I was visiting friends that moved to NC recently. While they were showing me the shops in Union Square they mentioned that they hadn't visited this restaurant yet. So we decided that we were going to give it a try. After looking at a menu and being approached by the host who gave us a brief introduction to the menu we were in for sure. We asked to sit indoors with it being a windy and somewhat humid day. They have plenty of outdoor seating with umbrellas. We were informed later by our excellent server, Ashlee that there is also seating upstairs! We forgot to take a tour! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The decor is very chic, but not overly done.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were seated at a table, but booths are available as well.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Even the women's restroom with chic. It needed to be picked up a bit but was nice[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. Our server Ashlee was excellent! Her upbeat personality and friendliness was in the 10 rating! For only being at the restaurant a couple of weeks I think her vibes will keep bringing customers back. But not only her vibes, the food is very good too! My friends were very happy with their main meal, me as well! I had the Chicken Panini and the companion (side dish) I selected was the Pan Fried Corn. Both very good! We did order shareables too! The Southwest egg rolls and the Charcuterie Board. We were very happy with both! I would definitely order them again. I ordered two alcoholic drinks. My first drink was called the Bees Knees (ginger, honey, lemon bourbon) and an Espresso Martini. Both were good. The ginger was very mild in the Bees Knees. We were quite full so we were not able to enjoy our desserts at the restaurant but did order them to go. We ordered the Crème Brûlée and Key Lime Cheesecakes to go. I enjoyed the Key Lime, a good balance of sweet and tart. A little perfumme for me but still good.The feedback on the Crème Brûlée, was ok. I didn't try it. When I visit this area again, I would surely come back here and try some other items on the menu. Parking in this area can be quite busy, especially on the weekends. We came during the weekday in July after 1pm. We had to circle a few times before we got a parking spot. Come early! read more

Notions was OK. I had a smash burger - the burger was decent, the side of a grit cake was horrid. It was a wedge of grits that were covered in breading and deep fried. Who possibly wants to eat deep fried breaded grits? We ordered some apps and I forget what my wife and SIL order, but the overall opinion was just OK. No one wanted to return. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Plus... the inside restaurant smelled like something died in there. We ate outside, as eating inside was impossible due to the smell[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. [[HIGHLIGHT]]When I went to use the bathroom about an hour later, they had heavily perfumed the restuarant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Cute little spot in downtown Hickory.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We enjoyed the Riverwalk, then came downtown to stroll around and shop. It was a busy day with the farmers market, but we were able to get seated very quickly. Good brunch food with decent portions. Very good prices too. We tried the BLT with fruit and the steak & eggs. Food was good, and service was pretty fast. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This is a small place, but they have a large outdoor section that was full.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]If you can get an outside table, it is under a nice covered patio.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Staff is friendly and place has cute decor.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I will definitely come back. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Small restaurant downtown Hickory with hometown vibes.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The staff was friendly and accommodating. The bar had a nice selection. I really enjoyed the blueberry lemon drop! I had the hangover burger with home fries and also tried the open face chicken biscuit and the grits. I enjoyed the food and felt the prices were very reasonable. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The outside patio area is very large so although the restaurant is pretty small they are able to seat a lot of ppl.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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Brunch at this place was absolutely amazing!! The filet mignon with eggs and potatoes was the best! Their gravy is amazing too! I love the sausage gravy, that was my husband's favorite thing here. The Bloody Mary and the breakfast martini were great! I ordered a tequila sunrise and that was even better. Highly recommend that you check this place out anytime you are in the Hickory area. They have a farmer's market in the same shopping center on Saturdays. Definitely check it out! read more

Notions - Smothered open face. It's fried chicken under gravy served with eggs and potatoes. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

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Had an amazing dinner last night at Notions. We got started off with the Peach Margarita special. It was amazing. Everyone enjoyed their various cocktails. We had the Spinach Artichoke Dip, which was a large portion that the four of us didn't finish. However, it was awesome. I enjoyed the Salmon special. The salmon was encrusted and had a delicious maple sauce. The Brussels are always delicious, and i thought the mashed potatoes were excellent. My wife had a delicious chicken cibbata sandwich with fries, and our friends loved their burgers. Service was good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Love the layout of the restaurant. It's cozy and intimate.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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We've been there for dinner, average experience. Today, tried Sunday brunch. I guess I knew we were in trouble when the greeter gave us the side-eye for showing up at 1:30 (they close at 2:00). Chicken salad sandwich. The chicken was pureed, either as some pretentious reconstruction of a sandwich or b/c they were trying to stretch it for 'one more' sandwich. Devoid of flavor, texture. Really bad. Blackened chicken salad. Usually, you season the chicken, pan fry it, then slice it. Nope, not today. Dice the chicken into cubes, throw on some seasoning, and serve. It was so well done that we could have painted numbers on it and used them for dice. No blue cheese, a few cranberries at the bottom of the bowl. Worse than the sandwich. Might just be the Sunday kitchen staff, not sure. Server was above average, but in a hurry to close. If you're planning on going, don't go on Sunday. read more

This has become a staple for us. Great food and service. Consistent standards every time.

Notions is an eclectic restaurant and bar in Downtown Hickory. It is located in a plaza that houses a bunch of local restaurants and boutiques, making it an ideal place to grab food in the area. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This is not a lot of room in the restaurant as my cousins and I had to sit at the bar on a Wednesday night as the tables were all filled.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]There is seating outside, but it was too cold for that to happen.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service is fairly quick and good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant gives a vibe that is a mix between fine dining (mostly due to the prices) and casual (due to the ambiance).[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I ordered the Cajun Chicken Alfredo and split the Charcuterie Board and Tempura Cauliflower. The Charcuterie Board was aesthetically arranged. It came with a warm, buttery, and salty bagel that we used to eat with the cheeses and cured meats. I thought the bagel was a bit too salty for my liking, but my cousins enjoyed it. I think the star dish of the night for me was the Tempura Cauliflower. I am a big fan of anything fried, especially vegetables, and this was delicious! There was a lot of batter surrounding the cauliflower pieces, but I enjoyed it. This dish also came with three yummy sauces (Chipotle Mayo, blue Cheese, and Thai Chili) which paired well with the Tempura Cauliflower. For my main meal, I got the Cajun Chicken Alfredo. I did not think that this was that great, mostly because I felt like there was a lack of seasoning to really make it a "cajun" pasta and at times, it tasted a bit like macaroni and cheese to me. While I saw that this dish would come with cavatappi, I think it would have been better with fettuccine or linguine as the noodle of choice. I just do not know if macaroni type pasta is suited for an alfredo pasta dish. I would probably give this restaurant a 3.5/5 stars if I could. Overall, I think Notions is worth checking out if you are in Hickory. Lots of people, especially locals, enjoy the restaurant so it really just depends on your taste buds. But if you choose not to check it out, there are also lots of other restaurants in the area that serve similar dishes as Notions! read more

Notions - Cajun Chicken Alfredo, Chef's Vegetarian Creation, and Salmon of the Week - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

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We're out of towners, always looking for a new spot. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Cute and cozy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Today we experience Notions and it was great. Cold frosted glass and nice cold beer!!! Wife enjoy a nicely poured Titos and water!!!! What more can you ask for?? Oh yeah the food. Had spring rolls seems to, seem to be very popular, with good reason, they were very good!! Main course, wife had the wild salmon with cauliflower puree and asparagus, said it was very good. I enjoyed the Ruben, lean and not fatty the way I like it, could of had a little more corn-beef and sauerkraut but still good. If you come enjoy the drinks and company of Pearson, great bartender, attentive, and pleasure to speak too!!!! read more

Service is always attentive and the food is consistent. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I just wish that the musky smell inside the business is not there. Some days the smell is bad and somedays it's better.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Maybe it's just the building... read more

Simply put....drinks were amazing, the food was amazing and last but not least, the bartender who helped us was the BOMB...super friendly, cool and helpful young lady!! I believe she could mix you up just about anything!! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance is nice...very welcoming and friendly, not at all presumptuous. A "regular spot" for sure.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Two of our favorite places to visit in Hickory, NC are Notions and The Old Hickory Tap... and the best part they're only a few hundred feet apart! They also share the same great customer service experience. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Both have fantastic food but are a completely different vibe from each other....with Notions feeling "contemporary" and even a wee bit "sophisticated" but not at all stuck-up, LOL!!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I do mention "restrooms" in my reviews....Those little and at times overlooked "rooms" can tell you all you want to know about any restaurant on earth!! Clean, regularly maintained and well stocked = GOOD!! Dirty, "stanky", funky gross = NO GOOD, GET ON OUTTA THERE!!! Ewwww....lol. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Notion's restrooms were GOOD and CLEAN!! A++!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

We have dined here twice and both meals were very good! A little room for improvement, but definitely worth future visits!! Their outdoor dining is very pleasant on a mild evening. Last night I had the filet with potatoes and brussel sprouts, same thing I had on my previous visit and it is a 10 out of 10! Flavor, portion and cost! Excellent!! My wife had the sliders for her meal and the first time we had them they were very juicy and flavorful, last night they were dried out and ended up as part of our dogs meal for the evening. Also, their fries are just frozen crinkle fries, would have figured something a little more from a nicer restaurant. We shared a cobb salad to start with blue cheese dressing and it was good, but not great. Needed something else for texture and lacked flavor. Our service was good and we thought our server did a great job!! The food runner from The kitchen had the personality of sandpaper... maybe she wasn't having a good evening? But in a customer facing role I think you need to be a little happier and not rude. They forgot my wifes fries and when she mentioned this to the food runner she argued that it hadn't been rung up instead of saying something like let me check on that. Then our server walked up and she kind of argued with him in front of us. That probably should've been a back of restaurant discussion and not arguing with the customer. All that being said! We like it here and WILL return!! We may skip the cobb and sliders, but the filet is excellent!! And good ambience!! To those about to dine, I salute you!! read more

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My ABSOLUTE favorite place to visit in Hickory anytime I can. It's hard to know where to even start with the compliments. The staff goes above & beyond to address all of your wants & needs, after the first time of seeing you there they try their best to put a name to the face & treat customers like family. There is a huge amount of outdoor seating for a beautiful day & big umbrellas incase the weather isn't exactly to your liking. We LOVE bringing our golden to the outdoor seating for bottomless mimosas that are only $20 & served in HUGE wine glasses. The indoor area consists of 2 floors both decorated as cute as a button, very southern hospitality style. The food options are unique & taste incredible. Do not go to, drive by, or go near Hickory NC without stopping at Notions! read more

Notions - Bottomless Mimosas - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

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it is VERY rare I leave a review -- however, I cannot let this instance roll off. We were sat in anticipation of a proper brunch. Service / server was great. The kitchen is the problem. we ordered two standard notions breakfasts. both scrambled eggs one with liver mush and biscuit; the second with sausage and toast. the eggs came out as if there were binned and set atop the back burner. they were cold as was the meat on both plates. This was after a near 30 min wait. how does food come out cold after waiting 30 min? we sent back the plates and 4 min later the same exact plate came back. blocked scrambled egg with the single bite taken. the SAME exact food came back. When there is a mis fire in the kitchen and food is poorly timed for service and the customer returns the plate to the kitchen as cold, you DO NOT spin it right back to them with some false pretense you were being served a corrective meal. We spoke to the server (again she was amazing and the only reason we stuck around). she did mention the head cook called out. If the head cook calls out the kitchen SHOULD NOT fall apart. Upon our decision to wrap up, my meal was uneaten but half the biscuit, half the mush, and coffee. my partner could / would not touch his protein as he was concerned. My partner decided to speak to the general manager / kitchen staff, one of the staff suggested they were short staffed. This is NOT A REASON to ignore the fact the meal was cold and resend back out the same previously cold meal. Would not recommend until such time the kitchen is sorted out. operation is upside down. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Notions is a newer small restaurant in downtown Hickory. It is split into 3 separate floors - the bottom 2 having a very warm atmosphere to them.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]As it has risen in popularity (primarily due to the lack of good options in Hickory), seating has become increasingly sparse pushing the restaurant to over sit people and not have enough staff to take care of everyone.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Multiple times we were brought the incorrect item. It almost felt like the servers were playing a guessing game. Additionally, we were never visited by our waitress except for the initial drink order and food order (which was not 100% correct). The majority of the staff just seems clocked out and does not give me aspirations of coming back-- though that could also be the giant hair found on the eggs. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Lastly, I think the upstairs area just feels forlorn in contrast to the rest of the restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Some of the food would be the only slightly redeeming quality of this place as it did not taste too bad even though parts of our order were wrong. read more

Great service food and mimosas. Will for sure be going back and I do recommend to give their brunch a try read more

Notions - Mimosas - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

Adorable spot in downtown Hickory with great outdoors seating options. My friend and I chose to share spring rolls and a salad. Both were delicious, but the salad was my favorite. The onions and blue cheese truly made it. Would definitely go back to Notions if I am in the Hickory area. read more

Notions - Spring rolls - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

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Very nice, trendy restaurant in downtown Hickory with a bar and TVs there. This place is cute. We went for Sunday brunch, and the menu had lots of good selections. We had the avocado toast with a sunny side egg on top. The Açaí yogurt parfait was large and delicious with fruit. The French toast was sweet and four slices of bread. The good sized omelet was delicious. Service was fast. Check out the bar shelves. They're small tables refinished and connected together for a really unusual look which was really neat. The ladies bathroom is darling. Check it out. read more

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Popped in for an early dinner on a Thursday evening. Friendly greeting immediately at the door. The menu is perfect for tapas / shareables style and portions are generous. We ordered the pimento cheese dip appetizer (which was amazing with the fried crisp triangles) - the table favorite. The ahi tuna was perfectly cooked and seasoned well. Classic reuben did not disappoint my dad. I ordered the Cobb salad, which was large enough to feed all three of us. Vibe is also nice. Outside seating is plenty and spacious. Inside a smidge more intimate, but still laid back. Cocktail menu was well thought out. Enjoyed the sour cucumber. read more

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Arguably my favorite restaurant in the Hickory area. Consistent food, service, and at a great price. Go on Sunday and try the omelette!

Notions has a great brunch menu! I tried the avocado toast and the Cajun omelette with home fries. The avocado toast was really delicious, I enjoyed the goat cheese and the egg was cooked perfectly. The Cajun omelette was also very good and it was huge, we had almost half left over! The service was quick and efficient. Our food came out less than 10 minutes after we ordered. The bottomless mimosas are a bargain as well. Our server made sure our glasses were never empty and for $15, it was definitely worth it. read more

Notions - Avocado Toast - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Food is 10/10, service is 10/10 especially the bar tenders, and the environment is clean and friendly.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Just ate a grilled cheese with fries and it was the best meal I've had in years. Hard to beat ;) read more

fish fish fish it was good and the best so 5 stars and [[HIGHLIGHT]]a cute little spot to go! love it![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

Cute place with a unique vibe that I really liked. Good cocktail's & casual fare with a large selection. Friendly staff, Lisa Michele, was so kind! I got a ginger bees knees, refreshing & yummy. Tried the Rueben sandwich, it was gooey, juicy & delicious. A big plus as restaurants go in Hickory! read more

Notions - Ginger bees knees - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

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A hickory gem. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I like to come when the weather is nice to sit outside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food is good. I can safely recommend them. read more

Food and service were great. We were there after the hurricane chased us out of Asheville. It was just what we needed.

Finally decided to visit Notions after hearing great things from family and friends. My wife and I came by on a beautiful Tuesday evening and decided to sit outside. The menu is smaller than most places and their drink menu has a lot of great choices. Service was wonderful even though they only had a couple of servers working. Our server was fantastic and did a great job. We ordered the spring roll appetizer and they were amazing. The chili sauce that is served with them was delicious. For our main entree, I chose a caesar salad with shrimp and my wife had the grilled cheese with brussel sprouts. Both dishes were excellent. The shrimp were just right and the salad had the perfect amount of dressing. The grilled cheese was great (would have been awesome if the cheese was dripping when it came out) and the brussel sprouts were spot on. Even the glass of Pinot Noir we ordered was good. This is definitely a place we will be sure to visit again and we would definitely recommend this place! read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Lovely Place situated in downtown area[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], Avocado toast awesome and BLT . [[HIGHLIGHT]]Clean place[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], great people and service. read more

Service could improve! Yesterday, Saturday morning a few coworkers & I decided to meet up for breakfast. We arrived @9:30am being the 1st one's in line waiting for opening. Theres 12 of us . [[HIGHLIGHT]]Being the first customers in line, we explained we want outdoor seating. No problem until they try to sit all 12 of us at 2small square tables. I automatically asked for another table be moved over so we had more room to seat us. We were told that wasn't possible, they need the tables to seat others.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]And by this time of going back and forth with the waitress, most of all the out door seating was being filled fast.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] And if you've ever been here before, you know how quickly this place fills up . [[HIGHLIGHT]]What upset us all was the fact our party was the first in line, you'd think they'd accommodate to us first . But instead they explained an indoor table would give us more room. We agreed and had to wait for them to arrange things inside for our party. No problem UNTIL we walk in and see another small table set up for us[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. We sat down and didn't say anything but we were all annoyed. Then our waitress took over 45 minutes to take our order. Two of us ordered bottomless mimosas and only got 1 refill each. There's waitress acknowledged her slow service and only charged us for 1 drink each . But we were still upset we did not get to drink as much as we'd like. We waited another 45 mins for our checks. Overall our table didn't leave the restaurant until 1:15 after arriving @9:30, restaurant opening @10am. We were all frustrated with our service and made the comment we wouldn't be back. Other girls at the table made comments the food was decent but not the best. Especially not for the price. I've been here twice now and I remember now why I don't go more. Last thing , I wish the menu was larger. read more

I visited Notions for a birthday brunch that was located upstairs in the restaurant. There is free parking in a shared parking lot. There is a separate door that you can enter to walk up the stairs to the venue. The area is spacious with adequate decor but not over the top. Our server was Logan, he is basically magnificent in human form! He was attentive to the entire group. The food was delicious it came out quickly and it was nice and hot. My daughter ordered steak and eggs and the seasoning was perfect! The group enjoyed bottomless mimosas and I enjoyed a tasty mocktail. I was glad that alcohol-less options were available! My entire experience was unmatched! If you're in good old Hickory, NC you should stop by. read more

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Was told I need to share more positive posts. Have to say this place is great!! When we need a special place to go for great dinner this is it. Had the chef's special today. Pan seared salmon wit Brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes!! Excellent!! The espresso martini was also excellent!! Love 'this restaurant!! In door out door seating. Great staff! Fantastic drinks and food. Check it out, you won't be disappointed!! read more

Notions - Drunken shrimp - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

Great shrimp and grits at brunch! Bottomless mimosa too with a few different juice options ! Service was excellent.

Food is great! We ordered the cauliflower, which had quite a bit of bread but the sauces weee good. I got the chicken panini with rye bread and a side of brussel sprouts and bacon, which was delicious. The chicken alfredo, on their dinner menu, is a good one too. The ahi tuna portion was very generous. There is outside seating, which was perfect for today. The server was great and very helpful. The overall ambiance was relaxing. Highly recommend!! read more

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Good food, excellent service and nice ambiance. My only complaint is the noise level is very high. read more

Food had great flavors, ambiance was nice. Coldest beer in town! Server Allie was great also. read more

Notions - Interior - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

Give me a sunny Sunday morning with a Bloody Mary and dining Al fresco, life doesn't get any better, and luckily I found Notions. A diverse and creative menu, pleasant and attentive staff. I only tried the sliders but they on the first bite encouraged me to return. If your in the area and looking for some delicious food, stop in, I highly recommended. read more

Notions - Liver mush sliders with the crispest home fries!! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

We love going here, we have never had any complaints on food or drinks quality. Staff is very friendly. I do wish their drinks were more reasonably priced, most of their food items are cheaper than 1 alcoholic drink ($15 each last time I went). read more

I have wanted to try Notions for a while & I finally brunched here for the first time on Saturday with a group. We were seated upstairs in a very spacious room which you access via a staircase at the back of the restaurant, across from the kitchen. Once you climb the staircase & turn to enter the second floor dining area you are greeted with elegant decorations that I wish I got a picture of. Climb several more steps & you enter a huge loft area with large tables for group dining. While the decor throughout the bottom floor & entryway to the second floor is beautiful, there is not much to the second floor except a very large white wall that everyone in our group noticed. Aside from the decor, staff seemed very overwhelmed by the busy brunch but checked on us & communicated with us every step of the way. We ordered bottomless mimosas & you may change up your juice each time if you want! I ordered the açaí bowl because I wanted something light & it was the perfect dish. My friend ordered the avocado toast & was disappointed that it only came with one piece for $9. The smothered opened face biscuit was good, minus the egg. The French toast & livermush sliders were both hits! read more

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Went here the other day for the first time for lunch with another 5 folks. Had an impressive wine selection, very hard to find a nice bottle of Calebread Cab of a decent year and they had some! Lunch was overall good, the beef and vegetable soup was good but a bit on the cold side, the pimento cheese and pita was wonderful, and the table overall liked their meals, the only real oddball was my panini, it was the furthest thing from a panini lol, it was just a warm turkey sandwich. It wasn't pressed or grilled at all. We will definitely go back. read more