We sat out on the patio with no umbrella so the sun started to get alittle warm. The service was fast for the crowd they had! The food was served hot and fresh! I didn't tell her how I wanted my burger so it came out well done which is not my preference so it tasted different, not as good as med-rare but I enjoyed it. read more

Universal Joint - Swiss Mushroom Burger with tots - New American Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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Great little place for a casual dinner before a show! We've been several times before for lunch and cocktails on the patio too... the egg rolls and tacos are awesome! This time we both had burgers and fries... so so good. Mine was The Steinbeck, cooked perfectly juicy and covered with pimento cheese and jalapeños.... Mmmm good. Hubby had the Smokehouse with bacon ofcourse! Such great burgers and fries! The place was packed and our server got to us as soon as she could... which was pretty quickly! She was very friendly too. No pictures sorry as we were starving and I forgot. Anyway such a good little niche in Chattanooga. A++++ read more

Universal Joint - Happy Hour Menu! - New American Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Downtown and close to everything Solid food and reasonable prices. We enjoyed our meals and it has laid back atmosphere. read more

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Food and service was really good. It's a great location and the patio area is exceptional.

Great salads! I have eaten at a location, and now had takeout.. the food is always delicious. The nachos are also very good. Great spot for lunch, and very laid back atmosphere. Worth a visit! read more

Me & my husband like coming here when we visit with our daughter at UTC. It's close to the university, so it's very convenient. Plus, it seems to be one of the quickest places to get served. Speaking of service, it's good here. The food is always tasty and meets the expectations of the menu descriptions. You wouldn't think a gyro would be an option here, but it was. And, it was VERY GOOD. My husband and daughter always like their choice of food too. Today, they ordered blackened fish tacos and Brisket tacos. Seems like a local "joint" for university students and business patrons in the nearby area. My husband and I are neither, but we always feel welcome here. Oh, don't expect an elaborate atmosphere. It's just a cool place to hang out, but not a place to take someone on a fancy date. read more

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Food was subpar and the service was horrible. Our waitress was very rude and seemed as if she didn't want to be bothered with doing her job. Will never go back. read more

This place has wonderful indoor and outdoor seating that is a seat yourself situation. It was packed when we went but a table came fast! The service was excellent and food was great! They also had a great beer selection. read more

Universal Joint - New American Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

After a long hard work week I was looking forward to a juicy burger. Ordered a cheeseburger with no onions and fries. Got a dry, overcooked, under-seasoned patty with a single leaf of lettuce, no cheese, no pickles, and no mayo. The fries were limp, cold, and unseasoned. I'm not a picky eater and love pretty much all food but this was super disappointing. My first (and last) time eating here. read more

First off if you're going to have people seat themselves just put menus either up front or on the tables We found a table and figured we had PLENTY of time before our concert. We got there about 545 and concert started at 730 We finally asked who our server was and asked for menus after not being acknowledged for at least 15 minutes Ordered the minute the waitress finally appeared oh but wait she had to go get something to write on ..... we ended up canceling our wine order after 35 minutes because we wouldn't have time and then just sat there for another 20-25 minutes with water and not even a look from our waitress So we left and went across the street scarfed down a charcuterie board and a glass of wine that was fabulous and was on our table within 5 minutes of walking in the door Seems like our experience seems to be the norm The tables were sticky ..... all around a very disappointing experience Won't go there again read more

After a morning of touring we were looking for a place to relax outside and get burgers or salads or things like that. We ended up at Universal Joint and had a wonderful experience. Housed in an old gas station, the place has a very cool vibe. Lots of families, lots of people sitting outside with their dogs. We were a group of 12 and the service was perfect from the money we sat down. Everyone liked both food and drinks. One appetizer was the pimento cheese plate, which was a good size and excellent cheese. My wife had the perfectly done 23 oz smash burger and I had the excellent Old 1 -2 burger. Fries were perfectly cooked as well. Loved the Million Island dressing on my burger. Draft beer was cold. Loved everything about this casual restaurant. read more

Universal Joint - New American Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

I am shocked to say I didn't get a photo here but I am so pleased to say that I love this spot! The vibe is super casual, service is friendly & quicky, and the food is gooooooood. I got the fish tacos when I was here and I was SO happy with my order. Everything was flavorful, and the group I was with all seemed to be happy with what they got as well. 10/10 - just need to come back to get a photo. read more

Update: played another trivia tournament here today. The food was excellent and the service FAST! There were 28 teams with 4-6 people and food was out of the kitchen quickly, hot, and exactly as ordered. Our server was great, very attentive and on top of everything. The sweet potato fries and smokehouse burger were excellent, as was my espresso martini. The burgers are huge and I couldn't finish my food. Definitely enough for a second meal. There was a hiccup with a drink I ordered that wasn't exactly as advertised on the menu and it was replaced with the martini and I wasn't charged for it, which makes for excellent customer service. I can understand why the trivia company chooses to have tournaments here and can't wait to come back. read more

Universal Joint - BBQ Burger with sweet potato fries - New American Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

First off I just have to say that this experience almost made me dislike food. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the food just the service was garbage, our server makes serving look like it should be something you have to go to college for. We had to wait 15 minutes for menus, another 10 for our waters and my food never even came out because she forgot to ring it in. I understand mistakes can happen but her attitude suggests it wasn't a mistake. Also I currently serve as a part time job so I understand the struggles but this whole experience just made me feel horrible for myself and the other two tables our server had. read more

Good Food Good Service. Conveniently located near venue. The Dogs and Cats weren't so appealing inside the restaurant. Those allergic to dogs and cats were heard having a very concerned conversation but they had their EpiPen. Just a note: neither animal looked to be a service animal. Had we seen the animals before being served, we probably wouldn't have ordered nor eaten there. However, food was good. read more

Dropped in for lunch since it is close to the office. If you are driving, there is some street parking right beside the restaurant. There is plenty of outdoor dining as well. They have some interesting apps on the menu, so I selected the fried green tomatoes. They came with a slaw on top with a nice remoulade. The breading stayed fairly in tact when cutting into them and were good with the sauce. They have a nice selection of burger styles for beef, turkey, and veggie patties, but I opted for the chicken quesadilla. Lots of filling and a tasty choice. Very casual place, with a "special" posted, and a full bar and bar area. read more

Universal Joint - Fried green tomatoes - New American Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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Bland, Bubba burger? Table filthy, smelly No thanks.. water was good and service was fast Go somewhere else, skip this joint. read more

Attitude is everything. We found this place as it was dog friendly and on the way home from our mountain trip. We didn't have a long wait upon arriving, our server sat us at a four top and grabbed an extra chair (party of 5). It was right in the middle of the patio area no umbrella and it was a beautiful sunny day. They were working on a different section adding a table for six and a four top. We asked if we could sit at the six top this server/ manager proceeds to berate us for moving the extra chair, and no we couldn't sit at the table for six bc we only had five people. (I would have left, but we were all pretty very hungry and had been in the road for a few hours). Overall the food was good, but my experience and respect had already been squished. The egg rolls were interesting the dipping sauce was very tasty. Nice light option. The southwest chicken quesadilla was also pretty flavorful. It needed a bit of a crunch element, but overall good. They also ended up bringing over an umbrella for the table. Fast service. Parking was a bit tricky, but we found a paid lot close by. read more

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Poor poor poor customer service. After meeting another customer there that worked at Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig I can't recall. I just remember because she had a dog similar to mine. After that the next few times I went in Alex ,the bartender was RUDE. A few weeks prior when I had been in he had been quite nice and even welcomed me to Chattanooga. Granted he said he was drunk because he had just come back from Atlanta from a concert(s). The last time I came in the guy didn't even speak he just put the check down and proceeded to turn the television several times for other people at the bar. Tacky. read more

Used to go here regularly for trivia night, which is a lot of fun in both large and small groups, service can be a hit or miss, I have experienced more misses unfortunately. I adore the outdoor seating area and how they allow dogs to be there. Food is pretty good, good portions and quality. There are a lot of options for cocktails. I recommend heading over on a nice day to sit outside. read more

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Visited on November 5th 2023. Food was good, service was ok. I got the bill and paid with my card. When I got my card back, they tried to slip in a "surcharge fee". I'm not opposed to surcharges in general, but they should be clearly stated somewhere prior to dining/paying. Trying to add a fee with no notice AFTER I give you my card feels scammy and borderline illegal. Definitely unethical at best. When I confronted the waiter about my issue, the best answer they could provide was, "The machine adds that charge automatically when I swipe the card". When I asked if it can be removed, I was told, "That's above my head." When the waiter walked off, he huffed and puffed and shook his head in an annoyed manner making me feel like I was an inconvenience for asking why I was being charged extra for nothing in return. Totally unacceptable. Won't be returning unless management clearly states a surcharge will be added. read more

This was a pretty cool place to hang out with friends, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy a warm sunny day, not too far from home. A group of us decided to drive down to Chattanooga for the day and do some sightseeing and getting away for the day. Michael and Lauren (a of friends) found Universal Joint on Yelp awhile back and had been here before. They really enjoyed it and wanted to eat here again. So I met them and another couple there and we enjoyed some amazing Brisket Nachos, some wings, and each of us had a burger. I had the smokehouse but added jalapeños and it was yummy. This place is an old gas station turned restaurant and bar with seating inside and out. We chose to sit outside where there must have been about 100 people and many with dogs. It was pretty cool. The food was good and the vibe was pretty cool. But there must have been a college nearby, because I've never seen so many young and older women in Lycra workout pants like this, anywhere in my life...it could have been used as an add to sell women's workout pants, if someone had wanted to film it...crazy. read more

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Great service, fun menu, right in the heart of the city. You should schedule your license registration renewal with a quick eat. Courthouse adjacent. Or a felon, come one come all was the vibe I caught. read more

Pretty good! The southwest chicken quesadilla was good. Everyone liked their food and the prices were reasonable. The building is pretty cool too. I think it is an old gas station. We enjoyed the outdoor seating. It took a bit longer than I would expect to get our food, but otherwise the service was good. Overall, it was a pleasant experience, and I would recommend coming here. read more

Universal Joint - Southwest Chicken Quesadilla. Tasty! - New American Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

If you're looking for a large, pet-friendly, patio on a gorgeous day... look no further! This is one of my favorites. It looks out onto a cute fountain in the square. Walking distance from the Walnut Street Bridge, and tucked away from the masses. Great spot for day drinking or a cute date night. Every time we go, we seem to always order the nachos. They're that good! Be careful with their margaritas... last time I got it, I'm not sure if there was any mix in it... just straight tequila. I appreciate the enthusiasm of the bar tender, but wow! After more mix was added, it was delicious. Good beer/liquor selection and a pretty large menu. Looking forward to going back soon! read more

Went there for edamame; they were Out! So disappointed. Had drinks and left. Their food is ok, but wanted edamame! read more

Was at Court house and was referred by all the ladies at the courthouse to universal joint. Stopped in and sat at bar for a quick lunch. Pictured dumplings were recommended by awesome bartender ( awesome local knowledge about liquor and beer, not to awesome music trivia lol we had some good laughs!) got the arugula salad with a protein of brisket!?!? Was awesome pro tip take remainder of dumplings dipping sauce and added to salad read more

Universal Joint - Starter of the day - New American Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

U.J. is a solid choice for lunch or casual dinner. Craft beer choices are plentiful. Lots of options for burgers, sandwiches, etc. My lunch was the Horseradish, Bacon Jam & Havarti Burger with Tots. Always with Tots. Good, juicy burger which was evident to everyone who looked at my shirt later in the day . Not a strong hint of horseradish at all. Bacon jam was nice touch. Tots are basic, nothing special, but tasty. Service is sometimes slow but always good. May have been a person down and the start of March Madness may have added a few to the lunch crowd with ample TVs around the bar. Provided just what I was looking for. Solid lunch and a TV on a basketball game to celebrate the start of the NCAA Tournament. read more

Universal Joint - Burger & Tots! - New American Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

I remember this being a service station years ago so it kept the look. I sat outside to eat and there were plenty of seats and also seating inside. All parking is street parking and during normal hours you have to use meter parking. Second time here and this time I sat outside. I have never been inside so can't comment on that. The service was fast and very good. Ordered a burger, fries, and a beer, and they were also very good. If you don't mind having dogs everywhere and coming up to you when you are trying to eat, then you will be fine. I personally found it irritating and while I love animals, I really would rather eat my meal without them. Bottom line is it is a good place for a "bar food" meal. I won't eat there again because of the dogs but that is just my preference. read more

We came to Chattanooga with another couple for the Amy Grant concert tonight. After the concert we stopped by this bar for a beer. ALEX was our server and I can't describe to you what an awesome young man he is and what a great ambassador he is for the bar. We are far older than their typical clientele but ALEX embraced us from the minute we walked in. He learned we were from out of town so he insisted on providing a list of good breakfast restaurants and gave us a fun history of the local restaurant/bar scene. If the owner/manager sees this review I hope he appreciates what this young man brings to the business!! A natural salesman!! Thanks ALEX for a great time!! read more

A converted gas station into a restaurant. How cool is that. They opened in August of 2013. People used to use the front of the building as a parking lot during River Bend. That was a couple years now you can't. Their parking lot is now for outside seating. Inside you will find a Chevy Bel Air door and several other features. For one thing they kept the two service station pull up doors where they will pull cars in to change oil and so forth. menu items ordered: Southern chicken salad sandwich, tator tots and sweet tea. The sandwich was great just what you expect out of chicken salad and it was definitely better than store bought. The tator tots are the best anywhere around. They cooked so perfectly well. They are crisp on the outside a cooked just right. I highly recommend them for your side instead of French fries. The sweet tea is southern style just the way I like it. So, here's your chance to eat at renovated service station into converted restaurant and be sure to get their tator tots. read more

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We ate here after a concert at the Memorial Auditorium. The smells coming from the restaurant lured us in. It is an old gas station which has been converted and part of the run down look is by design, however, it is also dirty and dingy. Flies and insects were in the windowsills and the bathrooms were nasty. This was prime time Friday night and I thought the place would be packed but there were only a few people eating here and there were several signs telling up to seat ourselves. We hesitated as we noticed these things but went ahead and decided to order. Our server took our orders, brought drinks and then we didn't see her again until she brought the check (someone else brought our food out to us). I ordered the Steinbeck burger which comes with jalapenos and pimento cheese. My hubby ordered the brisket Philly. The food was really good. The burger was juicy and the toppings added just the right combination of flavors. The fries were crunchy and well seasoned. The Philly had plenty of brisket and my husband really liked it. This is 4 star food but the lack of cleanliness and non-existent service, knocked it down to a 2 star for me. After the server brought the check, I immediately put my credit card in the holder and tried to hand it back but she was gone. We waited...and waited and finally ended up just finding enough cash to pay so we could leave. I don't think I will be back. There is nothing special enough about the food to make me return when there are so many other options in this area. read more

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We found ourselves at universal joint when Jefferson's was closed. It turned out to be a nice surprise! Everyone's food was really decent and service wasn't bad. I thought the menu layout was a little odd and there were no side options, and I like to always see what I can add. Overall, it was good experience and we will be back. read more

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Food was great and Alex was one of the best, and most helpful waiters we've ever had and we've been doing this for 40 years

I like pubs - especially when you can get good food. The ambience is great - an old auto repair shoppe that has been fixed up and transformed into something useful once again. Their selection of craft and local brews are well blended with some international and domestic offerings that means something for everyone. It also means you can try something every time and not be bored. Food-wise they have a great offering of appetizers including hummus, nachos, loaded fries, etc... I found the offering of appetizers a bit boring but to each their own. It would be great if they could craft something unique though and seem capable of it. Ok, burgers and sandwiches can be boring too, but when you do something well it doesn't matter and their food is perfectly prepared, delivered off the pass hot, and it pairs well with the beer and cocktail selections. Try their version of a Bloody Mary or their Pims Cup - their bartender tonight knows what they are doing. Give this place a go - it's a fantastic downtown location that isn't over priced or pretentious. read more

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Great service! Had the universal fries (fresh and hot), the U burger and the Texas cheesesteak melt. Everything was great! read more

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Service is awful every time! Staff is slow and tables are dirty.

This was my first time at Universal joint because my husband said it is a pretty good spot, my daughter and I were starving and we love trying new restaurants so we were excited to give it a go plus we had our dog with us and it is a dog friendly place... We get there and sit outside, wait for about 20 mins and no one has come to give us waters or even hand us menus, so I asked my husband to go ask inside if we need to order there or if a waiter will come, he was told someone would be out soon... we wait another 10 mins or so (already half an hour) and still nothing... at this point I'm already upset and very disappointed so we decided to order at the bar, have it "to go" and eat it outside... that's the only thing that worked. Horrible, horrible extremely poor service, not one person ever came out to us. Then I ordered the horseradish bacon' jam with havarti burger and got Swiss and mushrooms... I was so hungry I ate it but on top of not getting any service at all... I get my order wrong!!!??!?! Come on!! I would always give places with not so great food a second chance but never to a place that has poor service... customers make your business!! Take care of them!! Safe to say I will not go back and do not recommend it. Extremely disappointed. read more

are server Gavin was great. made it a enjoyable time for everyone, food was fantastic, and the enviroment was amazing

This was my first time at Universal Joint, and it was a good experience! Our waiter was super friendly and a really cool guy. It was a little hot inside the restaurant, but nothing too bad. I decided to get the chicken quesadilla and it was okay, but what was amazing, were the tater tots!!! Those were sooo good! I'd go back for the tots. Haha! I know their known for their burgers, so I'll have to try one out next time I go! read more

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