The Lost Wombat — Restaurant in North Wilkesboro

Sunday 8-31 visit after a day at local orchard. Early, maybe 530 pm. Very few tables inside had customers while there were some folks outside. Was a little more than "few" minutes before waitress asked us our seating preference (in) and we were told could pick our table. Had 5 to seat (3 adults 2 kids). Tables seat 4 and had to pull a chair from nearby table myself - not hard just if they weren't busy why did they want me to do it? No menus on table and quite a bit of time went by and finally I go up and had to ask for a menu. Was told they would get some from another table (but there were none laid out or I would have gotten them myself). After watching her greet another couple and direct another to the outside tables she remembered and brought 3 menus for the 5 of us (both children are able to read and one always orders from adult menu). Again - only two other tables occupied at the time. The couple that came in while I was asking for the menues got menues when they were seated and were able to order before we were even asked what drinks we wanted. When waitress arrived to get drinks I explained we were ready to order. Order was complex in that no two were the same.... grilled cheese, chicken strips, cheeseburger (pink), grilled shrimp, and filet mignon med rare. Then came the wait, and the wait, and the wait. Maybe they heard my wife say we would wait another 15 min and then would leave....Tables ordered, were served and finished and left before our meal came out. It was NOT busy. No explaination, no "I will check", just ignored. Finally got the meals. Grilled cheese burnt bread. Chicken way over cooked and dry. Mother in law found the shrimp skewers so spicy she didn't eat but two shrimp (and she has lived in many countries with very spicy food). Note the menu just says "honey garlic glaze". Burger was a little overdone (definitely not pink) and had so little lettuce and onion it was more of an afterthought than a topping. No where near the amount that is in other post pictures - wish I had snapped a photo. The filet was a bit too rare and I was told had almost no seasoning despite server telling us they had their own special blend. We had to ask for utensils - twice as wife received just the knife the first go round. My family begged me not to leave a tip - something they have never done. I left, which given the "experience", a generous 15% tip - only because I work in sales and a third of my income comes from the manufacturer based on customer reviews of the overall grade on their experience. I know that it is not fair to blame the waitress for the kitchen being slow even when not busy... or for food not being prepared / seasoned / presented etc well .... or for the menu not making it clearly known that the grilled shrimp were so spicy.... or no menues on the table... or no utensils. So Wombat owner perhaps you can teach how to butter and toast a burger bun (as advertised) / prepare toppings in quantity / season a steak / time the chicken fryer / and make note when something is spicy. Order enough menues or even paper copies so they are ready for more than 3 tables at a time. Family wants to return to the orchard but not...

Okay, ya’ll… I see that this place has good reviews, but I’m local and I HAVE to write a review after other individuals in the community have discussed how bad the food is here. This makes me feel SO bad, but it’s the truth. Our group of four ordered a variety of burgers (you can’t go wrong with a burger, right???... wrong). While the service here is really nice, the food is just pitiful. :o( The burgers were overcooked (which we could have overlooked), but they also had ZERO seasoning. We didn’t even finish them… they were just too bland. With the owner on site, we would have thought that the quality would have been top notch, but no. Word on the “local street” is that there are young people cooking in the kitchen and their mamas did not teach them how to cook… because local cooking is better than this. To management… I know it’s hard to run a business… truly. If I could offer any helpful advice, teach the individuals cooking how to season food appropriately. The ideas on your menu are stellar. We loved reading about the variety of food options. The execution is just way off and it makes me sad. The general gossip in town is that if the food doesn’t get better… this place isn’t going to last. You can’t survive off of one-time tourists. #truth The one positive thing we have heard locally is that the hotdog is good. I’m truly sorry if this hurts or offends anyone. Sometimes people can’t tell you the truth to your face, but I felt like this was the right thing to do… otherwise the people that matter might never know. Best to you...

Our party of 11 ate here the first week they were open. We expected there to be hiccups since it was their first week. They only had one and that was only some under done homemade chips. The staff immediately brought some more that were totally delicious. We ate in the outside dining area next to the turf field. It was great for the kids as they could play, move around, lay out a blanket, and eat like they were having a picnic. This area allows the adults to have good conversation without interruption. While waiting on our food the kids played "Wombat in the Middle" (our renamed version of monkey in the middle due to the venue) and I must admit that we adults joined them. It was just a great time of hanging out and sharing family and friend time without electronics. The staff and owner we met were amazingly friendly. They will soon have a big playground on site for the kids! They were easy to joke around with. The staff works hard and the owner jumps right in and works with them...a sign of great leadership! The food was just as excellent. I had chicken wings, tater tots, and a Caesar salad. It was all wonderful and tasted great. My party of 11 had no complaints at all about their meals. If you get a chance... try the bacon parmesan popcorn, it's unusual but is good and worth the try, the only thing I would change about it is the parmesan cheese... I think it should be melted somehow. Give them a try, they are a great addition to...