Yellow Submarine is near Coolidge Park. Click to enlarge all our photos.
photo by Janet Wilson
The Yellow Submarine is located at 181 River Street, facing the Coolidge
Park Carousel. This was our very first visit to the submarine and I am
sorry we had not paid them a visit before now. The food was delicious and I think we'll be ready to go back soon.
A lot of the places in these (touristy) areas are not all that clean so I was taken by surprise when we first entered and the cleanliness just jumped out at you. Being in the heart of the park area where there is sand and fountains, etc., they have obviously made a concerted effort towards being clean. It is also more spacious than we had expected - and in warm weather you can eat on the outdoor patio.
Upon entering, you are greeted by large posters of the Beatles. When you go into the main room, the wall is covered with posters and pictures of 60's rock groups, along with a small area devoted to Gary Volpe's days as the drummer for The Four Seasons, while in the background 60's music can be heard.
They have a large selection of hot and cold subs for everyone, including the vegetarian. Their specialty seems to be the varieties of Philly Cheese Steaks. There are several different ones to choose from and I ordered the Mushroom Cheese Steak - Thinly sliced sirloin steak grilled with onions and mushrooms with melted mozzarella cheese - $4.75. Wayne ordered the Deluxe Cheese Steak, which was the same as mine with the addition of bell peppers and melted provolone cheese - $5.25. They were both served on 8" sub rolls. The roll seems like it might have been toasted after the sandwich was made, giving it a nice crunch on the outside.
The Yellow Submarine also offers a Soup of the Day. On our day, the soup
was New England Clam Chowder ($1.50 cup; $2.95 bowl) and was probably right up there at the top of the list of Clam Chowders we have tried. It was definitely a winner! The soup changes daily and we were told the
Southwestern Black Bean soup is not to be missed.
For the person who prefers the "normal American fare", they offer an American Cheeseburger ($3.95), several other burgers, Fried Chicken Tenders ($5.95) and Hot Dogs ($1.65, with Chili and Cheese, $1.95). They also have a Chicken Salad plate.
One of the cold subs that I thought sounded good was the Tuna Torpedo. This is a chunky Tuna Salad with Swiss cheese, served on a natural whole-wheat soft pretzel roll, topped with romaine lettuce, Roma tomatoes, sliced pickles and oregano - $5.25. As we were getting ready to leave, we saw a prepared Torpedo that someone had ordered and it's a definite possibility for next time.
For the vegetarian, you will be able to order an Eggplant Veggie Sub
($4.95), Eggplant Parmesan Sub ($5.25), a Portobello Mushroom Sandwich ($5.95), or maybe a Cheese Grinder Sub (four varieties of cheese - $4.85).
Yes, the Submarine also has children's meals, known as "Little Guppy Meals" for children twelve and under at a price of $3.50, which includes fries and drink along with their choice of six menu items.
On the back of the menu you will find the following statement: To set the
record straight, the CREATION of this famed sandwich is given to PAT'S King
of Steaks in South Philadelphia. In its purist form, comprised of thinly
sliced sirloin, melted cheese (as in whiz) and grilled onions on a bakery
fresh sub roll. Lore has it that the first cheese steak served by hot dog
venders Harry and Pasquale (Pat) Olivieri during the depression, had no
cheese. THE REST IS HISTORY. Your host, Gary Volpe, former drummer of
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, takes great pride in the authenticity & quality ingredients in our Philly steaks, Hoagies and Italian Entrees. We value our guests and thank you for eating at THE YELLOW SUBMARINE.
We might also mention that the servers were friendly and kept our table cleaned from empty baskets and cups - they were on the ball. They also didn't mind to stop and talk for a minute and tell you interesting tidbits about The Yellow Submarine.
The Yellow Submarine is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. They are closed on Sunday.
(Janet Wilson is an owner/writer for Chattanooga Dine Out, a website
devoted solely to reviewing restaurants in Chattanooga and the surrounding area. For a list of all reviewed restaurants (including the Five Star winners), as well as a complete directory of all area restaurants, visit our website at CHATTANOOGA DINE OUT )