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Where to Eat and Drink in the Upstate | Listen

By: The Local Palate

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In Georgian culture, it’s tradition to toast everything in life—at Keipi, a restaurant that celebrates that culture, that spirit lives on, with tables often coming together to toast and celebrate within the walls of this nonprofit restaurant. Head chef Iryna Tarasenko puts together an Eastern European menu that might include khachapuri, a cheese bread that echoes Italian flavors; khinkali, a dumpling reminiscent of bao; and badrijani, an eggplant roll with walnut garlic filling.Look to the Georgian wine list for traditional and nontraditional bottles. keipirestaurant.org

Mr. Crisp

Greenville

The James Beard semifinalist team at The Anchorage have created a seafood-influenced menu at this neighborhood spot. You’ll find surprises like hamachi crudo with tomato aguachile, squid ink orecchiette, and boquerones with leche de tigre as well as down-to-earth dishes such as steak frites and hand-battered fish and chips, plus a cocktail and wine selection that includes the familiar and the adventurous. therealmrcrisp.com

CAMP

Greenville

CAMP is led by Greenville native Drew Erickson and Carl Sobocinski of the local Table 301 Restaurant Group. The modern space, bathed in greenery and light from the broad windows, sets the scene for a menu categorized by field, land, and sea and ranges from lemongrass tofu lettuce cups to octopus and focaccia to pork and shrimp dumplings, inviting diners to get outside of their comfort zone. campgvl.com

Jianna

Greenville

This downtown spot, with sweeping views of Main Street and a 40-foot-long bar, prides itself on housemade pastas, including shaped and extruded styles like rigatoni. Eat here the way you would in Italy, starting with raw oysters, crostini, and olives followed by cocoa pappardelle with lamb sausage as a midcourse, and a shareable platter of hickory-smoked duck breast to round out the meal. jiannagreenville.com

Lazy Goat

Greenville

This light and airy spot offers one of the best alfresco perches in town, set right along the Reedy River. Starters like mezze and truffles pommes frites are meant for grazing, while heartier dishes, like the Lazy Paella and rustic flatbreads, make it great for groups willing to share. Don’t miss Aunt Tel’s sweet potato pie for dessert. thelazygoat.com

Oak Hill Cafe & Farm

Greenville

Set just outside of downtown Greenville on 2.4 acres, Oak Hill Café and Farm is an escape in more ways than one. Lush gardens surround the rustic house-turned-café, while inside, the kitchen and dining spaces feel homey yet modern. The menu really shines during dinner when chef David Porras puts a Mediterranean spin on farm-to-table fare. oak-hill-cafe-staging.webflow.io

The Anchorage

Greenville

The Anchorage helped draw people toward the Village of West Greenville thanks to a menu built for sharing, as well as its popular wine dinners. (They’ve also added a wine shop, Taxi House Wines, in the original entrance). Whether celebrating or stopping in for a weeknight bite, dishes like their panzanella salad, purple potato gnocchi, and Carolina Gold jollof rice, all paired with excellent wines, will set your evening straight. theanchoragerestaurant.com

Lewis Barbecue

Greenville

For John Lewis’ first expansion outside of Charleston, he went bigger. The Greenville location is larger than his original and includes a spacious, turf-lined patio. What hasn’t changed is his obsession with excellent Texas-style barbecue, including brisket, spareribs, Texas hot guts sausage, and pulled pork. Go ahead and get all the meats (pulled pork, brisket, and sausage) on the El Sancho sandwich and thank us later. lewisbarbecue.com

Spaghetti Westurn

Greenville

Branded as a “semolina saloon,” this spot is all about a no-fuss approach to affordable food. Chef Jason Saunders anchors the menu in pasta and boasts a spread of dishes all under $20. The White Lightning seamlessly melds mozzarella, artichokes, cream, and more over the broad strips of housemade tagliatelle, just like the restaurant’s concept melds wild, western saloon stereotypes and Italian culinary traditions. spaghettiwesturngvl.com

Scoundrel

Greenville

Fancy but not fussy, Scoundrel brings one of the only French-inspired restaurants to Greenville’s dining scene. Chef Joe Cash manages to transport you to the French countryside with platters of steak frites, tomahawk rib-eye, and duck fat frites, especially when paired with an ice-cold martini. scoundrelgvl.com

Patterson Kitchen + Bar

Greenville

Set on the Hotel Hartness property, Patterson Kitchen + Bar is a destination in its own right. The menu by executive chef Patrick LeBeau makes fresh produce the star in dishes like the seasonal farm vegetables salad and seared salmon with cucumber caper relish. Dine at the chef’s counter to watch the team compile dishes as colorful as they are delicious. hotelhartness.com

Sum Bar

Greenville

At Sum Bar, Greenville’s first dim sum restaurant and bar, Khailing Neoh showcases traditional dim sum recipes and techniques in an approachable setting. Many of her recipes pay homage to her Chinese American childhood, honoring traditional techniques with classics like siu mai, homemade bao, egg tarts, and an array of baiju cocktails. eatsumbar.com

Comal 864

Greenville

Dayna Lee-Márquez, semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2023, runs this hip Mexican American restaurant where the focus is on fresh, unique flavors. Try their birria ramen and elote en vaso, or come for breakfast to taste the tortilla de chilaquiles. comal864.com

Urban Wren

Greenville

Wine bar and restaurant Urban Wrenis an impossibly cool lounge with the best charcuterie board in town. Don’t sleep on the menu of shareable plates like yakiniku shrimp with charred avocado and soba salad, and Moroccan lamb meatballs with pomegranate lacquer. urbanwren.com

Soby’s New South

Greenville

One of the first restaurants to bring Greenville’s dining scene into the modern era, Soby’s still stands alone for its atmosphere and food. Settle into the upscale-yet-comfortable brick-lined interior (request table 301 for the ideal perch) for comforting, refined Southern fare, like crab cakes, spicy pimento cheese, shrimp and grits, and tea-brined pork tenderloin—plus a wine selection that’s eyeing a Wine Spectator Grand Award. sobys.com

Papa’s Breakfast Nook

Spartanburg

Local Spartanburgers can be found at this 24-hour diner that puts out hearty comfort foods around the clock. The red-roofed, throwback building opened to the public in 1988, and you’ll probably find a regular or two who has spent the morning flipping through their Spartanburg Herald ever since. Order the Trash Can Wrap—an all-the-way-omelet in a fried burrito—or the breakfast bowl topped with livermush. papasbreakfastnook.com

Rick Erwin’s Level Ten

Spartanburg

Set on the top floor of the towering AC Hotel downtown, Level Ten brings a steakhouse experience to Spartanburg, complete with next-level views. Seafood and steak dominate the menu with an equally approachable cocktail list—all of which can be enjoyed from the terrace. rickerwins.com

The Kennedy

Spartanburg

Elevated American fare can be found at The Kennedy—an Art Deco-inspired space that sources fresh ingredients from the region’s farmers to support their seasonal menu. Though the menu rotates, be sure to order the burnt chocolate spoon bread—a mainstay—to finish your meal. thekennedysc.com

Venus Pie

Spartanburg

Step into the trippy, 1990s pizzeria Venus Pie for exaggerated slices of New York-style, thin-crust pizza, and beer from local favorites. venuspie.com

Topsoil

Travelers Rest

The menu from James Beard semifinalist Adam Cooke reflects a delicious sophistication that’s balanced by the restaurant’s welcoming, rustic-chic atmosphere. Start with the crudo, cheese plate, and seasonal salad from the regular menu, then choose which farm you’d like your entrée to be sourced from—or make reservations on Sunday nights for the chef’s tasting. topsoilrestaurant.com