Aretha Frankensteins’
Relaxed Atmosphere Is Perfect for a
Worry-Free Breakfast
By Emma Smith
Chattanoogans love to talk. Whether it’s the person next to us in a checkout line, the bartender at our favorite local brewery, or the folks seated beside us at a restaurant, there’s always an interesting conversation to have.
That’s why I recently found myself chatting with the couple seated next to my friend and me on the patio of Aretha Frankensteins in Northshore. It was 10 in the morning on a Tuesday, and we could have chosen to sit inside, amongst the quaint restaurant’s eclectic decor, but the perfect weather beckoned us to enjoy the outdoor seating.
When the couple sat down, we were already eating—identical servings of the restaurant’s famous pancakes with blueberry mélange and a fried egg on the side—and they were dying to know what we ordered. One polite question was all it took.
Before we knew it, half an hour had passed, and the four of us were cracking jokes like old friends. They were tourists in their seventies on a road trip, trying to figure out how they should spend their time over the next couple of days. We were locals in our twenties, more than happy to make recommendations.
Chattanooga is full of great places for such an interaction to happen. Restaurants, bars, outdoor sporting events, farmer’s markets, vintage shops, coffee houses and the like—it’s all here in a city that, especially in the spring, summer and fall, buzzes with constant activity.
But there’s something special about Aretha Frankensteins. It’s in their business model not to be in a hurry, and it says as much on the front page of their menu:
“Aretha’s is not fast food. Everything is prepared to order in our tiny kitchen. Please understand… waiting 30 or more minutes for your food is not uncommon. That said, thank you for coming & enjoy!”
It should be said that my friend and I didn’t have to wait long for our food, given it was a weekday morning. We wouldn’t have minded it taking an hour, though. The two of us had a lot of catching up to do, as we hadn’t seen each other in several months, and we were making new friends, too! An unhurried mindset is crucial for enjoyment of a place like Aretha’s, where the food is made from scratch and the atmosphere is relaxed.
If you’re in a rush, there are plenty of other local restaurants that can have you in and out in a fraction of the time you’re likely to spend at Aretha’s, but that isn’t what my friend and I wanted. We wanted to sit and talk, to eat slowly and drink our hard cider-mimosas slowly, and to engage in deep and meaningful conversation with those around us. If that’s the kind of morning you’re looking to have, and you want some of the best pancakes you’ll ever eat, look no further than Aretha’s.
Aretha Frankensteins
is the perfect place to enjoy a carefree breakfast, with a relaxed atmosphere, very good service and delicious dishes.
(423) 265-7685