Junto — Restaurant in Bentonville

UPDATE

I believe in giving credit where it’s due. I recently had an opportunity to speak with management and want to express my appreciation for the conversation. Many organizations overlook the importance of the ‘voice of the customer,’ but this team demonstrated accessibility and openness to feedback, allowing concerns to be addressed in a constructive way.

This commitment to maintaining a feedback loop with patrons is commendable, and it has inspired me to update my review to reflect the progress being made. Thank you again, and we look forward to our next experience. While progress may be incremental, it’s still progress—and, as they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day!

Not Worth It!

As someone from a big city, I know what a proper dining experience should feel and taste like—and this was far from it. While the food itself was exceptional—especially for Bentonville—the portions were waaaaaaaay too small to justify the exorbitant prices. If you’re going to charge NYC prices, you need to provide a NYC-level experience. We left hungry and I just wasn’t willing to spend more for such small dishes even at the appetizer level - I saw a dinner plate and I just said to myself no way!

From the moment I walked in, things felt off. I was greeted with, “Is there something I can help y’all with?” Are you kidding me? Here’s a suggestion for the proper greeting, in case anyone reads this review:

“Good evening and welcome to Junto! Would you be dining in or ordering takeout this evening? Dining in? Great, it’s a pleasure to have you! Have you dined with us before? No… Welcome! Or Welcome back; we’re glad to have you again! How many guests in your party? Two…Wonderful. Do you have a seating preference? No… Excellent. We had Alex last time is he here? Oh, yes! you had Alex as your waiter last time… Let me coordinate a table in Alex’s section, and [insert hostess’s name] will seat you shortly. Enjoy your evening, and please don’t hesitate to let us know if there’s anything we can do to make your visit exceptional.”

Instead, there were three people at the front who I assumed were hosts, but they clearly had no idea what they were doing. They didn’t even dress the part. At 5 PM, we were told there were no tables available because everything was reserved for the next 30 minutes, yet the restaurant was mostly empty. They offered us a seat at the sushi bar, only to later say, “Oh, we can get you a table.” Why wasn’t that an option in the first place?

When we were finally seated, the service was painfully slow. It felt like an eternity before our drinks and food arrived, despite the restaurant being far from full. The lack of coordination and urgency was frustrating and completely soured the experience.

The food itself and our server, Alex (who was exceptional), were the only saving graces. Unfortunately, the rest of the experience felt disorganized and cheap under all the pretense. You can dress up a pig, but at the end of the day, it’s still a pig. I won’t be back.

On top of all that, there’s no parking lot for either the hotel or the restaurant. The design is absolutely ridiculous—unless you want to pay $30 for valet parking. I ended up walking a couple of blocks, which wasn’t a dealbreaker, but it felt unnecessary for the price point.

Honestly, I could go on, but I’ll stop here. It’s Bentonville, after all. Restaurants here just don’t measure up in any manner but one thing for sure they all charge big...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An Unforgettable Culinary Experience at Junto

From the moment we walked into Junto, we were enveloped in an atmosphere that was both elegant and intimate—the kind of fine dining experience that makes you feel special the second you step inside. The low lighting and refined yet welcoming ambiance set the perfect tone for a romantic pre-Valentine’s Day dinner.

But what truly set this evening apart was the impeccable service, led by our amazing waitress, Brooke. From the start, she made it clear that since we were celebrating, she would ensure our night was extra special—and she absolutely delivered.

To start, I had a Lychee Martini, which was refreshing, decadent, and beautifully balanced. It was the perfect prelude to the unbelievable meal that followed. We ordered several dishes, including the Yellowtail Capriccio—which was absolutely mind-blowing, with delicate hints of orange that elevated the flavor profile. The Salmon Lemon was just as exceptional—light, refreshing, and cooked to perfection.

Now, I have to highlight something personal: I am not a sushi person. But I decided to step out of my comfort zone for my wife, Sugar, who has been wanting me to try real sushi for a long time. Let me tell you—this was a transcendent experience. The sushi was so incredibly fresh, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth perfect that I couldn’t even wrap my mind around the explosion of flavors. The balance of textures, the aroma, the delicate craftsmanship—it was nothing short of heavenly. Brooke guided us through the menu and hand-selected dishes for us to try, each one a masterpiece.

Beyond the food, the customer service was next level. At one point, a few drops of soy sauce landed on my coat from a neighboring table. Before I could even think about it, Brooke immediately brought a cleaning solution and gently blotted it for me. Later, the manager personally came over to offer complimentary dry cleaning—an incredible gesture that truly spoke to their attention to detail and commitment to guest experience. I declined, but the fact that they even offered? That’s five-star service.

To top off the night, they surprised us with a complimentary dessert, a perfect way to end an already flawless experience.

If you’re in Bentonville and looking for a restaurant that delivers not just exquisite food but also world-class service, Junto is the place to go. And if you’re lucky enough to have Brooke as your server, you are in for an absolute treat. She was cheerful, knowledgeable, and truly made our night unforgettable.

Junto is incredibly lucky to have her, and we will absolutely be returning for another magical evening.

💯 Highly, highly...

I was really excited to try Junto after seeing so many positive reviews, but unfortunately my experience left a bad taste.

My boyfriend and I made a reservation in advance and upon entering were met with a hostess blankly staring who said nothing. We said we had a reservation for 2, and she told us to stand aside while she helped others who were scattered about the entry. We thought whoops maybe we skipped a line? But nothing had been said to any of the other patrons standing around either until we approached the front desk.

Once we were seated, we were helped by a waitress named Dylan. We received no information about the menu or drinks, and when we asked questions we were met with what felt like impatience. Dinner was ordered with, “So…what’s for dinner guys?” We repeatedly tried to make conversation, ask questions, and said thank you for everything—no more than 60 seconds at a time were spent at our table so we’re really scratching our heads as to why it felt that we were an inconvenience to serve.

Getting to the food, we ordered the Baja California roll and Rainbow Forest. Both were lukewarm. Under no circumstance am I a sushi connoisseur, but I’ve never had raw fish served lukewarm and hope to not experience that again. We couldn’t finish the 8 piece rolls we ordered.

We traveled to NWA to see family from Dallas so the pricing seemed similar enough to what we typically pay at a nicer spot, but for the overall experience and service, we won’t be back. We left feeling like we were a burden as customers for simply being there, and nothing was said to...