aretha frankensteins

over-rated. i'm not impressed by aretha's. the food is ok, the service so-so at best and the wait times downright absurd. i think they can get away with a lot because they're a north shore icon.

novelty isn't worth it. i have to say i've been to aretha's a few times over the last few years, and it never changes. that's not good.

the staff seem vaguely trained and often unconcerned. lots of beards, tattoos and piercings. understand; i have a beard; my older daughter has tattoos and piercings. at af's, it's seems to be a job requirement.

the environment is a small former house on tremont street. if you don't know exactly were it is you could easily miss it. there is a bar and a (very) few tables inside and quite crowded. there is more space and seating in a typical waffle house! there are usually seats on the porch where overflow customers can wait or sometimes even eat. if the weather is nice there is al fresco seating at the patio out front.

the service is pretty hit or miss, and doesn't seem to be dependant on whether the place is empty or packed.

the food is generally of a reasonably sizable portion, with breakfast being much more stressed than the ameri-mex sandwiches and such. they have their own pancake batter that owes more to jiffy corn muffin mix than to lily white flour. the eggs are okay generally and the chunk-style hash browns with chilies are usually pretty good. prices are a bit on the high side.

the only real draw here is the unusual setting in a trendy part of town, and that it was once featured on the food network show "$40 a day" with rachel raye. that was years ago. so is my infatuation with this place. there are plenty of other places to get a great breakfast at better prices and with better service...they just don't look as "cool."

the rudest employees in chattanooga. i've tried twice and it only gets ruder.

one of the best breakfasts in town. they are well known for their pancakes, but since they are made to order and are very very thick it takes about an hour to make them. so i tend to only get the pancakes when the wait isn't very long. i love their restaurant! it is located in a little house in the northshore and they have a classic 80s vibe. we have tried just about everything on the menu and i never had anything that i didn't love. you can get breakfast at anytime and we love to eat their during the week when it isn't a two hour wait. their biscuits are huge, the shrimp and grits are wonderful, their omelettes are wonderful!

i love aretha's. yes, service can be an issue at times, but i make a point not to go there if i am on the edge of being really hungry. the food is pretty good, particularly the breakfast fare - thick pancakes, sausage and coffee. i am not a huge fan of the lunch/dinner offerings. also, be prepared to move on to another restaurant if the place is packed - the seating is sparse but the uber cool outdoor seating is excellent in warmer months. this is a unique dining experience in a residential neighborhood, and i highly recommend it with the foregoing caveats in mind. it's also a great locale for a beer, especially the porch and patio. they do have a tv over the bar, but it is rarely tuned to sporting events, unless you ask nicely.

so some of you may not know this about me, but one of my all time favorite food network shows and chefs was rachel ray's $40 a day series-i loved that she was able to eat at so many places on a budget when visiting a new city. so before i headed to chattanooga for the day, i did a little research in addition to taking my friend's recommendations and checked out aretha frankenstein's, a little joint serving up breakfast at all times during the day and opened late. with a name and reputation like aretha frankenstein's, i couldn't miss out on the opportunity of dining here with a place that's not only popular amongst the tourists, but with the local residents as well. let's get started: ☆exterior   ☆menu ☆interior   ☆shrimp & grits ($8.95) ☆food (5/5): although their reowned inch-thick pancakes and breakfast items are what they're

good food, horrible service-not a good mix. aretha frankenstein's was my first stop when i arrived in chattanooga. i was really looking forward to dining here because of how reputable they are amongst tourists and locals. i've heard the pancakes and waffles here a must order and that the storefront is an adorable light blue colored house. luckily, when i came by, it wasn't busy and i didn't have to wait in line like i've read-must've missed the lunch rush. anyways, the inside of the restaurant is pretty crammed and tight-there are four small tables, followed by the bar seating. i won't go into depth about the service (blog post will be up soon-check it out for more detail), but i will say that it was horrible-was never greeted, and my server had a bad attitude the entire time i was there-i felt as if i was being a huge burden on him, but he had no problem chit chatting with the customers next to me. any who, i loved the shrimp and grits here! for under $10, which is nearly impossible to beat in terms of the price, there were 5 succulent pieces of shrimp, on a bed of creamy grits with cheese, bacon and red+green bell peppers. also, it's supposed to come with a biscuit, but because my server failed to mention that biscuits were sold out (when it's only 11am or so), i was given buttered toast. as great as my meal was, it was easily ruined by the horrendous service i've received (and by the looks of the review, it seems to be a common issue). i hope they make some serious changes with their service soon-i might make another trip back to see if it's gotten any better but for now, there's nothing making me want to come back :(

i wish i could say something positive, but that wasn't my phone experience.

i was in chattanooga on business. i had my wife and kids with on this particular day. i had heard good things about their
breakfast, so i looked up the website for directions. the site clearly states: no reservations. we decided to give it a shot. when we pull up, we see the locals outside with their coffee and laptops. when i walk in the door, i notice 2 empty tables, so take my coat of and hang it on the chair. at this point, a waitress comes over and the conversation is this:
her- you cannot sit there.
me- why not?
her- are you going on the list?
me- i didn't think that you took reservations.
her- we don't but you have to come in and put your name on the list for a table.
me- that sounds like a reservation...

anyway, i left and went somewhere else.

later, i called.to place a takeout order because our friends had told us how good the pancakes were. i was informed that they were too busy and could not do takeout.

i was taught the 2 strike rule. that was it for them. in business, the goal is to build relationships. i wanted to like this place, but didn't get the chance.

love this place for the atmosphere and the breakfast is incredible. the pancakes are huge and the omelets are great. also love the fact that you can get a beer at 6:30 in the morning! found this place a few years ago via a local hotel clerk, while asking about good breakfast spots. we fell in love at first bite and even though me and my wife are from out of town and not frequent visitors, we make it a point to drive up and visit at least twice a year. and to date i have not had a bad experience to make me want to stop. ignore the bad reviews - go try this place it is great.

what a great little breakfast place. kind of in a strange location and the service wasnt great but the food was amazing and made up for all the short comings.

won't be back. this place is a disaster. i am honestly now sure how it stays in business. it seemed to me that if you weren't "one of them" meaning a thrift store shopping, north chatt. living, micro brew especial, bicycle riding, skinny jean, ray-ban wayfarers, and tom's wearing kind of person they didn't care for you or your business. a quick trip for a bite to eat turned into be one of the worst events i've ever had at a restaurant. there were 4 of us and it took us 10-15 minutes to be acknowledged let alone to be sat while there was only a handful of people there, most of which were up on the porch using the free wi-fi and drinking beer, so tables were plentiful to say the least. i ordered a beer and another person with me order chocolate milk and it took 30 minutes just to get that. then there was the food, which wasn't bad but it wasn't anything to write home about either. to make a long story short, i usually tip 20-25% and i left a nickel for the waiter and won't be back again... you want a good breakfast? go to longhorn on market street or even waffle house is better and the service is night and day compared to frankenstein’s.

the host (or waiter) was rude. when we first walked in a waitress offered us a seat in the corner. i had to check with my group because we had dogs with us and had been planning to sit outside. when i walked back in someone was sitting there(which is fine) but another waiter said it would be an hour wait and then added the comment we would have to be all on 1 check. people were finishing up their meals and no one else was waiting. it seemed to me he didn't want to wait on my large family. we will not go there again. no biscuit is worth being treated like you don't belong.

amazing!! went at night and the wait was much shorter than breakfast. keep in mind this place only has 4 tables so you will have to wait but the food will be worth it. i had the pancakes and my wife had an omelet. the food was fantastic and our waiter scott was extremely friendly and a great server. don't let the negative reviews keep you away, you just can't food like that anywhere. be warned the servings are huge!!! will be back.

this place has the best pancakes i've ever had. if i get back to this area i will defiantly come back again.

acutally got awesome service!. i have always loved the food at aretha frankenstein's. super fresh eggs, etc. love the atmosphere. historically i had mediocre to super slow service which i suspect was because of the kitchen. went there the afternoon of christmas eve 2012 to meet a friend for a late lunch and received awesome, nay perfect and fast service. thank you thank you thank you waitress and cook (and i feel like an idiot for not remembering your name). i'll be back sooner than later to see if this happens again. and yes the biscuits are still ginormous!