location.
119 N Church Street

hours.
mon-thurs 11am-3pm & 5-9:30pm
fri 11am-3pm & 5-10pm
sat 12-3pm & 5-10pm
sun 12-3pm

what they are known for.
sushi burritos!

menu.

features.
​outdoor dining

Pokenori has made a huge splash in the Spartanburg restaurant scene.  It’s new, innovative, and above all, insanely delicious.  Their twist on sushi is as fresh as the ingredients they are serving up!

I’ll admit, I was a bit overwhelmed on my first visit (and there have been multiple). There are many, many selections...and what makes that exciting is that you can design your favorite meal and order it over and over, or you can get something different every time you visit. 

Your meal can be ordered as a rice bowl, salad, or yes, a sushi burrito. Check out “The Signatures” if you are feeling overwhelmed by the choices before you. “Spicy Ahi” will get you spicy tuna with lettuce, sweet onion, cucumber, masago (those tiny orange fish eggs which are standard in the sushi world), and sriracha aioli. “Umami Poke” features raw salmon with lettuce, mango, carrot, cucumber, masago and spicy ginger. I can’t wait to try the “Honey Wasabi Shrimp and Scallop” which has both shrimp and scallops, lettuce, masago, cucumber, sweet and green onions, and wasabi aioli – perfect for those that aren’t fans of raw seafood!

​If you go down the rabbit hole of creating your own dish, don’t fret.  They move the line quickly but they do not rush you, so take your time! First up is choosing your protein like raw tuna or salmon, tempura shrimp, scallops, and tofu. Next, your basic veggies: lettuce, sweet onions, green onions, cucumber, carrots, edamame, cabbage, jalapenos…you get the idea.  After that, you get some more complex toppings like crab salad, seaweed salad, mango, pickled ginger, radishes, pineapple, etc.  Then there are the sauces…sriracha aioli, wasabi aioli, spicy ginger, sweet teriyaki…YUM.  And last, but very important, your crunchy toppings like sesame seeds, lotus crisps, garlic crisps, shredded nori, onion crisps, and wonton crisps.  Crunch-factor should not be overlooked!

Good news and bad news: the above lists are not exhaustive! This is the most customizable meal you will find in Spartanburg.  

I’d be remiss not to mention the décor of this new space. Its light and airy, contemporary, and right in line with the Japanese-Hawaiian fusion they aim to serve up.  There is ample seating inside for small or large groups, plus outdoor seating in the alcove where LIT coffee was set up for a little while.

You may already be planning a visit to Pokenori for your next lunch meal, but don't discount them for dinner!  They have wine and beer...date night anyone?!

​What a welcome Pokenori has received so far, and I know it’s just going to get better for them.  Thanks for being in Spartanburg, and y’all be sure to check them out!

​And if you’re looking for more Spartanburg restaurant reviews, look no further!

The newest restaurant on the scene in booming downtown Spartanburg is Lemongrass Kitchen which boasts authentic vietnamese cuisine, and the next time you are free for lunch, you should check it out.  The pho is particularly fitting for these chilly days!

Lemongrass Kitchen is in the old Cafe Around the Corner space, and you'll find it very similar as they didn't do too much to the interior.  It's a cozy space with about 10 tables, plus a patio which just about doubles the seating capacity.  You'll find a little bit of vietnamese decor, but the real star is the food.

The menu is small but mighty with specials that you can find on their facebook page.  Choose from rice bowls with various meats, sandwiches, spring rolls, and pho.  ​

The spring rolls were obviously made in-house and the sauce was a perfect compliment to the fresh fillings of lettuce, shrimp, cilantro and rice noodles. ​

For an entree, I went for the chicken pho.  YUM.  The broth was so flavorful, even before I squeezed that lime and tore some basil into the bowl.  Cilantro adds great freshness to the big chunks of chicken and thin noodles.  The bean sprouts are a great addition too!  They also serve pho with beef which I'll have to try next time.

The service was excellent as each menu item was explained before I ordered, plus they helped me take my leftover soup to-go.  And everything is priced really well for a quick lunch!

​What a unique, new experience to have in town!  Welcome Lemongrass Kitchen! ​And if you want more Spartanburg Restaurant Reviews, look no further!

location.
129 W Main Street

what they are known for.
noodles!  and other yummy pan-asian cuisine

menu.

features.
outdoor dining, hub city delivery

Monsoon Noodle House has been around for many years now, but in 2011 suffered fire damange.  Rumors swirled that they may not reopen and my heart, and tastebuds, were broken.  How could I live without their coconut soup??  There was a collective sigh of relief through town when rebuilding began, and now it's better than ever.

It has tons of seating inside and is one of the several downtown restaurants with sidewalk seating, although it wasn't set up this day (perhaps the 85+ degree temperatures?!).  Very popular with the downtown business community, so you can expect lines out the door on a nice day.  Good thing they are fast!

Now my usual go-to is the Thai Coconut Noodle Soup with shrimp, but like previously mentioned, it was almost 90 degrees outside so soup wasn't exactly what I wanted.  Instead, I went for the classic Pad Thai with shrimp.  Monsoon's "spice scale" goes from 1-5. I love and can tolerate fairly spicy food, but I went for the 4 once and it lit me up, so now I rarely venture past 3.  Those levels can also be inconsistent over different dishes, so don't assume because you can take the Triple Delight at a 3 that you can also take the Wonton Noodle Soup at a 3.  Personally, I think the soups tend to be spicier, so I might dial it down to a 2 with those.

Okay back to the Pad Thai - as you can see, great portions...I took home one spring roll and about 1/3 of this noodle dish.  You're not going to find a lot of egg as you would at say, Bangkok, but you will find saucy noodles complimented by the crunchy peanuts and bean sprouts.  You can order most dishes with your choice of shrimp, beef, chicken or tofu.  They do tofu really well, so if you're a vegetarian (or not!) it's worth a try.

The rebuilt Monsoon Noodle House is more modern with colorful decor.  Order at the counter when you walk in, make your drink, and sit down at your table where you put your number card in the metal holder so they know where to bring your food.  I always find it clean and bright, and the service is quick and reliable.  For example, it took probably 1-2 mins after I sat down for my spring rolls to come out, and I hadn't finished one before my Pad Thai arrived.  

Lunch or dinner, this place is great, and I've even brought out of town family! Huge plus: you can also get it delivered with Hub City Delivery.

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