Urban Stack — Restaurant in Chattanooga

As a parent of a child with Celiac's disease, it is not easy for us to find a place that offers gluten free food options and one that accommodates for gluten allergies. Being that we were on the road traveling home to Northern Illinois from just outside Atlanta, we researched for a gluten free restaurant. When I first saw this restaurant and others reviews, I was excited to try it (since I personally eat gluten free as well). As usual, we inform the waitress of our daughter's condition right away and she brought us a separate gluten free menu (which I thought was great). My daughter wanted to try the black bean burger on a gluten free bun (neither happen to be on the gluten free menu though). I had the waitress double check that the black bean burger was gluten free and we were informed that it was. We were all excited to try their unique gluten free and vegan options. Not gonna lie, I really enjoyed my food, but what happened after we left was a huge learning experience and I'm highly disappointed with how it was handled. About an hour or so after we left, my daughter started having an allergic reaction, which for her is throwing up until her body has rejected all of the gluten out of her system. We have been dealing with her disease for 4 years now and are very careful about everything she ingests. The very few times that she accidentally ingested gluten, her reaction is the same every time (and traumatizing for her being that she's only 7). She ended up throwing up continuously for an hour in the car, requiring us to pull off several times to clean up and really inconveniencing our time on our 16 hour drive home that day. After speaking to the general manager, I was not happy with how it was handled. I basically felt like I was being accused of giving her something she shouldn't have and of course, they denied any wrong doing. One of the first things I asked was why our gluten free buns didn't have a special toothpick or something to mark that it is not a regular bun. I was told that they just know which is which because they look different. Well, how am I supposed to know that I was served the right thing though? I did happen to take pictures of our meal (being excited to eat it)...can you tell by just looking that our buns are gluten free? I know I can't. If they don't mark their allergy plates, then I doubt they handled her food properly either to avoid cross contamination. The manager kept asking me if she ate anything else and I told him exactly what she had and here's the proof. No she did not have the ketchup provided either (which is not gluten free). I was also told that it's too bad I don't live closer otherwise they'd offer us a chance to come back. First, I wouldn't want to come back after what happened to my daughter cause I don't trust your kitchen. Second, you still could have offered us something else for our inconvenience since we were just travelling through. Needless to say, if you have Celiac's or a gluten allergy, DO NOT...

Horrible Customer Service, Good Food! Arriving at this establishment before closing hours, we were greeted by an employee. Quickly after, he briskly walked much farther ahead of us not engaging and sat us towards the bar area, which was fine. We were asked for our drink orders by a 2nd employee who also brought our waters. A 3rd employee from the bar brought our adult beverages which were very sour and bitter. While we debated on our drinks, roughly 15-20 mins passed. No employee came to check on us, asked if we needed anything or had any questions concerning the menu- bare minimum. A 4th employee, possibly a manager, then brought the food and again no engagement- put the food down and walked off. No wait to make sure the food was what we ordered, which in fact it was not. We ordered one burger to be wrapped in lettuce and it came on a bun. With that said, we are still waiting for someone to give us some customer service so we can mention what was wrong. After over 20 mins, I finally had to flag the bar employee over to advise the drinks were not good. We asked for something different and instead he grabbed our same glasses to put agave syrup in them instead of making brand new drinks or offering to remove them from our tab completely. If that wasn't bad enough, another couple comes in, sits directly behind us and they were waited on from beginning to end and left before we did after eating. Multiple employees walked passed our table all night and not one stopped to assist us. By the end of our meal, we had 5 different employees and not one engaged with us, asked if anything was needed, asked how the food was, were there any issues, if we needed anything - more condiments perhaps, if we needed more water, even if we needed some napkins. Nothing was offered or done. The ticket was brought however by this time the 5th employee who was working a totally different table and she was rushing. Having big parties should never take away from two people eating within an establishment only ordering some wings and two burgers. Unacceptable! Food was good, despite the experience. With that said, This entire experience was absolutely horrible and we will never return...

Ate here a few times over the past few days, honestly. It is not an extremely fancy place, but everything is just that little bit better than it has to be. They have a wide variety of novel burger options, but even just a regular smashburger is an excellent burger. Whoever decided on the recipes for everything seems to have a nuanced touch with savory spices. I noticed it first with the quick pickles and chickpeas, but once you notice it you notice it in everything. There are flashy things about this place, sure, but the strongest part is the foundational things. Basic items taste a cut above the rest for similar price point burger joints, and the service is absolutely excellent. The staff are incredibly friendly, more friendly than most college-age workers I interact with at restaurants these days. They’re full of recommendations for things to do around town, and for good menu items too. The whiskey selection is good too. I’m sure there’s something to photograph for social media in some of the crazier burgers here, but I’m happy that this place is good for people who still want to taste with their tongues and noses, not just their eyes.

If you have allergies to spices or herbs, you should know that nearly everything has some kind of special spices to it. I have a sensitivity to alliums, and it was a bit rough on me the first time I went, even with no onions on my food. I took a benadryl before the next time I went back, but I went back! If you have a really serious allergy to anything that is used commonly to spice meat, you should ask instead of guessing. The staff were plenty kind to me, so don’t be intimidated.

The atmosphere is good for what it is. It’s a bit cheugy I guess, but it feels genuine and lively. The lighting is a little dark at night in some spots, but it fits the vibe.

My final note is that I didn’t like the beer selection, but the rest of the drink menu...