boathouse rotisserie & raw bar

good view, but that's all 4.5 out of 10. seafood is ok, but nothing special and certainly overpriced (seven or eight large shrimp for $20 bucks). tastes pre-processed with a quick trip in the skillet or fryer. service was spotty and the waitress seemed preoccupied with a feud she was having with another staff member. while taking our order she continued to look past us, not at us, giving someone the evil eye. it was actually funny watching her.

want a goodviewof the river? this is the place. want good seafood worth the prices charged? this is not the place.

i do like the little packet of round toothpicks, though, but hardly worth the price of admission.

a perfect experience. my wife, three children and i all ate at the boathouse rotisserie restaurant on our last day in chattanooga for memorial day weekend. this was our first time visiting. we started off with the oysters on the half shell and then we all had the el scorcho shellfish stew. it was phenomenal. filling, tasty, beautifulviewof the water and our server, omar, was very attentive, polite and gave us incredible service. the next time we go to tennessee, we will definitely make another trip there. it was a perfect experience. kudos.
the only disappointing thing was they did not have a kids menu but we ordered two sides of rice and six peel and eat shrimp for my 5 and 6 year old.

so far very good. i was a bit hesitant about trying boathouse considering the score and reviews, but my mom and sister's family love it. we went for an early mother's day lunch and everything was fantastic. i called ahead as we had a party of 6. when i arrived we only had to wait a few minutes for a table on the deck with a marvelousviewof the river. the host was very accomodating. our server arrived quickly and took drink and appetizer orders.

the grilled squid was fresh, tender and had an excellent grilled flavor. the fried oysters were plentiful and juicy. my wife adored her lotta lotta garlic chicken with avocado and black beans. my sister's family were equally happy with their food and drinks.

i can't account for the other negative reviews, but this is our second visit and both have been all we could hope for in a casual dining restaurant.

one other note relating to an earlier review: boathouse does not take reservations, but rather "priority seating" meaning if you call ahead, once you arrive you are put at the top of the waiting list if there is a wait. also, priority seating only applies to inside seating, not deck seating. this was explained to me when i called ahead, so was not bothered by our short wait. my wife and i were seated as soon as the table was ready, in spite of the sign up front saying parties would only be seated once a majority were there, and despite the fact we decided to take a table outside where priority seating doesn't apply.

pricey even for the view. i think $21.50 for 6 shrimp is high. came with soggy fries and wilted cabbage. staff not attentive enough to refill water glass or check in. niceviewbut i'll take theviewfrom the bike path next time.

great food. i had the trout almondine. it was really good. the service was great. we sat on the balcony, and theviewof the river was nice. i highly recommend.

nice view... dinner then watch the sunset.. first impressions: i've lived in the area for 10 years, but this was my first visit to boathouse, by now i thought i would have heard more of my foodie friends mention this place if it was all that, alas i went in blind. sunday night, we got seated on the patio right away. i was in love with theviewright away. overlooking the chattanooga riverfront you can gaze downstream a bit and watch a beautiful sunset over downtown and coolidge park. the river walk is right in front of the parking lot so you might consider a walk before or after your meal.

service: absolutely terrible. now i've been a waiter and it's never fun when your table isn't ready, and we weren't the first two times she came by to check on food orders. honestly we all really sat looking at the menu thinking nothing looked good; what to get? (our problem not theirs, although they didn't try offering any suggestions or specials). after the waitresses second try at us we lost her. it was a good 15 minutes before we saw her again and had to flag her down to order an appetizer. we were getting two starters but she jotted down the first and ran off before we could spit out the words 'roasted oysters'. girl disappears again and when they bring the first starter out (calamari) we asked the person that brought it out to add on the oysters for us; said she'd let our server know, okay great. she finally comes around to take our order and we mention the oysters and she said she got it.

food: calamari - bland, no hint of flavor or freshness, despite the fact that they were fried well, i wouldn't recommend these unless you're dead.
oysters - never came, i bet they were awesome.
entree - i ordered the voodoo chicken. i have gotten this at many different restaurants and have never had it done quite this way; fried wings on the bone(not indicated on the menu) served with beans and rice, with the 'voodoo' sauce on the side. beans and rice were just that, bland black beans and white rice with no seasoning. the chicken was burnt to a crisp on the outside, must have been some sort of flash frying because somehow the inside meat managed to retain the most minuscule amount of moisture, yet still remained bland and flavorless. the sweet peppery sauces served with the chicken were where the flavor was hiding; or perhaps my pallet was just so void of flavor through the rest of the meal it was exaggerated on my tongue.

check please: aside from the amazing view, i left dinner with a headache and a bad taste in my mouth. i really hope i just caught them on an off night when the server was distracted and the food was a mistake. i may venture their way again to make sure this isn't the norm for them and maybe sample another menu item. everyone deserves an second chance right?

this restaurant discriminates. i won't lie to you: theviewis pleasant. and the food, though overpriced, is decent.

but before you support this chattanooga local business there's something else you should know. the boathouse rotisserie & raw bar discriminates against its floor staff. if you are black or an overweight woman, forget about getting a job here. the uber-rich, old, white owner (lawton haygood) won't allow anyone on his staff who doesn't fit his ideals of conventional beauty. gays are okay, but fat chicks and darker skinned folks can forget about it.

this information may not affect the quality of the food, but it sure puts a bad taste in my mouth. if you believe workplace discrimination is wrong, spend your twenty bucks on sam's club salmon elsewhere.

great date night location. excellent food reasonable prices greatviewquick friendly service

very inflated prices for less than average food, i have had better fish dinners at captain d's, the slaw was horrible, the hostess was rude!!! the only thing i can say good about this place is theviewwas amazing and the sweet tea was good

food guru. we have been going to the boathouse 2 to 3 times a week since they opened. they have outstanding staff who are knowledgeable & friendly. we love the fried shrimp, bbq shrimp, all the salads, the fried onion rings and fried mushrooms (uniquely prepared), the el scorcho fish stew, texas dip sandwich, too many favorites to list. the outdoor deck is huge with a fabulousviewof the tennessee river. if you have an issue ask for a manager and they will solve your problem if it is possible. my only complaint is the restroom where i would prefer to have paper towels than the blowers.

my favorite upscale restaurant. greatviewof river. love the lotta lotta gaelic chicken. pricey but worth it

just some good southern cooking. it has a greatviewof the river and the staff is awesome.

it's no canyon grill. i keep going back hoping the food will be as good as theviewand priced appropriately.

it's still lukewarm, half done, and expensive for what you get. the shining star is the squid appetizer. beyond that, you might as well just go to get toasted and look at the river.

canyon grill (same owners) up on lookout is way better. boathouse continues to succeed b/c dummies like me keep giving them chance after chance to actually do something.

favorite place for a regular customer. hard to beleive some of the poor reviews i've read. i don't know the owner, and don't really care who he is........we like the restaurant. the food has always been good, as is the beer. their made-to-order clam chowder is the best i've had........even compared to that in much larger, coastal markets. theviewis outstanding. service has been a little slow at times, but not poor, and not lacking to the point my wife and i won't go back.

greatviewbut stick with appetizers. the appetizers are great. the margarita was the best i've ever had. the entrees are overpriced and limited. they own the canyon grill (which is amazing). why not take a lesson from the canyon grill?