The Lazy Goat

Last night after the Furman game several of us made a trek to the new restaurant, The Lazy Goat, which overlooks the Reedy River at River Place. It’s one of the many new upscale eateries that are popping up all over the Westend of Greenville.

Background

The Lazy Goat opened this past June, and is part of Carl Sobosenski’s Table 301 restaurant empire, which includes Soby’s, Restaurant O, and Devereaux’s.  Based on a tapas concept, the idea is that diners purchase dishes to share in a relaxed atmosphere.  Their tagline is "Time well wasted."

Atmosphere

I honestly can’t comment on the interior of the place because I never really entered it.  Our party was already seated outside, so we went straight to it without going inside.  Our table was fantastic, situated at the top of the huge artificial falls and fountains at River place with a view of the Reedy and the Peace Center.  I did get hints of a very modern, upscale decor from what I could glimpse through the windows.

Menu

The food tends toward Mediterranean dishes.  As befitting the tapas concept, there are more appetizers than main courses.   The first section features a variety of meats and cheeses.  One can get three of these (eg. one meat and two cheeses) for $11, or five options for $18.  The "graze and nibble" section ranges from $4 to $12, with dishes ranging from olives and brushetta to quails’ eggs.

There are several "mains" from $16 – $21, a few pasta dishes, and several pizza options.

Food

We started out ordering some cheese and several appetizers.  What arrived shocked us at it’s paucity.  I really hate to sound like an unsophisticated hick, but at these prices I would really expect more than a few morsels per dish.  For example, the cheese order we got two very small slivers of cheese and a few slices of meat.  The empanadas trio consisted of empanadas smaller than one’s thumb, with a dollop of sauce.  The olives and lamb were about the only things with enough for everyone to get a taste. 

We ordered another round of what we thought were more substantial dishes, but were still disappointed.  The pizzas were about the size of the tiny personal pizzas from Pizza Hut, but that’s where the comparison ends.  These had much more exotic toppings and flavors.

Speaking of flavors, everything was fantastic.  However, there was the awkwardness of not wanting to take too much for fear that someone else might miss out.

Service

We had a rather large group, and we were placing orders at different times.  That always adds a layer of complexity.  Even so, a couple of our orders were initially misplaced, and orders that were placed at the same time came out in a very staggered order.  Despite these small faults, service was very good overall.

Conclusion

We had a group of nine adults and one child. While we thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company and the fabulous setting, we were disappointed at the quantity of food.  We paid nearly $30 per person overall including wine, and still came away hungry.  The quality of the food is excellent, however the awkwardness of sharing such a small amount made it less than enjoyable.  Not quite "time well wasted", but it was still fun.  If we come back, it will be with a much smaller group where sharing is not as awkward, and we will definitely order fewer appetizers and a main dishes.