The Lazy Goat

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 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.