New to the Spartanburg County Dining Scene
The dining scene of Spartanburg County is impressive. A diverse array of down-home favorites is joined by incredible international flavors and upscale, refined options that offer modern, photo-worthy dishes.
Downtown Spartanburg had its own list of restaurant openings (and you can see them here), but a host of new eateries have also opened – or are set to open soon – across the county.
Woodruff
Woodruff’s up-and-coming downtown has added several great places to grab dinner and a drink recently (and you can read more about Woodruff here).
Opened at the south end of Main Street, Claudio’s Bistro is an upscale steakhouse with a refined atmosphere and menu. You can expect to find plenty of formidable burgers, well-cooked steak and seafood options, as well as house-made soups and salads to get every meal started off the right way.
With a pub-style atmosphere and menu, Tap Three has gained popularity thanks to its straightforward-but-tasty menu. And yes, Tap Three has more than three taps available. The menu offers the kind of food that’s perfect to pair with a beer: appetizers, sandwiches and wraps and wings.
Spartanburg
A few new restaurants joined the dining scene located outside of downtown but still within Spartanburg.
Opened by a father-son team, Mata’s Mexican Bar and Grill serves up traditional Mexican dishes with a large, inspired cocktail menu expanding beyond simple margaritas and cervezas.
Traditional offerings fill the menu at Mata’s Mexican Bar and Grill, and are joined by adventurous spins on Mexican food like the huevos con chorizo (eggs with a spicy, flavorful sausage) and for dessert, the caramel-filled churros.
El Paso Tacos and Tequila opened its first SC restaurant in October 2022 in Downtown Spartanburg (at 149 S. Daniel Morgan Ave., to be exact). Diners can find much more than tacos and tequila, though. The menu features an array of enchiladas, soups and salads, burritos, and combination platters with heavy portion sizes (so come hungry).
Heading out of Spartanburg toward Duncan, Lyman and Wellford is Burgers and Bakery, in the location formerly occupied by Le Spice. The burger joint, owned by a husband-and-wife duo, specializes in smashburgers – when a ball of ground beef is smashed into a hot griddle in order to create a crunchy, beefy crust. And their burgers are served on homemade buns with a host of toppings available (or just cheese if you like to keep it simple).
Along with burgers, you can find a fish filet sandwich, barbecue pulled chicken and dessert specials like the Snickers cheesecake.
Speaking of Le Spice, one of its former owners opened Chef Ae’s in the former Baber Rhyne building near Wofford College. Much like its predecessor, the restaurant offers French and Thai twists on popular lunch items, with an eclectic menu featuring curries, a cheesesteak crepe and Thai garlic pork ribs.
Sophia’s Italian Restaurant dishes out Italian favorites like the Penne alla Vodka and Chicken Parmigiana, this spot in the heart of Downtown is a perfect place for a date-night, celebration dinner, or just treating yourself to something delicious. While only opened in September 2020, Sophia’s is becoming one of the best places to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine during your visit to Spartanburg. Be sure to save room for the house favorite, tiramisu, or our pick, the cannoli.
Lyman
Though not a traditional restaurant, Botanical Brew opened its doors in 2020 offering a unique hybrid coffee-shop and plant store. Guests can get their kick of caffeine from a variety of coffee drinks and botanical sodas, and get plant care tips and products at the same time. Botanical Brew does offer some food, including baked goods, breads and muffins.
Inman
Another coffee shop, The Upstate Coffee opened in Downtown Inman, offering specialty coffee drinks with brews from coffee-centric Portland, Oregon. They also have a menu offering pastries, small pies and their newest addition, ice cream.
The Crepe Factory, a popular Downtown Spartanburg favorite, has moved to downtown Inman in a historic building. The new location will bring the same flavors featuring the French classic it’s named for – the crepe – with sweet and savory crepes for any palette.
