Hutch and Harris

Located at 424 West Fourth Street in downtown Winston-Salem, Hutch and Harris offers soups, salads, sandwiches, and entrees for lunch and dinner. There is a full service bar, outdoor seating, brunch on the weekends, and daily food and drink specials. Take out is available.

Trying to find dinner in Winston on a Saturday night without a long wait proved to be quite a challenge, so Hutch and Harris won out by virtue of having seats open at the bar. The meal that followed made out stumbling in here out of desperation a stroke of good fortune, but there were still a few nagging inconsistencies that would preempt a glowing recommendation.

Conveniently located at the corner of Fourth and Spruce, Hutch and Harris offers an inviting atmosphere: classy without being stuffy and comfortable without feeling cheap. Despite a full house and a college football game on TV at the bar, the noise level never rose to the point of agitation.

The menu here is eclectic bordering on schizophrenic. Influences include Asian (Siracha Stirfry Salad), Southern (Shrimp and Grits, Kentucky Fried Chicken), Cajun (a shrimp/crawfish/chicken platter) and more. This makes for some wonderful variety; however, it also makes it hard to pin down H & H’s culinary identity.

During our visit, my companion and I opted to sample some soups and split an order of nachos. The nachos featured the standard accoutrements (cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream) elevated considerably by tender marinated pork. Among the soups, the crab bisque was creamy with excellent flavor. Unfortunately, it also contained a few bits of shell. The white bean chicken chili was hearty and satisfying, but the flavor profile didn’t really fit that of a chili (I found myself missing the tomato). Some savory, crumbly jalapeno cornbread made for a welcome addition.

Given the location, pricing at Hutch and Harris could be a lot steeper. Our soups came out to $4 apiece, and our app was $10. Sandwiches (with a side) start at $9 and entrees are mostly in the teens.

In terms of service, the bartenders on duty were great – fast, friendly attentive, and knowledgeable – but the kitchen certainly could be swifter.

All told, Hutch and Harris gave us a good meal and a good evening when one was needed. It has a few shortcomings, but it also has enough going for it to merit a return visit.

7.5/10