Hennen's — Restaurant in Chattanooga

My wife and I decided to go here for our anniversary dinner. It was a Monday night so I knew they would be slower, which was perfect. It allowed us to take our time and enjoy ourselves without feeling like we were sitting too long. I worked in the restaurant industry for quite a while so I critique everything. To start off we ordered the Bruschetta and a couple cocktails. The Bruschetta was bold with garlic and tomatoes on focaccia bread that was perfectly toasted. The cocktail that I got was called The Motorcar. It was strong and you could actually taste all the flavors rather than being watered down. I did add some creamer to it which I would recommend to everybody since it's a coffee infused whiskey. I knew I wanted a steak so I asked Courtney what she recommended. She recommended the same thing I had my eyes on which was the Delmonico Ribeye. Perfectly balanced with seasoning and char and the marbling was perfectly edible. Not fatty at all. I had it topped with butter and mushrooms. It was definitely one of the better ribeye's I have had for sure. My wife got the filet trio and added a lobster tail as well as some creamy truffle risotto. I'm not a big fan of risotto but I was of this. Courtney recommended a wine that paired perfectly with my ribeye. It was a blend that was on the drier side which allowed perfect cleansing of the palate so that every bite of steak tasted like the first. After indulging in our entrees we were in the mood for dessert. The seasonal dessert was a caramel drizzle cheesecake with baked apple tidbits. It was so creamy and rich but not overly sweet. Even after a full meal of steak and wine it didn't cause any conflict. We ordered coffee to go with our dessert. Now keep in mind I've worked in restaurants so I honestly figured the coffee would've been maybe an hour or so old which would have been fine but it wasnt. It was freshly brewed right then. I was surprised. All in all the ambiance, food quality, portions, as well as service from Courtney was top notch for our anniversary dinner. The food and the entire experience was absolutely wonderful. I would not come here if you're in a rush and expect to be here a little while to get the full experience but also be mindful of that when you tip. It's an upscale steak/seafood restaurant but not too fancy where you couldn't bring the family or a dress code be required. Whether it's date night, anniversary, or just a night out with the adults this place is perfect for that. If you do have children I wouldn't bring babies or children that aren't old enough to act accordingly. I would definitely check this place out if you're in Chattanooga.

Suggestions-Add some Bailey's or Khalua to The Motorcar. Reduce the garnish amount on the filet trio specifically the cheese. Turn the lights down in the restaurant a little. They weren't overbearing but it would add to the ambiance. Water is served automatically so wrap a straw in a beverage napkin and roll it into the silverware. Might be more costly but saves the waiter a trip and avoids having the guest ask. I noticed a card that was placed when we were sat and we were told our servers name but many people often forget. Would be a good idea to write their name on the back of it to help the guests and other servers that may tell who has what table despite...

I wish I could say we enjoyed our time here but the only thing redeeming about specific visit was our server, Bryson.

The restaurant is lovely when you walk in. I would not say either hostesses was particularly nice but not exactly rude either. Bryson our server was just a really nice and welcoming individual. He gets 5 stars from us. We were the last reservation of the evening on a Sunday. This may be the reason our food experience was not the best.

Lobster bisque was more like a creamy soup of a hint of flavor of seafood. I detected no lobster pieces but some places, like this don’t have any, but I usually can taste the lobster. It tasted like a bowl of cream. I got the Oscar filet and I cut into the steak and I ate one bite and it was like eating old meat (I ordered medium rare). Very dry and chewy and the smell was very off. Everyone at the table agreed it was definitely off. The crab cake was very watery inside and the mashed potatoes were so runny like when you put way too much milk in. One bite of everything and I was turned off from eating completely.

My husband’s and son’s delmoninco steaks were not the best but better than mine and were edible. They ate theirs but they said they would never go back for their steaks. Baked potato was good. The desserts are pretty decent. Crème brûlée I would recommend. I was pretty bummed out that visiting Chattanooga for the first time this was the experience.

Side note: keeping salt and pepper shakers on the cloth seat at the table across from us for over 20 minutes till we asked the hostess to maybe remove them and wipe them off since people put their butts there is a little gross. The hostess acted like she didn’t get why that would be maybe gross and the need...

I had read the reviews for this place before I took wife dinner here. Maybe Hennen's was just having an off night, or, could it be the people here in Chattanooga have never been to a place that has fine dining? I know that's not true! Anyway, my baseline for fine dining has always been Bern's Steak House in Tampa. At Hennen's I really can only say that mushrooms I had as a side were memorable. Bringing water to the table with no ice is an egregious error. Not having bread severed was also question. At first I thought that it was not part of the service, but the others table's seemed to be enjoying theirs. My salad came to me on warm plate. I was raised in the restaurant world, and Mother, would have given me more than the snake eye for such a mistake. The Blue Cheese Dressing was not note worthy. I had to send my steak back for not being cooked the way I ordered it. The second steak was closer, but I couldn't send it back because my wife was done eating. Did the steak have an aroma and flavors that would tantalize me? For a piece of meat that was over $40 you would think I would at least get one of the two. This was not case. The service was mediocre at best, not to say she didn't try. I would have thought that a place with such high prices would take the time to do some training. Now, I got the bill for $150 for two people. Needless to say, I was not where near impressed. If Hennen's was having a bad night I am afraid they will not get a second change to convince me. At the prices they charge its not worth the risk to me.

Chattanooga, I love you all; don't take my early statement...