DRAFT + TABLE — Restaurant in North Little Rock

FIRST VISIT (3 days after opening):

Our server Renee was an absolute champion. Warm, friendly, and knowledgeable service and happy to share recommendations.

On this trip we tried "The Wally" (walleye sandwich), the "Spirit of America" burger, and the Armadillo Eggs appetizer (jalapeño stuffed with cream cheese, then wrapped in sausage and topped with blackberry cream).

The Wally sandwich: fish was cooked well, nice and flaky, good temperature. The garlic mayo and bacon jalapeño slaw were pretty bland though, which was surprising. The fries were nice and hot and super crispy.

The burger: standard burger, cooked properly.

Armadillo Eggs: not the most appetizing plating visually, but the sausage was DELICIOUS and nicely cooked and seasoned. The peppers had that great jalapeño flavor with just a touch of heat. I was personally a little disappointed that the filling was just plain cream cheese. A little extra seasoning in the cream cheese would have taken these from good to amazing.

The draft beer selection was top notch. Lots of Arkansas local stuff as well as some good offerings from around the country. We only tried a couple cocktails, but they were decent.

This review was written only a few days after they opened, so definitely a few kinks to work out, but overall excited to return and here's hoping they become a staple of Argenta's food culture!

SECOND VISIT (a week after opening):

Our server Kayla was an all star with the great suggestions, great service, and all around great vibe.

On this trip we tried the following apps: Chicken Fried Mushrooms, Reuben Rolls, and a bowl of French Onion Soup. The mushrooms were crispy with a flavorful white gravy and well seasoned. The soup was solid. The reuben rolls stole the show. I'd go back just for another round of those reuben rolls.

For entrees we tried: Italian Beef Sandwich, Fried Half Chicken, and the New York Strip steak. The sandwich was flavorful on a nice crispy baguette. The steak itself was phenomenal, one of the best I've had in town... the only negative was the plating was a little lackluster for a $40 entree, and the broccoli cheese orzo was a bit bland. I'm no chef, but it just seems like to my peasant's palate it'd be a lot prettier plate if the steak was plated on top of the orzo with the mushrooms on top and a nice green garnish to bring it all together.

But forget everything I just said, the half fried chicken was INCREDIBLE. I'd eat that every day until I died. Crispy, well seasoned, hot, juicy, on a bed of well seasoned mash that was just the right amount of mashed.

We tried more draft beers which were all great, and a few more cocktails which were overall good. While the first trip was good, the second trip was better. Can't wait for the third!

April 27, 2024 Update - pretty disappointing experience :(

Something was definitely off tonight. Servers and host both just seemed lost, we went around 8pm and maybe 1/4 of the tables were occupied, but they still didn't seem to have enough staff to cover. Some of the same dishes we've tried in the past came out kind of sloppy, and the drinks weren't great. The HVAC system also didn't seem to be functioning properly as it was actually hotter and more humid inside the restaurant than outside. If this had been my only experience I'd probably never be back, but having had some good experiences here before I'm hoping it was just a one-off. Still... lack of consistency is usually what leads to...

I wouldn't recommend a friend to come here. Perhaps they've had high turnover but the servers seemed to be fairly lost

The beer: I've seen a lot of comments about their local beer selection and despite having several breweries literally a block away they didn't keep a single one on tap. The servers didn't know what was on the menu and we weren't provided one which turned into an experience of us watching them scroll a tablet.

The food: I ordered the duck kota and honestly it was just an unmemorable dish. Not particularly flavorful and a bit dry. I wouldn't expect a ~28 dollar dish to change my entire opinion of canard, but I would at least expect it to be something I would recommend for someone to order. My spouse ordered the Braised Rabbit Ragu, says it was tasty but left the restaurant with some stomach pains.

The facilities: The bathroom nearest us didn't have running water. Super strange experience but these things can be out of our control, but for whatever reason the staff didn't put an out of order sign on after being told and seemed to already know this was an issue. Patrons don't appreciate having to walk through the restaurant with soapy or gods forbid soiled hands in order to get to a functioning sink.

Staff: Certainly polite. The only comments were that they need additional training. Also that fact isn't something I hold the staff accountable for. That's a management issue and something management needs to put effort into in order to create the type of experience that they envision. Little things like not reaching over plates of food, bringing extra silverware for the rest of the party when they arrive, etc. There were maybe 4 tables full in the whole restaurant when I arrived and it took quite a while to get an order in. Wouldn't want to see a busy night if that's how the restaurant normally operates.

Atmosphere: The owner has taste. The look of the restaurant is beautiful and well thought out. The silverware is very VERY finely polished. Overall it feels like the owners only invested in an aesthetic storefront and not in a venue / experience that I would recommend as of this time. I would give it 2 stars if it weren't for the...

My GOD the chicken

They don't have pancakes, which my kids were very upset about (that being about the only thing they'll eat at Brunch), but said tiny terrors were willing to compromise on a waffle from the chicken and waffles.

They mostly ate the waffle, leaving me with... the chicken.

How do I describe the chicken? Perfectly moist, flavorful all the way through, with the thinnest, lightly herbed, crispy golden dream. It might as well have been edible tissue paper. I've never had chicken like that, and WOW do I want more!

Our service from the front greeter right on through the manager who checked in on us was exceptional. Our server in particular was amazing, and the bartender seemed to know exactly how to do everything right without being asked.

For example, we got orange juice for our two kids. Most restaurants will just casually bring a massive styrofoam cup of orange juice that could cover an entire table of adults. We usually order one and split it ourselves between two cups for the kids (often adding some water too). Here though, our single order came as two smaller glasses about half-full, absolutely perfect for two kids under five. That was done without any of us asking, and it was perfect.

Add to that I mentioned that I would be sharing my chicken and waffles with the kids, and they just threw in an extra waffle - again, without me asking, and I really needed that! Bonus, they brought out an adorable tiny pitcher of syrup for each individual person eating waffles. That was a big hit with my 5 year old daughter, but it also looked as cool as it was practical.

For anyone familiar with the space, I do miss the Irish pub that used to be there. The new space has removed all of the interior walls, added a ton more windows, and done a terrific job with the outdoor seating. It's a beautiful space, and it's a better use of the corner lot than what used to be there!

*Cross-post from Yelp

*My ONLY ding is they had basically no vegetarian options. There are some salads, but...