A great meal and the service was exceptional. The only draw back was every time the door opened the cold air came in. Not really terrible , but as it gets cold…
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
M L (TMLZealot)
Best fried buttermilk chicken in Durham. Service is always excellent and, most importantly, the food is exceptional.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andrea Bowen
November 2, 2024 - I treated my niece and her cousin on a little cousin night out to movie and dinner.
I’ve been to Smash Kitchen before so I thought the kids would like this. But….. my gosh. The dishes looked nice. My niece said her food was okay. Her cousin said his food was overcooked. My dish was trash, my gosh, I couldn’t stomach the taste. The salmon was tough, tasted bad, rank. The seasoning was weird and didn’t pair well. It had some kinda spice that tasted odd. I don’t even know what to say about it. But later that night I was throwing up well into the morning. I only eat possibly 3-4 small bites, most of the dish was left back. I still tipped and didn’t complain as I just wanted the kids to have a nice night without arguing with whoever. As I write this I am reminded of the disgusting taste.
NEVER again for that dish!
Now that I think about it I honestly shouldn’t have tipped. Paying for that dish was already above and beyond!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 3
Jailen Stephenson
Terrible. Took like 30 mins for one brisket and a salad to go… didn’t even get my fries in the bag all for 50$ lol place sucks
Service: 1
G Majer
Excellent waitress, great food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
matthew roberts
Amazing food, amazing people, amazing place! This restaurant is a go to for me especially during my lunch breaks. I always get the Mini LA Mac N’ Cheese - it’s a must to try! When I go for dinner I enjoy the Seafood Linguine.
The staff are so friendly and accommodating. Place is cozy and warm and extremely well kept. I wish I knew the names of everyone because they all deserve a shout out as they all try their best! Evan is a great guy and always helps me out, sometimes even brings my food over to me! Danielle, the manager - is so kind and welcoming. She really does such a great job with everything, always has a smile and she leads such a great team. This location entirely should be recognized for their efforts. Thank you so much for a great time, every time!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seafood Linguine, Fries Chicken with Mac and Cheese
Anisa Brown
Hubby and I went here for some happy hour, nomz, and it was so yummy. Hubby loved the burger, and I got calamari, beef, and corn bread delicious I cant wait to go back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michelle A
My boyfriend and I came here for the first time for brunch. I had the Mini French Toast and my boyfriend had the Brisket Benedict. Both were served piping hot. The French toast was so yummy! My boyfriend loved his Brisket too. It’s kinda expensive but worth it as the atmosphere is top notch, and our server I think named Lee was great too. The only thing I can knock is it was a bit too loud. Hope to come again for dinner soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Martin &Jennifer Kehoe
It was very loud. Food was ok, but nothing to rave about.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Jennifer Sara
First time at Smash Kitchen in Whitby today and came by around 5:30 PM. The restaurant was fairly empty, with only a couple of other tables occupied. I decided to take advantage of their Monday special — $10 shareables. Before ordering, I confirmed multiple times with the waitress that *all* shareables, including those on the feature menu, were part of the $10 deal. She even double-checked with someone else and assured me they were.
We ordered a few shareables, enjoyed the food, and then asked for the bill. My party of two split the bill, but when it arrived, the math didn’t add up. One of the shareables from the feature menu was not discounted to $10. I pointed this out to the waitress, who again had to double-check. A different server then joined in, claiming that the feature menu shareables weren’t included in the special. I explained that I had explicitly confirmed this beforehand and was told they *were*.
The waitress apologized but said she couldn’t resolve the issue without a manager, who wasn’t present at the time. This delayed us by 25-30 minutes, and I had a movie to catch. Ultimately, no resolution was provided, and we left feeling frustrated and disappointed.
Heads up to management: better train your team on the details of your promotions. Your staff should be informed and empowered to handle situations like this efficiently. This experience, unfortunately, left a bad impression.
Way to expensive, they think it's fancy and trendy dining but it's just over priced in my opinion. Drinks cost a fortune.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 4
Ashley Ward
Julie was amazing went to the Whitby location, she was a great person to help choose the food and had great laughs definitely will go back Great atmosphere!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips, Banana Cake
Julia Bullock
I had the smash burger twice from here because it’s so good. Their drinks are also delicious as well and service has been great so far. The restaurant could use a bit more lighting as it’s dark inside.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Truffle Fries, Corn Bread
Krim Benaissa
We made a reservation for November 14th as this was our first time experiencing the restaurant for 7pm. Upon arrival, the hostess was pleasant and the first impression of the atmosphere felt positive until we sat down. 10 minutes or so had passed by until we noticed that no one had come to our table to greet us and apply the service practice by starting us off for our dinner experience. I then got up to go ask the hostess if someone could come visit us and take our F&B order, only to learn that there was only one server servicing the bar and the whole restaurant by herself. When I probed further to gain clarity, I learned that the manager (Evan) was nowhere on the floor helping and the staff member said they don’t come and serve and that we are short staffed this evening.
After 15 minutes of arrival, we decided to checkout and walk over to another restaurant as there was no way that one staff member was going to successfully service 15 scattered tables as well as make drinks and deliver a seamless experience.
We are disappointed as we would have liked to try the food and decompress from a long day prior. I think the team missed a few opportunities this evening. One being, that we should have been informed at check in that they were short staffed, giving us the opportunity to decide if we wanted to stay or not. Secondly, the fact that a leading manager is not on the floor and supporting their team on an evening like this was a huge missed opportunity.
We wish we could have experienced the establishment, however, going forward, we won’t be coming back as first impressions are everything. Especially when there is so much choice, and with the high cost of food pricing while dining out, restaurants should apply appreciation to their customers when they choose their place of eatery.
I hope this helps future consumer transparency.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 1
Jae Wright
Wednesday night and the place was slow not many people. Some of the seating is ridiculously tight, so much so we had to ask to be moved as our chins were on the table. Our lovely server had no problem switching us. The cornbread app was very tasty along with the whipped brown butter, however the portion was quite small for the price. My fish and chips were quite good, served nice and hot. The pork ribs need to have a spicy indicator or mention for those not wanting heat. Other options on the menu do have a pepper beside them, so the level of spice the BBQ sauce had was an unpleasant surprise. So much so that we had to send them back (not something we normally do). Our server Jessica W. was terrific, asked what she could do, took them back and brought us plain ribs. I don't know how the chef learned to cook ribs but these were basically boiled and nothing else. We then ordered the pecan bread pudding which listed being accompanied with banana ice-cream and creme anglais. Huh?! This was no bread pudding. It was AWFUL. The "icecream" was tasteless and the anglais was a congealed mess. It went back too uneaten. Jessica was phenomenal, patient, kind and had a good sense of humour. Bless her she even took both the ribs and "pudding" off our bill. Don't think we'll be back tho.
Dietary restrictions: Caution if you don't like spice...ask before you order
A great meal and the service was exceptional. The only draw back was every time the door opened the cold air came in. Not really terrible , but as it gets cold…
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best fried buttermilk chicken in Durham. Service is always excellent and, most importantly, the food is exceptional.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
November 2, 2024 - I treated my niece and her cousin on a little cousin night out to movie and dinner.
I’ve been to Smash Kitchen before so I thought the kids would like this. But….. my gosh. The dishes looked nice. My niece said her food was okay. Her cousin said his food was overcooked. My dish was trash, my gosh, I couldn’t stomach the taste. The salmon was tough, tasted bad, rank. The seasoning was weird and didn’t pair well. It had some kinda spice that tasted odd. I don’t even know what to say about it. But later that night I was throwing up well into the morning. I only eat possibly 3-4 small bites, most of the dish was left back. I still tipped and didn’t complain as I just wanted the kids to have a nice night without arguing with whoever. As I write this I am reminded of the disgusting taste.
NEVER again for that dish!
Now that I think about it I honestly shouldn’t have tipped. Paying for that dish was already above and beyond!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 3
Terrible. Took like 30 mins for one brisket and a salad to go… didn’t even get my fries in the bag all for 50$ lol place sucks
Service: 1
Excellent waitress, great food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing food, amazing people, amazing place! This restaurant is a go to for me especially during my lunch breaks. I always get the Mini LA Mac N’ Cheese - it’s a must to try! When I go for dinner I enjoy the Seafood Linguine.
The staff are so friendly and accommodating. Place is cozy and warm and extremely well kept. I wish I knew the names of everyone because they all deserve a shout out as they all try their best! Evan is a great guy and always helps me out, sometimes even brings my food over to me! Danielle, the manager - is so kind and welcoming. She really does such a great job with everything, always has a smile and she leads such a great team. This location entirely should be recognized for their efforts. Thank you so much for a great time, every time!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seafood Linguine, Fries Chicken with Mac and Cheese
Hubby and I went here for some happy hour, nomz, and it was so yummy. Hubby loved the burger, and I got calamari, beef, and corn bread delicious I cant wait to go back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My boyfriend and I came here for the first time for brunch. I had the Mini French Toast and my boyfriend had the Brisket Benedict. Both were served piping hot. The French toast was so yummy! My boyfriend loved his Brisket too. It’s kinda expensive but worth it as the atmosphere is top notch, and our server I think named Lee was great too. The only thing I can knock is it was a bit too loud. Hope to come again for dinner soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It was very loud. Food was ok, but nothing to rave about.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
First time at Smash Kitchen in Whitby today and came by around 5:30 PM. The restaurant was fairly empty, with only a couple of other tables occupied. I decided to take advantage of their Monday special — $10 shareables. Before ordering, I confirmed multiple times with the waitress that *all* shareables, including those on the feature menu, were part of the $10 deal. She even double-checked with someone else and assured me they were.
We ordered a few shareables, enjoyed the food, and then asked for the bill. My party of two split the bill, but when it arrived, the math didn’t add up. One of the shareables from the feature menu was not discounted to $10. I pointed this out to the waitress, who again had to double-check. A different server then joined in, claiming that the feature menu shareables weren’t included in the special. I explained that I had explicitly confirmed this beforehand and was told they *were*.
The waitress apologized but said she couldn’t resolve the issue without a manager, who wasn’t present at the time. This delayed us by 25-30 minutes, and I had a movie to catch. Ultimately, no resolution was provided, and we left feeling frustrated and disappointed.
Heads up to management: better train your team on the details of your promotions. Your staff should be informed and empowered to handle situations like this efficiently. This experience, unfortunately, left a bad impression.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Way to expensive, they think it's fancy and trendy dining but it's just over priced in my opinion. Drinks cost a fortune.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 4
Julie was amazing went to the Whitby location, she was a great person to help choose the food and had great laughs definitely will go back
Great atmosphere!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips, Banana Cake
I had the smash burger twice from here because it’s so good. Their drinks are also delicious as well and service has been great so far. The restaurant could use a bit more lighting as it’s dark inside.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Truffle Fries, Corn Bread
We made a reservation for November 14th as this was our first time experiencing the restaurant for 7pm. Upon arrival, the hostess was pleasant and the first impression of the atmosphere felt positive until we sat down. 10 minutes or so had passed by until we noticed that no one had come to our table to greet us and apply the service practice by starting us off for our dinner experience.
I then got up to go ask the hostess if someone could come visit us and take our F&B order, only to learn that there was only one server servicing the bar and the whole restaurant by herself. When I probed further to gain clarity, I learned that the manager (Evan) was nowhere on the floor helping and the staff member said they don’t come and serve and that we are short staffed this evening.
After 15 minutes of arrival, we decided to checkout and walk over to another restaurant as there was no way that one staff member was going to successfully service 15 scattered tables as well as make drinks and deliver a seamless experience.
We are disappointed as we would have liked to try the food and decompress from a long day prior. I think the team missed a few opportunities this evening. One being, that we should have been informed at check in that they were short staffed, giving us the opportunity to decide if we wanted to stay or not. Secondly, the fact that a leading manager is not on the floor and supporting their team on an evening like this was a huge missed opportunity.
We wish we could have experienced the establishment, however, going forward, we won’t be coming back as first impressions are everything. Especially when there is so much choice, and with the high cost of food pricing while dining out, restaurants should apply appreciation to their customers when they choose their place of eatery.
I hope this helps future consumer transparency.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 1
Wednesday night and the place was slow not many people. Some of the seating is ridiculously tight, so much so we had to ask to be moved as our chins were on the table. Our lovely server had no problem switching us. The cornbread app was very tasty along with the whipped brown butter, however the portion was quite small for the price. My fish and chips were quite good, served nice and hot. The pork ribs need to have a spicy indicator or mention for those not wanting heat. Other options on the menu do have a pepper beside them, so the level of spice the BBQ sauce had was an unpleasant surprise. So much so that we had to send them back (not something we normally do). Our server Jessica W. was terrific, asked what she could do, took them back and brought us plain ribs. I don't know how the chef learned to cook ribs but these were basically boiled and nothing else. We then ordered the pecan bread pudding which listed being accompanied with banana ice-cream and creme anglais. Huh?! This was no bread pudding. It was AWFUL. The "icecream" was tasteless and the anglais was a congealed mess. It went back too uneaten. Jessica was phenomenal, patient, kind and had a good sense of humour. Bless her she even took both the ribs and "pudding" off our bill. Don't think we'll be back tho.
Dietary restrictions: Caution if you don't like spice...ask before you order
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips, Corn Bread
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