I just returned from lunch at Tugs, the casual restaurant at the River Inn hotel in Harbor Town. There’s also a fine dining restaurtant, Currents.
Tugs, like Gaul, is divided into three parts. There’s a bar directly opposite the entrance. To the right, around a corner, is a smallish dining room, to the left, at a slight angle, is another bar with a few tables. The dining room part is attractive, with windows on two sides and framed photographs of Mississippi River steam boats and barges. Why, though, is there a television suspended high in one corner? Isn’t the TV set in the bar enough?
The menu focuses on typical bar-and-grill fare, mainly appetizers and sandwiches with a modest roster of entrees.
A Caesar salad was pretty standard, though the addition of tiny white anchovies was a nice idea. Gumbo is the all-ingredients-variety, with shrimp, crawfish, chicken, pieces of sausage and okra. Purists may object to this eclectic approach, but it was tasty, needing only a bit more spice to give it heat and pep. Fried oysters felt burdened by too much crisp crust; a delicate touch would have been beneficial.
A giant juicy burger with Swiss cheese, bacon and sauteed mushrooms presented large, meaty flavors and was cooked to medium rare as requested. The only drawback here was that the tomato slices, just taken from the refrigerator, were cold to the touch; let’s serve those things at room temp, please!
Creme brulee was delicious, creamy indeed but with a good, slightly stiff texture and a nicely scorched top. The espresso is good too.
Tugs is open from 11 a.m. until late every day. Call 260-3333. To see menus for Tugs and Currents, visit riverinnmemphis.com.
First Bites
Responses to “First Bite: Tugs”
January 15th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Just what Memphis needs another place where the dinner entrees are all mostly north of $30.00. Is it me, or can you eat a good meal for under $50.00 a head in town now days? I do not mean asian or Thai I am talking good regional food well prepared in a nice atmostphere.
January 15th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Mike, you’re referring to Currents, the fine-dining (though we’ll be the judge of that) restaurant at the River Inn. Tugs is casual and much cheaper.
January 16th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
I have dined at both restaurants. TUGS- My burger was extremely overcooked, which was sad because i was craving a juicy burger. Also it came on a very cheap bun. The server actually appologized about the bun when she brought it to the table. She explained that there chef and sous chef had both been let go in the previous week. (Something for fredric to look into, considering its brand new.)CURRENTS- I had the corn and truffle soup which lacked flavor and most importantly salt. Corn being not a winter item, it seemed and tasted like it was made with frozen corn. Why that would pair with truffle, im not sure.
Trio of Kurabota pork- which is the pork equivalent of kobe beef- was the reason i went. I expected slightly fatty, and delicious. The loin had been cooked, sliced and then regrilled leaving it dry and flavorless, slightly tough. The cheeks were good, but they are braised and did not come out hot. The belly was simply seared, typically braised, so it was like eating raw unsmoked bacon. This was an unfortunate let down for me, considering the menu read very well. I hope they can trun it around under the reign of a new chef. Im suprised because it was my understanding they had purchased a very top dollar chef, and relocated him to memphis. Its a cute place, but is lacking “pop” in most aspects. Im not sure if both restaurants will survive being across teh street from each other, and the lack of compression on mudd island. Maybe ambitious to buid two restaurants. If we go off our history, tuggs will survive and currents will become more guest rooms.I will try it again in six months to see. Menu oddly enough resembles another restaurant in a nearby hotel….hmmmm????
January 18th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Mike - in regard to your post- give Shalom Bistro and Bakery ( Quince and Kirby )a try for dinner- excellent chef in place for the eveing meal!
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