If there are Chattanoogans less pretentious than Scottie Bowman, I challenge you to find them.
Scottie has every right to put on airs. She’s not only the restauranteur behind The Big Chill and Grill and Scottie’s on the River, she’s also the heart and brain behind The Launch Pad, a residential sober living program for women.
Scottie’s restaurants have staying power in a city where it seems as many dining establishments close as open, partly because she knows how to assemble a team that can make great food.
Yet there she was during a Monday lunch rush at her new venture, Scottie B’s Burgers and Beer on East Main Street, bringing plates to customers and refilling paper towel holders.
How else to meet new people and make sure everyone is happy, which has always been Scottie’s super power?
While we’re on the topic of humility, if there’s a Chattanooga eatery less pretentious than Scottie B’s, I challenge you to find it, as well.
The setting rests comfortably between a cozy mom-and-pop hole in the wall and a casual experience. I experienced a moment of uncertainty about what to do as I entered the foyer, but once I’d stepped into the main dining area, everything fell into place.
You can’t miss the order counter or the large wall-mounted menu behind it. I was a little anxious about the line after being tempted to hibernate while waiting for food at Bagel Brothers, but despite being several people back, I was giving my order to a friendly face within less than five minutes of arriving – and this was smack dab in the middle of the lunch hour.
True to its name, Scottie B’s Burgers and Beer offers a menu chock full of seasoned and seared red meat. I went straight for the Double Smash, a smashed burger with sauteed onions, pickles and a signature house sauce.
Since I hadn’t browsed the printed menus available at the counter, I missed that I had four options for my protein: beef, bean, beast (a mix of bison, boar and venison) and beyond (Scottie B’s vegetarian patty). As a strange hybrid of vegetarian and carnivore, I resolved to someday try both the bean and the beast options.
Making my way to a table, I noticed there were about as many salads on the tables as burgers. Most of them were Scottie B’s Garden Chicken Salad, which comes with diced chicken tenders. People were plowing through these like ravenous meat-eating rabbits.
While I waited for my Double Smash and a friend waited for her Have-Artsy burger (melted Havarti on a toasted bun with thick cut bacon and garlic mayo), we browsed the menu.
Scottie B’s has an ample selection of sandwiches for people who aren’t in the mood for a burger. (I’ve heard there are people like this but have yet to spot one in their natural habitat.) From a turkey club and a Philly steak to a catfish and pork chop sandwiches – among many other choices – Scottie B’s covers your flavor needs.
The centerpieces, however, are the burgers, and my but do they all sound delicious. I’ll describe a few.
The Fat Bottom caught my eye. It comes with pulled pork, braised pork belly and a thick burger patty topped with fried onions, pickles, melted Havarti and a sweet barbecue sauce drizzle. Yeah, my mouth watered, too.
My lunch companion pointed out The Rooster, a burger featuring a fried egg, thick-cut bacon and American cheese. I’m guessing this is Scottie B’s version of breakfast all day.
Beads of sweat popped up on my forehead as I read the ingredients for the Hot Lips, a scorcher with chipotle mayo and Nashville hot cream cheese on a burger with peppered bacon, fried pickle jalapenos and pepperjack cheese. It sounds like the person who crafted this burger knew when to stop with the heat, but just barely.
Perhaps the most exotic burger on the menu is the Don’t Change Me. While my friend wrinkled her nose at the thought of mixing savory and sweet flavors, I thought the blend of beef, thick-cut bacon, pineapple bacon chutney, Swiss cheese, friend onions and gochujang sauce (a super spicy Korean hot sauce) sounded adventurous.
When we sank our teeth into our freshly grilled burgers less than 15 minutes after arriving, we both acted like we’d never experienced the wonders of the hamburger before that moment. As my partner in crime raved about her Have-Artsy, I savored one of the best smash burgers I’ve eaten.
Whoever prepped it did everything right. From the juicy patty and melted cheese to the tangy house sauce and soft Niedlov’s bun, it was the chef’s kiss.
If you make the trip to 1814 E. Main Street to try Scottie B’s, make sure you arrive between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., and stay home Sunday because they won’t be open.
If you’re lucky, Scottie herself will bring your burger to you and include a side serving of one of Chattanooga’s most genuine smiles.