@ The Corner Diner- Little Rock — Restaurant in Little Rock

Review of "@ The Corner Diner"

I recently had breakfast at "@ The Corner Diner" in Little Rock, and unfortunately, my experience was quite disappointing. Let me elaborate on the various aspects that fell short of expectations.

To begin with, the ordering process was cumbersome. Despite having a seemingly large staff, there was no table service. Customers had to order and pay at the counter, which wouldn't be an issue at a more casual establishment like Waffle House. However, considering the price of around $15 per entree, I expected a higher level of service. Even basic amenities like getting a soft drink required self-service, which was disappointing.

The quality of alcoholic beverages was also subpar. I ordered a screwdriver, which arrived poorly mixed, resulting in warm orange juice and vodka with ice cubes. Normally, drinks are either stirred or shaken to achieve a consistent blend, but this drink seemed hastily combined and served. Furthermore, the alcohol content was hardly noticeable, suggesting an inadequate proportion of alcohol to mixer. Diluting and cooling the drink with the ice cubes would have helped, but this was not done properly. I also tried the peach mimosa, but the sweetness of the orange juice clashed with the peach champagne. Either a drier champagne or less orange juice would have been a better choice.

Moving on to the food, I opted for the shrimp and grits. Unfortunately, the grits were a major letdown. The texture was coarse and lumpy, making them unappetizing. Additionally, the gravy accompanying the dish had an unpleasant taste, reminiscent of vomit or bile, possibly due to overcooking. The shrimp themselves were okay in size, but the fact that the tail shell was left intact was a poor decision. Eating deep-fried shrimp with the shell intact is acceptable, but in a dish like shrimp and grits, it makes for a messy experience, forcing diners to dirty their hands with lumpy grits.

Regrettably, my partner's breakfast burrito wasn't any better. All the ingredients were mixed together and smothered in sauce and cheese. A more enjoyable eating experience would have been achieved if the ingredients were layered, providing distinct textures and flavors, instead of being mushed together in a cheese gravy.

Moreover, the overall pricing left much to be desired. Two alcoholic beverages, two coffees, and two entrees totaling over $60 before tip is quite steep, especially considering the disappointing quality of the food and drinks.

In conclusion, I cannot recommend "@ The Corner Diner" based on my experience. The lack of service, poorly mixed drinks, unappealing grits, and subpar breakfast burrito all contributed to a regrettable meal. Additionally, the pricing was disproportionate to the quality provided. I would rate my experience at 1 out of 5 and will not be returning...

Food is mediocre at best, service is terrible. Our experience was not even close to pleasant. I didn't catch the employee's name but she was extremely rude from start to finish. "Management" was even worse. Instead of taking my feedback as an opportunity for training, growth, and improvement, she chose to blame the customer. An extremely lazy, amateur, and unprofessional tactic used instead of taking responsibility.

The Service: The woman taking our order was rude and difficult. She asked us what table we wanted to sit at and every table we chose she had a reason why we couldn't sit there. After four attempts, I asked her to just pick a table for us. We were met with same frustration for any question about the menu. After speaking to another employee, a very nice young gentleman, we moved to an outside table and also asked to speak to a manager. Not to "Karen" (the bill was settled and the food was on the way), but to make them aware that they have a potential training opportunity. We were told there wasn't a manager but that there was a restaurant down the street owned by the same people. I felt it was done at this point and just wanted to enjoy my food. Instead, the frustrating employee brought us our food but her stomach was out and touching the plate of my friend's food. She had her button down shirt tied above her waste and her stomach was hanging out over her pants. I'm not shaming here, but food service employees are required to wash their hands, I doubt she was keeping her stomach clean before it touched my friend's potatoes. Again, we just wanted to be done and he didn't want their overcooked potatoes anyway, so we set to eat our food and leave.

The Food: Some of it was decent. I enjoyed the biscuit, the bacon, and the eggs. However, the grits were more of a mashed potato consistency and was over sugared. There was a ton of sugar in the butter of all things. And the parfait was covered in a red syrup that looked extremely unpleasant and again, over sugared an already very sugary dish.

The Manager: Once we were a block up the street, a redish blonde haired woman in a black pant suit was yelling at us so we stopped and let her catch up to find out what she wanted. She did not have a neutral or positive look about her. She clearly had a negative affect. She asked "You were looking for a manager?" ... I explained exactly what happened with the frustrating employee and even added "It's done we just want to go about our day" and she resolved "It sounds like this just isn't the place for you." LMAO I mean, she was right, we'll never be back and would never recommend anyone but the health department go there, but instead of seeing an opportunity for feedback and improvement, she wanted to turn it around on the customer. Just a lazy and amateur tactic to avoid...

I’m writing this review after our weekend in Little Rock. My husband and I keep discussing our experience @ The Corner Diner and I can’t stop thinking about the brunch poutine with chicken added.

You know when you walk in to a place and just feel something? This place felt like love…and smelled like butter. (In the best way possible).

We arrived at 9:30 on a Sunday morning. The line was outside of the door. You were to order and then be seated. The wait staff hustled to get tables cleared and guests seated. While we were initially worried that we wouldn’t be seated, we had ordered and been directed to a table within 30 minutes. Trust their system, they know what they’re doing.

We had a croissant and a blueberry muffin, both of which were warmed up prior to serving. They were delicious. The muffin did have a blueberry drizzle, which my picky husband was unaware of and ate around, but I thought was a perfect addition. The brunch poutine was literally the best dish I’ve ever eaten. I can’t even think of a way to describe it. The seasoned potatoes held their crispness throughout the dining experience and were perfectly seasoned with a secret mix, which I purchased separately to bring home. (I’ve since put it on every dish I’ve made for the last three days). The cheese curds are “squeaky” cheese - which is important in a poutine dish, IYKYK. The egg was cooked to perfection, as seen in the picture. The flavors of the gravy are unbelievable. My husband loved the thick bacon and said his pancakes were delicious…though, I couldn’t hear him very clearly over the “mmmms” that I made with each bite.

I’ve searched local menus for a comparative brunch dish and it doesn’t exist. I’d easily travel the 7 hours to Little Rock, just...