james blake
Sassafras Southern Bistro delivered an outstanding dining experience from start to finish. We were a large party, and the service was seamless—attentive, organized, and genuinely welcoming without ever feeling rushed. Every plate arrived hot and at the same time, which is no small feat for a big table. The food itself was prepared beautifully and full of flavor. Each dish was cooked to perfection, thoughtfully presented, and absolutely delicious. Everyone at the table was impressed, both with the quality of the cuisine and the professionalism of the staff. Highly recommend for group gatherings or any occasion where you want consistently excellent food and service.
… moreGina Sterling
We celebrated my 27th birthday and the restaurant showed us so much love! The food was amazing and the patio was even better to enjoy. We definitely recommend them to anyone! The owner came and personally wished me happy birthday! The food was so delicious we got a plate to go. Will go back soon for sure!
… moreVanessa Natti
Celebrated my moms 42nd birthday here! Our meals were delicious, the mashed potatoes were so yummy. I ordered the special which was gnocchi & blackened chicken- the peppercorn cream sauce was perfectly balanced. We encountered an issue with the Mahi we ordered but the waitress was so kind and quick to help. The manager stopped by twice to check on us and was so friendly! Great food, great service! Although the weather was frigid their heated patio area was so warm and inviting!
… moreTami M.
This was my first time here, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! We arrived 30 minutes before our reservation but were seated immediately. I got the beef tips with parmesan risotto and substituted the green beans for the asparagus. They accommodated my request to leave the blue cheese crumbles off of the beef tips as I’m not a fan. Our waitress was very attentive, and our drinks were refilled in plenty of time.
I will definitely go back!
… moreStacie Baldwin
I really wanted to be wowed—especially after reading all the glowing reviews. Maybe we just caught the kitchen on its day off? Who knows.
So I asked our super sweet waitress to help me choose between the Beef en Croute and the Shrimp and Grits. She said the Shrimp and Grits is one of their signature dishes. Awesome! Let’s do that!
…Regret.
It was, um, flavor-challenged. No matter what I did—salt, pepper, lemon juice, prayer—it still tasted like absolutely nothing. The sauce on top had a weird jiggly, gelatinous thing going on. Not in a fun Jell-O way. Just…no.
On the bright side, the hushpuppy was chef’s kiss. Honestly, I’d eat a dozen of those and call it a meal.
My tablemates had shrimp, scallops, and some sides. The general consensus: seafood ranged from “meh” to “it’s fine, I guess.” The green beans had all the excitement of an Excel spreadsheet. But! The mac and cheese and sweet potato fries came to play—both were solid.
Now, for the good stuff: the service was great, super friendly and fast. And the atmosphere? Totally charming. Warm, welcoming, and cute enough to make you want to love the place.
I’d maybe come back for drinks, mac and cheese, and hushpuppies. Or just for the vibes. But sadly, dinner was a miss this time.
… moreChris Hill
Part of my offering to my real estate clients is to treat them to a nice meal after closing to celebrate. I decided that Sassafras would be an excellent choice to commemorate some recent clients from Florida who moved up here near Lake Keowee. We were promptly greeted and seated and Cody (hope I’m spelling that right) introduced herself as our server. She had a great personality, was very knowledgable about the menu (and very accommodating in helping someone in the party navigate a food allergy with specific needs), and provided excellent recommendations for us. From the pimento cheese dip, to the wedge salad, and the delicious entree’s and finally dessert…every bite confirmed this was the right choice. THANK YOU for an excellent evening!!
… moreRandy
First timers at this restaurant and it didn’t disappoint. Food and service were top notch. Really a southern fine dining experience. Drinks were AMAZING. Definitely a new spot we will revisit.
… moreHope Hamby
The reviews made this place sound great, but to be honest it wasn’t. Our waitress didn’t seem interested maybe because we were buying bottles of wine. Idk but my steak had a weird meat flavor and the risotto was so over done it was mush with no flavor. The Brussels sprouts were almost too burnt with no flavor. We came for our anniversary and it kinda blew. The presentation looked nice. The only thing I can say that was absolutely delicious was the fried green tomato’s.
… moreRobert Giuliani
We’ve walked by this restaurant many times when it wasn’t open and looked at the menu next to the front door.
Each time putting it on our list to dine here.
We did dine here before our evening at the Peace Center for the MJ Musical on a Friday evening.
It’s located in an ole brick building in City Plaza area. Looking at the brick walls one can wonder of the history of the building.
It is very spacious as you are escorted past a large bar on the right with tables in the area including several high top tables.
This space leads to another space through a brick archway and continuing on through another archway to our table.
Tables can accommodate various party sizes. Our reservation was earlier than usually for us however within about thirty minutes, the tables were filling up rather quickly.
The drinks menu is extensive as well as the dinner offerings.
Everything we selected was flavorful and presentation was inviting.
Service was well orchestrated.
Gas lit wall lanterns on the side wall were a nice touch as were the table luminery.
We had a delightful dining experience and we’ll be returning in the future.
I would certainly bring out of town friends and relatives to Sassafras Southern Bistro.
… moreJeff Jennings
Went last night Thursday Feb 5, 2026. Got us in ahead of reservation with a packed house. My wife’s Birthday and the food was excellent and price was in line. Staff were 5 stars. Always checking on us. The deep dish peanut butter pie was phenomenal!! Steak was perfect and cooked to the right temp and most of all fresh!! 4.9 of 5. Great dinner
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