Justin and I have been talking about going to Greenville for some time, but it never worked out with the timing. Finding ourselves with no plans for Memorial Day weekend, we reached out to a good friend in Atlanta to see if he would have any interest in meeting us to explore what some describe as a smaller version of Charleston. He was in.
We arrived Saturday mid-afternoon, checked into our hotel right in downtown (the Westin), and headed straight out to our first dinner of the night via a golf cart (what a fun experience). Urban Wren, located in the historic Markley Station, was an awesome spot. Not only did it have a beautiful patio and some great Rosé (it is also a winery), but each plate was better than the next.
We tasted the Lobster-Chorizo Corn Dogs, Brussels Sprouts, Semolina Dumplings, and the Rye Whiskey Beef Short Rib. I am still thinking about that meal weeks later. Our waiter was also a character, which makes the experience that much better.
We stayed at dinner #1 for so long that it was time for dinner #2 when we finished. Sadly, we were not very hungry when we entered The Anchorage, which is located in the heart of the Village of West Greenville. The restaurant was a James Beard Semi-Finalist. Although we wanted everything on the menu, we ended up only ordering the Meat & Cheese Board. We can never say no to charcuterie.
After dinner #2, we tried to find a location for some drinks. Every place seemed to have a line or was closed because it was pretty late at that point. We ended up at Ink N Ivy, which is four floors, with every floor providing a different experience. We spent most of our time on the rooftop overlooking the city. The first floor is the restaurant and the other two floors have music and dance floors. This place is another must on the to-do list. We also ended up having a late night snack there of Mac N Greens with pork belly (so good).
The next day, we decided to get up very early and start exploring. After driving around for a bit, we headed to Husk for lunch. Our goal has been to hit every Husk in existence because they are just that good, and this was the last one on our list. This Husk concept is a little different in that it is now a BBQ place.
The boys ordered the sampler platter, which consisted of wings, ribs, sausage, pickles, brisket, pork, turkey, pork rinds, sides, and sauces. I definitely dug in as well, but we did not even get close to finishing it. I got the Smoked City Ham Melt and I was highly impressed.
After brunch, we headed to walk around and explore the various shops on some of the main streets and the Falls Park on the Reedy River, which is considered the birthplace of Greenville. We definitely took the opportunity to take a million photos of the waterfalls and the bridge. Of course, we also grabbed some tasty desserts and coffee at the Old Europe Desserts café.
After a few hours of exploring, we drove out to the Birds Fly South Ale Project. The Project was created by a husband and wife duo in 2016 and is now a renowned craft beer force in the southeast. It's a very cool space with a brewery, outside seating, food options, and even ax throwing. Add this one to your list as well, especially if you like beer.
After enjoying some beers and relaxing, we headed back to town to grab a drink at another specialty bar known for drinks and its jerky -- the Field House Jerky and Vine. The place was very entertaining and full of locals. We did not taste any jerky though (very sad).
Following the jerky bar, we still had some time before dinner, so we headed to Fireforge, which is a biergarden and a taproom. The staff was super nice, the beers were great, and the patio area was just what we wanted. After closing out the biergarden, we finally headed to our much awaited dinner.
Saskatoon Lodge was so unique and our waiter was hysterical. It's a steakhouse serving wild game. Sadly, the restaurant ran out of kangaroo that day. However, we did manage to eat a lot of bread, ostrich, the spinach bacon dip, and antelope, among other things. Once again, we closed down the restaurant (or maybe scared everyone away by our amazing personalities).
After dinner, we headed to Up on the Roof, another rooftop bar, because as you should know by now, we love rooftops. The lovely scenic city views was just what we needed after a full day of adventures.
The next morning, we knew we had to try the steamed bagels made famous by Sully's Steamers. Their menu is full of delicious options and we had the hardest time choosing. After much debate, we went with one of the classics -- The Griswold (turkey, bacon, provolone, pepper jack, lettuce, bbq sauce, and parm-peppercorn). Who knew steamed bagels were so good?
After breakfast, we had to burn off some calories, so we continued shopping and exploring the main streets. The General Store was a surprise hit, selling great clothes among every other possible thing you may need. A fun local "Target" of sorts.
Sadly, our trip was coming to a close and we had one more place to hit on the list -- Halls Chophouse. We had been meaning to try the one in Charleston, but have not had the chance to yet. This one had great view of the park and was perfect for our last brunch. We started with champagne to celebrate the trip, and then ordered oysters, steak, tuna tartar, Fried Green Tomatoes, Halls Chop Salad, the Prime Beef Burger, and the She-Crab soup. The perfect end to our trip!
If you ever visit Greenville, definitely check out some of these spots. You will not regret it.
As always, remember to see the world, and eat the food.