Hail Fellow Well Met — Restaurant in Johnson

What an unnecessarily complicated customer experience! For reference, our party’s intent was to eat brunch while enjoying coffee (quite simple in our minds), but come to find out, a very sophisticated decision matrix must be used in order to get this accomplished.

Patio tables on the side of the restaurant are reserved for “work or study”, so don’t sit there if you expect to receive service. The unspoken expectation is to check in at what we ultimately determined was a completely useless front desk for a 10 minute monologue on how they expect you to proceed with your visit which goes something as follows: 1) if you’d like to order a certain set of menu items, you must set a “reservation” which essentially gives you the right to sit down at a table (sans a waiter, drinks, silverware, etc.); or 2) if you want to enjoy coffee or alcohol only, you’ll be instructed to wander to the opposite side of the restaurant to place an order at the outdoor bar (but come to find out only a select set of alcoholic or coffee beverages are available at the bar, so you receive the next set of instructions to either go back to the front desk or the inside counter to place a coffee order). After those instructions, we proceeded inside to place a coffee order but then were told halfway through our wait in line that we should actually just go back to the front desk to order said coffee, so we followed those orders and did so. One star of my review is earned from the coffee coming out as-ordered.

Once your “reserved” table is ready, you’re sat down with a clipboard, one menu, and a pencil and then left to your own devices. Once you determine what you’d like to order, you’re expected to proceed back inside to the line that you were previously instructed to wait in for coffee to submit and pay for your entire party’s order. If someone back at the table wanted something that the restaurant ends up not being able to make, you must lose your place in line, go back to the table to ask that person in your party what they’d prefer instead, then back inside and re-enter the end of the line. Once this is all sorted and your order is finally placed, you then go back to your table with an order number sign and wait for your food to be delivered. While you wait, you must get your own water, silverware, etc. Food came out as-ordered (second star earned), but dishes weren’t particularly tasty or filling. Went to McD after our visit to fill the void.

All told, the ambiance was cool, the coffee was good, the food was ok, and the business/customer interaction model is entirely unnecessary and complex. The staff was a bit condescending when we described our confusion and proceeded to explain how common and intuitive the model is in bigger cities - Arkansans just haven’t caught on yet (helpful). The front desk staff would be much better used as waiters if they used the traditional sit down, eat, then leave approach, but maybe the confusing, unnecessary, and complex process is part of “the experience”. Likely won’t be back although we hope that other common folk Arkansans are capable of...

The staff at this establishment are fantastic, and I truly appreciated the serene ambiance when it was solely a coffee shop. The coffee, though slightly pretentious, was of high quality and consistently good. The snack and finger food options were enjoyable, albeit small in portion size and somewhat overpriced.

Recently, we returned around 1:30 PM, intending to sit down and work, but were informed that they now only accept reservations for brunch and dinner. While this was a minor inconvenience, we found alternative locations to work. Later, I booked a dinner for two, hoping to experience a delightful night out.

We began our meal with an appetizer of bread with pork fat. Unfortunately, the bread was hard and the pork fat lacked flavor, prompting us to add salt. Even just the butter by itself provided a better accompaniment for the bread. For our entrees, I ordered the beef cheek ($40) which, while the sauce was tasty, the rest didn't quite live up to the price tag due to its small portion size. The accompanying mushroom-based sauce was overly salty, though it did add a nice touch to the dish in moderation. The side of quinoa, while visually appealing, was rather bland.

My partner selected the Adobo-Yogurt Jidori Chicken ($34), which was also served in small portions and lacked any distinctive qualities beyond its elegant presentation. In essence, it was a simple chicken dish that left us underwhelmed.

It seems that the restaurant has shifted its focus to creating Instagram-worthy dishes, prioritizing visual appeal over taste. The menu utilizes sophisticated language and premium ingredients to suggest a Michelin-star experience, but the execution falls short. Ultimately, our meal totaled around $200, a sum we would have been content with if the experience hadn't been so disappointing.

If the portions were 25% larger and the prices halved, the value might be more justifiable. However, unless you're seeking a crowded, noisy, and uncomfortable setting to spend 1-2 hours and are willing to pay $75-100 per person for a less-than-satisfying meal, I wouldn't recommend this place. But if your goal is simply to showcase an extravagant dish and an impressive receipt on your Instagram to impress your followers, then this establishment might be...

Finally going to experience Hail Fellow Well Met was overall a good experience.

Pros: the food was delicious & highly unique; I got the "Toast," which was jammy egg, an avocado/sesame spread + some other nice touches this atmosphere slam-dunks it! Great outdoor & indoor spaces. We sat on the patio, as it is a rare cool, dry day in NWA today! The shade is everywhere here. Being a dog lover, I enjoyed seeing an extremely well-behaved little Chihuahua sitting with skin parents at the table! Meanwhile, a large Golden Retriever was likewise on the patio :) the bathroom set-up was great; the two toilets are in separate rooms, with the hand-washing station outside them. This way, the line doesn't back-up.

Cons: you've got to know I'm in my mid-60s before you read this; being here was so so different than being at a "local Fayetteville restaurant;" this is a place for Gen Z & younger Millenials - from the "order at the counter" phenomenon to individuals sitting by themselves talking on their phones. you have to ask for everything you need here after you order & go to sit down; my dining partner's food came out 10 minutes before mine, she was served cold coffee (for hot coffee) & had to go to the bar to get it reheated & I got my meal with no napkin or utensils. the bill blew my mind; there's an "employee benefits" charge of 7.5% + tax of 10.75% = 19.3%. Then you leave a tip, which makes the tip + extra charges equal 28% of your food charge; again, I'm an older person & find this weirdly interesting; restaurant owners do not pay employee benefits; they've passed it onto guests; it would have been nice to have a small business-sized card explaining this up-front by the register. It means I can't afford to eat out much. For younger people, I guess this is now the norm, so future generations will be used to it. Three years later, COVID has hastened what would've normally been an organic change in 15 years.

For us & me, HFWM will be a "special treat," rather than a "regular spot." You'll enjoy it, especially if you're on the...