabulous spots I stopped at on a road trip through TN I remembered Aretha Frankensteins and instantly new this was the 300 hands down.
Where do I begin? This place is very funky it seems more like a place you would find in Austin, San Fran or New Orleans. We discovered it by asking around town and 4 out of 6 locals recommended it along with The Mellow Mushroom but that is another review.
We found the place easy enough and I was so happy to see it is in an old house and not a strip mall. I have a thing for old houses turned restaurants. And this old house looks like it was previously a vintage collectibles store but our waitress told us the owner had collected all the kitsch himself and also knocked out the the walls and did all the painting as well. I would have loved to meet the owner but it was slammed busy all 4 times we ate here - 3 times in 2 days....
The first time we ate at lunch I had the Shrimp and Grits with a side of home fries fried up with jalapenos and onions - southern food at its best!
I could not stop thinking about the omelets so the next morning we stopped in for eggs and waffles. I got an omelet with potatoes, onions, bacon and cheese and since my omelet included potatoes I selected grits and toast as my sides. My best travel buddy ever ordered the Belgian Waffle topped with vanilla ice cream and pecans and syrup. We loved our meal so much we decided to eat dinner here again before we left town. Since they pretty much just serve breakfast for breakfast lunch and dinner I ordered the Italian Omelet that was stuffed with ricotta cheese and everything else you would expect to find in lasagna minus the noodles and pasta sauce. My friend who has a sweet tooth got the french toast and kept talking about it for the rest of the trip.
Know before you go: this place is not fast food - it is made from scratch and you will have to wait for everything to be freshly chopped and cooked. And this might sound extremely rude but if you are a wide load do not go here - you will embarrass yourself and the other guests. The dining area is barely navigatable by a normal size person - I'm talking suck in your gut and walk sideways tight seating - but the food is worth it..
Since our mini van/hotel broke down on the way back through town we dined here for a 4Th time 3 days later with the same 5 star food!Listed in: My TN favorites
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Review from Lisa R.
Smyrna, GA
6/14/2011
The staff here is very nice, BUT....the service is EXTREMELY SLOW. It took one hour from the time we ordered until our food arrived. Our drinks were never refilled and we were sitting in the hot sun. I wouldn't say that they were understaffed from what I could see and the place was at capacity. I've worked in the restaurant business and this was down right shameful. We saw three groups walk in and walk out. I wonder if the owners know how much money they are losing?
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Review from Zeb M.
8/2/2011
I fully support local businesses, but this one may be better suited for tourists looking for brunch or breakfast the next day unless you live in town and have the time to spare waiting. Although I didn't have their famous pancakes, everything else we had was good but nothing out of this world.
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Review from Mike L.
Alta Loma, CA
10/3/2010
This is for there mail order pancake mix.
I havent had the chance to visit here and i cant wait to but ive ordered there pancake mix twice now. I got 3 boxes each time.
The pancakes are so good. They have a unique flavor and i cant wait to try the real thing some day.
