location.
147 East Main Street, Suite D

what they are known for.
artisan donuts!

menu.

Fresh on the scene, Downtown Deli & Donuts opened today!!  They are located in the Bijou Building, same as Hub City Scoops and Archived Clothing, which you can access from Main Street or Broad Street.  Opening at 7:30am for breakfast and lunch, they feature artisan donuts (gluten free AND vegan options available) as well as breakfast sandwiches, salads, and signature sandwiches for lunch.  

The donuts and pastries sell out quickly, so I suggest getting there early for your pick of the offerings!  Today's case featured chocolate and regular croissants, coffee cake, chocolate donuts with peanut butter icing (sold out), yeast donut with white chocolate icing and fruity pebbles (one left), yeast donut with white chocolate icing and chocolate pretzels (sold out), yeast donuts with peach glaze, gluten-free donuts with peach glaze, plus what looked like regular glazed donuts with white chocolate and chocolate drizzle. 

The Bijou Building is quickly becoming a place to stop in no matter what you are downtown for - shopping, breakfast, lunch, icecream - they have it all!  Plus public bathrooms in the hall.  Its a great building with a super cool vibe, which Downtown Deli & Donuts has definitely capitalized on.  The decor is funky but understated, and I loved the burlap-wrapped tables.  Even with all the traffic, it would be a great place to bring your computer to do some work - they do have public wifi.  

All in all, this is a fabulous new place that I believe is here to stay, so check it out soon!!  Welcome Downtown Deli & Donuts! ​And if you want more Spartanburg Restaurant Reviews, look no further!

Cribb's Kitchen started out as a small sandwich shop on Spring Street that quickly became one of the most popular lunch spots downtown.  It evolved into Cribb's Kitchen, which is known throughout Spartanburg to provide excellent meals for lunch and dinner. They have won several local awards, most recently the 2016 James B. Thompson Small Business of the Year Award, and they are known for the Annual Burger Cook Off!  The winning burger is featured on their menu for one year after winning the competition.

Because of all of these accolades, you will most likely find the restaurant quite busy if you arrive during peak hours, but there are lots of tables.  When the weather cools down, get there early to snag a table on the patio!  The decor is funky with graffiti art and produce signs, and definitely check out the sweet background behind the beer taps - its the Spartanburg skyline! If you remember when this was the Salvation Army building, you know how impressive the space is.

If you're there for dinner, it's a great place to bring the family or out-of-town guests, or even go for date night!  Occasionally they have live music, so check out their facebook page for special events.  This particular day we were aiming for a workday lunch, which is a very popular thing to do.  I'm not sure what is typical, but we did end up waiting a decent amount of time for our food (45+ minutes), so if you only have an hour for lunch, try to go a little early or a little late...i.e. not right at noon.  They made up for it by offering a free app and dessert for our next visit!!

There are a lot of great options for lunch, but I'm not sure it gets better than the burgers.  I went for something I hadn't tried yet: the Barnyard which was the 2015 winner of the Annual Burger Cook Off! Aptly named because the patty is made with lamb, beef, and bacon, and it's topped with a fried egg, goat cheese, jalapenos, horseradish creme, shaved cabbage and tomato.  While quite messy to eat, it was delicious.  Tons of flavor to the burger, plus the tangy goat cheese cut by the spicy peppers, and you can't go wrong with an egg yolk running throughout. Pictured here with the side of cold cucumbers & onions with dill - a great fresh side for these hot summer days.

The hubs went with one of the most popular burgers, a Cribbs creation: the Fried Green.  As the name would suggest, this is a burger topped with a fried green tomato, pimento cheese, bacon, chipotle ranch, lettuce, tomato and mayo.  There's a reason it is popular y'all. That crispy fried green tomato is a genius burger topping, and of course is paired perfectly with the pimento cheese.  Pictured here with the side of parmesan fries - a classic that won't do you wrong.

Other notable menu items: the Moroccan burger (my ususal), the Pear salad (tarragon vinaigrette is out of this world), and the Squirrel Nuts (peanuts boiled in RJ Rockers beer!!). 

Cribbs is great for lunch and dinner, an after-work drink or check out their weekend brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.  And always check the facebook page before you go for the creative food specials they are coming up with on a daily basis!!  And if you can't get away from home but want an awesome meal, you can get Cribbs Kitchen delivered with Hub City Delivery! ​And if you want more Spartanburg Restaurant Reviews, look no further!

location.
129 North Spring Street (also accessible from Magnolia Street next to Olive and Then Some)

what they are known for.
tacos! and other mexican fare

menu.

features.
could be outdoor seating in the future with the improvements on Magnolia Street?

New kid on the block alert!!  Nacho Taco was a pop-up inside Cafe Around the Corner back in early 2016, where they gained enough of a following to open up shop permanently in downtown Spartanburg.  They are in the space that was formerly Refuel Wine Bar, which you can access both from Spring Street and Magnolia Street (which is looking fabulous these days with great new renovations!!). Don't let the road work keep you from visiting, you can still park in the Magnolia Street garage or on Spring Street.

Word on the street was that they had run out of food several times already feeding an eager Spartanburg, so I knew I had to get in ASAP!

My first thought when I walked in was how much brighter and more cheerful it was than when Refuel occupied the space, which is great for a fun taco joint! The service was excellent: drinks right away, food came out hot and quickly, and our waiter was a delight, answering all of our questions.  

I'm a cheese dip addict, so of course we started there.  The chips and queso were great, but pretty standard.  We asked what were popular items for lunch and were told the Tortas (sandwiches) and the Fajitas.  The hubs went for the steak tortas, and I got the El Mex fajitas, with a mixture of steak, chicken and shrimp.  (Full disclosure: I poured the rest of our cheese dip on top of my fajita mix before I snapped a pic, so when you are looking at the picture, just know it doesn't come like that normally.)  ​

The tortas don't come with a side of anything, just the sandwich, but it was dang good.  Great steak, cilantro and veggies pressed in hot, crispy bread.  The fajitas come with rice, beans, and the traditional lettuce/pico/sour cream on the side.  The meat is sauteed with a mix of peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini which is all seasoned with a spice mixture that was a little on the salty side, but delicious nonetheless.  

It was a lot of food, enough to take home half a sandwich and lots of rice and beans!!  

I'd noticed this jug of white, milky stuff on the counter of the bar that was intriguing, so as we were paying I finally asked our server.  He said it was a must try, and even brought us a sample!  It is Horchata, a traditional Latin drink which tastes like milk infused with cinnamon and vanilla flavors.  It is served on ice, and the server said folks drink it with their meal.  I couldn't see doing that, but stopping in for a glass on a hot day, or ordering some for dessert? Definitely! 

​Nacho Taco has already gotten tons of support from our community, and I only see that growing.  We do have another taco spot downtown already, Papi's Tacos, but if you look at their menus, you'll see how different they really are.  Welcome Nacho Taco!!

​And if you want more Spartanburg Restaurant Reviews, look no further!

Taco Dog has been around for a very long time and is a local favorite for a quick and delicious lunch or dinner on the east side!  As the name suggests, you can find both tacos (and other mexican options) as well as hot dogs with a variety of toppings.  

​The line does tend to get long due to the popularity of this spot, so I'd advise getting there early for lunch.  Hop right in line and order your meal at the buffet-style counter, where you can see your grilled meat and fresh topping choices!  Tip: they have cilantro in the fridge, you just have to ask for it ;)  They'll give you a cup to make your own drink, and word on the street is that they have one of those fancy new touch screen soda machines since I've visited!!

Of the many, many times I've been to Taco Dog, this was the first time that I'd gotten hot dogs, and I was impressed!  They always grill them, never steam. On the left is the "The Grill", which I'd equate to cheesesteak toppings on a hot dog: grilled peppers and onions, mustard, and melted cheese.  And then of course I had to try the "Taco Dog", which comes topped with mustard, slaw, chipotle sauce, and hot pepper relish. Personally, I favored "The Grill", but both dogs were grilled to perfection and served with fresh, hot fries.  My husband also favors their corn dog!

Most of the time, I head to Taco Dog for a mexican option like a burrito, tacos, or like this day, nachos.  Clearly they do not skimp on the toppings!  With any of the mexican dishes, you get the choice of rice and/or beans, plus their meat options are steak, chicken or ground beef. Finish it off with a wide array of other topping choices like lettuce, cheese, fresh salsa, olives, guacamole, sour cream, etc.  Dishes aside from nachos are served with chips on the side.  Add some queso!!

There are a few tables outside which fill up quickly on nice days!  This is a great family-friendly restaurant that isn't going anywhere, so try it out today!! ​And if you want more Spartanburg Restaurant Reviews, look no further!