| Huntsville Inn--Restaurant Review |
After conflicting reports from friends and acquaintances about their experiences at the Huntsville Inn eating establishment, I felt compelled to check it out myself. I found a few new friends to go with me and we marched off on our mission to find the truth about the Huntsville Inn.
My first problem was the name of the restaurant. If you were new to town, how would you know that it's a restaurant? The name is Huntsville Inn. Not Huntsville Inn Restaurant. Just Huntsville Inn. I'd be inclined to walk in the door and ask for a room if I didn't know better. The restaurant is named for the historic inn built in the 1815 or 1816 time period and was the setting for the famous Alabama Constitution Convention in December, 1819 when Alabama became a state. The Huntsville Inn (the historic one) was on the Court Square, too--but it's not in the same place as the present day Huntsville Inn eating establishment. One of the Huntsville Inn's claim to fame is the dinner prepared for President James Monroe and his two cabinet members who appeared there on June 1, 1819 unannounced.
The Huntsville Inn has taken great pains to recreate a historic dining experience. The waitress was dressed in period clothing. The recipes and menu selections are old-fashioned recipes. The menu is printed with the spelling of the day; for example "Chicken Salad" is listed as "Chicken Sallet." I personally found this confusing because I was late and had to read the menu in a hurry! Also, the prices are listed as they would have been in the 1800's; however, inflation had added a few dollars to the cost. For example, the price of Brunswick Stew was printed "6 Dol. & 95 cts."
Some of the comments received will show how varied we viewed this new eatery in Huntsville. The decor was described in various ways: clean; neat; airy; pleasant; simple to pretty and elegant. The food was varied, too: the Cold Cut Plate and Salmagundi were generous servings; the Brunswick Stew and Chicken Sallet were more modest servings. The Brunswick Stew was made with lots of chicken and too many lima beans. One diner rated it as mediocre. The spinach salad was very good--crisp, with a flavorful dressing.
On one thing all agreed: the service was friendly but s-l-o-w! We had to ask several times for things that were promised, but forgotten or missing; drinks that were not what we ordered; and the delayed check. The noise level was higher than preferred for good conversation. Although we had gone to get the true story of the Huntsville Inn, it seems that what for one person is a good experience, for another is questionable. We were expecting a "tea room" and were surprised at the menu selection and the decor. The manager did say that they would be opening in October for afternoon tea. The Huntsville Inn gets mixed reviews. Everyone agreed that out of a total of 10 points possible, it was about a 5. Some said they would return; others said they probably wouldn't. Guess you'll have to decide for yourself. If you do go, let us know what you think!
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