Restaurants in Spartanburg
Spartanburg is quintessentially the sleepy old South preserved by time but its food scene is buzzing with sparkling new restaurants and eateries. Reinvigorated by a booming regional economy, Spartanburg is now home to a growing list of dining destinations that feature old-fashioned Lowcountry cooking and fusion cuisine that are attracting visitors to this revitalized city.
If you’re on the hunt for the local restaurants that are making a mark in the city, you’ll find many of the food havens concentrated in the downtown area. Here is our list of the best restaurants in Spartanburg where both out-of-towners and locals can feast on.
The Farmer's Table
Image: The Farmer's Table Website
Founded in 2012, The Famer’s Table led the farm-to-table movement in Spartanburg. With top-quality ingredients and the freshest farm produce at the ready, this institution crafts delicious breakfast dishes that are available and enjoyable at any time of the day.
Choosing can be a challenge, but the hearty choices give the best bang for the buck. You can’t go wrong with the Bounty Benedict and the breakfast burger. For the lighter fare, the avocado toast and omelets are foodie favorites.
Cribb's Kitchen on Main
Image: Cribb's Kitchen Website
There’s plenty to love at Cribb’s Kitchen, especially if you want a fine-dining feel to classic American cuisine. The restaurant looks modern but the dishes are classic comfort foods with contemporary influences. Lunch and dinner menus diverge in specialties which gives you a reason to come back and try new dishes.
Cribb’s Cook-Off winner, the Barnyard, is recommended for a hearty lunch and the Cribb’s Ribs for dinner. For the spicy fare, the cashew crusted salmon will spice up your meal. Wash them down with specialty cocktails, starting with a pecan-infused Bourbon.
Ike’s Korner Grille
Image: Ike's Corner Grille Facebook
This is the place to get low-carb dishes that are still very high in the comfort food scale. Ike’s Korner Grille is mainly a burger joint, but it also serves salads, made to order bologna sandwiches, and Philly cheesesteaks.
The homemade pattied chili cheeseburger is incredibly tasty with a deliciously spicy kick. The house pimento cheese spread is so good, you should not go home without trying it. Meats in sandwiches are thick-cut, but no one’s stopping you from ordering the triple cheeseburger that has pretty much all the good things a burger can have.
Gerhard’s Café
Image: Gerhard's Cafe Facebook
American and European fusion dishes shine through at Gerhard’s. It’s probably the only place in all of Spartanburg you’d find authentic Austrian and German traditional food fare. If you have a hankering for some true German sausage, go for the Knackwurst or Weisswurt which is served with Sauerkraut and Dijon mustard.
The seafood entrees don’t stray too far from the traditional Southern staples with crab cakes, shrimp and fried grits, and boiled lobster. The long list of meat entrees makes choosing a little challenging. Our tip? Go for the Farmer’s plate which includes krainerwurst, pork roast, and schnitzel. The pizzas are worthy of your discerning palate.
Wade’s Southern Cooking
Image: Wade's Southern Cooking Website
Wade’s is a Spartanburg food icon for traditional southern cooking. There’s a reason why it’s been around since 1947. That’s over seven decades of excellent southern cooking. Wade’s homemade meat loaf is made from scratch is unlike any meat loaf you’d ever tasted.
At Wade’s, anything with “homemade” slapped to its name is a must try. That means, you cannot and should not resist the homemade chicken pie and tuna salad. Wade’s claims that it has perfected the southern delicacy called Bar-B-Q Beef Hash and all we can say is you better believe it!
The Kennedy
Image: The Kennedy Website
Impeccably crafted cocktails, delicious Southern and New-American inspired cuisine, and contemporary art decor are just a few of the reasons locals and tourists love dining at The Kennedy.
Stop in and enjoy their eclectic menu and find out what makes them one of the top-rated restaurants in Spartanburg. There is both indoor and outdoor patio seating available, and they are conveniently located downtown.
Monsoon Noodle House
Image: Monsoon Noodle House Google Business Listing
Who doesn’t love hot and delicious noodle bowls? All the best of Asian soup bowls are made at Monsoon Noodle House—from Vietnamese Pho noodle soup to Lo Mein egg noodles to Thai coconut noodle soup to Tom Yam to Japanese ramen.
Nothing beats the comfort that these noodle bowls bring, but they’re not the only dishes happening at Monsoon. Stir-fry rice meals, fresh salads, spring rolls, fried wonton, lettuce wraps, and Asian platters are the other delicious options. Kids menu is available so the little kids can enjoy the same good food in small plates.
Bubba’s BBQ & Bash
Image: Bubba's BBQ & Bash Facebook
There’s BBQ and then there’s Bubba’s BBQ & Bash. Bubba brings good old home cooking into mainstream Spartanburg and wins the hearts of the BBQ faithful. Whether it’s pork, beef, or chicken, Bubba’s will serve excellent BBQ every time.
The combo of Bubba’s calabash chicken and smoked pork is the go-to dish, but we won’t stop you if you want a full rack of Ribz, Ribz, Ribz. But for the BBQ fanatics, the smoked chicken and brisket are the most sensible delicious choice. Traditional southern sides are available to go with any meat you choose. Southern slaw and sweet potato fries go with pretty much anything.
The Beacon Drive-In
Image: The Beacon Drive-In Facebook
If not for the food, just do it for the incredible experience! The Beacon Drive-in is the most recognizable restaurant in all of Spartanburg. It’s a well-loved food destination where you can enjoy honest-to-goodness, no-frills chili burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, all-beef hotdogs, fried chicken, fried onion rings, catfish sandwich, and BBQ meats.
The signature dish called Beacon Burger is a favorite and for good reason: a generous serving of double burger patties slathered with mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and slaw. Wash it down with the notoriously sweet but refreshing Beacon Iced Tea. It’s what every childhood food dreams are made of.
The Peddler Steak House
Image: The Peddler Steakhouse Facebook
No trip is complete without a visit to an upscale steakhouse. Aptly called, The Peddler, this steakhouse serves melt-in-your-mouth steaks and fresh seafood. They don’t mess around with their food and they only cook their steak in charcoal. So you’ll get the delicious smoky taste of steak with every bite. Whether you order the rib eye steak, the prime rib, or the filet mignon, you’ll get the maximum steak dining experience.
Not in the mood for steak? Try the fresh oysters, the shrimp cocktail, the grilled salmon, or the diver sea scallop. Cap the evening with homemade key lime pie or the signature Peddler Pie.
