I've been here four times now. My last two times put the nail in the coffin. It was our choice to wait 25 minutes for a table. Assuming we must have not ordered the right thing last time, since it was so crowded, we gambled on it again. It was crowded to the point of frustration, since they had single restrooms, the men's room line was five deep. Last time we went, the waiter failed to tell us about the specials. My husband would have gotten the special. Good news, though, they had the same special on this visit. Did I mention that once we were seated, we waited 55 minutes to get served? For a sandwich, a salad, and a kids meal??!! Husband got his soft shell crab sandwich and reported that it had no flavor whatsoever. It was bread with something bready between and no other flavors. He ordered it exactly how they suggested. His fries were stone cold. My Southern Caesar salad had a sliver of cornbread with it. A sliver. And I had to request some additional dressing because it was so dry. The music was insanely loud for such a small crowded space. We spent $50 for appetizer, sandwich, salad and kids meal. I feel robbed. Will never go back. read more

A nice atmosphere to spend some time with friends and a bottle of wine. Recently had dinner on Friday night, and have to agree with Heather N. that the service needs improvement. This is a nice stop for a glass of wine and some appetizers, but be prepared to wait for up to an hour for the meal. We had a simple order, but the burger was brown through and through and the pizza was lukewarm and gummy. Our drinks were never refilled, and the server passed us over and over while we waited...and waited. Noticed other tables waiting on drink refills, orders etc. as well. read more

The Beer and the butchery are the only things great about this place. The staff could careless about you especially the floor manager. He needs some medication or he needs to find a new job. I'd rather go to Sammy's down the street which is awesome and they have loads of beer choices as well. The first time I went there I got "The Don" which is an Italian like sandwich with house made Italian sausage, sauce and cheese. The first time I ordered it and the burger had a sausage patty. It was amazing, heaven in my mouth. The second time, it had what looked like prepackaged links with the same sauce but mostly over cooked. Not to mention it took 45 minutes to get the thing and I was on my lunch break. I was horrible, like eating a beef jerky and cheese sandwich. I use to be enthused about this place, but now I will only go for the beer, the Boars Head Deli meats, and the butchery. I always feel unwanted in this place. read more

We had both an excellent lunch and dinner experience at The String Bean. Also, we've eaten both the fresh fish and beef from their "butcher shop" and we've never been disappointed! The menu was wonderfully diverse and eclectic, every item we ordered was succulent! The caprese salad was perfect, the fried pickles and duck fat fries were scrumptious, and "The Don" (wonderful and original Italian sandwich) was to die for, especially when paired with one of their "off the shelf" Chiantis. I can't get enough of this place - wish we had one right down the street vs. 45 mins away. Always a line. Absolutely worth the wait. Not the place to go if you're thinking "fast food." IS THE PLACE to go if you want to have a unique dining and wine experience without spending a fortune! I read some of the other reviews here - and quite frankly, I'm not sure I'm reviewing the same place they are. I travel all over the U.S. and Canada - and I have yet to find an establishment as unique and satisfying as the The String Bean. read more

Great place. Food was great, atmosphere was awesome, and our server Bonita was outstanding. We were a large group of 10 and she was very attentive and went above and beyond with her service. We were in town for a mud run and so glad to have found this place. Will be back next time in town. read more

I have to say that I had high expectations of this place and was let down. The Stowe family are regulars here at this place and friends of mine. For the past couple of months they have been talking this place up and telling me that I have to go. I finally got the chance to stop in the other day and had it not been for the service staff, This visit would have been a complete bust. Our wait time was over an hour and 45 minutes! The servers could obviously tell that we were getting a little impatient and not once did they pass us by without acknowledging our wait. They were very friendly and always had smiling faces and good attitudes no matter what. I'd say that the kitchen needs to get it together and get up to speed with the service staff and then this place would be rockin. read more

I am not one to low ball a rating. This place owns its low ranking. On the positive side, they do have a great patio area. That is where the positives stop. We have attempted to dine here 3 times. I have a simple 3 strike rule. I can't speak for their food, because we have never made it that far, in three attempts, not even once. I will say this, the people working on the wait staff and the hostess area could truly and honestly care less if you dine with them, or if you ever come back. In all three attempts, one thing that rings true is this place has a terrible attitude, very crude people. ZERO customer service ability. Upon attempting to take my daughters and their friends there this weekend, we were treated very rudely and not friendly at all. After standing in front of the Hostess booth for 6 minutes with a hostess right in front of us, it took me getting her attention before she even took my name. Then she said just wait over there it's going to be a while. A while? What does a while mean? Oh it was incredibly disappointing. If these guys don't want to be in business, they have the right attitude. I am convinced, the only reason that they are still open, is their prices are astronomical, which in most cases I have no issue with, as long as the service is commensurate. read more

Our family had the most wonderful dining experience in our hometown last weekend! The food was exceptional and our service was beyond our expectations! Our server Kevin instantly became part of our family celebration as he not only tended to the 5 adults, but also took the time to give attention to our small grandsons. We will return for the food and hope that Kevin in our server! read more

The servers were excellent and definitely earned their wages. The food was mediocre and the management was horrible. Don't waste your time or money read more

I haven't had the best experience when I've gone there. They are always out of multiple things that you want to order. Especially beers. One time I went I ordered a seasonal beer that was on tap and they charged me $7.00 for it without warning me. Down the street at the next bar the same beer cost $3.50. Rip off. Also, I keep trying to go back and give it another try, but almost every time I have eaten there I have gotten sick afterward. And I don't have a sensitive stomach. I don't know what's up with that place. It's kind of hit or miss. So now I only go for drinks. read more

Horrible service the food was mediocre at best. The lettuce was wilted, there were no condiments on the table and when we asked for ketchup and mustard they brought two 1oz plastic cups half filled for three people. Never got salt, pepper or butter. The broccoli was not fresh and almost raw. The staff was totally unresponsive and when approached the check in area for help they just said oh we're busy. Then hire some help. I would never go back. read more

Great food with awesome patio seating for outdoor eating. The Salmon is always cooked to perfection and the eggplant fries are the best ever! All very friendly staff. The best atmosphere and best food in Belmont when you want a!relaxing mood and simply awesome food. read more

I gave this place 5 stars simply for their beer selection and menu choices. I like dark beers like porters and stouts. So RJ recommended that I try the coconut porter that was on tap. Wow! I was blown away. It's brewed by Catawba valley if I remember correctly. Nevertheless, this is now the best porter I have ever had. Moving on to the menu. Now I'm a light eater, especially when I'm drinking beer. (Our motto in the Marine Corps was that there's a sandwich in every beer) so the problem I usually run into at other places with respectable draft selections is that if I want to eat, it's all heavy stuff. So when I saw the green monster on the menu i did the silent fist pump thingy. Then I saw fried pickles too. So I went with the fries green tomatoes (green monster) and it was heaven. When the bartender (Jen, Awesome) brought it out to me I thought there had been a mistake. They looked like huge crab cakes! So after she convinced me that they were actually tomatoes, I dug in. There was a light cream sauce poured over them and they were awesome! To top it off, you can order a six pack from the cooler (as it is also a market) and they bag it for you and add to tab right at the bar. So I ordered a six of rogue porter and was on my way. (The coconut porter was only on tap:( I love this place! read more

My husband and I eat at the String Bean almost every week and have done so for over a year. I routinely have lunch there and even plan girls' nights out at the Bean. Chad does an excellent job of keeping the menu interesting and fresh. The food does not disappoint. Save room for the fried Oreos! It's a wonderful spot to grab a bottle of wine or champagne or some interesting beer to enjoy over dinner. This is definitely not a restaurant that I order the same thing from repeatedly. The menu provides a number of items that make it easy to order something different each time. Among my favorites are the deviled egg appetizer, hummus and cheese appetizer, pimento cheese sandwich, bison burgers, spinach salad and FRIED OREOS! But you really can't go wrong with just about anything on the menu. And the deli is a wonderful touch for to-go items. I hope the Bean is around for a long time! read more

I can't say enough HORRIBLE things about my not-even dining experience at the String Bean tonight. My group- which included my 4 year old daughter and 10 month old son - arrived at 6:36pm (I know exactly because we looked at the car clock when we got out) and were told that the one table that would accommodate our group should be free in 30 minutes. We agreed to stay and wait and even though it was incredibly hot we asked to sit out on the patio to order drinks in the meantime. Let's fast forward an hour: we are still sitting outside waiting for the inside table. We asked the waitress how much longer we'd have to wait to dine inside and after checking she returned and informed us that the party at our table had just gotten their meals 15 minutes ago. WHAT?!! The manager (owner?) was summoned- Chad - who stood over us with an entitled attitude and didn't apologize for the inconvenience, rather he told us that we were misinformed and that the party'd already eaten and they were waiting to pay, and why didn't we order so that our food would arrive at the same time we were moved inside. Well, at that point I'd had enough. About an hour and twenty minutes after being told we'd be seated in 30 minutes we were still waiting in the heat outside, starving, with two small and now angry children. I got up from my table and took the kids home. I'm so glad I left when I did because my friends spent over three hours waiting for an inside table and their food. They will be writing negative reviews on here as well because unfortunately their experience got far worse after I left. Food was non-memorable, service was obviously terrible, and management did my group "the favor" of a 20% discount to try to rectify the situation. Thanks for my $5 off Chad, I'm glad my time and ruined saturday night out was worth so little to you. read more

I am giving this rating to the String Bean based on their customer service performance. My boyfriend and I recently went there for lunch. He ordered his sandwich without some items that he is not able to eat. We waited quite a while for the meal to come out initially; however before the meal came out we were informed that his sandwich had not been made correctly and that they were in the process of making another sandwich. We were told that his initial sandwich would still be brought out and that we could keep it (not sure what we were going to do with it since it had items he can't consume on it). About 10-15 minutes later, after I had finished most of my food, the sandwich came out. We complained to the waitress as it had taken about 45-50 minutes for the food he could eat to come. We were offered a dessert, but expressed that we did not want a dessert and felt like the item should be removed from the bill. The manager came over to talk to us and said our food had come out at 35 minutes just outside of their 32 minute window. The kitchen had also informed him that the second sandwich made came out after 3 minutes. We told the manager that this was incorrect as I had finished most of my meal and it was actually 10-15 minutes. In the end he gave us $2 off for the fries and lost a customer. When dining out, I have never had a manager debate with me when making a complaint. The best restaurants realize when they have messed up and offer to correct it through compensation immediately, you don't have to ask and go back and forth. Restaurants are busy and mistakes are made, I am always willing to give a business another chance if they show my business is important to them,. Unfortunately for the String Bean, this is not the case. read more

I can't believe this place has as good as reviews as it does. It's shocking! Is this the String Bean in Belmont or am I on the wrong thing here? Anyway, I believe I'm at the correct location so let me explain. I've eaten here several times. Why might you ask? Because I live 5 minutes from downtown Belmont and I want it to be good. I want it to be so good! I want to go on here and say, "Yes! Yes I tell you! String Bean is a great restaurant!" But it's not. I don't know how it has such solid reviews as my girlfriend, father, and friends all share my sentiments. I have NEVER had a meal prepared for me there in a reasonable amount of time. It always takes forever. Rarely do they get the order right. Their waiters/waitresses consistently disappear throughout dinner and you're just out of luck if you run out of beer or water. I want to continue to eat here because its close, but rightfully so my girlfriend is so fed up with the bad service she refuses to go. Once delivered at the table the food and beer are good. However, you will be too upset with the delay and problems occurring around you to enjoy it. It is not cheap either! Look, the location is wonderful and that is the ONLY reason it is surviving! I would love for chef Ramsay to come here and jerk a knot in these peoples tails, it would be amazing! But until things change at this place, I am not eating here read more

I've always liked this place, not a lot of good restaurants in the area. I had not been for a couple of months and went to meet a colleague for lunch. The fish case was empty save for some scallops but they assured me they had fish for tuna salad and fish tacos. So, I ordered the turn salad and the waitress came back and told me they were out of tuna. Then, I ordered the fish tacos, which were a special for the day. After about 10 minutes, she came out and told me they only had enough fish for a partial order. I asked if I could switch to the scallops and she told me they had already prepared the order. Not sure how they did that since I hadn't agreed to the filling? So, I got my tacos and they were all chicken and very skimpy, certainly not worth $13.00 for lunch. My colleague ordered a steak sandwich which had about 3 little pieces of steak in it. I'll give this place one more try, but it has certainly gone downhill. read more

Beer lovers rejoice! We frequent "the bean" often; for the dinner specials and for the beer selection on the market side. My husband and I are regulars here, and it's so wonderful to come in and receive a warm welcome from every member of the staff. The staff really knows their beers, and the selection of IPAs, stouts, pilseners, & lagers is unparalleled in Gaston Co. The beer list is easily in the same league as Duckworths or Mac's Speed Shop in Charlotte. The food is always fresh, and their seafood is awesome. Soups are made fresh daily and the specials are always based upon their latest arrivals: NY strip, buffalo steak, fresh seafood and shellfish-- never "leftovers" that the kitchen is anxious to get rid of. I always get their oysters on the half shell and I've never been disappointed. Great, knowledgeable,and friendly wait staff and delicious, fresh food. Choose a bottle of wine from the market and enjoy it with your dinner, and don't miss the live music out on the patio in the warmer months. The String Bean also sponsors local events with Johnson & Wales Univ., and hosts regular wine and beer tastings with national wineries and breweries. Great quality and great people in a casual, comfortable setting. read more

Lunch, 8/14/15: Too bad. Sliding downhill, how unfortunate. Always tried to make this destination when going to Belmont, usually can't get in. This is what happens when management is "out to lunch". Wait staff service lackluster. Order a drink? "Um, we don't serve liquor anymore". Seriously? How does a restaurant lose a liquor license? Okay, perusing the beer/wine menu...I'll have a Holy Ale, "sorry we don't have that right now". Heard the same thing at the next table for a different beer. Seriously - If you have a menu with a 100+ beers shouldn't you have them in the cooler? Okay, to avoid losing another 5 minutes perusing, I'll have a Blue Moon - waitress is happy now, smiles - doesn't have to wait for me to decide. Next, I order the Cow-Pig burger, she doesn't ask how I want it cooked, so I say medium. Shows up...not as advertised and DRY patty, no Pepper-jack cheese, no southwest mayo. Just a slice of swiss cheese and a side of honey mustard. Lousy burger, gave the uneaten half to my dogs. Seriously String Bean, you've got a reputation to maintain - why would you allow this eatery to slip into mediocrity? I'll spend my money elsewhere thank you very much. read more

I was a once to twice a month regular frequenter of the Bean. Normally, service was ok, food was usually consistently good (particularly liked the Bison burger). But the service has waned of late, finally culminating into non-existence today! From entry with no greeting or acknowledgement of my presence and standing directly in front of not one, but two hosts (less than a foot away) for several minutes (multiple wait staff passed by also), it went downhill from there. After finally seating myself, I was still being ignored by multiple wait staff, the hosts, and the bar staff. Ten minutes later, mind you I was the ONLY ONE seated in the dining area, I finally had had enough blatant disregard of my existence, got up from my table, and left (and yes, not a single one of the numerous staff walking past me asked a thing!). You can keep this lack of customer service for someone else, as for me...I will NEVER darker the doorway of this establishment again! You have lost me as a customer. I use to talk you up to friends, colleagues, and family...that day is over. read more

I came here on Saturday 05/28 with two girlfriends and had no problem with waiting on a table. I have dined here for Sunday Brunch previously and got wonderful service. But Saturday night the service was so horrible I am not sure if I can ever attempt to dine here again. The waitress sat down with us to take our order. Not sure what that is about. Our appetizer came and we had no silverware or napkins. I got up and went to the bar and got napkins so that we could eat our appetizer while it was still hot. Our entrees came out and two of the steaks were extremely overcooked and our waitress was nowhere to be found. We actually had another server take the steaks back to get them cooked correctly-we ordered medium rare and they came out well done. Once we got our food cooked right; it was very delicious. In the meantime this waitress had disappeared; she never came to the table once to check and see if everything was ok the whole meal! There was something very wrong with this young woman-she really should not have been working. The manager came and blamed the hostess for us not having silverware-very unprofessional for a supposedly manager. The management and servers really need some professional training about service and conduct for running a restaurant. read more