The Playwright

We went on a Tuesday evening around 6, so it was pretty slow. They have valet parking, which is nice since there aren’t as many close options. The staff was very friendly, and the bartender was absolutely gorgeous (but that’s not really relevant :). They have a nice beer selection, although we were told it was happy hour when we got there but I was charged full price. Not a huge deal. The real issue was the food, which was only ok. I had the club, which wasn’t bad, but was very try. My father got the ruben, but it was so fatty that he could barely eat it. After reading some of the other reviews, it sounds like the kitchen is struggling lately. We even had a random guest come to our table on her way out and say «whatever you get, avoid the stew.» Yikes. This would be an excellent place for drinking with friends, but I wouldn’t recommend it for dinner.

I would give zero stars if possible. Unbelievable how bad the customer service was and how terrible the drinks were. How do you mess up a Jameson on the rocks. We were brought whiskey and water and when we questioned the drinks we were told it was hot and the ice melted. Such a horrible experience never go here

Great atmosphere. Clean, friendly staff and good food. I will return to the Playwright to try other things on the menu and to order the fish n chips again.

I’m surprised by the reviews I’m seeing. I’d first eaten here shortly after it opened. At that point the service was a little slow but you could tell it was because it was new. That time I had the shepherd’s pie which was delicious. We went there again tonight. This time I had the fish and chips which were quite good. The fries could have been a tad bit crispier but they were still enjoyable. The service by Hunt was excellent.
They have an extensive beer selection as well as cocktails and wine. The décor is very authentic and reminds me of The pubs I visited in Ireland.

Kaitlyn is a great bartender. Very personable. We really enjoyed our time at this pub. Great music & beer

I am embarrassed this place calls itself an Irish pub. Sure, it may look like an Irish pub but never judge a book by its cover. I wanted SO BADLY for this place to rock, but the only way it’ll improve is by completely sacking the WHOLE STAFF and replacing them with actual knowledgeable, friendly staff with an ounce of common sense. This isn’t Twin Peaks, ladies.
First things first. The food. I am Irish. I KNOW my Irish breakfasts. I was beyond excited to get to try out their Irish breakfast (The only one in Greenville as far as I know). It was okay. Not good, not bad just okay. Just to note, whatever ham was served was NOT rashers. I think my husband said it was country ham? The ‘bangers’ (btw bangers are BRITISH, not IRISH. They’re sausages) were halfway decent. There were beans which were really great to see. However the menu does not say that the breakfast comes with wedges, so I asked for a side of fries (more on the bloody fries in a just a moment). Mushrooms. White pudding, but no black pudding? Come ON guys! Irish breakfasts have pudding as a staple! Along with toast. And tea. TEA! Every Irish person alive has a good cup of Lyons tea with their breakfast. A solid mug of tea. I got what felt like an espresso cup. I had to ask our poor waitress for at least six cups. And milk! Holy Mother, what a joke! How can you have an Irish breakfast without tea OR milk?! They go hand in hand! It’s exactly like me serving you a biscuit without any gravy. Just not okay.
The fries. The damn fries need a whole paragraph by itself I’m so annoyed. I have never ever been this disgruntled about the price of something. Firstly the price of a side of fries was not listed. So I expected them to be around 3 $, right? FIVE WHOLE DOLLARS?! You have got to be kidding me. If the fries were hand chopped and cooked in goose fat, then sure. But these were Walmart brand frozen chips. Absolutely outrageous. I only ordered them in the first place because the menu didn’t mention that the breakfast came with potato wedges.
I’m beyond frustrated and I hope it shows in my post. I am ashamed of this place, this is not Irish hospitality at all. The food is so meh, ESPECIALLY at those extortionate prices and the service is hands down the worst service in Greenville.
DO NOT GO HERE.

I don’t even know where to start. How about at the beginning, when the pub just opened. We actually stumbled upon their soft opening. We had a couple Stone IPAs and tried a scotch egg (which sounded disgusting, but was actually pretty good). Servers were everywhere and the service was prompt and friendly.
Well — we waited a while to go back. Earlier this spring (2016), we had been out on one of the first beautiful days we had and stopped at the Playwright because they had their outdoor seating set up. Excellent! Well — not so fast. We were seated outside and asked for 2 Stone IPAs (yes, there’s a recurring theme here), and for some sea-​salt and malt vinegar crisps. Well we got our beers and finished them. No crisps. We waved our server down after trying to get his attention for 5 minutes. We got the, «They didn’t bring them out yet? Let me check on that.» It happens, we’re talking chips — no big deal. We asked for 2 more Stones while he went to check. We waited 10 minutes then had to flag him down and ask about our beers — «they’re on the way.» We got them — and they were obviously not Stones. It took me 5 more minutes to explain that this is not the beer that we ordered, He went to check with the bartender — back and forth. You picked up the wrong order — sheesh. Own up to it. He came out with 2 Stones, but we were half-​way through whatever he brought us. Still no crisps. He told me they were really short-​handed and the kitchen was having trouble with the chips. Finally, the chips came out, unsalted, burnt, and flavorless. To his credit, the server only charged us for one round of drinks.
So WHY did I try this place again? I must be an idiot. We thought we’d try it out before a Friday afternoon matinée at the Peace Center. It was 12:30, the play was at 2 — plenty of time to eat and walk to the show. The restaurant was pretty empty — bartender, server, hostess, a table of 4, a table of 6 and then us — a table of 4 taking the total lunchtime population up to 14 if my math is correct. It took a few minutes to encounter the server. We placed our drink orders, and she quickly returned with our drinks (they were out of Stone IPA — I should’ve known then) waters, an iced tea, and 2 draft beers. The beers arrived warm and in warm glasses (strike 2). We placed our orders and waited. Water glasses refilled. Waited. It is now 1:05 pm Table of 4 gone, so we’re down to 10. The table of 6 get their food, and our server comes over to tell us — 35 minutes after we order — that they are out of potatoes so they can’t make the shepherd’s pie. Seriously? And it took 35 minutes for the kitchen to let our server know this information (my inside voice was screaming, «strike 3 — RUN», but I didn’t). Fine — a substitute order was placed. Tick tock — more water refills. Tick tock — let me check on your order. Tick tock — it is now 1:20. We have been there for 50 minutes and nothing. I informed the server we had a show to catch at 2 and asked her to check on the order. Tick tock — they’re working on it right now. Finally at 1:35, with no food in sight, we got up and I told the hostess she could cancel the order because we couldn’t wait any longer. She apologized, took our name and number and said she would have the manager call us and «try to make it right.» She then presented me the check with the 2 beers and 1 iced tea. I just looked at her in disbelief and didn’t say a word. She quickly caught on and let me know the drinks would be on the house. Splendid. How gracious of you.
So we left. No food — and you guessed it — never got a call from the manager.
This is a REALLY cool bar with LOTS of potential. I am pretty sure it will close soon, and someone else will pick it up — and hopefully run it right.
If I could give this place a negative score I would. I have NO CLUE where the good reviews at the top of the page came from. Not this Playwright.
Never again. Unless my wake is there, and then I wouldn’t care.
Rant over — I think I need a Stone.

I just don’t understand how a restaurant can remain open this long without accidentally improving service. The owner should just shut the doors and sell the place. I’m starting to think the owner must be a trust fund baby who thinks it’s hilarious to have a horrible restaurant. It’s pathetic and a waste of good real estate.

Gave this dump another shot and wish I hadn’t. Bad food, bad service, terrible bartender and way overpriced. This place should be out of business soon. Hopefully a good restaurant can take its place so this bad dream will be over. Just end it already.
So if you want nasty food, the worst possible service by all means go the the Playwright. What a dumb name for a supposedly Irish bar.

We waited a while to try The Playwright due to the lackluster reviews. Arriving about 8:00 on a Friday night, there was a good crowd but no wait for a table. Our server arrived quickly and was very friendly. Taking in the atmosphere, it is very nice with the dark wood and authentic pub feel.
We ordered wine and, after our server questioning whether or not they had a Malbec in stock, generous pours were brought to us in heavy glasses that feel substantial in your hand. Nice. I didn’t mind their limited menu, which still has a nice variety. We settled on the Whiskey Chicken sandwich and the Reuben, with plain and sweet potato fries.
Our food was delivered quickly and presented nicely. Portions were large. I could definitely taste the whiskey marinade in the chicken. It had a nice char on it and was tasty, but a bit overcooked and dry around the edges. I wasn’t impressed with the chewy corned beef and underwhelming flavor of the Reuben. The plain fries were freshly made, but the sweet potato fries had a strange smoky, burned flavor to them even though they looked good. I found myself wishing I had gone with one of the salads and bread pudding instead.
I could tell on that night they were at least trying. Someone from the kitchen as well as our server checked back with us multiple times to make sure everything was ok, so they get an A for effort. There were a lot of servers on the floor so they’ve stepped up their game with this. Having just read that they’ve already lost their executive chef hired in Dec. may explain the inconsistency in the kitchen.
I would like to see this place do well. Greenville needs more go-​to places off the beaten path of Main. I think when the Embassy Suites as well as the HUGE apt complex across the street are complete, The Playwright’s foot traffic is going to explode! Therefore, hiring the right people in the kitchen, and keeping the bar fully stocked, is essential. Owners, take note and fix this! We’d all love to give you 5 stars!
We’ll check back a little later to see how they’re doing, or at least to try the bread pudding.

Great Irish pub feel and look. However, very disappointing in food and beverage selection. The menu was very limiting. They happen to be out of two beer selections (Blue Point and Fullers) on a slow Tuesday… They were out of steak for the Philly Cheese Steak and offered to substitute with chicken. The boxed Tots were very crunchy. I felt like I was chewing for days. My friend ordered the Whiskey chicken sandwich, and said the best part of the meal was the fries. I ordered the Whiskey wings. They tasted very crunchy as if they were re-​fried. It came with picketed celery which was nice/​different. The best part of my meal was the beer. The Pub fries felt like it was missing something. I was in hopes it would be like Canadian poutine based off its description, but sadly was far from it. Not to mention, all food came out room temperature. The bathroom had clogged toilets, and was pretty messy in each stall. I was very disappointed since I love a good Irish Pub.

I would love to have been able to review the food here, but unfortunately I cannot. I was seated and no one came to even acknowledge me or take a drink order for 20 minutes. I tried to wave over a server, and was ignored. I got up and left.

I really want to love this place and hope things improve. We love the atmosphere and it’s a beautiful restaurant, great theme and a lot of attention to detail. The food is pretty good as is their drink selection. I ordered the Reuben which was pretty dry and my wife got the fish sandwich which was honestly the best white fish I think Ive ever tasted.
We have been here three times now and unfortunately the last two had pretty poor service. Several times we sat with empty drinks for about 15 minutes, at about 2:30 in the afternoon… it wasn’t busy at all. The time before that we waited so long that we actually got up and left after one drink. Please get better because I really like The Playwright and would like to see it part of Greenville for years to come.

Overall, we like this place! Very good service and beer/​wine/​liquor selection. The décor is awesome. I’m glad they have decided to start dimming the lights. It’s weird to be in a brightly lit Irish Pub.
The menu is definitely a little small. We miss the scotch egg app that was on the menu the first time we came. We have had bangers and mash and the stew — can’t remember exact name– and both dishes really were so good. We will wait until the menu gets back to normal and see how everything pans out as far as food goes.
I know the same person owns Sip and The Green Room. I am not a fan of TGR at all but I really like Sip. Maybe 3^rd time will be the charm with this place?

I hate to have to downgrade this restaurant from four stars to three, but they seem to have experienced some growing pains since I visited about two months ago. They cut their menu back by what seems like more than half, and unfortunately they got rid of the awesome Reuben dip. Sadly what’s left on their starters/​small plates list didn’t look all that interesting or appetizing to me when I visited today for lunch. (Because I usually don’t get appetizers but I was starving today and really would have liked one. Especially that Reuben dip.)
I had the Turkey Reuben with sweet potato fries to satisfy my Reuben craving. The sandwich was good, but again I was disappointed to find that they had changed their waffle-​style sweet potato fries to regular ones. And there was none of that awesome curry aioli, either :(I tried my mom’s fish from her fish and chips meal and it was delicious (she also kept exclaiming about how good it was *and* completely cleared her plate, which is somewhat abnormal for her), though I prefer regular tartar sauce to the version they serve here.
My biggest complaint, though, is the bathroom. Two of the four stalls in the women’s room were inoperable; on top of that, the door to the one I used was half impossible to shut completely and lock, and not easy to open, either. The water faucets seem to have been set so that you can’t get hot water, and um… it’s winter. And when I visited in November I left out the fact that the trash can in this bathroom is appalling (it’s a fairly short/​small white plastic kitchen trashcan and you have to touch it to open it; not sure if it’s broken or just really that cheap) because I figured they had opened recently enough and would surely be upgrading. They haven’t. Get a new trash can for the women’s bathroom, guys. Please.
All that said, service was still impeccable; just as I said before, timely and friendly. The drink list is still good and the décor and atmosphere are great. I hope they can continue working through these growing pains, though, because at this point I’m wondering if all these changes mean this place isn’t going to last, and obviously it is NOT good that this was one of my first thoughts on my second visit in just two months.

I can tell that they spent a lot of time working on this venue to make it look and feel authentic. The beer and whiskey selection is good and the environment is very pleasing. Service both during this lunch and a previous dinner experience has been great.
The lunch menu was much more limited than I remember the dinner menu being, which is understandable. I had the lamb meatloaf sandwich which was tasty and filling, no complaints there. The lamb sliders were underwhelming, not bad, but too pricey for an appetizer with two sliders and no sides.
The biggest gripe on this place is the price point. Perhaps they spent so much in the design and décor of this place that it reflects in the menu prices. Apps and sandwiches were all in the $ 12 – 18 range, which is pricey for Greenville, SC lunches.
I hope this place sticks around long enough to work it’s menu prices down, it’s a type of place I wouldn’t mind visiting every month or so.

First, I give them 5 stars on décor and cocktails.
HOWEVER! They score a 0 on ambiance and .5 on menu, and only because they have a menu at all.
I came last week for post-​dinner drinks, and they were GREAT! But there was only one other party in there! I liked the concept and wanted to support a new business, so I took my parents back tonight to try it, for drinks and good Irish pub food!
Sadly, there is NO PUB FOOD! All entrees, nothing small, but we were told they’d be adding appetizers in a few weeks. Ummmm. Who goes to an Irish pub for an entrée?
I asked if they had fish and chips: NO. I saw a burger on the menu, so naturally assumed they at least had fries to have with our drinks: NO! They were out of the burger (?!), and according to our server (who was perfectly nice and so apologetic — honestly, we felt bad for her!), they were «out of all of the good stuff.» So, we walked out!
They’re also playing pop music and not Irish. I don’t care for Irish music, but it kind of puts you in the mood for a few pints and some dancing!
DEAR PLAYWRIGHT OWNERS: Make a visit to Finnegan’s Wake in NYC, then take a loop around New Orleans. You have an amazing opportunity here, but you are failing miserably! Don’t let Greenville (and its tourists, even) down, we want to support you! Finally, add a yellow strip to the step down near the tables at the front — looking for trouble, otherwise!

We had a very uneven evening at The Playwright.
It was very loud when we entered. I think there was a large party having too good of a time, however were seated in a smaller, quieter back area. Also tucked in the back was a smaller, very cute back bar, if you want bar seating away from the louder main area.
We ordered a couple of their house cocktails, and a scotch egg appetizer. The drinks were both really good, and their cocktail menu has a number of really interesting looking drinks. The scotch egg, however, was ice cold inside and the sausage was really raw. The waitress and manager were both really polite and apologetic.
My husband got the quail sliders and fried mushroom for his dinner. The mushrooms were addictively tasty, and the first slider was good. The second slider, and the bun, were absolutely burned. I got the shepherds pie, which was a huge portion… luckily because it was really good and their was plenty to share with my husband, who was only able to eat ½ his entrée.
The manager and waitress were not as supportive of us sending back the burnt slider, and we actually had to ask for it to be taken off the bill.
I am hoping that they are just having some new business growing pains and that the consistency will improve, because it is really a cool space and great concept addition to the Greenville food scene. This visit, however, was a disappointment.

Our first experience at The Playwright was very enjoyable. It was about 7pm on a Friday evening and though there were lots of people, we were quickly seated and greeted by a friendly waitress. She was very attentive and caught on to small things like how my toddler would not let me read the menu (sounds crazy unless you have a toddler, amiright?) and brought another menu out for me.
We ordered the quinoa fritters as a starter and they were very tasty. The accompanying trio of dipping sauces were also yummy. the curry one so much so that the two year old was eating it solo. The hubs ordered the Shamrock salad (shredded cabbage and brussel sprouts) and while he devoured it, I would have liked to have seen it look a little more homemade instead of so shredded that I wasn’t quite sure if it was from a mix. But it was good. I ordered the Fish and Chips and the fish was light and battered well but not overly thick. There was definitely more fish than batter. The side of fries were tasty but almost too generous in my opinion. Perhaps an additional smaller piece of fish instead of the quantity of fries. Overall, very tasty and we left pleased.
Lots of beers on draft. Irish, local to the Upstate, and other options, too. There is a generous bar area that caters to the more lively gatherers. The space is beautifully decorated and cozy without being small. In fact, there’s plenty of space. TVs are scattered throughout for those wanting to keep an eye on game scores but not so in your face that you lose the complete attention of your dinner company.
Three cheers for The Playwright!

A cool place to hang out with friends after work or to pull up a seat at the bar for some solving world problems over beer. Perfect menu for a cold and rainy day. I sort of feel like I’m in Harry Potter World, in a non-​cheesy, surreally transported to another place sort of way. The quinoa fritters served with three dipping sauces are a great starter and the Bangers and Mash are very Sunday’s at my Mom’s, homey good. I’m definitely interested in coming back to check out more of the menu. Great for people who are more the meat and potatoes crowd, but enough on the menu to keep the foodie in your family happy.