DONS Southern Social - Hot Springs, Arkansas

Candace

It’s a speakeasy so I can’t tell you anything. When you get the codeword, you’ll know. We had a blast. It’s a great special occasion experience. The food was amazing. Full of flavor! The cornbread crackers were delicious and unique. What was that magic spice that came with the salmon? The duck was very creatively prepared and presented. So good!! We loved everything. Thanks for such a great time.

Juju Dessert

Haven't had a dinner this proper in a while. Fish sticks absolutely blew my mind - the grits combo and catfish fried and they were gluten free! Tomato tomato appetizer is also a must order, simple but theres something up with it, and the cornbread ?. My friend ordered the lasagna and his plate was completely clean. the gnocchi is gluten free too. The espresso martinis are exact. Also, having a table without table legs is awesome, I like the silverware - great vibe architecture and the chef is the nicest!

Rickey Reynolds

My wife and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary at this fantastic establishment! The service was outstanding and our waitress was very nice and helpful with the menu. She did an amazing job! We loved the decor and overall atmosphere. I really enjoyed sitting in front of the open kitchen. Watching the chefs work and their attention to detail was like a show in itself. The food itself was Amazing! I highly recommend the biscuits, pork belly, burger, and the campfire pie! Thank you again for an amazing dinner out for our anniversary! We will be back!

Matthew McGuire

A true one of a kind dining experience. My personal experience with this location went from being uneducated to understanding the dynamics to speakeasy locations. I started off by researching restaurants in Hot Springs on Google Maps. We found DONS, (Doing Overtime No Sleep) and went to find it in person. That is when I started to notice something was different. There is a door near the location with a different name on the door. After reviewing the geolocation, I walk into a waiting room and asked for a table from Karma. He responded, do you have a reservation? I said no, but was wanting to get in. He let me know a reservation was needed. He requested we come back at a later time. We walked down the road and checked availability. They had a spot later in the night and we went to check it out. Our server Christian was super helpful. We provided insight on the prohibition period when speakeasy locations were popular but the idea lives on.

Jamie McDaniels

Had one of the most unique dining experiences of my life! I came to eat here not knowing anything in advance, and I’m glad. It was such a fun experience. That would have been good enough but to add to it, the restaurant is a work of art itself and the food was epic.

Tom Coomes

Fun, quaint with a quality menu. You can order drinks off the menu if the specials are not your thing.

We had the Bayou board, was not blow away but a good shareable.

The Fried Chicken, gniochi and “ Silent G “ entrees were a hit.

I enjoyed the lavender ice cream over a lemon cake with honey comb.

Morgan Colson

Very cool atmosphere. Love all the little details. Food was fabulous! We had the biscuits as an appetizer and the burger. I typically do not order burgers at nicer restaurants, but it was recommended and was to die for! Also loved the coffee after dinner option!

Eric D

This was hands down the best dining experience I have had in Hot Springs. I haven’t been to all the fine dining restaurants, but there are a few things that really set DON’s apart.

First, I know it’s new, but it was just a little cleaner and sharper than other spots. Second, the staff were just a little more engaged and moved just a little quicker than my other experiences. It was the best atmosphere and service I have experienced in HS.

The food was the show though. I had the beef short rib and my wife had the salmon. They were both prepared perfectly. My wife was surprised at how much she enjoyed the salad. It tends to be a plate filler, but she loved everything on the plate.

The short ribs were amazing. The risotto was cooked perfectly and really complimented the beef. If I were to make any suggestion they should give you a steak knife with the dish. Not that the meat needs it, it’s very tender, but the cut has a facia between it and the bone and needs a little work to separate it. Small gripe, but there you are.

Overall, if you want a real upscale dining experience, this is where you want to go.