Hunting Fresh Meat at the Speakeasy

Delaney's Speakeasy
711 Saluda Ave.
Columbia, SC



After disappearing in a massive cloud of smoke for a couple of months – Suit420 is back in action.

But Suit420 is single now.

So when picking a restaurant to review, the food selection is no longer my top priority.

Alcohol and hunting "two-legged whitetails" are.

And on this particular business trip, Suit420 found himself back in Columbia, SC for an evening -- an evening filled with good food, good drinks and plenty of USC college girls.

So I left my hotel and headed down to Five Points – a local area full of college bars.

While cruising through looking for a good spot, I saw a sign that said “Delaney’s Speakeasy.”

Now, as you can imagine, Suit420 isn’t a big fan of prohibition – alcohol or other.

Fortunately, alcohol prohibition was repealed with passage of the 21st Amendment in 1933. 

But unfortunately, Suit420's favorite smoke has been under prohibition here in the U.S. for about as long.

The good news is, as long as people have an appetite for something, government can never succeed in stamping it out.  And during the prohibition era, moonshiners, rumrunners and speakeasies -- hidden establishments that illegally sold alcohol -- were prime examples.

So I decided to try the Speakeasy to see what it was all about.  What a good decision that turned out to be.

Delaney’s Speakeasy has been around since 2002.  It's a cigar and jazz bar that has over 40 varieties of scotch and over 200 beers.

Walking in the door, Suit420 immediately fell in love with the place.

The atmosphere is dark. Old Frank Sinatra-style music is playing, and there are pictures of gangsters all over the wall not to mention there are nice leather couches in the back.

"What a perfect atmosphere to for some hunting," I thought.

When I first arrived, the place was kind of dead – but hey, it was early, and I was in a college town.

So I strolled up to the bar and ordered a “Gin Rickey.”


Originally created with whiskey in Washington, D.C. in the 1880s by bartender George A. Williamson and Democratic lobbyist Colonel Joe Rickey, the Gin Rickey became a worldwide sensation when mixed with gin a decade later.

Delaney’s also has $2 drafts all night, and a pretty good selection, ranging from Shock Top to Yuengling to Strongbow.

Now for the food I thought.

And this was what was interesting. Delaney’s Speakeasy is right next door to “Delaney’s Irish Pub.” And that’s where the Speakeasy’s food comes from.

So I grabbed a menu and started looking it over.

And Suit420 had already made up his mind that he wasn’t going to eat chicken this time.

There were a lot of good selections, but I decided to go with the Irish Whiskey Steak – MEDIUM.

That’s right.

Not only did Suit420 not order chicken, but I ordered my steak medium – Just for Suit69.

While waiting on my food, I took a look at the scenery, and discovered the coolest thing ever.

A bottle of liquor in the shape of a Tommy Gun.


There was also a hot Marilyn Monroe picture on the wall, which Suit420 liked a lot.

Before long, my food had arrived.

Steak.  Rice.  Mashed ‘tators and gravy.  Yum.

The first thing Suit420 did was cut up my steak – which immediately made me wonder what in the hell I was thinking ordering it medium.


But it wasn’t all that bad.

The outside was good and crisp, which I liked a lot.

And it had a good flavor, as it was soaked in a special Irish Whiskey.

As for the rice and tators, they were also amazing.

The gravy was especially good, and helped me with not seeing the red blood in my steak.

Hungry, I wanted to scuff it down.

But I’m a food reviewer, so I took my time and got the flavor of every bite.  Every single bite.

Until there was absolutely none left.

And at the end of my meal, the bartender gave me a huge frozen Reeses peanut butter cup.

I was now full, so instead of a Gin Rickey, I ordered a Woodford Reserve and I kicked back and waited on the place to fill up with college girls in short skirts.


Let's just say Suit420 was pleased.

 You’ll just have to make up the rest of my night in your head . . .

Rating:  Would have bought the shirt, but they don't sell them (It's a Speakeasy, so they stay secret).