First Look at Apothecary, Greenville’s New Place to Be, If You Can Get In

ALEX GONZALEZ JULY 20, 2021 4:00AM

Only Fans is made with reposado tequila, passionfruit, lemon and a dollop of cassis "caviar."Only Fans is made with reposado tequila, passionfruit, lemon and a dollop of cassis “caviar.” Alex Gonzalez

Clandestinely situated on Lowest Greenville in the space previously occupied by the Wah Wah Room, Apothecary is an elegant new speakeasy concept from the minds behind Rye. This small, intimate cocktail lounge with only 40 seats throughout has a robust menu of signature cocktails and light plates.

While the lounge is lowly lit, guests will immediately notice the peacock wallpaper and bartenders dressed in dark floral patterns. They may also notice actual Prohibition-era prescriptions for whiskey and cocaine tucked away in the corners of the dining space.
The Octopus’s Garden comes with a charred octopus tentacle. Alex Gonzalez
The bar is an homage to craft cocktails as well as the art of medicine. The cocktail menu is divided into three parts: an approachable Over the Counter section, the edgier Prescription section and the adventurous Illicit Elixirs.

For those wanting to start off light, the frozen Only Fans cocktail is a fruity, slushy concoction of reposado tequila, passionfruit and lemon, topped with cassis caviar ($13). Those wanting to kick it up a notch should consider trying the Octopus’s Garden ($24) under Prescriptions, a tequila-based beverage with muddled mint, sage and basil, which are frozen in liquid nitrogen, ground into a fine powder and dehydrated. That concoction is then infused into the spirit along with house-made soda water, peated scotch and squid ink before it’s garnished with a charred octopus tentacle.

“People aren’t really drinking off of the Over the Counter section,” says Apothecary creative director Tanner Agar. “They’re going straight for cocktails with seafood, cocktails with clams and pasta sauce. It’s such a cool thing, to have that explosion of interest in a concept like this.”

In addition to treating themselves to festive cocktails, guests can also treat the bar staff to a “daiq for the back” for $5.

As for food, the menu is overseen and curated by chef Ashley Hainge, who will also oversee the menu at Rye’s Dallas location set to open later this year. You won’t find heavy, traditional bar food at Apothecary, which is a good thing. Instead, you will find light bites, designed for sharing and won’t have you feeling bogged down by the end of the night.

The gimlet ceviche Alex GonzalezSome of our favorites include the gimlet ceviche; three little rice crackers topped with a tangy mixture of Texas redfish, a gin and lime marinade, lime cordial fluid gel and dehydrated lime ($15). A slightly heartier choice is the flamenquine, a plate with rolls of Iberico ham, pork tenderloin, jalapeño cheddar and peri peri, all encased in a spicy, crisp breading ($16).

“We want to do bar snacks, but in a different way,” Agar says. “You notice there’s not popcorn and fries. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But you can have a bite at a bar and have it still be interesting and elegant. And the fact that we’re connected to the right kitchen and that talent pool is really what makes that possible.”

Although these small bites may seem like they’ll break the bank, they pale in comparison to the lavish Kremlin caviar service with Golden Osetra Caviar, edible gold and two martinis which will run you a pretty $500.

Whether you’re on a date or having cocktails with friends, Apothecary is an elegant speakeasy-style lounge; one that Greenville has needed for a long time. It certainly merits a visit — if you can get in. According to Agar, Apothecary has over 1,000 reservations scheduled for the next month. It’s safe to say, we’ll be back next summer.

Apothecary. 1922 Greenville Ave. (Lower Greenville). Open 5 p.m. to midnight, Tuesday – Sunday.