Driving through Fayetteville, I had to stop at Hammontree's Grilled Cheese. I've seen this place…read moreall over the internet for years, so it finally made the list.
First impressions were a bit mixed. The restaurant was quiet, but the floors were noticeably dirty, and the restrooms were just okay. Nothing outrageously bad, but definitely not as clean as I would expect for such a slow night.
The service was probably the biggest disappointment. Our server wasn't rude, but she wasn't particularly welcoming either. She took our order, dropped off the food, and brought the check without ever really checking back in. There were only three occupied tables in the restaurant with three servers working, so it wasn't like they were overwhelmed. One thing that really stood out was that every employee in the dining room except the bartender had headphones either in their ears or hanging around their necks. It gave the impression that customer service wasn't much of a priority.
I started by ordering a sweet tea, only to be told they don't have it because they brew their tea in-house and "can't add sugar." That explanation seemed a little odd. I switched to a Coke instead, which turned out to be one of the flattest fountain drinks I've had in a long time. After a few sips, I gave up and just drank water.
Now for the part that really matters: the food.
We ordered the Kids Rookie grilled cheese and the Big Dog from the kids' menu, along with the Cheebacca and the Brie's Company. We also couldn't leave without trying the Blueberry Grilled Cheese for dessert.
The only real miss on the food side was the chips. They were stale, cold, and almost rubbery. Honestly, they were some of the worst house chips you could possibly have. The sandwiches deserve a much better side, or they'd honestly be better off taking the chips off the menu altogether.
The kids' meals were an incredible value at only $5 each. My 5-year-old couldn't decide between a grilled cheese and a hot dog, so he got both. The Big Dog was excellent--hot, juicy, and grilled just long enough to get those perfect char marks. The Rookie was exactly what you'd want for a picky eater: simple, cheesy, and well made.
The Cheebacca ($12) was packed with sharp white cheddar, house cheese, bacon, pulled pork, grilled onions, and a garlic cilantro sauce on sourdough. Every ingredient complemented the next, and nothing overpowered the sandwich. Easily one I'd order again.
The Brie's Company ($12) was the surprise of the meal. Grilled apples, Brie, Gouda, caramelized onions, and fig jam on sourdough sounded adventurous, but it absolutely worked. Sweet, savory, rich, and balanced all at once. If you're willing to step outside the traditional grilled cheese, this one is worth trying.
Then came dessert.
The Blueberry Grilled Cheese ($7.25) combines mascarpone, cream cheese, fresh blueberries, and honey between slices of grilled pound cake. It sounds unusual, but somehow it's fantastic. It's one of those desserts that makes you question why you've never had it before. Awkwardly delicious in the best possible way, and absolutely worth ordering.
Overall, Hammontree's is a place where the kitchen is doing almost everything right while the front of house leaves quite a bit to be desired. Cleaner dining areas, better service, and replacing those terrible chips would easily push this into 4 star territory. As it stands, the food absolutely lives up to the hype, but the overall experience holds it back.
If you're passing through Fayetteville, it's still worth stopping in. Just skip the chips, order one of the specialty grilled cheeses, and don't leave without trying the dessert.