Shug's Steakhouse — Restaurant in South Carolina

Well I called a day ahead to make a reservation was told by the manager that none taken unless it’s a party of eight or more. I asked him what’s a good time he said I believe 5:30 to 6:30 he said it quite a down around then. Know mind you you my first time there went there on a recommendation from a fellow worker. So we got there Sure it was roughly around 5:30 ish the parking lot was jam packed. I parked my mom went in I soon followed was told at the front desk 1 hour 45 minute wait. There told us that the bar table were ditsy come first serve. So we walked to the bar area jam packed. Mom walked outside to one of the tents private party in the white one. The ppl that reserved the tent asked us to join them. So we did. Honestly the best part of the night very welcoming and just down to earth great ppl. I noticed that their food was coming sporadically when it should probably all come out on two trays at one time not five minutes for 35 minutes for the next 10 minutes for the next but anyway. They finally gave us menus we ordered beverages appetizer and entrées and Probably half an hour later our food all came out at one time. Moms shaved Shaved ribeye sandwich an fries warm at best. I ordered the blackened fish with Parmesan risotto and grilled asparagus was lick warm at best the sliced seared rare tune was to cold. It was almost like that is was made ahead time and plated and put in the fridge yo save time. That was good. My blackened mahi mahi with tomato cream sauce and Parmesan risotto which if I had to guess was a boxed product. Any chef with their weight who’s made risotto and I have because I do have a culinary arts degree in the green baking pastries knows that risotto is creamy it doesn’t stand up well sitting long and it’s not clumpy like pumped up rice but it was cold. When I mentioned it to my waitress She just kept saying well the plate was hot when I brought it out the plate was hot when I was brought it out but I’m sorry it was cold they offered a new one I said no because it would probably take too long and the look on her face was like that of discussed and OK moving on dismissive I guess and that did it right there for me the waitresses service lead needed a lot to be desired and be honest I probably won’t go back again. You know and that was fine that she didn’t make it they took it off the check and then when I said something to the management out front They were also dismissive and kind of you’re wasting our time and you know from being in the restaurant business for over 30 years you don’t treat customers like that you just don’t. And they were sitting another table next to us of 11 hood reservations at 6:30 they never sent 20 after seven and I did hear one of the gentleman at the end of the table say They’re making money but their customer service sucks so I don’t I don’t deal with bad customer service or bad waitresses or managers that don’t know what they’re doing and there’s no reason for it that place is not all that. And I was really looking forward to enjoying myself there Yeah I don’t think I’d try it again I don’t even think I would recommend it to anybody but you can’t tell people that South Carolina because they think buffet fried chicken and dry clumpy curd macaroni cheese is good and gravy out of a can is good and I hate to say that but that’s just the way it is . Just for you Thomas this is my opinion you don’t have to like my opinion you don’t have to agree with my opinion it is mine it’s not right nor is it wrong...

I went to Shug’s Thursday evening 5/22. I was with a party of about 7 other people and we made reservations in advance. I ordered soup, salad, and a side of the lobster Mac and cheese. Our server was very nice (Hunter) and did a good job keeping our drinks filled up and our table cleaned.

I had very high hopes for the dinner - I had never been there before and I don’t get the opportunity to dine out much anymore - lots of kids and no steady babysitters.

The honey butter croissants were great, albeit messy. No plates or additional napkins were provided- the honey butter was also a bit drippy(delicious too). My daughter had to go to the bathroom just to wash her hands again, before the meal. There were drippy sticky bits on the table and napkins before we even got our food.

Then we waited QUITE a while for our food. I have 20 years food service background - I know restaurants get busy, but it was a very long wait. Most of our table ordered soup and salad. One lady had a brisket platter, and my daughter and her friend had a basic burger and chicken tenders type meal. It really shouldn’t have taken as long as it did. We were all so hungry when our meal finally started coming out.

The salads came out first. I was disappointed the salad and the bowl weren’t chilled at all. The bleu cheese dressing was mediocre at best- barely detectable bleu cheese in it. But the most disappointing thing was the “blackened” shrimp. They were seasoned fine and not overcooked, also not blackened. :( I have included a picture. 5/10

The lobster Mac and cheese was good - not as rich as I was hoping for, and it was LOADED with bacon pieces - which I enjoy, but it made finding and enjoying the few pieces of lobster a little more challenging. 6/10

The French onion soup was great. I would have liked the bread to have been all one type - it was cubed pieces of random breads - some were chewy like stale sourdough even after soaking in broth, and some were soggy and super soft- so you never knew what kind of bread you were gonna get in the bite. The cheese and the broth were great and the onions were nice and soft. The onions were all different sizes - some chunky and some thin. Some cooked long and deep, some barely cooked. I would have liked that to be more consistent also. I know how much work French onion soup is - but it’s time to invest in a mandolin so you can have consistent pieces….. 8/10

My daughter’s chicken tenders were well made and juicy and a good portion for the price. The fries were also good. 9/10

Overall, a good meal. I don’t know that I’d jump at the opportunity to return, but I wouldn’t say never...

Good evening fellow food lovers. For those of you looking to expand your pant size by treating your taste buds to a variety of food, Shug’s Steakhouse may be an ideal place. As for me, I am debating whether or not I should ever return. Upon my arrival, I was greeted with a warm welcome by a group of young female hostesses. Although they were very polite and welcoming, it was very obvious they were discombobulated by the restaurant’s seating rotation. I was originally escorted to an already occupied table. Nonetheless, mistakes happen and I myself do not profess to be perfect. However, my party and I were escorted back to the entrance, where other parties were then seated before us. I considered the situation to be a result of miscommunication and did not make a fuss. Once I was finally seated, we were greeted by our server, who’s name I can not recall. Nevertheless, he was very respectful and attentive to our needs. My lovely dinner date and I prepped our appetites with an order of their honey butter croissants, which were absolutely delicious, followed by two specialty cocktails (Liquid marijuana). After reviewing the menu, I decided to select the blackened chicken pasta as my entree. Once the food arrived, the plate’s presentation was disappointing overall. The taste wasn’t terrible but the Alfredo sauce was best comparable to a jar of classic readymade Ragú. As for the chicken, it was dry and over cooked and appeared as if the Chef used a Slap Chop as the cutter. After receiving the bill, I examined all the charges, where I discovered I had been charged $40 for two alcoholic beverages. Now, I’m a reasonable man and assumed this was merely a mistake, until the waiter confirmed the charge. When I asked for an explanation, I was told that the cocktail consisted of three different liquors. In other words, I was charged $7 x2 for one liquor, another $7 x2 for another rum and an additional $6 x2 for a third mixture. Perhaps someone reading this review can enlighten me because thus far, the waiter’s explanation doesn’t seem to justify the price. The restaurant offers a variety of cocktails, many in which contain more than one liquor, i.e Bahama mama and that drink was advertised for approximately $10 a piece. As a result, I give this restaurant a 3 star rating. Had the staff not been polite and welcoming, I would rob them of another star but I believe credit should be given where credit is due. In conclusion, I rather have a dog sit on my face after a warm brisk walk, than return to Shug’s and be overcharged for...