Restaurant Review: Open Hearth

There’s a lot to be said for tried and true, and The Open Hearth embodies this adage. Tucked away in a strip mall anchored by Office Depot on Wade Hampton Boulevard, this establishment has been in business since 1959—a virtual eternity in the fickle restaurant industry. The décor is far from trendy, and the old-Greenville crowd—many of the men in coats and ties—is hardly hip, but there is something at once comforting in the old-fashioned atmosphere of this place.

Perhaps it is the bar in front, with its neat rows of wine glasses hanging overhead, the black-and-white family photographs, or the wooden lattice panels that hang above the room. Or perhaps it is the fact that the restaurant has been run by the same family since it opened fifty years ago. Whatever the reasons, owners Jimmy Melehes and his wife, Paula Starr, foster the nostalgic ambiance with their warm welcome and the care they take for their customers’ satisfaction—the same treatment that Melehes’s parents, Mike and Tula, delivered when they founded the restaurant fifty years ago.

Our waitress greets us with a genuine smile, and cheerfully answers our menu questions. The first thing to arrive is an elongated basket of Captain’s wafers and melba toast—a throwback from earlier decades. On the table we also discover a cocktail list, which includes the dessert selections. (Standard libations rule: martinis, Manhattans, and a short list of Bourbon and single-malt Scotch.)

As for dishes, main courses range from steaks and chops to an assortment of seafood and chicken dishes. Homey, crispy fried chicken, served with a small dish of honey for drizzling, illustrates down-home fare; while cold-water lobster tails kick the menu up a notch.

Wines, for the most part, are affordable. The list, revamped in 2009, grounds itself in California labels with a nod to Oregon and Washington State, and a few French wines round it out.

Chef William Brown has manned the grill here for more than thirty years, and his bill of fare does not vary much—save for the specials on the insert menu, which tend to change seasonally. I opt for the best of both surf and turf worlds in the signature crab cake and filet combination—a fixture on the “specials” menu. My companion selects the small T-bone. We order an appetizer of fried oysters to share.

The oysters are fresh, their coating well-seasoned, light and crispy; homemade tartar sauce comes alongside for dipping. My entrée is presented with the filet on the bottom and the crab cake on top, napped with béarnaise sauce and a couple of thin asparagus spears. The béarnaise is bland and the asparagus limp, but what lies underneath is truly tasty. Sweet crabmeat fills the cake, which is lightly breaded and sautéed. Under that, the filet is cooked to my request of medium-rare. The meat melts in my mouth, its flavor heightened by a pleasant smokiness imparted by the coal-fired grill. My companion’s T-bone is likewise tender and cooked to order, and served unadorned by any sauces to detract from its buttery flavor. Both are accompanied by fried onion rings that would profit from a lighter coating.

We both sample one of the house-made desserts. I order the coconut cream pie; my companion, the Key lime pie. Mine is not the fluffy confection that its name promises; rather, it is a dense coconut custard. The Key lime pie fares better. Slathered with a thick blanket of whipped cream, it is smooth and refreshing, if lacking the tart bite that distinguishes the best of its ilk.

Despite some minor flaws, when you’re feeling nostalgic for a hearty steak and the comfort of decades past, The Open Hearth delivers on both fronts. After all, well-prepared food and thoughtful service never go out of style.

Location:
2801 Wade Hampton Blvd., Taylors
Hours:
Monday-Thursday, 5:30-9:30pm
Friday-Saturday, 5:30-10pm
Price of Dishes:
$15-$46
(864) 244-2665