Last weekend we drove up to Aris’ Harbor Light Restaurant & Lounge located at 9718 Hixson Pike in Soddy Daisy. The outside on the parking lot side isn’t great, but once you get inside, the view to the back is wonderful. There is a deck that I’m sure will be quite enjoyable when warm weather finds its way back.

We were told to seat ourselves and our server went to get us a menu. Appetizers include Shrimp Cocktail ($9.50/$18.50), Fresh Oysters on the Half Shell ($5.95/$10.95), Mussels served with garlic wine sauce ($8.95), as well as nine other items. Wayne wanted to try the Spinach Dip served with chips ($5.95), so we ordered that while we perused the rest of the menu.

As soon as we ordered, I told Wayne I had a feeling about our server. I just knew the timing was going to be off. When she came back with our drinks, she asked for our dinner order.

They do have some nice choices. A 14 ounce ribeye is $16.95, Grilled Chicken Breast ($11.95), and several other steak, chicken and shrimp dinners, all served with a choice of tossed salad or soup of the day and either a baked potato, steak fries or rice pilaf with rolls.

Wayne decided to go with the Shrimp Alfredo ($18.95). This is described as shrimp served over linguine with alfredo sauce and mixed vegetables. He was going to have the soup of the day, but decided Bean with Ham didn’t sound all that tempting, so we both went with the salad. Wayne also got to choose a side, and he took the baked potato, even though that was way too much starch with the linguini. I ordered the Catfish (farm raised, lightly breaded and fried, $12.95), with garlic mashed potatoes for my side.

Of course, the salads showed up before the appetizer (from the Epicurious dictionary: “Any small, bite-size food served before a meal to whet and excite the palate.”), even though they (the salads) should have arrived second. We had taken maybe two bites of our salads when the appetizer was delivered. Good grief! My palate can’t get excited when too much food is in front of me. We went ahead with the salads and let the appetizer sit. I was just finishing my salad when our entrees arrived! We tried to switch back and forth from the entrees to the appetizer, but it was not a happy experience. We finally finished the spinach dip which was OK – the cheese was laid in a slice on top and half-melted, making it difficult to push your chips through to the spinach mixture underneath, causing them to break.

I received two very large pieces of fish and a mound of potatoes. I will say that they were both quite good and the catfish was extremely hot (a good thing). The potatoes were cool to the taste, but that may have been because they had to wait for us to finish the previous course. I would definitely order the catfish again. Of course, I couldn’t eat both pieces and enjoyed one for lunch on another day.

Wayne’s Shrimp Alfredo was different. The mixed vegetables were not what we assumed – small veggies cut-up and mixed in with the linguini. These were large pieces of broccoli, carrots and squash that you might serve as a side item, piled high atop the linguini, covering the entire bowl. Wayne said the alfredo was really good, quite creamy and tasty, but due to the enormous portion of veggies, it took away from the meal. He decided to take the baked potato home, as it wasn’t completely done.

Other menu items include Pork Tenderloin ($14.95), Spaghetti with meatballs ($8.95), Chicken Parmigiana ($12.95), Mahi Mahi ($12.95), and Salmon ($14.95). There are also plenty of sandwiches (grouper, hoagie, BBQ, and a few others). The children’s menu consists of Chicken Fingers, Spaghetti, grilled cheese and hamburger with prices at $3.25 and $4.25.

Aris’ also has desserts – Baklava, Carrot cake, French Silk Pie, and Cheese Cake – all priced at $3.25. We were not offered dessert.

Hours for Aris’ Harbor Light are Tuesday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. They are closed on Monday.

READER PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK:
“Bad estimating of wait times by the host/hostess. I don't expect them to be correct all the time but being off by 30 minutes or more can ruin your whole evening, especially if you are trying to get to a show.”