2nd — Restaurant in Chattanooga

3rd visit: Oct 25, 2025:

We had a not so stellar previous experience, but came back and decided to order more than just apps as the entree items looked so interesting. I'm happy to say it was ALL absolutely fabulous.

Lovely wine selection, bartender dude (didn't get his name) gave great recommendations. Chicken liver and foie terrine: Probably the best version of this dish I've had in 5 years. The gewurztraminer jelly was super fun and no overly sweet. Snapper collars: Yum! I've mainly had hamachi collar in the past so wanted to try this version. The snapper definitely had a slightly different texture and seemed less fatty but was super tasty and perfectly fried with a nice (tarragon?) sauce on the side. Chopped salad: Unbelievably addicting green buttermilk dressing. Got a bit lost among all the plethora of veggies but overall still tasty and very refreshing, especially considering all of our other heavy dishes haha. Rabbit and pork belly: the pork belly was the star here unsurprisingly - AMAZING smoky flavor. Turnip greens just meh for me, maybe needed some vinegar or something. Butternut dumplings: I was on the fence about ordering this dish but so glad I did. The giant cheese cover felt a little superfluous to me (and not very tasty somehow?), but the rest was sooo good, and unique! Loved the pillowy dumplings in the rich sauce with the surprising little balls of apple, celery root, carrot, and onion. Mashed taters: still the only restaurant version I like as much as my own :D.

2nd visit 12/29/24 (4/5 stars): came back and had the hamachi starter (fresh and delicious), as well as a few mains.

The pork secreto was a bit of a disappointment. We’ve had this cut of pork elsewhere in the past and it was knock your socks off good. This version was pretty tender but was missing some unctuousness, and it came out barely above room temperature. The delicata squash served with it was so dry that it sucked the moisture out of your mouth. We had a good time joking about choking on its bizarre texture haha.

The mixed grill was also just okay. Sausage was tasty and interesting. Venison was cooked perfectly and super tasty. The beef filet was medium well (ordered med rare) in most parts and very very stringy. All of the meats were sitting in a ton of sauce which was tasty but I wish it was on the side.

Loved the mashed potatoes and the crispy brussels. Corn pudding (soufflé) was interesting but seemed like it was missing some flavor? Wouldn’t order that again.

We will definitely come back here again but we’ll stick to cocktails and appetizers.

Original review: 10/16/24 (5 stars)

We already had plans for dinner at a different restaurant, but really wanted to try 2nd so stopped in for a quick visit. We got there when they first opened on Wednesday and grabbed a few bites and a cocktail at the bar.

For food, we ordered the tomato pie and the beef tartare apps. Both were phenomenal and had way more complex flavors than you would expect based on the menu description (and by looking at them). Even the crostinis served with the beef were super tasty. We felt like they were both a good size for the $$ too!

For cocktails we shared the 50/50 and another one that's not on the menu now it seems - it was a spicy tequila cocktail that was super tasty. I really liked that it wasn't overly sweet. The 50/50 had subtle but interesting flavors going on.

The restaurant is industrial/trendy looking, but I'm wondering if it could get loud as it fills up. Bathrooms are very nice and clean.

Everyone that we spoke with (hostess and bartenders) were super friendly and helpful.

We can't wait to come back here and try a...

PLACES LIKE THIS DESERVE TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS. THE ABSOLUTE WORST EXAMPLE OF HOSPITALITY I HAVE EVER WITNESSED IN 44 YEARS OF LIFE.

Let me start by saying, I know this industry and how restaurants and bars work. I have personally managed 4 locations in Scottsdale, Las Vegas, and Nashville. I have also bartended in over 15 locations over a period of 20 years. I was previously the Marketing Director for a Nashville-based restaurant group (8 locations). Presently, I am the Chief Marketing Officer for a concert/promotion company and we tour some of the largest acts in comedy (Shane Gillis, Nikki Glaser, Nate Bargatze, etc.). So, I know a little bit about the hospitality industry. I say that to qualify what I say below so it is not written off as a disgruntled customer.

What I witnessed at this location this evening is the absolute worst example of hospitality I have ever witnessed in my 44 years of life. The manager that was on duty this evening would be immediately terminated if she had worked for me and I had witnessed this happening. Immediately. Pack your bags. Goodbye.

I was invited this evening to join some family friends for dinner. Our reservation was at 5:30 and I arrived on time and prior to the others. I checked in with the hostess, who then seated us at a table for 5 people. However, there were 6 of us. My friend who had made the reservation had forgotten to update from 5 to 6 people. The table we were sat at could not accommodate 6 people and I returned to the hostess to ask to change to another location. We are talking about 5:30 on a Sunday evening, so this is not exactly prime time. After Thanksgiving weekend, so even less prime time than normal.

I was informed that this could not be done, despite the fact that the restaurant was no more than 25% occupied at the time and there were countless tables available. I requested to speak with the manager and waited to do so. When she arrived, she informed me that she could not switch us to another location due to all of their reservations (mind you the restaurant was ~25% sat at this time with absolutely nobody waiting behind us at the entrance). She also then informed me that I could not sit with my family friends at their table as it could only hold 5 people. She then proceeded to watch me the entire time I stayed to visit with them until the moment I left. Circling the table. I turned down the offer from the server who continually asked me if he could bring me anything, offer me a seat, and inform me that he would be happy to serve me and that he has served 6 people at that very table previously.

So, rather than provide HOSPITALITY in the SERVICE INDUSTRY, I was informed that the additional person (me in this case) could not be accommodated and informed by both the hostess (just doing her job) and her manager (an atrocious example of a service industry leader) they could not make a change. I stayed for a few moments to converse with my family friends and then left because they were "so busy" and "full" that they could not accommodate one more person. At the time I left the restaurant was still only ~30% sat and there was enough room to perform a gymnastics routine on their main dining floor.

I WILL NEVER RETURN TO THIS LOCATION. YOU NEED TO EVALUATE THE WAY YOUR STAFF HANDLES CUSTOMERS AND THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE "SERVICE INDUSTRY" ENTAILS.

Why would people choose to spend their money in a location that will openly deny service to a paying customer at 25% capacity because they "don't have room"? I choose to spend my time and money at locations that appreciate their customers are choosing to be there and do everything they can to...

Our visit to 2nd located on the outskirts of downtown Chattanooga was a mix of highlights and areas for improvement. The food had some strong points, but certain dishes didn’t quite hit the spot.

We started with the spaghetti squash fritters, which were freshly made to order and had a great texture—crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They were a perfect snacking appetizer, especially when paired with the accompanying sauce. Definitely a great way to begin the meal.

For our entrées, we ordered a mix of dishes to share: the slow-cooked short rib, the twice-baked spaghetti squash (a vegetarian option), and the black-eyed pea cake (another vegetarian option). The short rib was good—tender and flavorful in some bites but slightly dry in others. A touch more seasoning, particularly salt, would have enhanced it. While I enjoyed it, I’ve had more memorable versions at other Chattanooga restaurants.

The twice-baked spaghetti squash had a combination of mushrooms, tomatoes, mozzarella, and spinach, but unfortunately, the flavor didn’t quite come together. There was a noticeable taste of oven fumes, which distracted from the dish, and most of the seasoning seemed to be concentrated at the top rather than evenly distributed throughout.

The black-eyed pea cake was the least successful dish for me. We ordered it on the enthusiastic recommendation of the waitress. The flavor profile had some similarities to falafel, it didn’t quite hit the mark. That said, the homemade sauce that came with it was well-done and added a nice balance. The accompanying kale and poblano peppers were simply cooked without seasoning, and while I assume the sauce was meant to complement them, they would have benefitted from a bit more attention on their own.

My go-to dish of the night was the bottomless mashed potatoes—light, whipped, and full of flavor. We enjoyed them so much that we ordered three bowls. They were easily my favorite part of the meal.

Service was mixed. Our server was attentive in some ways but focused heavily on upselling. After ordering an appetizer and three entrées for two people, she mentioned it was a lot of food and immediately asked if we wanted to add more. While I appreciate enthusiasm, it felt a bit pushy. Later, when we declined dessert she continued suggesting options, which felt a little forced given that her overall service wasn’t particularly warm or engaging.

Interestingly, another server who briefly assisted us had a completely different energy—more proactive and friendly. This tells me that the restaurant does have great service, but our experience may have been dependent on the specific server we had that evening.

I would return to try different dishes, as I think there’s several positives here. I also suspect that a different server could have made the meal more enjoyable.

Realistically this is a 3.75-star experience for me, but since that’s not an option, I’m rounding up to 4 stars. There’s a lot to like about 2nd, but a few small improvements, both in food execution and service approach, could take it to the next level.

Our second visit to 2nd was several months later, and we were able to try a few different things from their menu. Everything was delicious, and the endless mashed potatoes were just as good. We had a wonderful experience with customer service this time around, and we enjoyed this visit even more than our first one. The only reason I’m not giving this a five star review is because though everything was very good, it wasn’t exceptional. If 4.5 stars was an option, that’s what I would give 2nd -...