You can relax. I’m writing about The Strip Club 104, a steakhouse in downtown Greer.

I stumbled upon The Strip Club 104 (104 East Poinsett Street) through an Upstate Deal email. After giggling at the name, Mr. McB and I salivated over the menu and decided to buy into the deal.

We used our special for a mid-week dinner in early December. Reservations are recommended. The restaurant is small and popular. I called on a Friday afternoon for our reservation on the following Wednesday. I thought everything was taken care of – I repeated the day, date and time and our name before the end of the conversation. Yes, I looked at a calendar before making the call since I’ve already admitted to having some trouble with dates these days. When we arrived on the appointed night, there was no record of our reservation. I was annoyed by this but more bothersome was the fact that the restaurant was empty when we arrived and yet the hostess had to make us stand in a state of flux for a few minutes and then make a big production over talking to the manager to see if we could get a table. He seemed to look at her as if she was crazy and we were seated shortly. I’d like to note that even with a large party, the restaurant wasn’t full when we left. I looked at the computer while the hostess left us in purgatory and there were only two reservations so really, what was the big deal?

If you make it past the hostess stand, the restaurant itself is warm and inviting. There are exposed beams and brick along with lots of crisp white linen and wood accents. The retro pinup-girl prints provide a witty decorative touch and make for fun conversation.

Our server was wonderful. His demeanor soothed whatever feathers the hostess ruffled. He went over the specials in detail, answered questions, and offered advice when asked.

I admit that we really splurged during our visit. We began the meal with flaming saganaki. I do love the theatrics that go along with this flaming Greek cheese and this was a very appetizing version. I should back up a moment to say that the meal actually began with buttery, warm biscuits. Ummm…biscuits.

For his entrée, Mr. McB selected the New York strip with a balsamic glaze. His sides were mac-n-cheese and grilled asparagus. The aged steak was massive and didn’t cook away despite the fact that McB ordered his steak well done. I want to pause for a moment and give the server props for not trying to dissuade the hubby from ordering his steak well done. My husband isn’t quick to anger but please just tell him how to order his steak and you’ll see the temper. McB was very pleased with his entrée and sides. He loved the balsamic glaze as an accompaniment to the beef. The asparagus was light and tender. The mac-n-cheese was a heavenly blend of cheesy goodness. I also approved of the sides. The steak was good but for my own tastes, it would have been magnificent if only it was medium but it wasn’t my steak so I can’t really complain.

I selected the “Redneck Delicacy.” This meal featured two spicy/tangy shrimp (Boom, Boom Bang Shrimp per the menu) and spinalis of black angus. Spinalis are the cap of the ribeye –well marbled yet very tender when properly cooked and this was tasty and tender. The sides were smoked bacon collard greens and garlic mashed potatoes. The whole delicious mess was finished with a lobster sherry gravy and warm pimento cheese. The flavors played nicely together. I was impressed by the meal as a whole. On their own, the collard greens fell a little short. They were nice but didn’t live up to the description in the menu. In all honesty, I think their blandness worked for my selection but had I ordered them as a side for a simpler dish, I would have been a bit disappointed.

My small plate version of the entrée left room for dessert. I chose the carrot-cake cheesecake. It was nice. There was a lot of creamy cheese goodness which I enjoy very much. I didn’t enjoy the raisins but I should have expected them, it was carrot cake after all. McB chose a chocolately dessert. It was a bit rich so he didn’t finish, but he enjoyed what he had.

Despite the rocky start, we had a lovely evening at The Strip Club 104. The food was original and tasty. Our server was great. We came home with the loyalty card so they’ll definitely be seeing us again. I’ll just be calling to reconfirm those reservations.