It’s a breezy September Saturday. After a fern-filled hike on Lookout Mountain, you’re strolling through St. Elmo with your main squeeze. She’s keen on an espresso to perk her back up, while you’re all about an ice-cold beer.
What’s your choice?
Why not try The Tap House at 3800 St. Elmo Ave., where you can get beverages from local craft beer to sake-based cocktails, accompanied by a robust array of burgers and pub food? The Tap House is a laid-back cousin to a pub—a coffee-shop café with a wide selection of good beer.
If you’re a tourist, The Tap House is a great first pit stop. Not only can you soak up Chattanooga’s ineffable vibe, you can sample brews from numerous local breweries, all in one place. And if you’re a local, The Tap House may be in the running to become your favorite gathering spot.
Drinks for All
Primarily, The Tap House is known for its wide, ever-changing selection of beers.
“We’re bringing a little bit of the beer network into St. Elmo,” owner Chris Calhoun says. “We keep 30 beers on draft. We do ‘local flights,’ which are flights of beer from local breweries. We rotate through our different breweries, so you can sample a variety at once.”
The Tap House’s staff of beer enthusiasts can tell you the stories behind many of the delicious craft beers available.
“The only beer we never rotate is Guinness,” Calhoun says. “Other than that, we rotate our lineups of easy-drinking lagers and pilsners, IPAs, ciders, and dark beers such as stouts, porters, and ambers.”
The Tap House offers another unique and tasty treat—sake cocktails. Whether you want to go mod with a saketini or cozy with an elderberry-based Victorian, a sake cocktail will surprise and delight your taste buds.
There’s also a great selection of wines to enjoy. And then there’s the espresso bar and kombucha on tap. Plus, no café would be complete without offering a cuppa hot tea!
Burgers and More
In addition to drinks, The Tap House is known for its food menu, which includes traditional pub snacks as well as a long list of burgers.
There’s the Exotic Burger, a combination of bison, wagyu, elk, and boar.
“That would be the one I’d recommend,” Calhoun says. “It’s a half pound burger. It’s lean and tasty, not gamey.”
And then there’s the Southern Burger, a quarter-pounder topped with pimento cheese, bacon, and tomato. Other burgers of note on the menu range from classic cheeseburgers and patty melts to a southwestern black-bean burger, and several tasty-looking chicken sandwiches are listed, too.
When some people say “pub food,” they mean a dish of pretzels, but at The Tap House, that’s just the start. Their pub food includes local trout spread on toast, an Irish cheese plate (to complement the Guinness, of course), a hummus plate, and even something called a Frito pie, which turns out to be barbecue layered onto Fritos and topped with onions, mushrooms, cheese and sour cream. Mmm!
Stay Awhile
As well as attracting tourists, The Tap House has a regular St. Elmo clientele who appreciate the good fare and relaxed atmosphere. It’s a great place to bring your computer, enjoy an espresso, and work from home (away from home). There’s patio seating, so you can enjoy the ambience of the St. Elmo community as you people-watch or chat with a friend.
And if you want to be more social, the long tables can seat up to 10 patrons, so instead of clustering in a small group, you may find yourself making new friends at The Tap House. Come on Wednesdays and you’ll find a lively game of trivia going on, too.
“We’re kid-friendly and family friendly,” Calhoun says. “We don’t stay open late. The atmosphere is very laid-back. We want to be a gathering space, whether you’re a tourist wanting a snack and beer before heading up Lookout Mountain, or a neighbor who wants to sit and relax with a sake cocktail or beer.”
Safety First
With the pandemic still active, many of us are hesitant to go out much. The Tap House takes careful precautions by following all Chattanooga health and safety regulations.
“Patrons wear masks until seated,” Calhoun says. “The staff wear masks at all times. Tables are spread out, and no more than 10 guests can sit at one table.”
The Tap House
- 3800 St. Elmo Ave.
- Tuesday–Saturday 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.
- Sunday: 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m.
- (423) 682-8234
- taphousechatt.com
- facebook.com/TapHouseChatt
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