Three Weeks
on the Brae
What happened when we finally opened the door.
There is a version of this that involves waiting. Saving the first pour for July 4, keeping the door shut until everything is absolutely right, holding the moment until Tega Cay’s birthday arrives and the stage is full and the smoke is carrying to the parking lot. I understand the logic. I didn’t follow it.
On June 5, we opened quietly. Walk-ins, no waitlist, no announcement. Just the lights on and the taps poured and the kitchen finding its pace. We called it a soft opening. What it was, really, was the beginning — for us and for the team that had been working toward this for months.
Three weeks in, I want to write some of it down. Not because everything went smoothly — it didn’t, and I’ll say so — but because the people who came through the door in June deserve to be part of the story of how this place started. They were the first. That matters to me.
The Food
That Landed
The menu was built to be honest. Smoke and fire. Things that travel well and are better when you stay. We didn’t set out to be a long list — we set out to be a reliable one.
Three weeks gave us a clear picture of what people came back for. The Smoked Brisket Poutine kept appearing on tables around us all weekend long, and more than one guest mentioned it by name when they came back. The Whisky Pub Chips — pub crisps with sausage crumble, whisky cheddar sauce, scallions, and pickled jalapeños — became the starter that nobody wanted to share. The Fried Oysters Rockefeller turned heads from across the dining room. And the crispy ribs from the smoker were the kind of plate that makes a table go quiet for a minute.
The handhelds found their people too. The MGB Burger — custom blend, aged cheddar, Irn-Bru jam, our own sauce — came up in multiple reviews within the first week. The Spicy Hot Grinder drew its own loyal following. And the Pickled Shrimp, plated simply with matchstick vegetables and rye toast, became the dish that surprised people who weren’t expecting it.
The kitchen also proved out something we believed before we opened: the menu has genuine range for every table. The salads here are not afterthoughts. The Kale and Leafy Green with avocado, goat cheese, and sunflower kernels and the house chopped salad with green apple, pecans, and radish have each become regulars. The Roasted Cauliflower Hummus moved quietly from the shareables section to what felt like every other table in the room.
Smoked Brisket Poutine
Crispy Ribs
Fried Oysters Rockefeller
Whisky Pub Chips
And then there are the tortes. We knew the dessert program here was going to be serious. Three weeks confirmed it. The Whisky Butterscotch Chocolate Torte — dense, dark chocolate, butterscotch drizzle, sea salt, honeycomb, whipped cream — became the plate people ordered and then ordered again for the table next to them. The Boozy Berry Torte, with its warm berry compote, fresh mint, and a quenelle of cream, was the one that arrived at a table of people who said they weren’t having dessert.
Whisky Butterscotch Chocolate Torte
Boozy Berry Torte
The Stage
Was Never Empty
One thing we knew going in: this place has a backyard stage, and the stage should be used. Music has been on the calendar most Thursdays and Saturdays since we opened, with Sunday afternoons added as the weeks went on. What we didn’t fully anticipate was how quickly the music became part of the reason people came.
The brick stage patio sits in the center of the backyard under string lights, with the open lawn in front of it. There’s a covered bar patio below, a proper PA that’s run by people who know what they’re doing, and room for however many people a Friday night decides to bring. The sound carries across the lawn and out past the planters. On a still June evening, you can hear it from the parking lot.
The artists who played the first three weeks set the tone for what Live on the Brae is going to be: local, regional, varied, and worth staying for.
The first band on the outdoor stage was Steal and Timbre on June 11. They brought a following with them, the locals showed up on their own, and the backyard was full. That’s the night we knew the stage was going to work. People stayed long past when they’d planned to leave.
The Rockaholics came back twice — June 13 and June 19. Classic rock with a PA that fills the backyard, the kind of set you hear from the parking lot and walk faster toward. Both nights the lawn filled. Mount Mitchell followed on June 13 and brought something rawer and more immediate — four people on a stage who clearly mean it.
When the Sho-Tyme Band played on the 20th, people left their tables. That’s the goal. Seventies rock, southern rock, country, beach, R&B — a band that reads the room and doesn’t stop moving. People who came for dinner stayed for the whole set.
Christopher Monroe on Sunday mornings changed the register entirely. Solo piano from late morning into the afternoon, slow enough that you look up and realize you’ve been sitting outside for two hours and don’t mind. There’s a version of Sunday at the brae this music made possible. He’s back June 28.
Danny Anderson on a Thursday evening — one man, a guitar, a voice that carries across the backyard — is exactly what a Thursday night out should feel like. Easy enough to talk over, good enough to stop mid-sentence and listen.
See who’s on the stage next at Live on the Brae. Music is always free, no cover.
The Reviews
Came Early
We read every one. Some of them we’ve printed and put up in the kitchen. The ones below are from the first three weeks — before the grand opening, before July 4, before most of Tega Cay had even been through the door.
The new owners have done an incredible job transforming the space into something fresh and uniquely their own. The crispy Brussels sprouts were unreal, the poutine was fantastic. Great food, great service, dog-friendly, beautiful atmosphere.
Ashleigh Hill · Tega Cay Bulletin BoardGREAT service — best in many years — good bourbon, cold pours, and the pub chips and chicken salad were spot on. I had the Steak and Ale Pie. All was very good.
Kim Keenum · Tega Cay Bulletin BoardCrispy chicken sandwich and oysters Rockefeller at Maisie’s Green Brae in Tega Cay. Yum. I think we found our new favorite place.
Judi Mohr · Tega Cay Bulletin BoardAbsolutely loving the vibe and atmosphere. So much work has gone into this place and it shows. Food and drinks were delicious and we can’t wait to make this one of our regular spots.
Carmen Reitzel · FacebookThe Tega Cay Lions Club held their annual banquet here. My dish, the smoked half chicken, was delicious. The staff and owners were extremely friendly and very accommodating. A good time was had by all. I will be back with my family.
Anne M. · YelpAn absolute win for Tega Cay. The vibes are on point and the cocktail menu is great. Food was excellent, as was our server Maggie. So happy this place is just a golf cart ride away.
Ameliorate Marketing · GoogleWe loved Maisie’s. The food was excellent and we loved the outdoor area for our kids and our dog to play. We will definitely be back.
Kaitlyn Waid · GoogleFood was excellent, specialty drinks were fun, and service was great. The space feels fresh and uniquely their own.
Tega Cay SunNot everyone had an uncomplicated first visit. One guest noted that the sound level was a bit much when the music started — the covered patio carries more than the open backyard, and that’s a real thing we’re actively working on. We responded directly, and we meant it. Getting the balance right between a live music venue and a place where you can still have a conversation at the table is an ongoing calibration, and we take that feedback seriously.
The bugs in the backyard also came up as June turned into summer. Table fans are on the way. If you’re in the back right now, ask your server — we’re on it.
The three weeks also gave us a few moments that had nothing to do with the menu. The Howell Golf Cart Drive-In came to the brae on June 6 — a full outdoor movie event in our backyard, one of the first community events we’ve hosted. The Lions Club held their annual banquet here in the second week. Private events at the brae didn’t wait for a marketing push. The community reached for it on its own, and that’s the best signal we could have asked for.
And one evening during service, a member of our team started choking. Our son, William Schaefer, saw her waving for help and stepped in — performing the Heimlich maneuver he learned in Scouts training and clearing the obstruction. She was fine. We were shaken and grateful. This place is still new, and it’s already become somewhere that matters — to the people who work here as much as the people who come through the door.
July 4
Is Coming
We have three more weekends before the grand opening, and we’re using them. The kitchen is settling. The floor is finding its rhythm. The backyard is what we hoped it would be on a warm evening with the lights on and music carrying across the lawn.
On July 4 — Tega Cay’s birthday, which seemed like the right day — U-Phonik takes the stage. The backyard will be full. The smoke will carry to the parking lot. Maisie will be at the door.
When we gather together to share good food and good music, we have all created the Good Life together.— Christine G.D. Schaefer
Between now and then: we’re open Wednesday through Sunday. Walk-ins welcome. The stage is lit most Thursday and Saturday evenings, with Sunday piano afternoons continuing through the month. Check Live on the Brae for the full schedule.
If you came through the door in June, thank you. You were the first, and this place is already better for it.
Open Thursday
Through Sunday
Walk-ins welcome. Dogs too. 2150 Gold Hill Road, Tega Cay, SC.