21 East

Everything we had was great including wings, burger and fries. Loved the Tator tot appetizer. We will go back for $ 10 brew and burger night which comes with Parmesan fries.

The one and only time I went there it was not the best experience. I am a college student and I was treated like I was a kid by the waitress. The two hours that I was there at 8:00pm 2 drunk, and homeless men walked in and disturbed my meal and asked for money. The staff did nothing about it and honestly I was scared to death. Good food! But a terrible experience.

we enjoyed hanging out… the dj is great. definitely a good time… Drinks were great… Haven’t tried the food yet… We will be going back…

This place is great! Bartenders, managers, and servers all have a good attitude and great service. I love their she crab soup, in case you didn’t get that last part I love their she crab soup! Great selection of beers too. This is a great place I would recommend going to.
I also read the bad reviews and think they’re hilarious and made up. I stand by all my reviews, that’s why my picture is on my profile. All that aside this place is a must try!

Excellent food and drink during happy hour and evening and dance club by night. John has an awesome menu here with menu items ranging from great appetizers to my favorite on the menu of his Diver Sea scallops! If you aren’t in the mood for seafood the burgers are excellent. There are great drinks specials during the week and the bartenders are the greatest!
After reading the negative reviews I just laughed at their responses. I go here at least once a week and obviously these people don’t know good food and drink.
My favorite happy hour snack are the Firecracker Shrimp!

Never knew about this restaurant until Fall For Greenville 2013. We tried their shrimp taco and lobster mac and cheese. It was delicious. We have ordered take out several times since then and are never disappointed. Best shrimp taco in Greenville!

This was such a great find. Went because we bought a living-​social deal but will return because it was incredible. I called to make a reservation and was told they were completely filled up for the evening. We went anyways knowing that we could eat at the bar if we had to. We went later than we originally wanted thinking it would be easier to possibly get a table which was exactly what happened; there was one available when we got there and we were seated immediately. The décor was contemporary with an under-​lit bar, exposed brick and very cool fixtures. We ordered the bottle of wine that was on the specials menu, that they ended up being out of it. However, the wine that our server gave us instead was a lovely bottle of merlot that we both really enjoyed. My husband ordered a wedge salad… which is the size of a full entrée salad, and he ate every bite of it the roasted corn is an awesome touch. Our appetizer was the lobster spinach dip with pita points. It was on the watery side but the flavor was great and there was huge chunks of lobster in it. Our entrees were the complete highlight of the night!!! My husband ordered the seared yellow fin tuna and crab salad because they ran out of the ribeye which he ended up being greatful for… there wasn’t a bite remaining, he said it was the best tuna he’s had while living in the south. I ordered the 21 east burger and the only complaint is the server didn’t ask me how I wanted it prepared so it was a little over cooked but the taste was still incredible. I upgraded my hand cut fries to be truffle parmesan which wasn’t a mistake they were amazing!!! So grateful living-​social brought us in but the amazing experience is what will bring us back!!!

Modern décor, eclectic menu with something for everyone. We very much enjoyed our dinner. Try the truffle tator tots!

Very modern/​hip atmosphere. We ordered the crab cake hush puppies for our appetizer. And for our entrees the chicken and waffles, lobster Mac and cheese and a ribeye. The chicken and waffles and Mac/​cheese were awesome! They have a great high gravity beer selection. The service was excellent. Overall we enjoyed 21East and will def return.

My husband and I went in for dinner and tried two new dishes on the menu. The Sea Bass was the best I have had and the Pan Seared Diver Scallops were mouth watering. I love their menu.

Love this place! It’s modern and fun with cool décor, and gets really funky late night. We usually sit at the bar downstairs and the food and drinks are good, and the prices are fair. My husband loves the craft beers, and the wine selection is decent. The menu has changed a lot since it opened, but I always find something I like here.

My wife and I went for dinner and were promptly greeted at the door and taken to a table. Love the décor with exposed brick, nice lighting, cool/​hip style. Nice music playing in the background. I didn’t feel I was in Greenville, but more like NYC or Toronto. Started with the Lobster Mac & Cheese as an appetizer to split with my wife. Good portion size and the flavor was awesome! I had the crab cake special for dinner and my wife had the shrimp and grits. Both were amazing!!! The food here is top notch. Service was excellent. Food came quickly.
What I liked about 21 East is the quality throughout, from décor to food to even the bathrooms. It’s not the typical restaurant. They have broken out of the «Southern Style» same type of place that you expect to see in Greenville. 21 East is upscale and really cool. Plenty of menu selections… I can’t see myself getting bored with food options.
21 East has shot to the top of Best of Downtown restaurant options. I will have Lobster Mac & Cheese cravings until my next visit.“
By the way, the style here is not «Retro 80’s» and the food selection is not «Tapas». Very modern style with a full dinner menu. There are appetizers and burgers, but there are also full dinner plates. Whatever you choose, you’re sure to LOVE it!
Hint, make a reservation.

Returned with a Groupon on a Monday night. The manager seated us, and told us that our server was one of the best servers and bartenders in the area, and they were lucky to have her. Well, there’s all kinds of luck…
She didn’t know what was on tap. Our meals were not hot when they arrived (after a long wait). She had to be flagged down twice for beverage refills, and she repeatedly disappeared into the basement.
The manager told us that burgers are $ 5 every Monday, so we ordered them. When the bill came, we presented the Groupon, and when the already rang credit card receipt came back, the burgers were suddenly no longer $ 5, but $ 10. When we asked, we were told they were excluded because they were a «Promotional Menu Item.» Every Monday? The manager said, «Well, I guess it’s just semantics.» Sounds more like Bait-​and-​Switch to me. If they were not going to honor their Groupon, they should have told us BEFORE running the card through! No offer to make it right; just tough.
The burgers are not quite as good as Blackstone on Woodruff, and certainly not worth $ 10; especially since they cool down to room temperature before they are served. The fries that accompanied them are limp, cold, and supposedly drizzled with truffle butter and Parmesan. Tasted the parmesan, but that must be a very light drizzle of truffle butter.
There are just too many reputable places to eat in Greenville for me to patronize these jerks.

for the «foodies» or «foodie posers” — this is right off the food network for you. is this high-​end bar food, or funky food joint in a bar?
Appetizers were great, the entrée (s) were well proportioned and it appears there is someone in the kitchen that knows both food and presentation. Quit going to the «mexican influenced» slop houses on Main Street and go to 21 East. Very reasonable prices; add 25% more if this place was in Atlanta.

I can understand the Unilocaler who said she was confused about this place, as was I. It is more of a bar atmosphere than a restaurant. And if you like 80s music, this is your place. It was a bit too loud for conversation tho, giving the place that bar feel… but then when you look down at your food and then taste it, you think you’re at an upscale restaurant.
I was impressed with the look and size of the spinach salad but the taste was not what I was expecting as there was no warm bacon dressing flavor. The shrimp and grits makes a beautiful presentation with the shrimp on top of a ‘grit cake’, which looks like cornbread, with the gravy underneath. The shrimp are large and taste like they are seared in bacon drippings. This is very savory at first bite, but by the time I got to the third piece it was becoming a bit too much. It’s a dense and heavy dish. My husband tried the mahi-​mahi, which on the other hand was very light and flavorful with veggies and a citrus sauce. Neither of us cared too much for the choice of wine, the Bollini pinot grigio.
I’m giving this place a 4-​star review because I appreciate what they are trying to do and the food is of excellent quality. The wait staff was friendly and service was timely. We’ll definitely be back to try the burgers, meatloaf, and chicken and waffles.

NOT WORTH THE TIME AND MONEY!
I went on a Tuesday night at 6pm. I learned about this place thru experiencing them at Fall for Greenville. The gourmet tacos and lobster mac n’chesse were just amazing.
Eating at the restaurant… a whole other experience.
IT SUCKED.
One server/​bartender was working. I was in a party of TWO and we were 2 or 6 people in the place and waited well over an hour for food. Then when food FINALLY cam e out — it wasnt prepared right. The spinach dip was average, they over cooked the pita chips and they were a crunchy mess. The signature «grandapa» burger was awful. The burger was well over done. Soggy lettuce. Burned bun… This was delivered with COLD fries. My wife ordered the 3 chicken tacos. They must have been distracted and not heard chicken — they brought out one of each flavor. Steak, chicken, crawfish. All 3 were over cooked. The meats were tough and hard to chew. The tortilla shells even had burn marks on them.
I would return if this place was having a «free drink nite» but would never consider returning for the food. It was a waste of my time.

21 East left me a bit confused when we stopped in for dinner Saturday night.
The décor and feel is a bit like an upscale nightclub or martini bar… including a «no baggy clothing» warning on the door. The bar chairs were all full (quite a few of the «sundress with cowboy boots» type ladies), but the tables, almost empty. A previous review had me expecting a «tapas style» menu. This was not the case. The menu is very ‘home style’ (meatloaf, steaks, burgers, chicken and waffle)…not what I’d expect from the atmosphere.
However, after we ordered and received our meals, we were pleasantly surprised. Our appetizer and entrees were all very good. Our plates all left our table empty… compliments to the chef! Good selection of beers on tap. Our waitress was very friendly… and rooting for the correct football team :)
So although I’m still confused by what maybe they’re going for, I guess I can’t complain because whatever it is, I like it!
Ok…one thing I can’t let slip by. They need a menu editor. On the lobster mac and cheese it is described as «main lobster». The state is spelled «Maine». Sorry… I’m from New England ;)

Great experience, great food. The atmosphere is very urban chic, with contemporary lighting and décor.
I had the Lobster Mac and Cheese… OMG! So, so good. The cheese sauce is homemade and there are huge pieces of lobster… my dining partner had the flank steak. Beautifully presented and perfectly cooked.
I will, without hesitation, return. This restaurant is top notch. Go to 21 East for a wonderful meal. You will love it!

Great craft beer selection. The food is tapas style but we were pleased that the portion sizes were generous. Loved the crab cakes, flank steak and ceviche.
Will definitely be back to the great new place.

The food is fantastic. Top-​notch ingredients and impeccable execution. Big fan of the food here. They also have a strong beer selection, some great top-​shelf liquors and tremendous bartenders; some of the best in Greenville.