Will G.
Yelp
This was my third time at The Anchorage and the first time I had brought the rest of my family. Sadly, this third time left much to be desired -- especially over such good experiences the first times. And it left me mourning once more for the untimely death of Dive 'n' Boar which, in a stretch of 6-9 months in late 2016 and early 2017 was the best restaurant in Greenville.
Exec summary for those surfing reviews, trying to decide whether to go: if it's during the warmer part of the year, and hopefully if some of these comments below have had any effect, I think this is an option well worth considering!
I remember comparing The Anchorage with Dive 'n' Boar to several people back when they were both open. Whereas DnB felt surprisingly informal despite its food and environment, The A feels surprisingly stuffy despite its casual environment. Still does. Our waiter this time was super condescending and not good at service. & Whereas DnB's food was approachably delicious despite its carefully crafted local ingredients, The A might feel intimidating to those unfamiliar with ingredients that are named on the menu in such a way as to sound obscure or even mysterious. Including when the food comes out. Often the presentation and sometimes even the concepts for construction of the dishes isn't quite right. Note: I'm talking about this winter meal, not so much the ones I had back in the spring and summer.
Also, I discovered the hard way that Greg & co at The A can knock the socks off warmer season ingredients but really struggle with winter ingredients. Out of nearly 12 separate items we shared, only a couple were excellent (the bourbon liver mousse pâté, the trout, the semifreddo). Despite their clever names, one cocktail (Bringing Asbach) was just ok, and the other (Gimme the Beets Boy) was awful. Even with an embarrassing insult of it by my father in law to our waiter, our server never got the hint, never took it away (the entire meal, through dessert), never apologized nor offered to replace it.
Greg, I want you to know that I'm committed to this restaurant. In my past visits, I've loved your contribution to the GVL food scene (with the caveats listed above which I believe are well worth your while to learn from the former Dive n Boar). But this visit wasn't good. The qualities that made The A promising in its early days are at least a little at risk. I saw you on the way out but didn't say anything. Thought it might be more helpful and more likely to get your attention if I left my thoughts this way. Very best wishes to you all, and here's to taking it to the next level!