Pompeii Restaurant

I had the worst meal of my life here. The waiter was extremely rude and when we spoke to the owner about it, the owner was a complete A Hole! On top of that, the food was disgusting. Applebees is better than this place, and I don't like Applebees! The drinks and food were waaaay overpriced. BEWARE! Come to this place only if you want to feel taken advantage of and jerked around. Cons: Rude more

New Owner, New Menu and new wine list. Food and service are excellent, give it another try it's the best I've had in Hot Springs!!! more

We went there two consecutive nights. The first night, not so busy, and the waiter was pleasant. Meatloaf was different and tasty and mushroom ravioli was ok, if slightly gummy. Very expensive and salads and sides are extra. The worst thing that night was that they messed up a companion's grilled salmon (they said it stuck to the grill) and they had to redo it. We all were completely finished when her order finally arrived. She was embarassed to eat, and we had been there forever, so she had them wrap it to go. The next night was a complete DISASTER. It was crowded and we were seated, then subsequentially ignored, in the bar area. Could not get more wine. Our brushetta appetizer arrived after several requests and a wait of 90 minutes. Dinner followed. On both nights, there was no apology, and no adjustment to the bill. On top of that, we heard this guy behind the bar making fun of customers who were complaining that their meal was taking so long (""He was complaining that he placed his order two hours ago. Geez, it was ONLY 90 minutes!"") When we called him on it, not only did he not apologize, he got unbelievably beligerant. And to top it all off: HE WAS THE OWNER! I will NEVER set foot in that door again. I will spend my money where it's appreciated. Pros: Varied menu, wait staff knowledgable about wines Cons: Terrible service, food overpriced for what it is. more

Someone sent us here telling us it was a cute place. A hole in the wall might better explain it! Old looking and in need of sprucing up is more correct. The chairs were not comfortable to eat from at all and appeared to be from a thrift sale or old house sale. The pizza was good, but at $20 it should have been bigger and contained some more topping. My veal chop was overcooked and more like pot roast. My companions seafood dish was nicely flavored except for the off-tasting shrimp. Wine prices were outlandish. We noticed special pricing on some nights, we could see why! Easily have seen some of these wines on lists for much less. Pros: pizza, service Cons: wine prices more

Restaurant was recently sold, but now the ex-owner is back cooking as the executive chef! Don't know what is going on, but the food is only at best passable. Pastas smothered in sauce and cheese, veal so tough it took a steak knife to cut a cutlet. Pizza is pretty good usually, but way overpriced for what I have seen. The wine list is priced exorbitantly for the selection. The ambience is eclectic in its own way, yet not the most comfortable. Service is fine when not busy, but get a few tables and the water glasses go empty, plates don't get cleared and dessert is an afterthought. Pros: Central location Cons: , Poor Value, Service more

Prompted to write after my last visit (the third) and it is 3 strikes you're out! The only thing worth eating was the pizza, and at $12 for one that barely served 2 that isn't saying much. My pasta was overcooked to the point of being pasty. My companions swordfish was so overcooked we needed a steak knife to cut it! The service was very iffy as well. It took over 30 minutes to get us appetizers, a salad and a plate of tuna carpaccio! The salad was nothing special and the tuna was warm to almost hot - not cold. We ordered a second glass of wine and it took 20 minutes to get that! We were frustrated at this point and finished what we could, paid and went somewhere else for dessert. All told for the 2 of us it was$100! Get real! Cons: Price value, service more

Have gone through some changes recently, adding on a bar area and a catering shop. Don't understand the need for the bar, and the catering shop offered nothing appealing to us. The atmosphere is eclectic, although gaudy in many ways. The service goes in waves, sometimes attentive and good, other times lacking and not to be seen. The food might compare in the same way. The pizza is good, although some are seasoned strangely. The pasta dishes are most times too heavy in sauce and cheese, and therefore gloppy and pasty in texture. The prices are quite high considering what you get. Pros: pizza Cons: expensive, atmosphere, service more

The interior is a bit over the top, almost trying too hard to be cute and gaudy. Service is fine as long as it isn't too busy, then the waiting begins. Food is some of the better in Hot Springs, especially the pizza. Pasta dishes are okay, but not real original. I don't recommend many of the meat entrees as I find them poorly prepared and skimpy in comparison to the rest of the menu. Pros: good selection, intimate usually, pizza Cons: gets crowded, ambiance too much, price more

Said by many to be the best Italian in Hot Springs. I'm from NYC and would agree as far as Hot Springs, but no match for places back in NY. The sauces are many times too heavy and overly seasoned with salt. Wine list is fair, dessert is probably the best part of the meal. Growing up with Italian friends I wish I understood the desire to give potato side dishes and not pasta in this town. All my friends and their family's restaurants offered sides of pasta to accompany, potatoes were not used heavily, mainly for gnocchi. I also find the atmosphere too contrived. Pros: desserts Cons: location, ambiance, food presentation more