Nikki's

Stop 13 on the burger tour:  Nikki's

Overall Score: 87 (B+)

	Burger	Sides	Service/Exp	Value	SCORE
John	59.5	9	10	10	88.5
Russell	60	7	10	10	87
Mark	56	8	10	10	86

Russell

This week's stop is one that I have been looking forward to since we decided on our list for the burger tour.  Nikki's Drive Inn has been serving great food in Chattanooga since 1941.  It has been featured in Fodor's Travel Guide and has been profiled in USA Today and Southern Living.  Nikki's started on Seventh Street and later moved to Cherokee Boulevard after Nikki's husband lost the restaurant in a gambling bet.  When you walk in Nikki's, you can just picture what it would have been like to eat here during the '40s and '50s.  In fact, when my grandparents were dating, they spent many dates dining at Nikki's.

We decided to go early since Nikki's has limited seating and it is always busy.  We got there at 11:40 am and it was already packed for lunch.  We got the last booth and all of the counter seating was full.  We were immediately greeted and asked what we'd like to drink and then Amanda came and took our order.  We all ordered the cheese burger and fries.  Nikki's is known for great onion rings and as tempting as they were, I have stuck to fries during the entire tour.  Next time I WILL get onion rings.  Our food came out very quick.  They have their service down to an art.  The meat was fresh and the veggies were good.  I particularly liked the chopped onions and the steamed bun.  



I can't wait to go back to Nikki's.  There are so many things on the menu that I want to try.  Everything looked great.  Maybe next time I will take my grandparents so they can reminisce about their early years.

Overall Score: 87 (B+)

Mark

Whenever I walk into an establishment that has a picture of Johnny Cash on the wall, I know we are off to a good start.

What can you say about Nikki's?  It's a Chattanooga landmark.  I've been here numerous times and having never had a bad experience.  I certainly couldn't wait for today's Tour stop.

Unlike the really thick, third-pound burgers you'll find at Armando's and Merv's, Nikki's serves up a thinner patty, served on a fresh bun that's been slightly kissed by a Toastmaster press.  Don't worry, you'll still be full; the burger takes up nearly the whole plate.

I have a bit of a dilemma when it comes to scoring this visit.  The burger is good, really good.  But is it Merv's or Armando's good?  It's in the same neighborhood, but it doesn't quite reach the high bar set by the others.  The fries are fine, and my tea was super sweet, "hold your spoon up" sweet, which I like.  The service was fantastic, lots of smiles and friendly chat; we were even told the be careful in the rain when we left.  An excellent overall value as well, coming in at a little over 8 bucks.

So what's the dilemma?

It's the darn atmosphere.  I love this place.  From the pay telephone in the corner to the jukebox songs you can select right from your booth, this is a perfect hamburger joint.  Given the total overall burger experience, I would place this stop in the top three.  But, since the weight of the score is anchored by the burger, I'm afraid Nikki's is going to sail down the list below where it might otherwise land.  Yes you might be able to find a better burger in Chattanooga, but if you don't have Nikki's in your rotation, you're missing out.

Do yourself a favor and grab a friend and a little cash and head up to Nikki's.  Order the burger with onion rings and you are sure to smile.

And keep an eye out for Johnny.

Overall Score: 86 (B+)

John

I think we have mentioned before that one of the really great things about the Burger Tour is that it has forced us out of the rut we had been in on our lunch choices and motivated us to patronize new establishments as well as return to old favorites.  My first comment when we sat down was why haven't I been to Nikki's in so long.  I had no good answer.

Why I love Nikki's:

• Cool building nestled on Stringer's Ridge
• Fantastic atmosphere—our kind of place; right up there with Zarzour's
• Great service 
• Steamed buns
• Diced onions
• Yummy fries
• Fabulous shrimp and onion rings (we didn't enjoy them today, but they are as good as they come)
• Super value

The only beef I have is with the beef.  The patty is kind of puny and just doesn't compare to Merv's, Armando's, Zarzour's, Urban Stack or Tremont.  I would actually rate it lower than I did, except the bun and the diced onions really kick the sandwich up a notch.

Since we give the burgers so much weight, my overall score puts Nikki's in the second tier.  This tour is all about the burgers after all.  But as far as a general recommendation on a place to dine, Nikk's definitely belongs at the top.  Dear Beth—I don't know why you walked out, but you have got to go back.

Lemon bonus = 3.  Didn't have to ask Amanda twice.

Overall Score: 88.5 (B+)

Next stop on the tour:  Lou's Burger House

Doctor's Building Coffee Shop

Stop 12 on the burger tour:  Doctor's Building Coffee Shop

Overall Score: 73(C)

	Burger	Sides	Service/Exp	Value	SCORE
John	56	5	7	9	77
Russell	49	6	8	8	71
Mark	49	6	7	8	70

Mark

It's no secret to those who know me that I have been anticipating this Tour stop for some time.  They have a very high UrbanSpoon rating and the photo of the burger they have posted looks downright delicious.  Besides, this just seems like the type of place that a "from out of nowhere" burger might come from to surprise us all.  So how did the little Coffee Shop measure up?

Rather poorly I'm afraid.  This burger can hold it's own, but it's not going to knock your socks off either.  A nice patty with fresh veggies and a decent bun make it about as straightforward as any I've had on the Tour, but it needed something "extra".  They do get kudos for not using a frozen patty like North Chatt Cat and Porker's, but it was a bit on the dry side.  It's large size and small price makes for good value, but not enough to overcome it's lack of flavor. The sweet tea was on target and I do like the little pellet ice they serve.   The fries had very little taste at all; I sense these are just commercial frozen taters and honestly they looked better than they tasted.

I had the hardest time coming up with my "atmosphere" score for this stop.  It's a weird place, tucked in a weird building.  NPR was playing on the speakers and the decorations just somehow don't seem to fit.  A makeover could turn this into a really quaint little diner, but as for now, I'm not feeling it.  Service was fine.

This burger isn't bad, and if you are a UTC student, this is probably a good option for you because of it's proximity to campus.  I also think that maybe I might visit again sometime and try the daily special, but if I'm going out for a burger, this isn't going to be very high on my list.

Overall Score: 70 (C)

John

At the suggestion of one our many loyal readers, we added the Doctor's Building Coffee Shop to our list.  I didn't even know it had a restaurant, but I definitely remember going to the building when I was a kid.  There was an actual elevator operator.  That's how old I am!

Anyway, after Beth's recommendation and seeing the photo of the double cheeseburger on Urban Spoon, we got ourselves all excited again.  We may need to work on that.

I've read a number of reviews lauding Choco's burgers, but I thought mine was just average.  The bun and veggies were good, but the burger itself, while it started out good somehow got dry by the last few bites.  Maybe it was a fluke.

Frozen fries—nuff said.  Sad pickle on the side.

Price is certainly right.  I particularly appreciate the $1.10 price for the tea.

For lack of a better word, I have to say the experience left me unsettled.  It was sort of like a Twilight Zone episode.  Time has stopped.  Maybe in the 70's.  Dead plants lining the walls.  A live plant kept in shape with a chain.

 Grungy menus.  A hutch stacked with magazines of uncertain lineage.  A rotary phone (I'm not kidding you) on the wall.    What I can only describe as eclectic art posters on the walls.  But then the odd disconnects.  A Japanese owner/cook.  And perhaps the weirdest thing:  no TV, but Fresh Air was being broadcast with Terry Gross interviewing Tig Natory in 2012 about her cancer diagnosis.   Just a very strange lunch scene.

Exiting the building, we reviewed the directory.  Appears to be only one doctor left in the Doctor's Building; the uncertainty of his place reflected by his posting a note next to the elevator that his office is on the second floor. 

But I will say this.  It seemed as though there were a lot of regulars in the place and most were having the special of the day:  Choco's lasagna which looked good and everyone appeared to be enjoying.   I wouldn't mind going back, but maybe not for the burger.

Lemon bonus = 0.  It was pretty funny when Zack brought my tea with no lemon and I asked again and he brought the bottle of ReaLemon concentrate.  At least I didn't have to open the stupid little packets.

Overall Score: 77(C+)

Russell

This week's stop on the burger tour was the Doctor's Building Coffee Shop on McCallie Avenue.  This is a place that was suggested by one of our readers.  I had been here several times while I was in college at UTC.  I remembered from college that they had good food, but it had been many years since I had been.  I knew what to expect when I walked in, but I think John and Mark were a little weirded out.  It is a strange little place and we were entertained throughout our lunch by NPR playing loudly on the radio.  

The special for the day was lasagna and it looked really good, but we were there for the burger.  It started off bad when John ordered tea with lemon.  As most of our readers know, John is very picky when it comes to lemon with his tea.  The server brought our drinks and John did not have a lemon.  John asked the waiter again for his lemon and the waiter brought out a big bottle of lemon juice concentrate.  Enough with the lemon though... how did the burger stack up with the competition???

I thought the burger was pretty good, but it was not close to the burgers currently at the top of our list.  Lets just leave it at that.  If someone asked me where to go to get a burger, this would not be high on my list.  After having the burger, I had orderer's remorse.  I should have gotten the special for the day.

Overall Score: 71 (C)

Next stop on the tour:  Nikki's

Porker's

Stop 11 on the burger tour:  Porker's

Overall Score: 53(F)

	Burger	Sides	Service/Exp	Value	SCORE
John	35	5	9	6	55
Russell	35	6	9	6	56
Mark	28	5	9	6	48

John

Not counting Subway--because it doesn't qualify as eating out-- over the last several  years we have probably dined at Porker’s more often than any other restaurant.  (Champy's is a close second, but more on that in a later post.)  But I have never ordered anything but BBQ from Porker’s.  Who knew they even served hamburgers?  When the idea first came up, Russell  said he had heard that BBQ joints make great burgers because they know how to do meat.  So I was excited by the prospect of a Porker’s burger.

Russell and I drove to Porker’s in my very comfortably air-conditioned truck (which I much enjoyed despite Martyr Mark’s derision).   I would never have imagined the drive would be the highlight of the experience.  Whoever made the statement about BBQ cooks making good burgers has obviously not had one from Porker’s.  What can I say?  It was just awful.  I’ll let Russell and Mark fill in the details, but let’s just say I almost asked Kim, a very nice waitress, to bring me a spoonful of pulled pork so I could cleanse my palate.    Porker’s barbeque is so good,  my theory is that they just don’t care about the burgers.  They really should take it off the menu if they aren't even going to try.

Oh well.  As  Haruki Murakami (not Forrest Gump) said in the book Norwegian Wood, "Just remember, life is like a box of chocolates." ... "You know, they've got these chocolate assortments, and you like some but you don't like others? And you eat all the ones you don't like as much? I always think about that when something painful comes up. 'Now just polish these off, and everything'll be OK.' Life is a box of chocolates."

Almost wish I hadn't polished off the Porker’s burger I didn't like, but you do what you gotta do and everything is OK because next week we get to try another chocolate.

Overall Score: 55(F)

Lemon Bonus: 3

Russell

This week we knocked out our burger stop early.  Now I have nothing to look forward to for the end of the week.  After the burger stop today at Porker's, I really need another burger fix fast because this one was very disappointing.  I have been to Porker's many times before but I had never ordered a burger.  Note to self: never do so again.  Stick to the BBQ.  The BBQ is great and it has been a Chattanooga staple for over 23 years.  None of us could remember why we added Porker's to the burger tour other than George Motz, host of Burgerland on the Travel Channel, once said that all BBQ places have great burgers because they all know how to cook meat.  Well, turns out George is a liar.

The burger patty was very bland and tasted much like the burger patty that we got at North Chatt Cat and we all know how that visit went.  The bun and the veggies were ok except Mark made an unfavorable comment about his lettuce.  Poor Mark was also just getting over a slight case of food poisoning from a burger he had a couple of nights before (from a chain restaurant, not the burger tour).  We all agreed that Porker's and North Chatt Cat must get their frozen beef (or soy) patties from the same food vendor.  The fries were frozen crinkle cut fries, which I was expecting since I had been here many times before and have gotten the fries with the pork plate (which is yummy).  Since the burger was so disappointing, I decided to wash it down with a piece of Oreo cookie pie.  


The moral to today's story is when you go to a BBQ place, stick with the BBQ.  They don't care about burgers.  They are there to serve delicious BBQ.  I can't wait to go back to Porker's to get the BBQ pork plate.  This place should definitely be on a BBQ tour (hint hint).

Overall Score: 56 (F)

Mark

"Where's the beef"?
Who doesn't have fond memories of the little old lady from the 1980's Wendy's commercials?  Her image kept appearing in my mind today as I tried to slug my way through today's burger.

Porkers has been serving great BBQ for years, and in fact is a place we have lunch quite often.  My "go to" item on the menu is the smoked chicken salad.  I've learned today that good BBQ doesn't equal a good burger.

Have you ever noticed that some of the drinks in the grocery store look like orange juice but actually say "Orange Flavored Drink" on the front?  I can only imagine that the box that these frozen patties were delivered in is stamped "Beef Flavored Something".  I can't taste any meat in this thing at all.  The veggies on mine were decent, but they could have been more generous with the lettuce and onion.  The bun was the best part, and best I could tell, was a regular old Colonial Bakery variety you can get at Bi-Lo.  I actually committed a faux pas by adding BBQ sauce to my burger half way through, otherwise the second half would probably have remained on my plate.  The fries were frozen crinkle cuts and as I've said before, those are not a deal breaker for me, but I must have been served the last of the batch because all I had were tiny end pieces.

So what can save this burger?  Nothing.  They should remove it from the menu.  They should forget it all together, which is what I'm going to do. Do yourself a favor when you visit and order the BBQ; you will be treated to friendly service, a great atmosphere and perfect sweet tea.

"Where's the beef?"  Not at Porker's.  This is pig country.

Overall Score: 48 (F)

Next stop on the tour:  Doctor's Building Coffee Shop

Urban Stack

Stop 10 on the burger tour:  Urban Stack

Overall Score: 89.6(B+)

	Burger	Sides	Service/Exp	Value	SCORE
John	65.8	8	10	7	90.8
Russell	63	8	10	3	84
Mark	70	9	7	8	94

Russell

Looking back, I'm not really sure why Urban Stack was on our list for Burger Tour 2013.  Our motto is "Nothing Fancy."  Urban Stack is in a whole different category of place than we have been on the tour thus far.  Urban Stack is somewhere that each of us have been to many times.  We all knew what we were going to get.  Urban Stack has always been consistent with quality and service.  The thing that hurts Urban Stack in our rating is value.  The Big Cheese was $6.99 and the fries were $3.00.  The fries were good, but $3.00 is a bit much.  Then add a drink and the total was almost $14 before tip.  

If you want a good burger, Urban Stack is a good choice.  Just don't leave your wallet at home!!!   Overall Score: 84 (B)

Mark

I've eaten several of the gourmet type burgers at Urban Stack, so I had a pretty good idea what to expect today.  In fairness to the other places on the tour, we agreed to order the most basic burger they have, which turns out to be an Angus burger with white cheddar and grilled onions, and although I love the sweet potato fries, I ordered the regular fries for the review.  This is a fantastic burger, and even though this is the most basic you can order, you'll love it.  The beef is tender and tasty and I really like the bun that it's served on.  I also love the little pickled cucumbers they serve with the burgers.  The fries were really nice, fresh and served piping hot.  The sweet tea was on the money, and Andrew never let it get below half full. So why won't this burger take the top spot?  There are two reasons.

Urban Stack goodness

First:  the value score for this burger is going to hurt it some.  Yes, I realize that you have to pay for quality ingredients, and the burger is actually not a bad value at $6.99, but honestly $3.00 for an order of fries is a little much, and $2.25 for tea (while the norm everywhere)  is just too expensive.  My meal was around $13.25 after tax, so if they would knock the fries and tea down a little, they could get it to around $10.00.
Second:  the atmosphere of Urban Stack, while nice, is more like that of a chain restaurant.  You aren't going to find the little knickknacks here that we've come to appreciate on our previous tour stops (little league team photos, porcelain Elvis busts, NASCAR items, family photos, you get the idea).  This environment is much more commercial, and quite frankly this place borders on being "too fancy" for inclusion on the Tour.  That being said, let me say I love this place and when friends from out of town ask me where they should eat when visiting, Urban Stack is always one of my recommendations.  Overall Score: 94 (A)

John

I have to begin with a shout out to Stacy, Kyle and Walker at Merv’s.   Hope you have recovered from the high water and are back in action.

This one is tough to score.  As one of our many loyal readers asked, does Urban Stack, with its 100% vegetarian fed, hormone & antibiotic free beef, choice of four cheeses, including house-made pimento cheese and chipotle ketchup, fall within our “Nothing Fancy” motto?  Maybe not, but what’s done is done and we’ll just have to deal with it.

First a disclaimer:  I love this place.  The food is fantastic and I would go a lot more if it weren’t so pricey.  But I have to bring it in below Merv’s, Armando’s and Zarzour’s (in my scoring) primarily because, as good as the burger is and it is VERY good, for this tour I’m looking for a burger on a sesame seed bun, thick tomato and onion slices, mayo and mustard, not balsamic onions and a “special” sauce.  Having said that, I must repeat, Raoul made us a fantastic burger.  Score 9.4.

I thought the fries were just so-so:  8.0.

Andrew was an outstanding server.  He appeared within minutes of our sitting down, checked on us regularly without being intrusive, brought us refills without asking and was very affable.  It is amazing how much a difference a good server can make.  The ambiance is quite pleasant.  Service/Experience is a 10.

I thought value might be difficult to score because I am willing to pay more for better ingredients.   But when I thought about the other establishments, it made it easier.  Like Mark, I’m okay with seven bucks for the burger, but $3.00 for fries and $2.25 for tea?  I don’t think Urban Stack is paying any more for potatoes and tea than Paddy’s is.  Certainly can’t say that Urban Stack is worth $3.00 more than Tremont Tavern.  Score:  7.

Overall Score: 90.8(A)

Lemon bonus:  3.5 (I’m awarding an extra .5 because Andrew--did I mention that he is an excellent server—included a lemon when he brought the second glass of tea.)

Next stop on the tour:  Porker's