Outpost of chef Nick Badovinus’ hip chain of eateries featuring New American fare & a buzzy bar.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 5027 W Lovers Ln, Dallas, TX 75209
Phone: (214) 350-5027
Website: http://www.nhstheoriginal.com/
Menu Photos
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Reviews
That said, my husband declared that he’d made reservations at Neighborhood Services to celebrate our anniversary. “Okaaaayyy,” I smiled, intrigued, and a bit nervous.
Good food attracts us to a place; thoughtful and welcoming staff make us loyal. And this hermit is willing to crawl out of my happy little cottage again and again for Neighborhood Services.
Rhea, the General Manager, greeted us at the door and welcomed us with a lovely “Happy Anniversary!” and led us to a cozy booth. I am pretty shy upon entering new places, but her presence was like a deep exhale. During the evening, Rhea offered spot-on wine pairings–like, they were ridiculously good and perfect complements–that truly elevated our meal.
Next, our server Mimo managed to embody this hard-to-balance combination of attentive and subtle. We hardly needed a menu because of his cool expertise. He anticipated our needs and gave stellar recommendations with warmth and attentiveness to what we liked, and yet he gave us plenty of room to just be alone on our date. Excellent service.
We had an extra treat of being served some courses by Chef Davidson. I adored chatting with him as he shared the story behind a given dish, like the secret ingredient in the irresistible garlic bread (besides childhood nostalgia) or the decadent cheese included in the sumptuous Mac and cheese. Chef’s explainers made each bite that much more delectable.
Some food highlights for us:
The oysters we devoured were fresh and slightly briny. If you enjoy raw oysters, you will love these.
My husband (who does not choose veggies on a menu, ever) and I both enjoyed the crispy asparagus with dill sauce.
I CANNOT get that buttery, salty good garlic bread off my mind. I cannot believe how obsessed I am about the bread.
We enjoyed the Italian offerings of arancini and Caprese salad, too. And that garlic bread….
Hubby had the filet, which I stole a bite of. He smiled the whole way through it, and I can see why: it was tender, flavorful, toothsome.
I had the haddock, which was gently flaky except around its brown-butter crisped edges. I wish there were more; it was delish.
The mac and cheese was tangy and unctuous, and the Brussels sprouts (which my husband also enjoyed), smoky and meaty.
At the end of our night, Jordan, the valet, was just as kind and celebratory (and quick) when we went to retrieve our car as everyone else we encountered.
Our time at Neighborhood Services was well worth leaving the house for this happy hermit. We are so very thankful to everyone who made our anniversary date so special.
Meatballs and Asparagus was the perfect starter and hit on all cylinders! The pork chop was cooked perfectly and tasted better than expected. Truly a dish not usually ordered but every bite demanded attention. Scrumptious!
Highly recommend for a business dinner, casual dinner or romantic night out.
To start with the positive: the food itself was quite good. The dishes were flavorful and well prepared, and the kitchen delivered at the level I’ve come to expect. Unfortunately, the service really dampened the overall experience.
Our server was polite and kind, but clearly very inexperienced and unfamiliar with the menu.
When I mentioned that I’m vegetarian, he recommended the “pasta of the day,” which was a risotto. I gently noted that risotto isn’t pasta, and he confidently told me that it was. Later, when I asked what gremolata was, I was told it was “a cheese like brie.”
Around the same time, I asked how the asparagus appetizer was prepared. I was told it was the most popular appetizer. I asked again how it was prepared, and the answer I received was simply, “fried,” with no additional detail.
When I asked about modifying a salad to be vegetarian, he asked the kitchen and came back to tell me that I could not have the blue cheese dressing or buttermilk ranch because they were not vegetarian. Confused, I clarified that I’m vegetarian, not vegan and asked if he understood the difference. He replied, that vegetarians “can only eat salad”. Confused, he repeated this statement again. Shocked at this strange response, I just told him the difference. He was clearly embarrassed.
At that point, I decided to just order the risotto rather than continue asking questions and risk further awkwardness.
After that interaction, our table was largely unattended. We had to flag someone down for water, request ketchup after our food was delivered, and our cocktails were never refreshed. No manager stopped by the table.
Instead of enjoying a relaxed dinner with friends, we found ourselves discussing the service, and I felt apologetic for having recommended the restaurant so highly.
I did try to provide this feedback directly. When we left, there was no manager available. I called the next evening (Thursday) and was told there was no email address I could use to send feedback and that I would need to call back on Friday to speak with someone — even though the restaurant was open that Thursday night. The fact that I couldn’t speak with anyone and instead had to share this experience online is also disappointing.
I truly don’t believe the service was ill-intentioned. The server seemed embarrassed, and everyone starts somewhere. But for a restaurant at this price point and reputation, I expect someone who really understands the menu, knows the difference between vegetarian and vegan, and has consistent table presence.
I’m disappointed because this has been a reliable spot in the past. If this was my only experience, I would never go back. I hope this was simply an off night and that additional training and managerial oversight are prioritized moving forward.