Smash Restrobar — Restaurant in Dover

My fiancé and I visited for the first time tonight to get drinks and apps. We sat at the bar and ordered 16 oz draft beers. My fiancé’s has a summer shandy which was $8.25, which we thought was steep for 16 oz. We asked about their recommendations about dishes ideal for sharing. Our bartender was working her first shift solo, so she was not sound with many recommendations yet. She asked another server and he recommended and described the chorizo and cheese flatbread. It sounded really appetizing, so we thanked him for his recommendation and then talked between the two of us about our decision. We didn’t speak with another server for approximately 20 minutes. The new bartender was slammed with drink orders from various tables and she finally received some help from another employee after 5+ minutes of being overwhelmed with making drinks. A number of employees had passed us as they walked behind the bar, but no one seemed interest in lending a hand to their stressed coworker. The hostess at one point sat at the bar, 3 or 4 seats down from us and began video chatting with someone who appeared to be watching a toddler. The audio was on speaker phone and rather loud, in my personal opinion that is a very unprofessional choice. Granted, this was shortly after 8pm, so it’s possible the hostess just ended her shift. We decided against ordering food because of how long we had waited already. The bartender recognized the service was less and ideal, and she was very apologetic. I hold nothing against her; however, what truly disappointed me was the lack of urgency the staff as a whole showed toward us as customers. Leaving us unattended for 20 minutes with only placing a drink order seems negligent. Ultimately it lead to the restaurant missing out on a sale and most likely future business. I hope your visit will be better...

WOW!!! What a gem. My wife Beth and I are blessed to travel a fair bit and we make it a very intentional effort to try locally owned and unusual establishments. El Papas, the previous occupant of this building was my favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. When they closed, I just didn't go back.... until tonight. My only regret is that I waited so long. The menu is like a journey across several regions, with original twists to classic dishes. The flavors are SPOT ON. We started with carnitas tacos, then lobster mac&cheese, then shrimp tacos with the fish taco toppings, then the wagyu slider sampler and a single parmesan crusted scallop.

Every single item was exceptional, even if the carnitas was just a touch too spicy for beth (I ordered two more to take home for lunch). The lobster mac&cheese was the best version of that dish i've ever had. Big bits of lobster that paired with the 5 cheese blend unlike any ive tasted. The sliders were great and that scallop was a delicious and unique preparation that was cooked to perfection.

And Kinsey, our server was perfect in her knowledge of the menu, recommendations and service.

I will be back, and I will be back often. There is not a menu like this anywhere in the area. Similar, and very favorable, comparisons could be made to Table 6 and Twisted Olive in Canton. Tusc. County foodies do not want to miss this place.

Edit: back again a week later, Kinsey immediately recognized us and welcomed us to our seat. Tried more carnitas tacos (addicting), pot pie (only thing I haven't been crazy about), chili which was very unique, flatbread which was simply PHENOMENAL, and more...

Edit: I’ve gone back a couple times since my initial visit and I’ve got to say that I’ve had a many disappointing visits. There is absolutely no consistency in the kitchen. Sometimes I’ll order something and it will be so great! The next time I order it and it isn’t edible. The service can be hit or miss, too. Once we went in and ordered the alligator bites and not only did the server drop some on the table (okay, an accident) but they were underdone as well—like really underdone. We told him we didn’t want them because of that and he did not offer to replace them or take them off the bill. As someone who was a server and bartender for many years it’s standard operating procedure to make sure the customer doesn’t pay for something they didn’t eat or came out wrong (or dropped on the table for that matter). It’s just been overall disappointing to see such an amazing menu and venue be executed so poorly at times. I really wanted to love this place, but I find myself questioning myself when I want to go. Is it really worth the gamble at the prices they charge? Get the consistency down and you’ll have a loyal customer. Until then, I’ll be thinking twice before I come back in.

Original review: Cocktails by, appetizers, and entrees were all fantastic! I'm obessed! You do have to wait a little bit for your food to get done, but trust me--they are using that time wisely to make your food incredible. Service was great, too. Cannot...