One of the best things about the warm weather that accompanies summer is those backyard barbecues. Among the assortment of food items that come along with barbeques is the main staple of hamburgers. When we grill hamburgers, we like to mix into the meat before making patties onion soup mix, an egg, Dale’s marinade and feta cheese.
This combination makes some of the tastiest burgers I have ever had, and is the closest I can come to emulating my favorite burger: the Blue Ox from Hair of the Dog pub. As summer begins to wind down, though, I thought it would be a good idea to try some of the new burger places in town and see if any come close to their claims as “the best burger in town.” First on my list was the new burger bar located right on the river: 3rd Deck Burger Bar.
The 3rd Deck Burger Bar is located at Pier 2 at Ross’s Landing on the Southern Belle’s dock. Open daily from 11 a.m., to 11 p.m., their advertisements make the claim of the best burger in town as well as having great views and drink specials. Stepping onto the boat, customers have the option of dining inside or outside. There are tables outside with umbrellas covering them that offer a prime view of the Tennessee River out toward the Aquarium. On the Saturday we visited, the Riverfront Nights free concert series was going on and there was a close-up view of all the excitement going on.
We chose to dine inside in the air-conditioned lobby of the 3rd Deck. Usually their “living room” is also open for guests to dine within this bar atmosphere of plush leather couches amidst flat-screen televisions. Yet, on this Saturday, a private party had reserved the space. The way the 3rd Deck Burger Bar works is that the server will hand guests a paper form and pen to check off the items that they want on their burger as well as sides and extras, and this paper is handed directly to the cook. All burgers come with skin-on thick cut French fries, but these can be substituted for baked beans, cole slaw, or fun-size Lay’s bagged chips for $1 more.
Extras available include the soup of the day, which was beef vegetable when we went. They also have a fried appetizer sampler platter. Another item to check on the paper are dessert options like vanilla ice cream or pecan pie. The toppings from the burger bar presented a good variety to make a tasty burger. There was red onions, lettuce, tomato, jalapeños, banana peppers, pickles, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, and cheddar or Swiss cheese. Once your selections are made and prepared, the thick patty of juicy Angus beef cooked medium well (unless otherwise specified) comes out with your toppings on a soft white bun.
Although I had hoped there would be more topping choices on the burger bar like different cheeses, sauces, and vegetables like Cheeburger Cheeburger does, I did think that the burger was a great cut of meat and well-cooked. I put banana peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, mustard and ketchup on my burger and was satisfied with the combination. It was also filling enough that I could not finish my French fries. Because the burger bar is new, it’s still got some rough edges that need honing. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, and offered us free dessert for the confusion with getting our orders put together correctly. The dining room where we ate was very nice and cool, a welcome respite from the heat.
There were music playing and a party atmosphere all over the boat that was nice to be a part of. The drink offerings of the burger bar are also well priced. Beers come in around the $4 mark, and liquor was only slightly more. The best thing about the burger bar was the view. With the ability to go out on the deck while you wait for your food, we were able to watch the Chattanooga Duck vehicle go by on land first and then past us in the water. We caught the free concert at Riverfront Nights on the boat and watched the sun set over the river. Overall their burgers were simple and satisfying offerings straight from the grill.
The 3rd Deck Burger Bar also has brunch on their boat. Their omelet station offers visitors a chance to make their omelets any way they want them and enjoy drink specials on Bloody Mary’s. The hunt for tasty burgers in Chattanooga is not over yet. Check next week’s issue of The Hamilton County Herald for a review of the trendy new burger joint called “The Urban Stack.”
Email Erica Tuggle at reporter@hamiltoncountyherald.com.