Chattanooga Times Free Press - ChattanoogaNow
Chatter Box Cafe serves up barbecue with local style and one-of-a-kind smile
You should really go meet Brandon Ellis. His restaurant, Chatter Box Cafe, serves up some spectacular barbecue with all the sides and variety that you’re accustomed to, but it’s Ellis’ big smile and wonderful, welcoming attitude that’ll have you hooked.
In my humble opinion, food cooked with real love and passion — not just ingredients thrown together for convenience — tastes the very best. Ellis really understands this, and it’s fascinating to watch him crafting his masterpieces, one piece of brisket at a time.
“Check that out,” he says while lifting a thick rack of ribs off the grill. “See how that just falls off?”
Tender, juicy pieces of meat literally fall off the bone as he holds it.
Ellis grins with pride, “Now that’s how you do it.”
• • • The thing I admire most about Ellis and his barbecue is how it all started. He spent two years honing his craft in the tight space of a food truck. Posting up in the parking lots of bars and local events, Ellis and his indirect, hardwood smoker traveled across Chattanooga, tempting people from all walks of life with his ribs, chicken wings and signature brisket.
In November, he decided to plant himself in a permanent spot on Market Street. Now Ellis, his signature smoker and a full, evolving menu are waiting for your visit. And my visit was a unique one.
Ellis was finally enjoying what he said was the first break he’d had all day. He starts his days chopping logs to feed his wood smoker, preparing for a long day of burning low and slow, which is the secret to perfecting that fall-off-the-bone tenderness. Next he’s preparing sides, taking orders and perfecting his sweet, tangy sauce.
I greeted him with a smile and handshake, and he suggested I order a rib sandwich. I paired it up with crisp coleslaw and macaroni and cheese. We talked while I tore into it, and a stack of extra napkins came in handy. The ribs exploded with flavor and juiciness from the sauce — an awesome balance of sweet and tart. He might tell you the secret ingredients if you ask nicely, and I certainly won’t give them away in this review.
Ellis said his smoked wings have been a huge crowd favorite. People love them so much, he said, they tack them on to their regular orders like a side. Like the majority of his menu, they’re hormone- and steroid-free to keep it as nat- ural and local as possible.
While I shoveled the crunchy apple coleslaw and cheesy, baked macaroni into my mouth, our conversations were heartfelt and hilarious.
Ellis loved his granddad as much as I loved mine, and we laughed as we remembered them. They were both hard-working men running farms — his raising hogs and tobacco and mine dairy cattle. Ellis said his grandfather’s work ethic inspired him to open the restaurant, and even though he passed away in the late 1990s, Ellis thinks about him daily. So much that his restaurant space is decorated with farm tools — specifically tobacco hatchets and blades from his family’s old farm in Franklin, Ky. That level of honor and respect goes a long way, and it shows up in every bite of his cooking.
Without warning, an older, sharp-dressed man wearing a checkered, lightblue suit coat and matching fedora hat burst through the door. His pinstriped shirt and horn-rimmed glasses screamed with personality. He introduced himself as “Spoonz,” a local blues guru and musician who plays regularly at Memo’s Grill and street corners across Chattanooga.
Spoonz took out his signature instruments, two spoons and a harmonica, and loudly belted out an original blues riff worthy of Muddy Waters right there in the restaurant while I wiped tangy barbecue sauce from my smile. For those few action- packed minutes, f inishing up a huge plate of mouthwatering ribs while listening to an authentic local blues maestro, I thought I’d died and gone to Memphis.
Now that’s one heck of a lunch break.
Finally, Ellis handed me the final touch, a mind-blowing jar of fresh, homemade banana pudding. It tasted just like my grandmother’s from years ago — back on the dairy farm in East Tennessee.
Ellis smiled. Case closed. I’ll be back.
THE SPACE
The Chatter Box Cafe is a diamond in the rough. It’s a small space that seats around 12, with a counter for ordering and a kitchen in the back. This spring, Ellis plans to add an outdoor deck space that would hold an additional 25 seats.
If you’re looking for a “hole-in-the-wall” treasure, this is your place. A makeshift shrine to farm days of the past, you’ll see a hardworking-man’s tools on the walls, an old table out of a farmhouse kitchen and posters celebrating all things barbecue. And be sure to find his truck at Big Frog Brewing in Red Bank on Thursdays. As Ellis proudly says, “Follow the smoke!”
THE FOOD
It would be easy to dismiss Chatter Box Cafe as a run- of- the- mill barbecue place, but thanks to a massive variety of locally made ingredients, it’s a formula unique to Chattanooga. The elements of Ellis’ menu are mostly all harvested within 100 miles of the city, and the menu is always evolving based on the freshest options available. Highlights and staples on the menu include ribs, pulled pork and beef sandwiches, barbecue hot dogs, tacos and his specialties — brisket and smoked wings. Be sure to ask Ellis what other types of meats he can round up — depending on the season, chances are he can find it. From turkey breasts to chicken salad, he loves the variety. The Chat- ter Box Cafe also has a full catering menu, in case your next event needs a healthy dose of slow-smoked love.