Starlight Cafe and Farm

Had to update my review. Have now been here three times. I was not a fan of the brunch menu, and found the food lacking. But having now gone back during dinner hours, I was pleasantly surprised. The menu had far more variety, the waitstaff was attentive and punctual, and the food was far better than the brunch menu. Dessert and appetizers stood out to me. Not a terrible place for brunch, but much better for dinner.

I think I built up this restaurant in my mind and it didn't live up to my expectations. I ordered a $30 NY strip with house-made steak sauce, béarnaise compound butter, served with Frites.

I appreciate a farm-to-table establishment serving grass-fed beef and local vegetables. The price here is higher than other area restaurants, but I expect to pay more for high quality locally sourced foods.

When the steak came to the table, I was instantly disappointed. I received a steak and fries. The plating looked like any steak with a pile of fries that appeared to come out of a freezer bag. The fries occupied 2/3 of the plate and there were no other vegetables included. Even some steamed seasonal vegetables would have really improved the dish. Furthermore, the "Frites" should be more than a French word for fries. I expected a chef/cook to start with a whole potato and not drop something from a freezer bag into a fryer.

After the first impression of the $30 steak and fries I just ordered, I realized the butter was not melted. Typically, steak is served hot enough to melt the butter resting on top. In this case, I had solid butter for my meal right up to the last bite of steak.

My guess is the steak sauce is applied to the steak chilled, protecting the butter from the heat of the steak.

I don't know if the dining experience has been changed due to the pandemic, or if this is the typical experience. Another thing that stood out was the paper tablecloths. There were white tablecloths protected by paper laid across the table. Given this restaurant is one of the more upscale options in the area, paper tablecloths were not expected at this price point.

Ultimately, I had very basic dining experience at an upscale price point for the region.

------ Below, added in response to reply from the business -----

"But that's not included on our menu, so why would you think they would be?"

I never said I thought seasonal vegetables would be included. I said they would improve the plating which was 2/3 fries with a small NY strip steak. The presentation did not match with my expectations for a $30 dinner. It did match the description on the menu, so that is not something I feel should be argued with the staff/manager/owner. Your restaurant provided what was stated on the menu and my expectations were too high. This is not your fault, it is my own fault for having such high expectations of a $30 steak and fries dinner plate. Photos online show, Steak Frites does not require 2/3 plate of fries and does not exclude other vegetables.

"Those "paper tablecloths" are butcher paper that we have always utilized on top of our white tablecloths. They keep our linen costs down, the tables clean and the kids just LOVE it when we bring crayons over for them to be able to color on the tables while their parents enjoy a delicious night out!"

I am sure that parents love having their children draw on the butcher paper at dinner. This is why restaurants like Denny's offer coloring placemats. It is also why a T-Bone steak and two sides is only $17 at Denny's, or a sirloin is only $13. When the price is roughly 2x, there is an expectation of higher quality and ambiance. Paper tablecloths are not the upscale ambiance I expect from a farm-to-table restaurant offering $30 steak and fries on the menu.

"Unless you ordered your steak "blue" I highly doubt it never melted."

You're welcome to question my honesty in this review. Perhaps I should have documented the meal with photos and video. However, I will not return to collect evidence with another trip to this restaurant. As I said, I had higher expectations because I built up this restaurant in my own mind. I now know that this dining experience is not worth the price for my money. Other people are welcome to arrive at their own conclusions. There are many positive reviews on here, so it seems that I am in the minority with my opinion. This single review will not impact your average very much, so I was simply being honest in my review. There is no need to argue with me or claim that I am not telling the truth.

The food is always amazing. High quality ingredients are always used. I recommend the steak or the shrimp and grits. They never disappoint. The staff is always very attentive. The bartender is the real deal. They know their liquor and the drinks are always great. I highly recommend for a nice night out.

My mother was n from Connecticut. My family and myself went there for brunch. The restaurant has a relaxing atmosphere , much like the area we had moved from in Durham NC. The staff was terrific! Our waitress Lauren was amazing. And the food was delicious. Will definitely be making that spot a favorite !!

We were greeted with big smiles. Our server was very sweet, knowledgeable and prompt we loved the food and the atmosphere.

Best place to eat in town. Worth every dime you pay. Unmatched quality and service. Menu is always fresh seasonal items. Cocktail menu is always rotated and seasonal as well. Servers are knowledgeable, astute, quick, and focused on the SERVING, something that lacks everywhere else in Greenville. Love this place!

I really want to like this place. The atmosphere is nice, but the food is overpriced and the service is slow. I enjoy food, am a decent cook, and am open minded, but I feel like they try a little too hard to be unique/foodie with the end result that many of the flavor combinations simply are not good. What is initially interesting at first bite becomes unappetizing after you've consumed more. One of the people in our party ordered the avocado relleno for $28. Both texture and flavor were not good. My wife ordered a pasta dish that was supposed to have home made beet linguine, but it was pretty obvious they ran out because the pasta color looked like regular pasta. Shrimp and grits ($22) portions were small. The waitress was absent for extended periods of time though they did not appear busy enough for that to be the cause. The best part of the evening were the trombonist and guitarist playing jazz.

Food was good overall, but service was lacking. Drinks were refilled only upon asking, and food was slow in coming out. We ordered Oysters Rockefeller (mediocre) as an appetizer and we finally asked about them because we didn't get them. Disappointing, especially considering the price of the dinner.

Had a great time. Food was delicious. We even enjoyed sitting in the window. We will be going back!

Update: ordered the capelinni and was basically 3 small chicken tenders on top of a bowl of angel hair pasta mixed with creamed corn for $22. I felt it was overpriced. The chicken tenders were delicious.

Excellent! We went for Sunday brunch and loved it. We were seated immediately and our server made great drink recommendations. I had the Huevos a la Mexicana and the others had the chicken and waffle. Moderate prices. We all enjoyed it and the server was excellent!