1885 Grill

1885 Grill calls its cooking “coastal cuisine,” and yes, indeed, here are shrimp & grits (with a choice of creamy grits or grits cake), fried flounder, gumbo, crab bisque, and shrimp & crawfish étouffée. But there’s more than fish on the menu. You can eat a steak, a Cuban sandwich, pork chops, or char-grilled chicken.

The 1885 burger is a handsome half-pounder draped with pimento cheese, chow-chow, bacon, tobacco onions, lettuce, and spicy mayonnaise, all on a superior bun from Niedlov’s Bakery. On the side, rosemary fries are a fragrant option.

The dish I will return for is southern fried chicken. It is roasted before getting breaded and fried, for underneath its crust is a sheath of toasty skin on the large, juicy boneless breast. The substantial breading is shockingly brittle and stays that way even under a mantle of Creole brown gravy. The gravy is fairly tame, but the crust it covers is emphatic, rising up from the large hunk of meat in savory curliques whose crazy chicken flavor is shot through with spice. The breast is presented on a bed of feta-infused mashed potatoes.

Three seating options: at a short, lively bar, at indoor tables covered with brown butcher paper, or out on a breezy patio that feels at once secluded and yet very much part of the neighborhood. At peak mealtime, expect to wait, especially if you want to sit outside. 1885 Grill is popular among locals as well as tourists.

There are two other 1885 Grills, in Ooltewah and Acworth.