Hey Chattanooga...where are all the biker bars?

On our recent trip south, we decided to spend a day in Chattanooga to visit some biker bars. Admittedly, my only research was going to a few BikerBar sites and copying down addresses. Not well prepared.  I was very disappointed to find several closed, or perhaps the addresses were wrong? I especially wanted to check out Uncle Stumpy's Pig Sty and Saloon and it appeared to be shut down. Boo! I wanted to meet Uncle Stumpy...so sad it was closed. Victims of the economy? Not sure, but we carried on...ended up in a tourist area and stopped at the first interesting, non-chain place we found.

Cute bartenders with 'special recipes'

Sugar's Ribs Downtown is newly opened this Fall and is the second location for this restaurant.  Situated on the corner of Broad Street in the old Buffalo Wild Wings location, Sugar's has transformed the space into a Whiskey Bar/Blues Venue. We did not get a chance to go to the original location but from what I understand, this new location is a bit more upscale. I have since heard the other location has goats on property so will make that a stop the next time in the area.

We arrived on a Monday, late afternoon, so the place was virtually empty. Grabbed a seat at the full bar and were waited on promptly. Staff was very friendly and helpful with their suggestions on what to order since neither of us are too familiar with southern BBQ. Although I have never eaten them before, I decided to try the ribs. Not too fond of meat on bones, but when in Rome...

Delicious ribs and corn bread

Finger lickin' good, this place...

Smoked chicken

Sugar's sends the meat out 'naked' and offers several varieties of sauces to choose from ranging from mild to sweet and spicy to hot lips. I tried 'em all and they were delicious.

Being a whiskey bar, they do not offer foo-foo girlie drinks as explained by one of the bartenders.  Although, she said she is creative and can use ingredients on hand to make some fruity concoctions. And, she did offer up a recipe for an interesting drink that I will paraphrase...called the 'Wet kitty-cat'. Insert another name for cat here...lol. Hope the shock on my face was not too apparent. I can be a bit prudish, at times. :-)

This was a fun place. Prices were reasonable.  Beers were a couple bucks, each day a featured whiskey is offered at $3.00 per shot.  There is plenty of on-street parking as well as several public parking lots and garages in the nearby area. Staff were kind and helpful, even offering suggestions for a bar across town geared more towards bikers. We would definitely visit again if in the area.

And, for an after dinner treat, this little gem is directly across the street. Chattanooga Cupcakes serves only that...cupcakes, in several varieties.

One Spice cupcake and one PB& Chocolate cupcake with a LOT of frosting...too much really. They did not travel so well in the saddle bag, but were still quite tasty.

From Sugar's, we drove across town to Bud's Sport's Bar on Brainerd Road, which was recommended as a local hangout for bikers. Since we had already eaten, we sat at the bar and had a quick beer.  Place is huge inside, lots of widescreen TVs...everywhere you turn, there were games, races and sport shows on. Few bikers, lots of locals and people just getting off work.

There is a large patio on the side of the building with a full-bar and several tables. Looks like it is a happening place in the warmer weather.

Lots to do at this bar...Wing Night, Taco Night, Karaoke competitions, live music and various food and drink specials on certain nights.

Bud's Sports Bar is located off a major road with a large paved lot and ample parking. There is a traffic light on the side of property for easy entrance/exit. Don't make the mistake we did and try to exit without the light. Intersection was very busy at rush hour and made it nearly impossible to make a left hand turn out of lot. Now we know...

Although our trip to Chattanooga was not as expected, we found a few nice surprises and enjoyed the city. We'll be back and next time, we hope to find the real divey biker bars...where they at, Chattanoogans?

Boneyard BBQ is Finger Lickin' Good!

Boneyard BBQ is located directly on Route 152, in Seekonk, Massachusetts.  The owners of Boneyard have combined their love of food and motorcycles and made a perfect destination for bikers and bbq lovers.

We happened upon the Boneyard on our way home from Colt State park. Driving down route 152, we noticed the flames on the front of the building and screeched the bike to a grinding halt...laid tracks...is that the term?  Okay, we didn't actually 'lay tracks', we continued past until we could safely turn around and then slowly drove back. Gauging from the painted skulls and orange and yellow flames, we knew this was going to be our kind of place.

As you can see from the pics, the outside is decorated in HOG colors with flames painted all around. There are several paved bike spots out front and a large paved lot behind the building.  The entryway is filled with posters of upcoming rides and information that is of interest to bikers.

We entered to a somewhat empty place, a little disappointing but it was a Sunday afternoon of a long weekend...think most businesses are slow on long weekends. As is the outside, the decor inside is geared towards bikers and motor enthusiasts in general, with skulls, license plates, old signs, and Nascar memorabilia. 




We were greeted at the bar by a very friendly bartender and were quickly served two ice-cold beers. Slowly a few families arrived for dinner and some bikers started to appear and the joint began to liven up a bit...as much as any place can on a Sunday afternoon.  A Nascar race was on the HUGE flat screen television and rock and roll was playing in the background. It had a nice vibe.

Since we had dinner plans, we did not plan to eat but the bartender convinced us to give the wings a try...I think they have won some awards...don't quote me on that...but there are a ton of sauces to choose from as well as several heat levels. All flavors are available in wings or tenders. I am the type of gal who prefers a fork and knife...so went with the tenders and chose the 'Black and Gold' sauce.  It was really good, little bit of sweet...little bit of heat.

Hubby, well, he is a straight up carnivore and doesn't mind eating with his hands or gnawing the meat right off the bone. In fact, he considers himself a wings connoisseur..he has spent a lot of time in Hooters locations across the country and has had his share of wings.  Anyway, his came with a generous portion of bleu cheese and were liberally coated in sauce.  Lotsa finger lickin' with these wings. He gave them two saucy thumbs-up.

We only sampled a couple so asked for a take-out container. We often can't get leftovers to go because boxes are always too big for the saddlebags.  Well, we were very excited when the bartender brought out a tall, plastic cylinder-type container with a lid. It's the the little things in life, people...

On our way out, a shiny new Harley was parked next to us....loved the color - a deep, chocolate brown. Looked so good, I wanted to lick it!  Don't worry, I kept my tongue in my mouth...will save the licking for our next visit to the Boneyard BBQ when I try the hot and spicy Dragon's-Breath tenders.

From the website, it looks like they have different specials each night, including a 30 cent wing night and 2-for-1 starter nights. We hope to get back soon on a Wednesday night when live entertainment is offered and spend a bit more time, have a few more drinks, and eat some more food. Can't wait!

Contact Info:
Boneyard BBQ
549 Central Ave, Route 152
Seekonk, Massachusetts
1-508-761-6854
http://www.boneyardbarbecue.com/