The Fretwell

location
101 Fretwell Street

hours (The Spartan)
thurs - sun 12pm-8pm
 
what they are known for
a retail and restaurant collective, currently featuring The Spartan and Little River Roasting

menu.

A resounding welcome to The Fretwell has been echoing through Spartanburg this week, and my voice is among those shouting it from the rooftops! What a fun new place that has landed on the scene: The Fretwell is a restaurant and retail collective with big plans in store for the future.

When you arrive you'll be greeted by a huge open space with lots of sun, shade, seating, and room to roam. It is kid and pet friendly, with multiple access points - you can approach it from from the Mary Black Rail Trail on either side, and there is a small parking lot if you aren't arriving by foot or bike. Access to the parking lot is on Fretwell Street off of Marion Street between Pine and Union.

Pull up a seat to any of the tables - there are both picnic-style tables and 4-tops, both under umbrellas and in the sun - or grab a place at the bar that overlooks the Rail Trail! I imagine you could also bring blankets and/or camping chairs to set up your own space in the grass.

In all her glory, here is The Spartan. She serves a wide variety of drinks and snacks to guests who are passing by or planning to stay a while.

In addition to adult beverages, there is a great selection of non-alcoholic bevs, and everything is served through this precious vintage window.

The menus above show the variety of beverages, snacks, small bites and sweet treats that are available. My kids were begging for popsicles and ice cream of course, but for our first visit we went with the boiled peanuts, house charcuterie box, and the traveling taco with Doritos.

The House Charcuterie Box ($12)

The House Charcuterie box features apples, pickles, olives, meat, cheese, crackers, hummus and jam. If you know me you know I love all the goodies that you can use to make different flavorful bites, and this basket offers a lot of variety! I loved the meat and cheese on a cracker with a little bit of jam.

The Traveling Taco with Doritos ($8)

If you pick the Traveling Taco, you get to choose from Doritos or Fritos, which are then loaded up with beef, cheese, sour cream, and salsa. This was all the crunchy, cheesy, salty goodness I was hoping for.

Bullhded "Hot Snakes" Boiled Peanuts ($6)

I can never get enough Bullhded peanuts out of Tryon, NC, and no, that is not a typo. To see them on this menu is quite a treat!! Read more about them here.

As you can see, The Fretwell is a beautiful space in a great location for all kinds of people and activities. In the future there are plans to feature food trucks and musical artists, as well as host local events. You can visit their site here to learn more about all of that. 

From June 8th through August 3rd you can find the Hub City Farmer's Market at The Fretwell on Wednesdays from 6 - 8:30pm with vendors, food trucks, live music, and drinks!

​Thanks for reading, and if you're looking for more Spartanburg restaurant reviews, start here!