Juniper

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  I visited Juniper for lunch around 1pm on a Saturday. The atmosphere was lively, but not crowded. You order at the front, get your own drink, and find a seat. I waited 10-15 minutes for my food but it didn't feel like an unnatural length of time.
  
  The food was great. I had the build-your-own sandwich. Smoked turkey, pepper jack cheese, tomatoes and mayo on a toasted hoagie roll. The turkey was shaved finely and the tomatoes were very fresh. They loaded on the mayo - fortunately I didn't mind, but just a word to the wise. The side of potato salad was delicious and homemade as well.

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  Posted on 09.14.13 Shelby M.

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  Came on a Saturday for lunch. Arrived at 1 pm. Stood in line for a half hour to order. They only serve soup, salads and sandwiches. It has now been an hour since I ordered. I got my soup a half hour ago. I don't care how good the sandwich is it cannot possibly be worth the wait. My wife said the pics of dinner on Facebook looked good. I don't care and I'll never know because I'm never coming back.

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  Posted on 08.24.13 Roger Y.

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  Juniper is a great place to enjoy a Sunday morning brunch. It's worth every penny. This is no pull-up-to-the-trough buffet. It's more like having your brunch catered. The food is of high quality and very tasty. Afterwards we went to Watsonia farms down 23 and got some homemade peach soft serve!! Ridge spring is definitely worth the visit.

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  Posted on 08.19.13 Ashton M.

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  The food is imaginative and fun.  Ingredients fresh and not your typical fare.  Freshly prepared and very good, just a little too salty for my taste.  Overall a fun place to visit.

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  Posted on 05.05.12 Susan M.

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  Lived up to the hype from friends.  We attended the Sunday brunch.  Very enjoyable, traditional breakfast food and a wide array of salads, Mediterranean food and great desserts.  The bread selection was a little lacking but I'd still return.  Worth the short drive.

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  Posted on 02.23.12 Michael B.

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  Run by chef/owner Brandon Velie and his wife, Jeanne, the spot is called Juniper.
  
  Velie, who got his start as a cook in the U.S. Marine Corps and worked at the Green Boundary Club in Aiken before opening Juniper three years ago, has a simple approach to food. He emphasizes locally grown ingredients while offering a range of comfort foods with a slightly European flair.
  
  Juniper's eclectic style charmed me immediately. Mismatched chrome-legged dinette sets from the 1940s and '50s make up the seating in two large rooms. Strings of holiday lights and brightly painted walls covered with artwork from local artists create a cozy, hip environment.
  
  The lunch menu features daily specials ranging from meatloaf on Monday to shrimp and grits on Friday as well as a wide array of sandwiches and salads. Juniper also offers two choices of soup, its signature sweetcorn chowder and a soup of the day.
  
  A taste of the sweet corn chowder ($3.25/cup, $4.25/bowl) started lunch off just right. The creamy soup base was enhanced by a generous amount of whole kernels of sweet corn.
  It was obvious a lot of thought had been put into the presentation and preparation of this soup, as all the other vegetables were cut to the size of corn kernels so that nothing overpowered the key ingredient.
  
  I also tried the grilled Cuban sandwich (roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, spicy mustard and a pickle on a hoagie roll, $6). The side of black-eyed pea salad, with its slightly sweet taste and crunch of chopped bell peppers, paired well with the lightly seasoned pork.
  I'll have to return for the smoked salmon on toasted pumpernickel with Boursin cheese, cucumber, red onion and sprouts ($7).
  
  In the evening, white tablecloths cover the dinette sets, and candlelight transforms the diner to a true dinner spot. The menu also changes, always according to the season and availability of fresh ingredients.
  On my visit, the choices included locally farm-raised striped bass, barbecue duck quesadillas, a rosemary and red wine-braised chicken and prime rib.
  
  The menu, divided intriguingly into Little Plates and Big Plates, also offers the option of ordering a little plate as a big plate and vice versa, all depending on your appetite. I found this a charming accommodation to the diner's desires.
  
  My dinner companion ordered the chicken ($18 large). The chicken practically fell off the bone, and the rosemary and red wine reduction was flavorful without overpowering the meat. The dish was served with a wild rice pilaf and wilted spinach seasoned perfectly with garlic.
  
  I had to order the Chef's Five- Course Tasting Menu ($35 or $45 with wine pairings). This is a great way to judge the chef's creative range.
  
  To start, a sampling of crisped Old Shoals Farm striped bass over shredded collard greens. The fish was done perfectly with the crispy skin adding just a bit more intense flavor. The shredded collard greens mimicked the look of pasta noodles and paired well with the fish.
  
  Second course was crab cakes accompanied by creamed corn grits and spinach. Much to my delight, the crab cakes were way more crab than cake. And the Adluh grits contained just enough sweet kernel corn to push them into the category of "best side of the evening."
  
  Third course was a house salad with bleu cheese vinaigrette. Next came a playful take on meat and potatoes with a thinly sliced, perfectly grilled flat-iron steak over a sliced baked potato with sour cream and pico de gallo.
  
  Dessert, the fifth and final course, was a triple chocolate cake with peppermint ice cream. The cake, not as heavy as it might sound, paired well with the ice cream, creating a great finish to a wonderful meal.

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  Posted on 08.08.09 Eaton W.

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