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| Photo - Food Network |
Positive Reviews:
- "The décor is bare. Not a lot of atmosphere but great food! Friendly wait staff. A perfect place to take the guys after wine tasting. Most of the restaurants in town were a little too foofoo for the men "
- "So we went back after the show was taped to give it another shot, and... um... I guess it's a little better. The main reason for the additional star I gave them is the improved atmosphere.....The decor is a definite improvement although the blue they used is garish and an appetite killer. Unfortunately, I did not see an improvement with the food. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and go back to try lunch, but I'm weary."
- "Just ate here for the first time...Probably the best chicken fried steak I've ever had. The place looks great and the food and service were also. I will definitely be returning!"
- "hurried to see the makeover....looks great!! we had a chicken fried steak omelet (yummy!)...and a 1/2 pound blue cheese & bacon burger (fabulous!)..service was great and they were soooooo friendly!"
- "Like the changed look, great service, will go again."
- "It was good. Nice remodel and new menu thanks to the people from Food Network and Restaurant Impossible."
- "Great food. Outstanding service from each and every member of the staff. We will return. Loved it!!! "
Negative Reviews:
- "Went for lunch after the big remodel for the TV show. Service was slower than slow. 45 minutes for lunch is crazy. No tuna salad for lunch? Tried again a few days later and service still slow. The waitresses spend all their time talking to customers they know."
- "The kitchen was very slow in omelet preparation but a bit faster with pancakes in visit two. The service was barely tolerable on my first visit but much better on my second....Note: First visit = no flies. Second visit (next day) = many flies."
*Reviews from Tripadvisor, Yelp, Foursquare, Facebook, Restaurant.com
Other News and Updates:
- The owner of Hillbillies, Jami Saul, has already appeared on the Food Network in the past. She was on an episode of Cupcake Wars, in which she was the helper, and her team won the $10,000 prize. (Link)
- Hillbillies does have a Facebook page, but there aren't many posts on it (and restaurant is spelled "restaraunt")
- The restaurant is only open for breakfast and lunch and is open Thursday through Monday.
- A local story about Hillbillies said Jami admitted to being a softhearted boss who would sometimes give employees extra money to help them pay bills or cover their shifts. Staff members took advantage of her generosity, but Robert Irvine taught her to be a stronger boss. Jami hasn’t noticed an increase in business after the filming of the show, but she credits this to it being the winter’s slow season. Jami was pleased with the makeover and has added a few things back to the restaurant such as a wagon-covered booth and antique tools in the new accent wall.
Conclusion:
The reviews for Hillbillies have been mostly positive since the makeover with many people complementing the food and decor. The few negative remarks about the restaurant had to do with slow service.
I found it interesting that the owner has already been on the Food Network in the past by competing on Cupcake Wars. She was the helper, so who knows how much of the $10,000 prize she got, but it is another case of people being on multiple shows on the network.
While business has not picked up much since the makeover, this may be due to it being in the off-season. Maybe the publicity of the Restaurant Impossible visit will help more during the warmer months, but the positive reviews are a good start.
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