BBC Tavern returns to Greenville

The meatloaf from the BBC Tavern and Grill. (Credit: Jessica Bratton)

If you didn't know that BBC Tavern and Grill is located in the same spot that was once home to Pizza by Elizabeths, you'd never guess. Gone is any trace of the former restaurant. You now walk in to the hostess stand (which is a little cramped), and find the dining room to your right, with a big bar and more dining space to your left. There are hardwood floors throughout, and the walls are the color of a pumpkin on the top half, with the bottom a dark, forest green.

There are some comfortable booths, but we sat at a table next to the fireplace. Once it gets colder and they get the fire burning, those tables will be in high demand. The aesthetic inside is sophisticated yet cozy, with the only problem being the noise. With all those hard surfaces and nothing to deaden the sound, you and the members of your party should be prepared to speak up.

The menu at BBC Tavern offers a number of choices, but not so many that you start to worry about the kitchen being unfocused. With Chef Mark Doto (whose food we enjoyed when he was at Iron Hill) in the kitchen, however, I wasn't worried.

We were tempted by the hot soft pretzels ($4.50) served with horseradish mustard and their homemade apple mustard, but decided that we'd save those for another trip, when we could sit at the bar and enjoy them with a beer. Instead, we got an order of the Jamjoe's nachos ($10) and buffalo wings ($10).

The crunchy, meaty wings (both drumettes and wing pieces) were tossed in a buttery, vinegary hot sauce that was everything a buffalo sauce should be. If buffalo isn't your thing, they're also available with an Asian glaze.

A long metal plate came heaped with blue and white corn tortilla chips, melted cheese, tomatoes, scallions and jalapenos. They skimped on the cheese a bit, but that's something that shouldn't happen as the new kitchen hits its stride. And the pile of tasty black beans underneath all the chips should be promoted to the top of the nachos.

When our entrees arrived, I was impressed by the size and meatiness of the crab cakes ($22), which were pan-seared and served on top of a roasted corn salsa. I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to order, and was tempted by both the Niman Ranch pork chop ($21) served with grilled mac and cheese, and the slow roasted baby back ribs ($24 for a full rack, $16 a half) in their signature bourbon-based BBQ sauce. I went with their BBC burger ($10), which came as a big, juicy, flavorful burger, topped with an assertive cheddar cheese, bacon and mushrooms on a soft kaiser roll.

The grilled seasonal vegetable sandwich ($9.50) was tasty, with roasted vegetables including squash and peppers with a sweet sherried onion and goat cheese spread on a salty brown bread.

The highlight of the dinner, however, was the meatloaf ($15.95). Ground sirloin and veal combined to make a comfort food classic that was tender, but didn't fall apart with the first touch of my fork. Slices of meatloaf were nestled on top of a pile of creamy horseradish mashed potatoes, while a pile of crispy onion rings were stacked on top of the meatloaf. A serving of crunchy haricot verts came alongside.

It was the kind of meal that, coupled with their fantastic beer list (which included beers like Dogfish Head, Saranac, Troegs and Chimay, among others) makes this a place where you'll want to dine again, especially once the kinks of a new restaurant get totally worked out.

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