There was a 20-minute wait at the Terminal BrewHouse Wednesday night. It was the night before New Year’s Eve, but people were already out on the Southside celebrating. My friend Rose and I waited outside next to the unique brick restaurant that once served as the Terminal Hotel next to the Chattanooga Choo Choo in the early 1900s.

Once our wait was up, the hostess led us past the bar and brewery and seated us at a table upstairs. The place was packed with people drinking craft beer and eating the tavern foods like the BrewHouse Pot Roast Nachos ($7). When the waitress came I ordered the seasonal Cherry Poppins Stout ($5), flattered by the fact that the waitress checked my I.D.

The beer was richly dark and tasted creamy and hoppy with a nice cherry tang. Other beers brewed at the restaurant include a Belgian White, West Coast IPA, and American Copper Ale. The Terminal takes pride in its craft beer and, as a result, offers some of the finest in town.

Rose, who worked up quite an appetite while waiting, ordered the Philosopher’s Burger, BrewHouse Salad, and a cup of the Wild and Crazy Mushroom Soup. I ordered the 10” South By Southwest pizza ($12) that comes with chipotle whisky BBQ sauce, grilled chicken, onions, cheese sauce and cheddar.

Twenty minutes later the food arrived. Rose started with her burger first, made with ground lamb seasoned with cinnamon, oregano, shallots, and sea salt served with feta aioli and candied red onions ($10). She then moved on to her salad, comprised of gourmet greens, tomatoes, seasonal apples, candied pecans, and goat cheese, tossed with the Terminal’s wheat beer vinaigrette ($4.5). Then, to my amazement, she finished off with the cup of mushroom soup ($3.5).

I had no trouble almost eating my whole pizza it was so good. The amount of BBQ sauce was just right and the chicken was tender and nicely seasoned. Other items on the menu I would like to try the next time I come to the Terminal are Eat A Peach—a roasted half chicken topped with drunken peach salsa ($10); and the Salmon Elliott—fresh salmon in a White Shadow Belgian sauce ($14).

Other than the waitress bringing me a tiny to-go box for my leftover slices, the service was just fine. I made out with a bill of $17 before tip.

The Terminal is a must-visit pub. The beer isn’t the only thing with good hops here. All in all, it is a hoppin’ place.

Location: 6 E 14th St

Open everyday 11 AM – 12 AM