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Discover writers share all of the places, activities and adventure that South Carolina has to offer. Read more from some of South Carolina’s locals and discover what’s happening in the Palmetto State.
The Trappe Door is a Belgian brewpub in Greenville.
Greenville dining scene is red hot, giving Charleston a run for its money as the Palmetto state's top culinary destination. The city's booming downtown is home to so many terrific, innovative restaurants, all just a quick walk from the beautiful Falls Park. Other great spots are dotted around the city just waiting to be discovered.
What it's known for: Stop here for amped-up European pub dishes sprinkled with Southern touches. Flemish beef stew, mussel pots and beer-battered cod and chips shine here. And absolutely leave room for dessert. You'll want to convince everyone at your table to order something different so you can try all of them.
What it's known for: This restaurant, grocery store and butcher shop trifecta is the brainchild of two farmers and a chef who share an affinity for regional and local ingredients. With a menu based upon availability, the vibe is aways fresh and imaginative. Shrimp and grits with a Cajun spin, burgers topped with fresh shiitakes, and vegetable plates bursting with local flavor are examples of what you might find on the day's lineup. Not inclined to dine-in? Pick up a grab-and-go meal from the market or fresh Greenbrier Farms meats from the butcher counter
Style: Farm to table, casual, dinner, weekend brunch
Address: 1629 East North St.
Phone: 864.609.4249
Greenville's Passerelle Bistro offers French food with an amazing falls view.
What it's known for: This casual French bistro overlooking beautiful Falls Park is the perfect place for lunch or dinner with a view. Don't miss the chef's special mussels with saffron, escargot, duck cassoulet and steak frites. Weekend brunch is brimming with treats like baked brioche, crab benedict, ham and Gruyere omletet, and more
What it's known for: The innovative cuisine you'll enjoy in this Travelers Rest eatery features veggies harvested from its own farm and other local food producers. Be sure to order a basket of bread baked fresh each day. In addition to serving dinner Thursday through Sunday and Sunday brunch, Topsoil offers its homemade breads for sale in an onsite market.
Style: Local, farm to table, dinner and weekend brunch
Address: 13 S. Main St.
Phone: 864.610-2281
Pomegranate on Main is a one-of-a-kind Persian dining experience in Greenville.
What it's known for: This beautiful restaurant turns out terrific Persian dishes. The menu gives you detailed explanations if you aren't familiar with this cuisine, complete with wine suggestions. You can't go wrong with grilled kabobs, eggplant stew or roasted salmon with saffron and herbed basmati rice.
What it's known for: Rick Erwin's is Greenville's high-end, traditional steakhouse specializing in aged, premium cuts of beef. Beautiful space, perfect dishes. This is a dinner destination just right for special occasions.
Style: Steakhouse, upscale, traditional
Address: 648 S. Main St.
Phone: 864.232.8999
Soby's is a flagship restaurant in Greenville for outstanding Lowcountry food.
What it's known for: Soby's is the flagship for the Table 301 group, which you can thank for many of Greenville's visionary restaurants. The menu here is decidedly Southern with international influences. Some swear the fried chicken is the best in the state, and you can't go wrong with any of the shrimp or crab dishes. Don't skip over the inventive starter menu either.
What it's known for: Located on a 2.4-acre farm just north of downtown Greenville, this hyperlocal-focused restaurant sources its ingredients from its own organic farm as well as others in the area. Brunch and dinnr are served in a renovated farmhouse featuring three dining rooms, a small bar and a market selling homemade breads and baked goods.
Style: Local, farm-to-table
Address: 2510 Poinsett Highway
Phone: 864.631.1397
Henry's Smokehouse is famous for 12-hour open-pit barbeque that is fall-off-the-bone good.
What it's known for: The barbecue here is cooked over hickory logs on open pits for 12 hours and hand pulled. Can you smell it yet? And ribs are fall-off-the-bone crazy good.
Style: Barbecue, casual, lunch, dinner
Address: Two locations in Greenville and one in Simpsonville
What it's known for: Larkin's is the place in Greenville to celebrate a special occasion, whether it's over brunch, lunch or dinner. The classy menu boasts traditional steakhouse dishes and Southern standards. It's a beautiful space with an even more stunning view.
What it's known for: This is a distinctive menu of locally sourced ingredients served up in both small plates and entrees. House made pastas, pizzas and paella headline here, as do the Greek and Italian appetizers.
What it's known for: The steaks demand attention here, and you can tell why with every bite. Delicious, caramelized cuts combined with great service in a dining room meant to evoke the 1940s. This place is a favorite.
Style: Steakhouse, upscale, traditional
Address: 36 Beacon Drive
Phone: 864.286.8700
Want to try the Carolina's four signature barbecue sauces? Check out Smoke on the Water.
What it's known for: You can choose between four different barbecue sauces to top your smoky 'cue in this spot by the river. Sides and appetizers are tasty and interesting. And it's a short walk to the falls.
What it's known for: Inventive, homemade Asian dishes are the standard here, with chef specials you won't want to miss. This is Asian comfort food at its finest. Be sure to check out the cocktails and dessert specials, too.
What it's known for: There's only one way to describe this rousing Greenville favorite: bacon-forward. In-house smoked meats, farm-to-table sides, a pimento cheese jar with bacon jam and house-made saltines, and the addictive bacon caramel popocorn are just a sampling of appointments on a deliciously different menu. Peek at the latest bacon and charcuterie creations through the window of the restaurant's cure chamber. For tipplers and cigar aficionados, indulge in a Prohibition Era cocktail and a house-branded stogie at their outdoor Fat Back Lounge.
What it's known for: This hotspot for Latin American fusion cusine serves up tacos and more made with seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. Creative and inspired, the focus is on the kind of "Mission Style" eats popular in San Francisco. Chayote rellenos (shrimp-stuffed mirlitons), arepa burgers, carne asada, San Diego-style fish tacos, carnitas and more will tantalize your tastebuds with exciting and diverse favors. Don't skip the sangria at Sunday brunch. The artsy crowd will love the co-owner's original works (all for sale) that appoint the walls.
Style: Latin American, casual, lunch, dinner, brunch
Address: 903 Wade Hampton Blvd.
Phone: 864.770.3450
Don't let this simple plate fool you, Smoky Dreams is a barbecue staple in Greenville.
What it's known for: This trendy gastropub, located in the heart of downtown Greenville, offers urban comfort food, a Sunday brunch grits bar and an impressive selction of craft cocktails, handcrafted brews and small batch wines.
Discover writers share all of the places, activities and adventure that South Carolina has to offer. Read more from some of South Carolina’s locals and discover what’s happening in the Palmetto State.
