The Lazy Goat — Restaurant in Greenville

My boyfriend and I went to Greenville on vacation to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday. We decided to visit The Lazy Goat. My boyfriend wanted to try something new and different. Here is our opinion.

Location: The restaurant is in one of the best locations in downtown Greenville. The view from the table through glass walls is amazing.

Parking: This is one of the negative aspects of the restaurant because it does not have its own parking lot, and since the restaurant is located in the downtown area, it is quite difficult to find parking on the street. You can park in private parking lots, but you will have to pay at least $5.

Service: The service was pretty good. The girl who served us was very kind and sweet, but her voice is very low and since the restaurant is super noisy, we had a trouble hearing her out.

Food quality: It is a Mediterranean restaurant. We ordered the Lazy Paella (Calasparra rice, green beans, grilled chicken, chorizo, piquillo peppers) because of some good reviews online. The truth is that I do not recommend this paella at all. I have tried more authentic paella before and this dish is nowhere near the taste of a real paella. To be honest, rice tastes like Lysol lemon sanitizer smells. Of course, if you have never tried paella before, this dish will seem amazing to you. The portion is quite small (only enough for 1 person and you will probably be hungry). We also ordered Half Rack Tuscan Braised Pork Ribs (Rutabaga Slaw, Israeli couscous salad, tomato jus). Its flavor was good, but the ribs were not cooked enough and it took a lot to get the meat off the bone. I also got Moroccan Champagne cocktail and I confess that this was the best of all that we ordered. This cocktail is really good, quite sweet but refreshing. I've to say it's one of the best cocktails I have ever had (and believe me I have visited quite a few awesome bars). My boyfriend got the Stone Sour cocktail and it is very similar to whiskey sour.

Price: The prices are acceptable if you take into consideration that you are in the downtown area with incredible view and good service. The food is not bad, but the flavors are simply not authentic. We pay for 2 dishes, and 2 cocktails - $86.47 plus tip.

Atmosphere: The restaurant is quite loud. From my chair, I could hear the conversation of 3 nearby tables plus the noise in the kitchen (ice, plates, cutlery, workers, etc.). I think this is because the restaurant is very open (not surrounding walls) with high ceiling and glass walls, therefore, there is no way to reduce noise. Outside seating may be better, but no social distance at all. I did not understand the concept of the restaurant because the decoration does not tell me anything about it. The bar area is really horrible. There were remains of food in certain parts of the restaurant floor. This is something that should definitely not happen.

Recommendation: Make a reservation. Don't try the paella. Be prepared for the noise. Take into consideration that if you want to park on the street it will take you at least 10 minutes to try to find parking.

I think the restaurant can improve its decoration. I didn't feel like I was in a Mediterranean restaurant. The restaurant must find the perfect balance in such a way that people understand the concept of the restaurant. They definitely have to find a way to reduce the noise that comes from the kitchen because it is horrible.

If you ask me if I would visit this restaurant again, the answer is MAYBE, if they improve the decoration and reduce noise levels, and improve the menu with more variety and better quality food.

Follow me. Instagram @hoppincities Facebook: @hoppincities Twitter:...

Cannot say enough great things about the overall experience here. Every now and then you come across a place that understands what exceptional on every level looks like, and the Lazy Goat gets it!

The reservation system must have my birthday because when we got to the table a “happy birthday” card was waiting for me which was incredibly thoughtful.

The server came right over despite it being busy already (had a 5:45 reservation) and our drinks came out promptly. We asked for some recommendations and told him what food allergies we had and we picked several items he suggested.

The truffle fries are unreal! They’re not overly oily, they’re thin cut which is how I like them, and the amount of truffle was perfect (not too light and not overpowering).

The ahi appetizer which I ordered for my dinner was DELICIOUS with the right amount of acidity but with a delicious fatty base which balanced the light fish dish very well.

The sausage flat bread was huge (could easily be shared with 3 – 4 others as an appetizer) and extremely flavorful and filling.

To top it off, most restaurants will bring you a run of the mill desert when it’s your birthday, which is always an extremely kind gesture. This place gauged its audience well and brought a celebratory glass of champagne as my birthday amenity!

Sadly, we are only here for two nights, and we already have a reservation at another spot we were told to try out, otherwise we’d be back at the Lazy Goat to try more of the menu. I already texted several friends back home in North Carolina so I think between my boyfriend and I, and some other friends, we will be back here for sure!

Things to do: • Go early if you can and get a reservation – we went on a Tuesday night, and it was packed by 6:30 PM • Ask for a table for a view – if they have it available, you won’t be disappointed and if you’re there before sunset you’ll have a great view of the river • Trust your server to recommend great dishes – ours did and we loved all of them • Try several things, even if it’s just two of you and you know you’ll be taking things to go – trust me, it’s worth it! • If you like a medium red wine (not too bold but with some meat to it) try the Borsao ‘Berola,’ it...

This is absolutely the greatest example of customer service above and beyond the call of duty that I’ve ever experienced at a restaurant. The food was magnificent, yet the personalized care they showed us sets The Lazy Goat apart from any other restaurant we’ve ever been to. We checked in a bit early for our reservations at the host stand and needed to wait at the bar for our table. Laurie prefers to avoid stairs due to her knees, and when we asked about an elevator to the lower floor, Ya El piped up that she would be happy to lead us to the nearby elevator and help us negotiate our way through the service entrance to get us to the bar. Exemplary and gracious accommodation of our needs - First example. Once at the bar, we discussed with Freyja, Connor, and a chef at the bar that Laurie has dietary restrictions that prevent her from eating things that might aggravate acid reflux. Honest to God, they all jumped in with ideas and ways to amend their menu choices so we could enjoy our meal. Including several trips back to the kitchen to ask for the Chef’s input, and custom fruity water drinks that made Laurie feel extra special, and enjoy our nice date night. Exemplary and gracious accommodation of our needs - Second example. When we were seated at our table with a beautiful view of the river, Cat took wonderful care of us through the evening, including already being appraised of Laurie’s dietary needs and the custom grilled chicken dish the Chef and Freyja had come up with. I had the Zarzuela de Mariscos which was fantastic, and Laurie cleaned her plate of a masterful dish they literally made up on the spot. Exemplary and gracious accommodation of our needs - Third example.

We spoke with the manager, Erica, and let her know just how fantastic her staff is, making our entire experience at their restaurant a thing of beauty.

If you haven’t eaten at The Lazy Goat, you need to. We...