One of the reasons we love to build in Greenville South Carolina is because we know that our clients will love living here! How do we know this? Well, we’ve lived in three different states, plus we’ve traveled quite a bit. And one of our favorite things to do is try foods and restaurants. When in England, we discovered that a full English breakfast with black pudding and afternoon cream tea with biscuits, clotted cream, and strawberry jam are phenomenal! We found the yummiest beignets in NOLA, delectable salmon in Charleston, and melt-in-your-mouth beef wellington in Arkansas. The best chicken fry is still back in Oklahoma, where we grew up. But many of our absolute favorite restaurants are right here in the Upstate. Yes, the Upstate is for foodies! Keep reading to discover the best…
The Upstate is for Foodies! The Best…
The Best Tea & Coffee
We love tea. In fact, we have over 40 varieties of tea at home and drink a cup every evening. When we’d like to get a cup of tea while we’re out and about, we head over to Chasing Rabbits Tea Company in Downtown Greenville. Not only is the tea yummy, but the atmosphere is fun. We’ve played some checkers, and they even have coloring books at the tables!
Another great place to get tea or coffee downtown is Coffee Underground. This eclectic coffee shop is a great place to hang out and chat with friends or go to work on your laptop.
The Best Smoothies
There’s no better treat on a hot, southern day than a good ol’ smoothie. And Coyote Coffee Café has some of the yummiest. They make a pretty good sandwich, too!
The Best Take-Out Hibachi
Located next to a gas station, Fuji doesn’t look like much. But they serve the tastiest steak and chicken hibachi. Dane loves the broccoli and mushrooms that you can add, while Brandi thinks their sweet carrots are scrummy! Plus, the steamed dumplings and cheese wontons are really good, too.
The Best Friday Night Pizza
Take-out pizza on Friday night is a staple in our house. In Simpsonville, we think Anthony’s is the best. In Greenville, we love both Tito’s and Pizza City. Sausage, pepperoni, meatball, and extra cheese is our go-to. (Maybe add some mushrooms for Dane…)
The Best Hot Dogs
One of the cool things about Dane is that he loves all types of food—from the fanciest to the not so fancy. In fact, one of his favorite foods is hot dogs. And he says The Dawg House serves the best! Plus, they make homemade French fries, which are really yummy, too!
The Best Cajun Food
Yep! Another reason we say that the Upstate is for foodies! Cajun food in South Carolina! Before heading to NOLA, we tried out The Lost Cajun to make sure we’d like the food in Louisiana… The answer was a decisive, “Yes!”
The Best Chorizo Dip
Now, you might think it funny that we’ve listed “the best chorizo dip” as its own special section. But anyone who knows Brandi at all knows she LOVES Mexican food. And chorizo dip is her absolute fave. So, when she says Tacos and Bla Bla Bla has the best chorizo dip, you can bet it is good! (Their chorizo taco is pretty darn delicious, too. Just make sure to get it on a homemade corn tortilla.)
The Best Mexican Food
Now, we must warn you that we like authentic Mexican food. No Tex-Mex for us! But if you want the real deal, then head over to Las Meras Tortas. They serve excellent quesadillas and have Mexican Coke (which is way better than regular Coke!) Hope you remember the numbers from your high school Spanish class, because you’ll need to listen for your “número!”
The Best Thai Food
We absolutely love Sweet Basil. Though parking can be an issue because this restaurant is located in the same strip center as several others, you’ll be glad you fought to find a space. You must start with steamed dumplings. For the main course, Brandi is in love with the pineapple fried rice and Dane’s a fan of the pad thai. And the adult Thai Tea… Oh, it’s the scrummiest!
The Best Italian
Hands down, Giovanni’s is the best Italian food we’ve ever had here in the States. (Makes sense because the owner is from Italy! And he’ll probably be the one serving you.) Located in an ordinary strip center on Woodruff, this quaint, little restaurant with white tablecloths is perfect for date night. (Make sure to start with the fried mozzarella. Yum!)
The Best Date Night Restaurant
Sassafras in Downtown Greenville serves up some mouthwatering Southern food! You must have the pimento cheese dip to start. Brandi loves the salmon and is a HUGE fan of the white chocolate raspberry martini. So, put on your sexy shoes and give the puppy a chew toy because it’s Date Night!
The Best Special Occasion Restaurant
Saskatoon, which serves wild game, is our favorite place to go for special occasions. We celebrated Dane’s 40th Birthday there. It was also his pick to celebrate earning his MBA from Clemson. Although pricey, it’s worth every penny because of the delectable food and impeccable service.
The Best Crepes
Our favorite creperie is Authentique, located in Downtown Simpsonville. The owner of this French Creperie (who is from France and has the most beautiful accent) remodeled a cute, little house and serves delicious crepes! We love spending a leisurely Saturday morning, sipping tea, eating crepes, and chatting. And leisurely is what you need to be in the mood for. If you are in a hurry, this is not the place to go!
The Best Pastries & Cakes
Our exchange daughter turned 17 just a couple of short weeks after she arrived. In order to make her birthday special, we got her birthday cake from Strossner’s. They have “lick-the-plate good” pastries and cakes! And their chocolate cream pie is a favorite of Dane’s.
The Best Ice-Cream
We come from the land of Braum’s, which serves super yummy ice-cream. But the BEST ice-cream is Dilliard’s. No, we don’t mean the department store… We mean Dilliard’s Farms! Dane says you must try the peach, while Brandi is partial to both sea salt caramel and chocolate rocker. Be ready to stand in line when you visit the Greer location, though. Lots of South Carolina peeps think Dilliard’s is the best! (Heck, even our youngest niece said, “This really is better than Braum’s!”)
The Best Organic Grocery
While we love to go out to eat (obviously), Dane and Brandi also enjoy cooking at home. And using locally grown, organic meats, veggies, and herbs is definitely our preference. Swamp Rabbit Café has a small, but excellent grocery behind their laid-back restaurant. Products are locally grown and organic, which makes this little store the perfect place to shop! Plus, you can grab a smoothie, sandwich, or scone at the bakery!
The Best Puppy Friendly Restaurants
Being pet parents, we love to take our Maddie with us when we go out to eat. Some of our favorite puppy friendly restaurants are…
Yummy Burgers…
Grill Marks in Downtown Greenville has a wonderful covered patio, which is dog friendly. They make an awesome burger, great parmesan cheese fries, and the adult milkshakes are a must-try!
Bruna’s Fave
Our exchange daughter loves the pulled pork at Smoke on the Water. Dane and Brandi love that they have a large outdoor seating area and welcome four-legged friends. Their lunch prices are quite affordable, which is an added bonus.
The Best Brunch and The Best Desserts
Last, but definitely not least, Passerelle in Downtown Greenville is our favorite place to have weekend brunch. Passerelle has wonderful, puppy friendly, outdoor seating, with views of Falls Park, and offers scrumptious brunch options. In the evenings, they have some of the yummiest desserts we’ve ever eaten! No need to worry about calories, though! After indulging, you can take a stroll through the park to work off the treats. 😊
Yes, The Upstate is for Foodies!
As you can see, truly, the Upstate is for foodies! We hope we’ve enticed you to try some of these wonderful restaurants. If you want to know who has the best BBQ, you’ll have to wait until we tell you about our favorite places in North Carolina…
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*The featured photo was taken by Brandi Lytle at Passerelle. See, their desserts really are scrumptious! Yup. The Upstate is for Foodies!
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