Hearth and Hill - Park City — Restaurant in South Snyderville Basin

Prior to this year we visited the Park City area several times and dined at Hearth and Hill at least twice. The restaurant is in a nice looking space, the entrees ranged from mediocre to good, and there was plenty of parking.

We were in town this past weekend and needed a reservation for Sunday night. On Saturday we checked the main dining apps and there was little availability in the Park City area, though there was availability for Hearth and Hill. I proceeded to make a reservation for the next day (Sunday) at 7:00 pm, for 4 people on the Resy app.

I do not usually book restaurants on the apps that have a cancellation fee policy. While I was booking the reservation on Saturday, I thought the app informed me that a $25 pp cancellation fee would apply if I cancelled the reservation after “7:00 pm on Sunday”, which meant no fee if I canceled before the reservation time. Turns out that it was actually “ 7:00 am on Sunday” (which, in little font on an iphone screen, was a bit sneaky, in my opinion—I never saw that before). Anyway, that is why I went forward with the reservation.

Early Sunday afternoon, I changed the reservation to 6 people via a telephone call to the restaurant as our dinner group had grown larger.

Unfortunately, just a few hours later, several members of our party turned up ill with norovirus. When I looked at the reservation on Resy, I saw that cancelling the reservation via Resy would have triggered a $150 cancellation fee ($25 per person) (which, as I mentioned was surprising to me, but ok my bad).

Instead of cancelling the reservation on Resy, I called the restaurant and alerted the hostess of our situation, including the Resy warning of the fee should I cancel the reservation. I told the hostess that in no event did I want to pay a cancellation fee, and that I could send a group to the restaurant (to have a light dinner and avoid the cancellation fee), but that such option was not optimal (for our party or the other restaurant patrons) given the illness afflicting several members of the group.

The hostess then said to me, ‘ok, I can cancel that for you, don’t worry about it’ (or words to that effect). The hostess was clear and unambiguous with respect to the cancellation fee not being charged. She certainly did not say ‘ok, I can cancel that for you, but there’s nothing I can do about the cancellation fee,’ or words to that effect. I thanked the hostess for her assistance. For better or for worse, if the hostess had not provided that assurance, we would not have cancelled (we were staying just 10 minutes from the restaurant).

Shortly thereafter I received the cancellation confirmation email from Resy, and later on received another Resy email indicating that I had been charged the $150 cancellation fee, notwithstanding the hostess’ assurance to the contrary.

I followed up with an email to the restaurant’s general manager, briefly explaining the situation. He responded by denying that his employee could have made that statement to me (because that is not ‘how they’re trained’), and offered me a $50 ‘courtesy’ credit, and nothing more, which I forcefully rejected in response.

These are not good people. Terrible not to take responsibility for the statements of an employee. Even worse to have a policy that prioritizes collecting cancellation fees over the safety and health of its patrons (see prior review from the guy who couldn't get to the restaurant because of deep snow). I’ve never heard of a decent restaurant enforcing cancellation fees in such circumstances.

If management is monitoring this, please note that I am not interested in receiving a credit to dine in your restaurant in the future. My response to Mike: As you know, we cancelled over an hour before the reservation, and as your hostess will admit, we offered to come to the restaurant in lieu of cancelling. She didn't think sick people should be at H&H, and cancelled the reservation. Apparently, you couldn't care less. Perhaps you need...

UPDATE: replying to the owner's reply.

Us being quoted 45 minutes wait is a lie. Two other people in our party heard 30 minutes and could confirm that, and if we were quoted 45 minutes - we would've just dined elsewhere.

The host recommending us to dine elsewhere in response to me mentioning 1-star review is a lie as well. The order was exactly opposite, this remark (about 1-star review) was my reaction to this completely out of hand recommendation (to go dine elsewhere).

Yes, I was more upset than my friend - the reason is that I picked the restaurant and thus I felt responsible for him having to handle his kids for an hour waiting for a table. Him being a decent person and trying to deescalate has nothing to do with the gravity of the situation.

The tip I left was 10%, which is commensurate with the quality of service we received. I'm not really sure what was expected after everything said above (and below).

ORIGINAL REVIEW BELOW:

The taste is very subjective, so I'm trying not to leave bad reviews based on the taste alone. However, we've had such a bad customer experience here that I just can't ignore it.

We, party of 8, asked for a table and were told the table will be ready in 30 minutes. We waited patiently, but it took 55 minutes to get table ready - all the while we've been patiently waiting with 2 kids, and not once did the staff communicate the progress or apologized . When I (politely) expressed my frustration about the delay and lack of communication to the host, I've been told that they have nothing against us picking another restaurant - which sounded like sarcastic trolling, given that at that point we have already lost an hour of our time.

After we ordered drinks, the waiter messed up the order and brought wrong beers. When she left to replace them, he disappeared and it took him 20 minutes and 2 attempts to bring the ones ordered. It took another 10 minutes and multiple calls for them to take food order.

Regarding the food itself - I somewhat liked the tacos and strongly disliked mushroom soup, but this has very little bearing on my rating.

In the end they did give us ~15% discount on our order to account for all the frustration, but it's just not the kind of experience that could be mitigated with money. Things happen, and especially so now with all the staff shortages, but it's very important to show common human decency and empathy towards customers, and in the end it would go much further than making measly discounts...

Disappointing Policy Regarding "Dirt Cup" Dessert at hearth and hillAs a frequent patron of hearth and hill I must express my disappointment with a recent policy regarding their "Dirt Cup" dessert. While the establishment boasts a diverse menu and welcoming atmosphere, their decision to restrict the availability of the "Dirt Cup" solely to patrons aged 10 and under is baffling and exclusionary.Upon visiting hearth and hill and perusing the dessert menu, I was excited to indulge in the nostalgic delight of a "Dirt Cup," only to be informed by the server that it is reserved exclusively for younger diners. As a 56-year-old individual, I found this policy to be both perplexing and disheartening.Firstly, age should not be a determining factor in one's enjoyment of a dessert. The "Dirt Cup" is a beloved treat that transcends generational boundaries, evoking fond memories of childhood for individuals of all ages. By restricting access to this dessert based solely on age, hearth and hill is effectively alienating a significant portion of its customer base who may have been eager to indulge in this classic sweet treat.Furthermore, such a policy undermines the inclusive and accommodating atmosphere that hearth and hill strives to cultivate. Diners of all ages should feel welcomed and valued, without arbitrary restrictions placed on their dining experience. By implementing this age-based limitation on the "Dirt Cup," hearth and hill is sending a message that certain menu items are off-limits to those deemed too old to enjoy them, which is not only discriminatory but also contrary to the spirit of hospitality.In conclusion, I urge hearth and hill to reconsider their policy regarding the availability of the "Dirt Cup" dessert. By removing age restrictions and embracing inclusivity, they can ensure that all patrons, regardless of age, can enjoy the full range of culinary delights that the establishment has to offer. Until then, I must regrettably express my disappointment and hope for a more equitable dining experience...