Reviews of Rick Erwin's Clemson

My girlfriends and I are celebrating a bachelorette at Lake Keowee over the Fourth of July weekend and searched for a fine dining restaurant for a nice night out. We made a reservation at Rick Erwin’s Clemson and we are so pleased with our choice! One of our girls had to cancel last minute but called the restaurant to order a bottle of champagne for us. When we arrived, they had the bottle chilled and waiting for us at our table. From the moment we sat down, we knew we were in for a treat! Every dish we ordered was amazing and perfectly cooked. But what made our experience even better was the service! We had Luke as our server and he was just an absolute doll. He made excellent food and drink suggestions and took such great care of us the entire evening. There was a wedding going on in another part of the restaurant while we were there and we would not have known if we hadn’t seen them going in because it didn’t affect the quality of the food or service at all. This was the best dinner experience we could have asked for to celebrate our bride. We even got to have a quick chat with Rick Erwin! If you’re ever in upstate South Carolina, do yourself a favor and go to this restaurant and ask for Luke! We can’t wait to come back!

The food here was good. But this place is way overhyped and overpriced. Some of the steaks were cooked just right, but some were WAY overcooked. The sad part of that is that even though the waitress and the "floor manager" both came by and asked how things were, neither checked or noticed that the individual who ordered a rare steak was served a medium well to well done steak. If you are going to charge that much for a steak, you should be verifying the correctness of the order, not just asking how things are. The tuna was excellent and cooked perfectly. It was by FAR the best meal of the night. Not a place I can recommend, simply based on the cost to reward ratio.

The service was impeccable. If you are from NYC, do not expect the same calamari you get back at home. The taste was more of a Cajun taste that we did not expect. The mash potatoes (which did not come with your meal) were not that great; they served them with a layer of cheese on top of them. It was not bad, but it was not great either. However , my she crab soup was delicious, and so was my crab cakes. The crab cakes were served over a very small portion of an arugula salad. If you like big portions, this is not the place for you. This is a beautiful place with a wonderful ambiance. Wonderful service.

Oh my, one of the best meals I’ve had in a while. The service was top notch. It’s a beautiful restaurant. Sat in the bar area and it was warm and romantic. Kudos to the kitchen staff. Excellent! Thanks to our waitress who was so professional. Would love to go back. Don’t know when we’ll be back that way, but when we do. It’s a definite place to go and have dinner again. Highly recommend.

This place is very good - I've been twice. Can't quite give it 5 stars, as it lacks the detail I think a 5 star rating deserves (at this price point). Ingredients are very high quality, preparation is very good, service is good, but both times I've been the presentation and "little details" leaves something to be desired.

This was my third or fourth visit to the restaurant. All others had been a good experience...tonight was not. I ordered the seared scallops which I'd ordered before so I was familiar with the dish. The scallops were slimy and undercooked. I tried one and half of another but that was all I could stomach. The server was so busy with a private party in the back that she didn't check in to see how things were cooked until the plates had been down for over 25 minutes. By the time she checked in, others in my party were finishing there plates so it was too late to ask for a recook. She commented that she would take care of it but didn't make any adjustment. What a shame.

This location is closer to my house than his other restaurants so its nice to have a fine dining spot to go to. Steak, chef specials and seafood options have been solid choices each time. Last night I opted to sit in the bar for a more casual night-and ordered off bar menu. I had the mushroom, arugula and balsamic flatbread with chicken. It was disappointing- soggy crust and zero taste to the chicken. My friend had the sliders and they were good. Service was spotty since 2 bartenders worked area while making drinks for all servers. Next time I will stick to the dining room and full menu. I do love the tempura Broccoli side item as an appetizer!

Fine dining near my lake house.. Similar to the best steak houses in Atlanta. This place is a cut above anything I have experienced in the area. Reminiscent of a warm country club atmosphere - lots of wood - not too formal - it conveys the expectation of perfection. ...and it approaches that expectation. <br/><br/>We dined with some friends while engaging in non-stop conversation as we caught up on each other's lives. Our waitress walked a fine line, moving our dining experience along at a pleasant pace while somehow not intruding in our conversation.<br/><br/>The experience was impressive. Great salads, an interesting stuffed mushroom appetizer, seafood bisque... For the main course my wife (Cary) and I both picked the crab cakes... served with an Orzo pasta with spinach and a remoulade sauce. The chunks of crab meat were huge. I don't ever remember finishing two crab cakes and feeling satisfied - until tonight. It's simply not possible to make a crab cake better than these.<br/><br/>Easily the most impressive meal I have experienced in the state in recent memory, it comes at a price. About $300 for 4 of us after a reasonable 20% tip, undoubtedly worth every penny... I would go back.