Whiskey Alley — Restaurant in Aiken County

I had tried a few times to eat here, but each time it was overcrowded, and it was too hot to sit outside, so I left. Today I made a reservation, and it was the middle of the week, so I managed to avoid the crowds. The server was very pleasant and accommodating. My advice is to keep with the mainstays — the burgers and simpler, more bar-like fare. I didn't care for the dish I ordered: the duck was supposed to be pan-seared, but the temperature indicated that it had exited the pan a long time before they served it, and it was chewy. It was also prepared medium-rare and the lack of proper temperature gave me pause. The grits were clumpy. There was no pepper jelly as a garnish, as stated in the menu. I sent it back. The fish dip (that everyone raves about) to me, was just meh. I don't get the fascination with it — to me it was bland and too heavy on the dairy, which occluded the flavor of the fish. The desserts were priced on the high-end, compared with their competition, so I left and went and had dessert elsewhere. I realize it is a matter of "to each their own," and the appetizer has a devoted following, but for me, it was a disappointing meal, in terms of food quality. I won't be back.

Addendum: Following my review, the management reached out on this site, apologized for my experience, and offered a free meal, in an attempt to win back my business. I was uncertain as to whether I would accept the offer (I always worry about someone preparing my food who likely resents my review), and I took the weekend to consider it. The offer and the manager's reply has now disappeared, so one has to wonder why — was it just for show? No thank you, I will just redirect my business to Malia's, which is where I should have gone for my...

Went here for the first time recently for lunch. Was met by a hostess lady that looked at me with distain and asked if I had a reservation. Reservation, on a Sunday at 1:30? Lol, Um, No. the place looked 70% empty. I did not really understand the menu until I started looking around & noticed how small it was. I’m guessing the kitchen, which appears to be upstairs must be the size of a 1975 Fiat. My French toast was good, very small portion for the price I thought. Overall I think it was ok. I don’t see the hype personally. Why just ok? 2 lunch entries & a coffee was $50+. Which in Charleston makes sense, but this place, No. If I were a drinker it probably would have made more sense. I did enjoy reading what felt to be a 65 page autobiography on drinks, which was cool sine it has Whiskey in the name. I would expect that. I simply must comment on the Eclectic inside that would make Dr. Frasier Crane go, “what in God’s name is going on in here.” The decor, I did not get at all. The bar was beautiful. However, the Stained glass with some mismatched lights, 4 in line photos of food & drinks that looked very out of place does not bode well. Do yourself a favor & walk over to the antique shop around the corner & drop $300 on some amazing art to replace those 4 Getty image wanna be images you have up. Embrace some horse photos or something. Anything. Take those things down immediately. Would go back if someone...

It's a cool little joint, but I have a few qualms. First let's talk about the service. The waitress and hostess were friendly and knowledgeable. No problems there. The tablet computers they use to input the orders however, not so great. Several times as our party was attempting to order drinks or tapas, the tablet froze up or took entirely too long to load the page our waitress needed. You gotta fix this. Moving on to the food. I've had plenty of fine dining and gastronomic adventures. So, speaking from experience, the chef might be trying to do too many techniques all in the same dish. We were with a large party and shared several of the small dishes. The SINGLE oyster with mignonette...was the most pretentious thing I've seen in a while. Also, the brussel sprouts our waitress recommended, while very well sauteed we're way way too salty. Same thing with the steak tartare. The bruschetta was good and the goat cheese spread was great. I had the salmon with mashed parsnips. The salmon was prepared perfectly. The parsnips were good, but I'm not sure the sweetness works against the savory fish.

All in all, a good dining experience, but I think if he changes are needed. One more thing, many at our table had whiskey drinks. The whiskey menu was extensive. I however, am not a whiskey drinker. I prefer red wine. I wish there were more wines to...