Social Grill - Restaurant Review
Chapin is a great little town with numerous churches, great schools and family appeal, but it may be (for now, at least) just a little lacking in the gastro-pub department. We set out on a quest to find some homemade eats to enjoy in a fun atmosphere and were happy to land at Social Grill, not more than 10 minutes outside of Chapin.
Upon arrival, a young host welcomed us and directed us toward an expansive dining room. While there was plenty of space, the energy and heart of the establishment seemed to radiate from the bar area, and we asked if we could sit there instead. Settled in cushy seats at a tall table that was big enough for six, we perused a large menu complete with an entire page devoted solely to shots. We started with drinks: a draft Stella Artois and a Dark & Stormy (dark rum and ginger beer with lime.)
I liked that the menu dubbed appetizers as “shareables,” appropriately indicating their ample portion size. The jalepeño pimento cheese dip was very creamy and had a bit of spice, but the spice was not overwhelming. Because we couldn’t decide whether to enjoy it with pita chips or tortilla chips, the accommodating server delivered both, but we ultimately decided it was best with the tortilla.
A full, horse-shoe style bar centered the room and was conducive to conversation. With no fewer than nine TVs, we could have watched just about anything, but the eclectic clientele are what held our attention. There were families with small children enjoying burgers and fries, and there were groups of older people enjoying drinks and quiet conversation. Some patrons joked with one and other across the large bar. A few guys stood silently, by choice, and studied their games on TV, but most people were there, as its name suggests, to be social.
It was Friday around 7pm, and through a glass door, we could see that the large, outdoor space decorated with yellow, string lights and enclosed with greenery was beginning to fill with karaoke singers and bystanders. Several people sat outside and enjoyed the warm breeze and their drinks. The Social Grill offers a late night menu served until 2am, and I suspected that we were early arrivals.
Inside, the polished concrete floors gave the space an urban, clean appeal and the yellow lighting, while not spectacular for those of us with a few laugh lines, was still unobtrusive. Upbeat music ran the gamut with classics from the 80s all the way up through today’s popular hits and created a festive atmosphere appealing to many generations. I liked that it was played at a volume that still allowed patrons to speak in a normal tone and be easily heard. We had a chance to chat with our server and learned about a pending renovation, which promised to bring booths to the large dining room. He politely answered our questions and left us to enjoy the rest of our meal.
The baby back ribs were so tender I barely touched my knife, and the BBQ sauce was a great mix of sweet, savory and spicy. I found myself wishing I had ordered a full rack even though the half rack was more than enough after our appetizer. My husband’s Social burger – pimento cheese and bacon with pickles (no lettuce, tomato or onion were there, although that did come standard with the burger) was juicy and cooked to his liking. Waffle-cut sweet potato fries complimented the entrées well, and made me forget about my feeble attempt to be healthy. Through no fault of its own, my other side, an order of sautéed broccoli, was left, abandoned on the plate. A shared, bourbon-pecan pie topped off our meal, and while it was very good, I did wish it had been warmed.
Upon leaving, we stopped outside to listen to a patron singing an Ed Sheeran song. She crooned in front of the low-pressure crowd that had grown since our arrival. There was a fun and energetic vibe in the softly lit space. As we admired the scene, my husband and I agreed that we needed to make more friends so we could recruit “our crew” and bring the ready-made party to sing on some Friday night. More likely though, our unknown, future-friends are already relaxing at the aptly-named Social Grill - just a swift, straight shot down 76. Perhaps we’ll meet them on our next visit.
