Colleague and I took a client here for dinner/ meeting tonight. Based on reviews and menu we were under the impression this experience would be high-end. While the service we had was great...the $217.00 bill for 4 people was completely off base. The "filet" meatballs were hard and seemed like a food service item. My filet texture was chewy and lacked the seer or crust you'd expect from double eagle pricing. I got the rock shrimp topper which also seemed like a frozen food service item. The cost was not the issue as it is expected for value. The problem here is sub-par food and Del Frisco pricing. read more

A top notch experience. Had the lamb and wife the pork and they were spot on. The Creme Brule was unbelievable. The atmosphere was super chic and the live music put the icing onto the cake. Highly recommend and will be back. read more

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Kevin and his team never cease to amaze with excellent atmosphere and wonderful food. Staff is very attentive and friendly, A+

Spent a Friday night in Fort Smith after a long week of travel and needed a place to eat a good meal. Thinking that downtown would be bustling on a Friday night I headed out with a recommendation from the hotel staff. Luckily the place they recommended closed early and I found 21 West End, instead! I stopped in for a late dinner, about 45 minutes before they closed, and I was NOT disappointed. I came in a side door and wound my way down some wooden stairs to the basement of the building and immediately I was reminded of a speakeasy. Staff was buzzing about finishing some holiday parties in other rooms as I approached the hostess stand. I enjoyed the cream cheese crab cake appetizer and blackened salmon. The crab cakes had a nice crust that didn't taste like they were fried. They were done just right with a soft flavorful center. The blackened Salmon was excellent. It was cooked just right and flaked as the fork went into the generous full portion, probably an 8-ounce filet. The vegetables including the potatoes, squash, and peppers were grilled to perfection. For dessert the staff recommended the creme brûlée. It too was very well done with a lightly caramelized sugary top and creamy custard. I don't typically leave reviews, but the food, atmosphere and ambiance, and staff made the restaurant one that I wanted to share. Definitely a place I'll come back to next time I'm in Fort Smith. read more

21 West End - New American Near Me - Fort Smith, Arkansas

Sit at the bar with Brennan. He and his drinks are amazing. Take his advice on the Filet Mignon Meatballs, they are delicious.

Food is fantastic!!! Was up here visiting family and decided to try something fancy! Definitely recommend stoping here if price isn't a issue. read more

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I concur with all of Alured's review but I'm not going with rating inflation (I'm an objective reviewer, not a subjective relative one). The one way streets drive you a little bit mad and the abandoned ferris wheel looming above is a bit creepy. The first floor business is closed right now which scared us off the first pass and the entrance on the side to downstairs is not clear at all. I almost thought we needed a password. All passwords in Arkansas are, "Woooooo Pig! Sooey!" luckily. Inside is very small; if you have a big group I highly advise calling in. Iit's also small and quiet enough that this could be awkward. That said it's worth it. Quality food and nice service. I won't say they are the most cultured but they sure are trying and that's good enough for me. read more

21 West End - New American Near Me - Fort Smith, Arkansas

When i moved here from Austin i gave up trying to find a quality dining experience. I was tired of trying to take my wife out for a good dinner just to be surrounded by people that think sweat pants and house slippers are acceptable attire for public places. Ive gotten used to this look but every now and again we would just like to get away for a quality meal without having to see such things. Dinner was so good i actually got emotional. From service, to plating, to ambiance. this place is a real step above anything here in the city. Yes you will pay more, but you get what you pay for here. read more

Spectacular find! 21 West End is simply elegant and in one of the oldest buildings in Fort Smith. I ordered a blackened mahi mahi, which was covered in an awesome sesame sauce. The fish was cooked perfectly, very tender and juicy. It was accompanied by roasted asparagus - also tender and tasty - over a bed of wild rice. For dessert, I had a silky, smooth creme brulee - heaven! Matt, my waiter, was very courteous and attentive. He told me the history of the place, it was once known as the "Hole in the Wall Saloon". The stone walls and architecture were truly cool. I would consider this a "must go-to" if you are in the Fort Smith area. I will come back next time I'm in town. read more

My second time here was just as perfect as my first. 21 West End is one of a kind here in good 'ole Fort Smith. My first time was with my grandma and we found ourselves there on Ladies Night and enjoyed half off wines (rather my grandma did). The meals were great then... And the appetizers were great this time as well. We had the Shrimp cocktail which came out with small cocktail shrimp versus the advertised Prawns... no worries, we weren't phased. The Wellington bites were pretty awesome though, and the sauce they were in was EXCELLENT! Our wine was a bargain compared to what we'd be shelling out in any city with a two terminal airport, and the extra dirty martinis were very tasty! Hidden downstairs it's a pickle to find, but once you do it makes you feel like you're a part of an ultra hip club of people. And I dare say, here in Fort Smith, if you're at 21 West End, you are. read more

My review is strictly based on the wait staff.. I waited 45 minutes to be seated. Enjoyed a beer and caught up on some work stuff. Michael was an amazing host. He did his best to keep me informed and make me feel welcome. He seated me. At this time the restaurant was half empty, I think a few large parties left. I waited over 10 minutes and was never spoken to by any of the wait staff. Multiple servers walked by and made eye contact. I never met my server before I got up and left. Not a Hi, I'll be right with you or anything. Piss poor service from the service professionals. Too bad I didn't get to try the food! read more

Great romantic getaway and not a typical Ft Smith eatery. Really liked the Angel Hair pasta with cream beer sauce with blackened scallops. Everything cooked to perfection. Great service too, even for a busy Friday night. Jazz guitarist was a nice addition to our otherwise great experience. my only minor complaint; needs a more extensive beer menu, only offered the usual as found anywhere else. read more

Came in on the last night of my stay in Ft Smith, AR and was blown away! The service started a little shaky, but by the end of the dining experience, I completely forgot about it. This is a rarity in small town America. The ambiance or the restaurant was amazing and the food was divine. For dinner I opted for the cream cheese crab cakes (appetizer), Cognac Pork Loin (entrée) and crème brulee. The crab cakes were crisp and meaty, and the sauce they were served with added the perfect sweet spice and flavor. The Cognac Pork Loin was the best loin I have ever had. Perfectly seasoned and seared...it was phenomenal. The crème brulee was also exceptional...creamy and perfectly sweetened with a wonderfully crisp topping. I finished dinner with a glass of Crown Royal Reserve, summed up to the best dinner I have had in awhile! Worth every penny! read more

We went to 21 West End last night for my husband's birthday and had a very enjoyable experience. Every aspect of the experience was just spot-on: the food was exceptional, the decor was striking, the service was just the right kind of friendly and helpful, and the mood was very apropos for a birthday celebration. We started out by ordering several appetizers for our group. The Deviled Eggs were smokey and whipped and had a touch of salmon in them and they were out of this world. Seriously, the best deviled egg I have ever eaten. The crab cake sliders were perfectly prepared with a tasty corn salsa on top accompanied by a side of dipping sauce that had the right touch of smokiness and heat. The crab cakes were cooked to perfection without being overly breaded. The artichoke dip was rich and cheesy without going too overboard with both and it was served with homemade wonton chips that were crispy without being too oily. Those who ordered martinis seemed to really enjoy them as well. My husband got the Honey Pepper Salmon and was not disappointed. The salmon skin has a crispy finish that he enjoyed and was particularly taken the with saffron sauce served under the risotto. I got the shrimp and grits. Having grown up on the Gulf Coast, I am very particular about how shrimp and grits are prepared and I thoroughly enjoyed my dish. The grits had a creamy, cheesy, velvety texture with the right amount of saltiness and the six shrimp that came with it were massive and well-cooked. We shared creme brulee for dessert. It was a nicely sized portion that was not overly sweet or too rich. It is a rare thing to find a restaurant that strikes all the notes just the right way and you will find that with 21 West End. read more

We visited 21WE (what I call it - t-shirt idea? ) tonight with some friends for a birthday dinner. The food was amazing as was the service. Jeffrey was exceptional and was the best server we've ever, ever, ever (did I say, ever?) had in our lives. The best. Do yourself a favor and ask for Jeffrey when you visit here and it will be a perfect experience. He knows the food and his recommendations are spot on. The best pairing here isn't a wine or entree, it is Jeffrey and 21WE. Thank you 21WE and Jeffrey! read more

21 West End is a great date night and girls night restaurant. The dim lighting makes it romantic for a date and chic for a girls night out. Favorite Appetizer: Cream Cheese Crab Cakes Favorite Entree: Chicken Oscar or Filet Mignon with added Oscar Favorite Dessert: Creme Brulee Favorites aside, everything on the menu is delicious. The service is always top notch and the owner makes it a point to come say hello at some point during the meal. read more

Without a doubt this has to be the best Place in Fort Smith. It's hard to find a place where everything from the cocktails, appetizers, entrees, sides and dessert were all great but this is it. Fantastic selection of martinis and made to perfection. The atmosphere is very pleasant and great for date night. Can strongly recommend Cream Cheese Crab Cakes, Cognac Pork Loin, Filet Mignon Oscar and Creme Brulee. read more

This is a $$$ place and worth it. Imaginative menu selection. The sauces are excellent. Michael, the manager, made us feel very welcome. There are not a lot of fine dining restaurants in Fort Smith and this is one of the best. read more

21 West End - How cool is this?! - New American Near Me - Fort Smith, Arkansas

Great food, I didn't trying anything I didn't like. The only complaint would have been that it was a little louder than I would have expected, but our group still had a great time and loved the food. read more

Service is iffy depending on when you go. Food is usually delicious. read more

21 West End - Black Martini - New American Near Me - Fort Smith, Arkansas

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The meal was pretty good at least mine. I went with my sister to try it out and on one hand my pork loin with pears was really good but my sister pasta was horrible. With the prices being higher than normal,I expected both our meals to be fantastic. Next year we might give it another try. read more

What a hidden gem! I had moved away to Houston about 10 yrs ago and this place was new to me on my visit back. Finally a nice place to enjoy good food and drinks! Fine dining for a fine small town :)!!! read more

21 West End - Pork tenderloin - New American Near Me - Fort Smith, Arkansas

This place is classy - aside from the loud, rich, drunk dudes at the other table. Like the other reviews state, this is quite expensive. My ticket was nearly $50 for a martini, appetizer, and one entreé. That being said, it is the most upscale dining in the Fort Smith area, in my opinion. Their menu is indeed limited and unique, but what comes out of the kitchen are rare delicacies! No one in this area cooks quite like this chef. The service was a bit questionable at first, but if you treat them with respect and value their opinion, they will warm up to you (always treat your servers like a friend!). We had Danielle :) If you go on a weekday to eat, remember that the kitchen closes at 8:30. I will be returning to this restaurant. read more

My husband & I were traveling home to California from Arkansas when we decided to stop for the evening and treat ourselves to a nice dinner. We are always looking for unique places with amazing food to try and consider ourselves blessed to have been able to travel a lot and enjoy fine dining in and out of the USA. I came across 21 West End on Yelp and phoned to make a reservation. The food, service and ambiance was exactly what we had in mind. The idea of putting such a nice restaurant in a basement of an old building with so much history was a great idea. We arrived and were seated at a booth, our server Michael took our drink order & answered all of our questions about the menu as we were having a hard time to decide. The final decisions were the French Onion soup, crab cakes and the Rib Eye that were accompanied with mashed potatoes & asparagus that was on special that evening. It was all delicious and cooked perfect. We always find it top notch when the owner or manager personally comes around to ask each table if the food & service was to their liking. Every nice restaurant should do this as it gives a few minutes to answer all our questions about the food we just had. Kevin did an outstanding job at this & we enjoyed talking with him & his directions on where we could park our truck & horse trailer were spot on. If we are ever in this area again we will definitely come back. read more

This is a trendy and very good restaurant! I was glad we had made reservations because the place was full. The atmosphere was excellent and there was live music. Usually we don't care much for live music because we enjoy visiting but this was quiet and unobtrusive. The service was first class and every waiter in the place helped one another to be sure the diner was well cared for. They have a good bar menu and we enjoyed specialty martinis. My lady had the house filet and I had the wild boar special. Both were very good. I enjoyed the wild boar, but next time, I would select something a bit more traditional so I could get more vegetables with my dinner. We finished off the dinner with creme brulee and it was very nice. It was a very enjoyable evening! read more

By far the gem of Fort Smith. In a kind of hidden location, this place is absolutely incredible. My wife and I ordered the Blackened Chicken for the appetizer, and that in itself was worth the visit. It was tender, juicy and absolutely delicious. For the main course, my wife got the Pork Tenderloin, and was absolutely amazing. If you ever find yourself in Fort Smith Arkansas for whatever reason, this is an absolute must visit! read more

This place is Absolutely. Fantastic. I went with the cognac pork loin, my spouse a 9oz filet mignon. We ate while The Crumbs played some outstanding jazz selections including some standards and out of the way yet still recognizable hits. These guys are a do not miss. The food, ambience, and music was an absolute 10. There is no way we could have possibly asked for better experience. Even the waiter, unsure what he had available for pretentious bourbon cocktails, had the bartender surprise my spouse with a fantastic bourbon sidecar. As we tasted the best food we have had since leaving Denver, we both told each other that 21 West End is going to take "all" our money. We will be back sooner rather than later and can see ourselves definitely becoming regulars. read more

I don't know if words can express how delicious this place was. We were going to a show in Fort Smith and found this place on Yelp. I was excited to try it because they had half-portion entrees, and I can never finish my meal. I ordered the duck, and it was amazing. I could eaten a full size! My parents and sister loved it as well. In fact, we talked to them about catering my wedding, we loved it so much. I also had the Lemon Drop Martini, and plan to have them make it for my wedding. You must go here! read more

As a Chef myself I can't understand how a restaurant that on the surface looks like it could be the hot spot to eat in Ft Smith failed so miserably on my visit. It was a Tuesday which should've have been a relatively slow night but not at 21 West End. I made a reservation just to be on the safe side which in this instance was needed because they were busy. Our waiter promptly came to our table and literally read off the nightly special and took our drink order. Within 5 minutes our drinks arrived and we placed our order for (1) deviled egg appetizer, (1) house salad, (1) small portion of braised short ribs, and (1) small portion of the pork tenderloin. Easy breezy right? WRONG, we sat for 2 hours and only got the deviled egg appetizer and the salad which we shared. It was a busy night, but I recognized that right off the bat and ordered the appetizer, the house salad, and the entree's which should have been ready to eat before service began. Our waiter told me on (4) trips by my table that he appreciated our patience. Often times our waiter vanished and when we ordered a second glass of wine in the middle of our wait it took 19 minutes to get it from the bar to our table which was only 30 feet away. I could go on but be wary, dine here when you have the time to grow old and gray read more

My absolute favorite place to eat in Fort Smith! Hidden away in a downtown basement, this place has a cozy chic atmosphere with a great ambiance. As mentioned, the menu is small but all entrees are delicious! The waitstaff is friendly and attentive. This is a great place to go for a date or with a group of friends. Definately worth the money! read more

Omg .. i am from Ohio and had only 2 days in town. I am so glad i found this amazing restaurant. I had the filet meatballs app. Which was fantastic.. barely had room for stuffed salmon which was even better! Great staff, great wines n great ambiance ! read more

21 West End - New American Near Me - Fort Smith, Arkansas

This is the best place I have eaten at in Ft. Smith. Every piece of food my family ate we all loved! All interesting and great designs for different types of food. Little pricey but food and service make it worth it. read more

This place is truly a must-dine establishment. I stumbled upon this thanks to Yelp. The atmosphere is quite romantic with a guitar player for entertainment. I had the chicken lettuce wraps - spinach lettuce with fresh cut pieces of chicken and vegetables. The pork chop was delicious - plenty of meat and no fat. For dessert - the salted caramel cake with ice cream. Megan was an excellent server. Every staff member acknowledged you and the manager, Mike, stopped by the chat and make sure all was well. An excellent way to end 2017! read more

21 is THE destination for a fine meal in Fort Smith! From the entrance into an eclectic space, a very warm greeting, and attention to detail, you are in for a treat. The menu is full of choices you won't find in any other restaurant. The staff delivers fabulous service and strives for excellence. Best choice in town for a special date night or celebration! read more

The only reason I did not give a 5 star rating is the service. Our server was one of the worst I have ever had but looking around it seemed other tables were not having the same experience we had so I feel this was likely limited to our server. We had reservations and had to wait 20 minutes for our table but the hostess brought us drinks while we were waiting so that helped make the wait less annoying. Food was outstanding. We starting with beef Wellington cigars which were delicious and we could have made a meal on these. The sauce served with these is amazing. For our entree we both had 9 oz filets served Oscar style. Filets were cooked perfectly. They were served with steamed asparagus and potatoes. For dessert we split a vanilla creme brûlée. Creamy and delicious. We will absolutely return despite the service and hope our server has found a new profession! read more

Superb! My wife and I have eaten at this establishment on multiple occasions and every meal is stellar. Ambiance is calm, trendy, and conducive to a delicious meal. Whether it is their filet, pasta dish, or chicken you will not be disappointed. And don't forget about the creme brûlée it is out of this world. Their cocktail list is next to none...they have countless flavors of Martinis, their service staff is always friendly and attentive. Best restaurant in Fort Smith by a land slide! read more

In Fort Smith there are only a few places that I would consider to be "fine dining" and this place USED to be one of them. We came here for our anniversary and had the best time, the best food, and the best service. However, a few months passed and we dined in to celebrate my birthday and it was completely the opposite. My husband didn't receive his meal until 30 mins after I received mine. So it's pretty obvious that our server forgot to put in his order, there was no remorse for the error and our meal was still over $120 dollars. I don't want anything free, but like most people in the area, we came here for special occasions, and they just completely ruined our perspective of the service. I would say it was an isolated incident but the same thing happened to some friends of ours about a month later, except they completely forgot both of their meals as they waited almost an hour after ordering to receive food and said they watched people who were seated much later than them be served and cashed out before they ever received their food. Super disappointing. read more

Sneaky on how they upcharge. They charge for water depending on which of the 3 waters you pick . Salads aren't included yet they'll make them sound like they are. One in our party didn't get the salad but they still tried to put it on our bill. $238 for 4 of us (not including tip). I've had far better meals for less. My cocktail ($19) wasn't made to standard either. read more

Maybe its because I've been around the country, traveling quite a bit, but this was a definite disappointment. It was overpriced, my pasta was overcooked and over peppered (cajun food uses more than pepper, btw), and I was completely underwhelmed. Fact is, I've had better food at Olive Garden. Oh, and you don't make Chocolate Lava cake by making a cake with a hole in the middle, filling the hole with chocolate syrup, then hiding the hole with ice cream.... Just saying.... Only saving grace was the place is beautiful, in really pretty location, but claustrophobic, with an odd choice of entertainment for a Saturday night.... Oh...and what's up with adding the gratuity into the check straight off the bat? Be warned before you leave a tip, its already calculated in! read more

[Note, if this were in say San Francisco it probably only would have gotten a 4, but given the lack of comparable places in the area I bumped it to five]. Hidden away in the basement of one of the recently redeveloped buildings downtown, this is basically a fairly classy martini bar with a small but rather good menu. Lots of martinis and other mixed drinks plus a pretty good wine and beer selection which is probably the main draw of the place. The menu is limited [a salmon, a steak, a chicken, a pork, a pasta] but the items are quite tasty and come in reasonable portions. Part of the appeal of the place is the atmosphere, a bit dark and with music later in the evening [even if jazz might have been better suited to the location than someone who sounded like they were covering the Cranberries]. Prices are a bit expensive by what I am used to in Fort Smith [$15-20 entrees, $8-10 martinis], but I really enjoyed eating/drinking there and would go back. Perhaps the appeal is that unlike if it was in say SF, it was not overrun with yuppies or hipsters. read more