The Half Nelson - Davenport

We were pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. The seafood stew was absolutely delicious! While the wine list is small and a bit pricey, it offers a nice variety of styles. Even though it was scorching outside at 100 degrees, the restaurant maintained a comfortable temperature. It's situated in a small strip of upscale shops and apartments, catering to a diverse crowd, from thirty-somethings to baby boomers. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience.

We had been enjoying a pleasant dinner with great food until a sudden disruption occurred. The waitress approached us and said they needed our specific table, even though there were other empty tables available. When we informed her that we would be leaving shortly, she responded, “I’m sorry, but we need it NOW.” I requested to speak with the manager, who turned out to be the rudest person I have ever encountered. He insisted that we leave immediately, hovering over us while we settled the bill and completely ignoring our request for a moment of privacy. He didn’t apologize or offer us a complimentary drink to make up for cutting our evening short. In my 45 years of dining out, I have NEVER had an experience like this. Needless to say, I will never visit this restaurant again, and neither will the 100 different people I’ve shared this story with.

As for dessert... we couldn't resist! Even though we were quite full, we indulged. The crème brûlée was delightful, with the sugar topping perfectly caramelized. And the cake? Wow, it could easily be called a layered brownie! It was rich, fudgy, and moist, featuring salted caramel and what tasted like vanilla buttercream frosting. Absolutely decadent and addictive! Surprisingly, we ended up bringing half of it home, which was the highlight of our meal. This was our first visit to Half Nelson since the pandemic, and we were thrilled with our choice. We're already looking forward to returning and sampling the appetizers and desserts as a full meal next time!

Whenever someone is visiting from out of town I always recommend Half Nelson. I've never had food that compares! You can tell everyone on the staff team cares about the service and quality of the food and drinks. The atmosphere inside is incredibly interesting and there's nothing like this in the QC. Eating outside on the patio is one of my favorite Summer time activities. Getting food to go is also 10/10 as it's fast and the quality is the same as dining in.

The good food in this restaurant and bar is quite diminished by the extremely poor acoustics. It is not a restaurant to consider if you want to have a conversation with 4 table partners. The garlic salad is the best in the area served in a chilled bowl with crispy greens. The flat bread and risotto is a nice offering. Simply, 1/2 Nelson needs large area rugs on all hard floors and some wall and ceiling acoustical treatments. This place is a big echo chamber. We will return some time during the week only and our return will be early like 4:30 pm when just opened.