Chapman's Food and Spirits — Restaurant in Southern Pines

Today was pretty much the final straw with this place! I have been there 8 or 9 times and had a polite server one time. The food is good but not worth it to have outwardly nasty servers. It all started when we arrived for our reservation for 7 people and 3 of us arrived about 10 minutes early. They absolutely refused to let us sit even though we had confirmed with our friends they were running on time. I have a bad leg and was very thirsty but the hostess made us stand there clogging up the lobby while we waited. The rest of our party arrived precisely at 11:30 which was the time of our reservation. They took us outside and around to their annex room which was freezing! We suspect the had dramatically lowered the heat overnight to save on power. I very politely asked our server if they could warm up the room as our entire party was cold. She was extremely snarky and told me it was already done. She was beyond rude. She seemed so offended to be taking care of our table. Let’s be clear it was a table of 7 older ladies who are extremely polite. I ordered the risotto special which was supposed to come with shrimp but arrived as chicken risotto. By the time she finally came back, it was getting late into the meal and I brought it to her attention. She asked me if I would like her to take it back but in no way offered to make it right. It turns out there were two versions of their printed specials floating around the restaurant, one with chicken and one with shrimp. She could have cared less. Then decided to take her nastiness to a new level when it came time to pay the bill! I was having a sidebar conversation with my friend discussing how we should split the bill. It was clearly a private conversation. She took that as her opportunity to call us out in front of the entire group! This tipped me over the edge and I informed her we were having a private conversation. I could not believe her! She was snarky, rude and annoyed from the moment she approached the table! If you don’t want to be a restaurant server find another job. We were just there to order food, drinks and enjoy friends. Everyone was talking about her attitude. They automatically put an 18% service charge on the bill. Under normal circumstances, this would be great and I would have added to it. However, if you destroy our lunch with your toxic attitude, you did not earn that tip. We had an extremely similar experience with a different server last year when we had reservations for 8. We are not a demanding group! It appears to be a culture of rudeness at this restaurant which I am frankly over. There are many great restaurants in SP and they won’t be getting my...

Right outa the box, before I say another word, I want to say… The Ultimate Burger might well be one of the best burgers I have ever have the honor of sinking my quite expensive teeth into. I mean the moment the first blast of genuine charcoal flavor hit my mouth I knew I was biting into something extraordinary. Something that had been made with thought and good old southern love. The layers of dripping brisket and rich sauce were all a perfect blend and I’ve got to tell you, it’s the first time my since my mama bounced me on her knee that I’ve asked for a burger medium and it did’t come as grey as death. That! My dear friend is artistry in the kitchen!

And before I pontificate about the excellent and delicate crunch of the fries, or the perfect crosshatch grilling of the salmon, I want to mention Chris, the waiter who was, as my Sainted mother used to say, as slick as snot on a doorknob and I mean that in the absolute best way possible! That man knows his menu like no waiter I had in years and he believes in it too like Moses believed in those stone tablets before the burning bush. That man loves this menu with a passion and he is the best salesman and advocate I have ever had in a restaurant. How often does that happen? Where you are as impressed with a waiter as you are with an excellent meal? Give that man a raise! Sincerity radiated out of him like a holy beacon.

We have traveled a long way to visit wonderful rarely seen relatives that are so deeply rooted in this town that you cannot move without hearing their childhood laughter or pass by the houses they lived in, or built, or the graveyard yard where their loved ones rest. This town is so full of memories and history and now we know, good food too. And not just good food to fill your bellies, not just good enough, but good food made with love and passion served by people with pride and excitement. The kind of food that sustains your memories and spirit along with...

We made a reservation for 15 people & it was accepted & confirmed with no questions asked. 15 people at one table are loud. That's not a newsflash. We were constantly made to feel like we were being too loud; our children were asked to be quiet more than once. Every time the kids were totally silent, the noise level was still loud. Guess what, the adults were talking; not screaming just talking. The room was small & when you push 4 tables together & have 15 people talking--it's going to be LOUD. That should not be a surprise to anyone. If Chapman's couldn't accommodate the party of 15, they never should have accepted it. The rude waitress next to us said to her table: "THANK GOD THEY ARE NOT MY CHILDREN." She could only be so lucky to have one of those lovely children as her own. We were never issued an apology even after I complained to the "manager." The food was great but the service & management was TERRIBLE that night. We frequent Chapman's every time we are in SoPines & we will NEVER go back. It is NEVER acceptable for a grown woman to insult anyone's children. If you continue to read on, you will read the owner’s response to my review in which she “reviewed the security footage” and could determine the noise level. The only way she could HEAR the noise level would be via security cameras with audio recording which is illegal, without consent. We most definitely did not give consent to have our conversations recorded. She also points out one child who was roaming and his inability to sit was “clearly unacceptable.” While I agree with her point about the roaming, she did not understand that this was a special needs child, who has trouble sitting still. Any parent of a special needs child will understand how difficult it can be and sometimes what is considered “clearly unacceptable” has to be altered to allow that child to be Accepted anywhere despite his...