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Cribb's Kitchen

8/22/2016

1 Comment

 
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location.
226 B West Main Street

what they are known for.
burgers and other creative fare

lunch menu.
dinner menu.

features.

outdoor dining, live music, dog friendly
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!!
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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.

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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!
1 Comment

Mothers

6/27/2016

0 Comments

 
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location.
1059 Fernwood Glendale Road

what they are known for.
american and southern fusion food

menu. (not yet available online. see picture below!)

​features.
outdoor dining, live music

Mothers Restaurant on Fernwood Glendale opened TODAY in the space formerly occupied by Lil' D'z.  Good news: they did an amazing job on the up-fit and you'd never know it used to be a smoky bar!

The walls, floors and furnishings are quite dark, giving the space a moody feel, but there's plenty of light coming through the tinted front windows that it's definitely not too dark.  Cool wooden windows give you a view of the kitchen and the bar is fully stocked for nights with friends or a big game.  There are even a few tables out front for an outdoor dining experience, which I love, although it's way too hot these days.
We were greeted by an extremely friendly hostess, and the service only got better from there.  Very attentive, drinks were always full, food came out hot and as fast as you would expect, and our server answered all of our questions.  I've included a picture of the full menu below since it's not available on the web yet.  This is the lunch and dinner menu:
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The first thing I noticed on the menu was "The Cheese" - fried pimento cheese balls.  Yep.  They were clearly handmade and extremely delicious.  Crunchy coating on the outside and perfectly melty on the inside.  ​
​Obviously they don't have "popular" items yet since it is opening day, but the burger was suggested so that's what I went for.  Hubs went for the patty melt, which was partially enticing because it was served on cinnamon raisin bread.  Both were served with fries and a pickle.

So let's talk burgers.  Spartanburg has a lot of great burger places...Ike's, Nu Way, etc. where they really put a lot into their burgers.  This one isn't going to beat those, but it's a good burger for sure.  Juicy, perfectly cooked, great brioche bun and fresh toppings. You can get it with cheddar, provolone, pimento cheese, blue cheese, or american (pictured is provolone).  The fries were right up my alley - crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside with a great seasoning.  The pickle was standard, but an addition I would have missed if it wasn't there.

The patty melt was interesting.  I'm going to be honest with you here.  I love a good sweet/salty combo, but I'm not sure a patty melt should be served on cinnamon raisin bread.  Kudos for the creativity, and please try it for yourself, but if it seems too creative for your taste buds, we were assured you can ask for different bread. 
The atmosphere is great for a group of friends watching a game or even to bring your family!  Coming soon will be daily drink specials, live music and family-friendly entertainment, and inventive food specials (like authentic hummus and pita from a Lebanese staff member!!).

For those of you who were familiar with the space before, you'll see in the pictures that there is a large portion of the building that is blocked off.  Mothers did purchase the whole space that Lil' D'z occupied, but right now the other portion is being used for storage.  Eventually, it will be open as a "fun" space - lots of ideas in the air right now!

I hope you'll out Mothers soon!  It's definitely worth it, and it's great to have another good, locally-owned restaurant in this area of town.  I'm looking forward to trying the wings and wraps in particular, as well as "The Struggler".  Let me know what you think!!

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

Island Vibes on Main

5/4/2016

0 Comments

 
location.
2600 East Main Street (next to Yannis)

what they are known for.
authentic jamaican fare

menu.

features.
live music, daily food specials, event space, connected to Ochos Rios Lounge
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UPDATE: This restaurant is closed.

Island Vibes on Main was opened in April 2016 by Jamaican-born chef, Dennis Phillips, and you'll feel the vibes as soon as you walk in the door.  From the laid-back nature of the staff, to the cheerful music and decor, they've made quite an effort to bring the island to you.  

The space is open, clean, and airy and features a greenhouse-type garden full of vegetable plants.  One can hope those veggies will be included in future cuisine!

The friendly staff greets you at the counter where you place your order.  Beware that while the seafood dishes are highly recommended by the staff, they can take up to 20 minutes to prepare.  Also recommended of course, the Jerk Chicken.  It's quite spicy, so if you're looking for a milder version, go for the BBQ Jerk Chicken.

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We tried both. Duh.  The chicken is super moist, very flavorful, and seems truly authentic.  Both are served with traditional rice & peas (black beans), and then you choose an additional side. The mac & cheese was steaming hot and perfectly cheesy, and the steamed cabbage was flavored with great spices and other veggies.  Note: pictured here are the small plates!  They are perfect for one person for lunch or dinner.

Don't forget an order of Coco Bread, which was described as "Hawaiian bread but bigger" and is exactly that.  Light, fluffy, a little sweet, and perfect for sopping up those sauces!

Service during the meal was great, and you can tell the staff has fun at work.  No alcoholic beverages were on the menu for the restaurant, but if you are looking for an after-dinner drink, the Ochos Rios Lounge is open next door!

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

Growler Haus

4/21/2016

2 Comments

 
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location.
113 N. Church Street

what they are known for.
amazing selection of craft beer

menu.

features.
outside dining, live music, trivia, daily food and drink specials


Growler Haus came to Spartanburg in early 2013 and has been a favorite after-work spot ever since.  Tons of craft and micro beers, plus other drinks as well.  I'm a wine girl myself, so while most of the time I go for beer here, their $7 glasses of wine are most likely the largest pour in Spartanburg ;)

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The location is prime - right at the top of Morgan Square - and they have great weekly specials including 2 pints and 2 slices of pizza for $12 on Mondays and $2 off beer flights on Tuesday's "Flight Night".
Don't forget to check them out for trivia on Wednesdays and Live Music on Thursdays and Fridays!

Update: Growler Haus no longer serves pizza because now Papi's Tacos is in the haus!  Enjoy $2 tacos and $2 off beer flights every Tuesday.

Update: Papi's Tacos has moved out. Growler Haus now has their own "Haus Bites" menu, and it's perfect for bar snacking!

This is the hummus plate, which on this particular night featured Spicy Black Bean, Tzatziki (Greek), and Red Bean with corn relish varieties.  The black bean hummus was creamy with the richer flavor that comes with the black bean versus the traditional garbanzo, plus it has quite a kick! Red bean hummus was new to me, and it was a pleasant surprise.  Almost a bit smoky with the corn relish on top, it felt deeply southern in a comfortable way.  To me, the star of this plate was the greek-style Tzatziki hummus which was heavy on the chunks of cucumber and feta with the bright dill on top - you really needed a spoon to get this one onto the pita, and it is worth the effort!
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From front to back: Spicy Black Bean Hummus, Tzatziki Hummus, and Red Bean Hummus with Corn Relish ($10)
We also tried out the spicy boiled peanuts, called "Roadside Attraction" on the menu - I love spicy food and it was right up my alley so if you have a milder palate, get the regular ones.  Aside from the heat, they were cooked very nicely with a good amount of salt and perfectly juicy.
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Roadside Attraction, Spicy, Tribe Size ($5)
Lastly the "Happy Cappies" which are mushroom caps stuffed with cream cheese, panko, parmesan and parsley.  They give you the option to add proscuitto, so why not get some pork on there.  These really elevated the bar food feel, with the hot and smoky on the tender mushroom - you could make a meal of these!  They tended to cool down fast so pop 'em in quick!
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Happy Cappies, Tribe Size, with Proscuitto ($10)
Love seeing Growler Haus make their way with this new menu, and can't wait to try more! Cheers!!

​And if you want more Spartanburg Restaurant Reviews, look no further!
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Velvet Yeti Nitro Stout from Great Divide
2 Comments

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