Juniper — Restaurant in Ridge Spring

Last night myself, my boyfriend, and another couple made the hour long journey to Ridge Springs to dine at Juniper. The church bells rang at 6pm sharp, but we were left standing in the heat for a few minutes before the doors opened. Our reservation was at 6pm. That was not necessarily the end of the world, but was a preview of the disappointment to come. Once seated and ready to order, we were told that the Chef prefers the entire table to order the tasting menu. So instead of the Braised Chicken and Grits I was going to order, I took one for the team and ordered the tasting menu as well. I was the outlier, so just went with it so the three of them could order the tasting menu. $70 for the tasting menu without the wine pairing, and $85 with the wine pairing.

Juniper, while undoubtedly aiming for a sophisticated dining experience, unfortunately misses the mark on several crucial fronts, particularly when it comes to their tasting menu. What began with high expectations quickly devolved into a frustrating exercise in paying a premium for, frankly, very little. The tasting menu, touted as a culinary journey, was less a grand tour and more a series of fleeting glimpses. Each exquisitely plated course, while visually appealing, was undeniably minuscule. We're talking bites, not portions. For the entire 5 course meal, we each received 15 tiny bites total! Grocery store samples are bigger. One might expect a certain delicacy with fine dining, but at Juniper, it felt like an over-reliance on presentation to compensate for a distinct lack of substance. On top of that, one of the red wines served was spoiled. By the time the final course (dessert) arrived, we were left with a lingering sense of hunger and a growing resentment for the price tag. The dessert was still frozen and not fully thawed, and again was extremely tiny.

For two of us, our bill including tip was $260. And that price tag was truly exorbitant. For the scant amount of food received, the cost felt utterly unjustified. One expects to pay more for quality ingredients and culinary artistry, but there's a point where "artistry" feels like an excuse for disproportionate pricing. The value proposition simply wasn't there. We could have spent the same at Hall’s for the two of us and left satisfied across the board.

The ambiance, while pleasant, didn't do enough to distract from the culinary shortcomings. The decor wasn't particularly memorable or unique enough to warrant contributing significantly to the overall high cost. It felt like a standard country cooking dining room, like a minimized version of Cracker Barrel, not a transformative environment that could elevate a disappointing “fine dining” meal.

Service, too, had its inconsistencies. While initially attentive, there were noticeable lags between courses, further exacerbating the feeling of waiting for very little. This certainly didn't help to assuage the growing feeling of being short-changed.

In conclusion, Juniper's tasting menu, while offering a glimpse of potential in its individual flavors, ultimately failed to deliver a satisfying or worthwhile experience. The tiny portions, coupled with the exorbitant price, left us feeling underwhelmed and frankly, ripped off. When you leave a fine dining establishment still hungry and questioning the value, it's a clear indication that something is amiss.

I’d like to say we would try again and order from the regular menu, but after the first utterly dismal experience and the hour long trek (one way), it isn’t worth trying again to us. Juniper has a long way to go before it truly earns its premium pricing and lives up to the promise of a memorable culinary journey.

Edited to add: The portions we received were far less than the photos other diners...

I find it a tad difficult to assign a star rating to Junipers . My critique is multifaceted . For starters the service was impeccable . The young gentleman who served us had about five tables. He seemed to handle the task quite well . He had mastered the art of timing which very few restaurants seem to care about. He was solicitous but not hovering a quality I appreciate. We started out with the corn chowder , a signature dish on the menu . Very good flavoring and had a nice consistency but could have been warmer . Next course was a House chopped salad with the best crumbled bacon I have ever tasted. The dressing was good but couldn't identify the blue cheese as described on the menu. My guest had catfish and gave me a piece to try. Well that was the most excellent catfish I've ever had . it had been lightly coated with seasoned flour browned on the range and finished in the oven. Superb !! It was an inch thick , moist and very flavorable . The grits that accompanied the fish (I'm not the best judge of them)were according to my guest,who was born in SC, to smooth. I thought the flavor was good but likened them to Cream of Wheat consistency. I had a small plate of BBQ shrimp which was good but not special . The roasted brussel sprouts were excellent. The Llama Malbec wine from Argentina was smooth with a very nice bouquet . We shared a dessert of Bananas Foster .. The price of dinner was reasonable. Now for the downside for me . The ambience is small rural town hodge podge which is fine . My complaint is the lack of attention to safety . Let me explain . I use two canes to ambulate and this necessitates me looking down at where my legs and canes are traveling. The flooring had many places where there were small holes or gaps. The horizontal 2x4 that separated the entrance from the dining area could easily be tripped over . And the restroom flooring also in need of attention. In this day and age of disability awareness I am surprised that businesses aren't required by code to have safety standards. When there is only one unisex restroom there should be a safety bar by the toilet . Junipers did have a comfort level commode .( Thank the Lord). The entire restaurant was immaculately clean from the front to the back . Bottom line is that the food is worth going to Ridge Spring but for me the hazards are bit too risky . . Might I note that the City of Aiken is also negligent in applying safety standards for the disabled . I was told by a proprietor of a hair salon that he didn't have to adhere to any standards for the handicapped because he was grandfathered in . Obviously not going...

Thursday night visit to Juniper Restaurant in Ridge Springs, SC was packed, a number of large parties were already seated, when my party of eleven showed up. We were seated after about 10 minutes. Our server arrived to take our drink orders, after the drinks were served. The food orders were taken about 10 minutes after drinks were served. Within 10 minutes of the food orders being taken, the soup arrived for some, but those waiting on their salads had to wait approximately 35 minutes. When we asked the waiter what took so long for the salads to arrive we were told that the large number of customers at the restaurant had the kitchen backed up. The main course arrived approximately 25 minutes after the salads were served. The long wait times for the main course to be delivered to your table seems to be standard standard operating procedure when the resturant has a good number of customers. I have been there a number of times, and each time that the customer base was large, service times for your meal to arrive was very slow. With the long wait times, the server should have asked if he could have brought out additional biscuits and butter for the table. To be fair, there was a good side to this meal, shrimp and grits, steak, and the other meals were cooked to perfection and very tasty. So, if you don't mind the long wait times in a full restaurant, you will be rewarded with...