The Xperience Kitchen + Lounge — Restaurant in Little Rock

I love patronizing Black owned businesses. I’ll start w/ the website & go from there. The website states a dress code, no problem. The problem is when I arrived, employees were adorned in the very thing they stressed no tolerance for.. hoodies. Actually, I was surprised at the extremely casual attire, gym shoes included. Menu: I was surprised at the number of fried food options. I had guests from out of town & was eager to share ‘The eXperience for the 1st time. We chose ‘fried’ pork chops, greens, mac & cheese, cornbread, ‘fried’ shrimp tacos & fries. Drinks, while I wanted sweet tea ( they don’t offer it). Hmm.. never been to a ‘black establishment’ that didn’t serve tea. Ok, lemonade it is. My guests ordered alcoholic drinks. The pork chops had a nice appearance; HOWEVER, they were extremely over fried. They could not be cut w/ the very thin knife. ( Go ole skol, pick that baby up & bite into it). The shrimp was also over fried, but the overall flavor was good. The greens were decent, the mac & cheese, sumin was missing, but they were ok, very small portions. Unfortunately, the cornbread was the best item served. Our server Dazani was pleasant. The atmosphere is nice, not sure it was the best choice to have all high top tables, but ok. I was confused with the channel the TV was on, professional poker players. Oh & the owners were present but did not make an attempt to stop by and say anything… to us. Oh & the final surprise was the restaurant automatically added 18% gratuities… not cool! Summary: I had The eXperience, I can say I went....

Went with a small group of 9 people, 3 solo, and 3 couples for a birthday party. The place tries to give off the same vibe like a spot I went to in Miami and have seen in NY and ATL, you know with the big fake grass wall. The food was great, usual extremely small portions. My rice came in a dipping sauce container, another the two people that ordered asparagus got 3 to 5 over cooked shriveled up pieces. They have a pasta dish that was $12 and the protein options for the dish added another $15 to $18. The kitchen messed up my girlfriend's entree, in which she got her's almost 20 minutes after we've all started eating. Then there's our server, I'm not to waited on hand and foot, but it would've been to nice to get my beverage refilled without having to press the little cube on the table and waiting 15 minutes just ask for a refill. Then there was the check situation oh boy! They really lost me as a return customer there, the check wasn't even correct we got changed for extra items and fun fact don't split the check for our table. You know 3 couples and 3 people flying solo,we had to breakdown each other's individual portion of the bill and send the cash to person that invited us out, nothing like having to use your calculator to breakdown a check between 3 couples and 3 solos with an automatic gratuity. With how bad the service was there that night, how we had to keep pressing the little cube for some of the basics. No thanks! This was something that I don't want to...

My experience at Xperience Kitchen + Lounge left much to be desired. Walking in with high expectations for what I assumed would be an upscale black establishment, I was met with disappointment from the get-go. I was met with delayed acknowledgement and service.

Opting to sit at the bar while waiting for my table, I found it shocking that no one greeted me or even acknowledged my presence. It was as if I was invisible, left to wonder if anyone would eventually attend to me. The lack of basic hospitality was disheartening; not a single staff member bothered to say, "I'll be with you in a moment," or "How can I help you?"

Furthermore, when I attempted to inquire about my reservation, some staff members seemed unsure about the process, leaving me feeling uneasy about the organization of the restaurant. To make matters worse, I was informed that I couldn't make a reservation in person, which struck me as odd for an establishment of this caliber.

While I can't speak to the quality of the food or the ambiance, as I ultimately decided to dine elsewhere due to the lackluster service, I can confidently say that the initial impression left a sour taste in my mouth. Hospitality is key in the restaurant industry, and unfortunately, Xperience Kitchen + Lounge fell short in this aspect. Hopefully, they can address these issues to provide a better experience for...