Looking for restaurants in Downtown Greenville, SC? Greenville, South Carolina, has made its mark on the culinary map with a selection of well-respected restaurants. Diners have no shortage of choices regardless of what they might be craving! From a casual lunch to a romantic dinner date, every kind of meal can be found in downtown Greenville.

This article includes:Dinner in GreenvilleLunch in GreenvilleBreakfast in GreenvilleDessert in GreenvilleRestaurants on Main StreetRomantic Restaurants in Downtown GreenvilleBest for KidsRestaurants for BusinessBudget-Friendly Restaurants in Downtown GreenvilleTake Out in Downtown Greenville

Dinner in Greenville, SC

Are you looking for dinner in Greenville, SC? Whatever you are craving, you’ll find it downtown! Here are some great dinner restaurants in Downtown Greenville.

Urban WrenThis Greenville restaurant consistently gets rave reviews from locals! They garnered multiple “Best Of The Best” wins locally for the second year in a row. The brown bag salad and the wagyu beef corndogs come highly recommended by readers!

RoostDine on American pub-style fare while you watch the action on Main Street. Seasonal live music in NOMA Square makes this a great place to eat local and enjoy local musicians.

The Lazy GoatThe Lazy Goat overlooks the Reedy River and serves up a delicious small plate menu. Don’t be intimidated by dining there with children, though, as they also have brick oven pizza on the menu. Also, be sure to order the sangria; it’s some of the best I’ve had in the Upstate!

Hall’s ChophouseA popular high-end steakhouse with three locations across the state of South Carolina. Riverside outdoor dining is the perfect choice for enjoying a meal on the Reedy River.

Other Dinner Options In Downtown Greenville

Lunch in Greenville

Tako SushiThe Far East Meets The Southwest in this unique fusion-style concept. There aren’t too many places I can think of where you can order a burrito with a side of sushi! If you’re a fan of asparagus, be sure to order their tempura asparagus, it’s addicting!

Aryanna Afghani CuisineA great way to expose our families to different cultures is through food. People take great pride in the food of their ancestors, and it’s one of the easiest ways for culture to be shared other than music. That’s one reason the owner of Aryana, Nelo, opened her restaurant in the heart of Greenville to share the food of Afghanistan with people.

Other Lunch Options In Downtown Greenville

Breakfast in Greenville

Tupelo HoneyThe menu offers so many options you might be overwhelmed. But, if you are indecisive like I am, sometimes it’s best to pre-game a menu like this. Southern-inspired veggies, paired with their famous fried chicken, make a simple choice that will result in a meal you won’t be disappointed about.

Greenfields Bagels & DeliLove a good bagel? Delicious New York-style bagels and sandwiches are what you’ll find at Greenfields Bagels & Deli in Downtown Greenville. Lox and cream cheese on a toasted everything bagel? Coming right up! Greenfields is serving up the best bagels you’ll find Downtown!

Top Breakfast Restaurants in Greenville, SC

Dessert in Greenville

Le Petit Croissant: Delicious pastries, coffee, chocolates and sandwiches

Old Europe: Coffee, pastries and delicious desserts

Restaurants On Main Street In Downtown Greenville

If you are looking for a place to dine right on Main Street, here’s a list to choose from.

Romantic Restaurants

If you’re looking for lots of romantic restaurants to choose from, check out our list of Downtown Greenville. SC: Date Night Restaurants.

CAMPExecutive Chef Drew Erickson, who recently returned from working with Thomas Keller at French Laundry, is quite the coup for the restaurant. His love for locally sourced ingredients shines through in the dishes that are set before guests. With his talent and experience, Chef Erikson could very quickly be the screaming caricature of a chef you see on reality shows; but nothing could be further from that than this. He interacts with patrons and takes great pride in the food he’s sending out. His Executive Sous Chef, Diego Campos, brings his Mexican heritage to the menu, and this Mexican girl couldn’t be happier about that.

Up On The RoofThe eclectic menu at Up On The Roof offers couples the choice of sharing or ordering an entree. The options include Asian, Cajun, Tex-Mex, and American-inspired dishes. Handcrafted cocktails, and an unrivaled view of the city at night, make this a perfect spot to plan a date night.

Best For Young Kids

Gather GVLThis food hall built from shipping containers is the perfect spot to head when everyone wants something different! The tenants here serve everything from Cuban food to Lobster Rolls, and you’d have to be a picky eater not to find at least one thing you can’t wait to try!

Luna Rosa Gelato CafeLuna Rosa has something for everyone! This family-owned business serves up delicious Gelato and has an authentic Italian menu and a rockstar bartender. You can order your kid’s lunch with the promise of Gelato afterward, and the grownups can enjoy a handcrafted cocktail.

Papi’s TacosLocated along the Reedy River, Papi’s Tacos is a perfect spot for antsy kids who just want to run around while everyone eats. The kid-friendly menu is portable, and this spot also serves up Gelato! So you can eat your al pastor tacos while the kids enjoy a walking taco and sit on the rocks to watch the ducks.

Best for Business

Coffee UndergroundThis local coffee shop is the perfect spot to have a small business lunch. Side rooms offer semi-private areas for small groups. They have a delicious menu and coffee drinks which make a business meeting less business and more casual!

Rick’s Deli & MarketPlenty of space and a quick and easy menu make this an ideal spot when you’re meeting up with a large group for lunch. The Deli offers sandwiches, salads, bowls, and hot entrees.

Budget-Friendly

Menkoi Ramen House GreenvilleThis isn’t grocery store ramen! So if you’ve never had a good bowl of Ramen, stop whatever you’re doing and go right now! Delicious ramen noodles, veggies, and protein mixed up in broth are the warm hug you’re stomach didn’t know it needed.

Sabor Latin Street GrillThis Hispanic food restaurant has several different South and Central American cuisines on the menu! With daily specials, including a kids-eat-free day, eating here can stay under budget!

Pizza restaurants are often pretty budget-friendly, too, so try these Best Places For Pizza In Greenville.

Take Out

Jamaica Mi IrieYou can grab a Jamaican Beef Patty and eat lunch as you stroll down Main Street, or grab some jerk chicken with rice and beans to make all the folks back at home jealous!

Greektown GrilleGrab a Gyro and head back to your hotel, the park, or wherever you need to be. Most Greek food travels well. The Greektown Grill has convenient streetside parking, so you won’t have to pay to grab your meal!

Discover the Best Chinese Food in Greenville

Two South Carolina cities were tallied among Conde Nast’s best small cities for 2021, which was announced Tuesday.

Charleston slipped to No. 2 on the list of best small cities in the United States after holding the No. 1 spot last year. It’s been on the list for 10 years.

Greenville, meanwhile. moved up to fifth from sixth. Greenville has been on the list for five years.

Topping the list was Aspen, Colorado.

Conde Nast Traveler wrote that the winners were culled from 800,000 votes by readers. It is the 34th annual report.

The magazine used the same words from 2020 to describe Charleston.

“Charleston may be a small town, but this city punches well above its weight,” the magazine said, noting history, culture, food and charm as Charleston’s top qualities.

It also encouraged people to try to resist moving there after having oysters and a drink on an outdoor terrace.

Charleston is South Carolina’s largest city, and its population increased by 25% in the last decade to 150,227.

Greenville, the state’s seventh-largest city with half the population of Charleston, was once again described by Conde Nast as a secret destination on the “cusp of stardom. “ The magazine lauded the city’s farm-to-table food scene and encouraged a stop at Vault & Vator, the city’s first speakeasy.

“Its craft beer scene is seeing a similar explosion,” the magazine said.

Once, again the magazine highlighted Falls Park in downtown Greenville and the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail, which starts in downtown Greenville and runs 22 miles north to Travelers Rest.

“Greenville is no longer a ‘well-kept secret’ or ‘hidden gem,’” Mayor Knox White said in an statement. “Visitors from around the world have fallen in love with our walkable Main Street, bikeable trails and shoppable boutiques.”

Others on the list of best small cities were No. 3 Alexandria, Virginia; No. 4 Santa Fe, New Mexico; No. 5 Carmel-by-the-Sea, California; No. 7 Key West, Florida; No. 8 Savannah, Georgia; No. 9 Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and No. 10 Newport, Rhode Island.

Laguna Beach, California, dropped off the list, and Newport was added.

The best large cities list was also announced with, once again, Chicago coming in at No. 1. Nashville was the only southeastern city to make the list. It was 10th.

Other cities were No. 2 New York City; No. 3 New Orleans; No. 4 Boston; No. 5 Santa Fe; No. 6 Washington, D.C.; No. 7 San Diego; No. 8 Portland, Oregon; and No. 9 Honolulu.

San Antonio, Tucson and St. Petersburg dropped out of the top 10. Santa Fe, Portland and Honolulu were new for 2021.

Greenville and Charleston rank high on the list for small cities - an honor one is no stranger to.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Readers of a major travel magazine have named two South Carolina cities among the best in the nation.

Condé Nast released its 2021 Readers' Choice Awards on Tuesday and, as it turns out, two Palmetto State favorites have made a pretty good impression in the "small city" category.

Coming in halfway up the list at fifth-place is Greenville, a city Condé Nast describes as "just on the cusp of stardom." The description points foodies to Jianna for Italian and Vault & Victory for a speak-easy atmosphere. The description also points to the city's "dynamic urban spaces" coupled with "abundant natural resources." And for visitors wanting to stretch their legs, the review touts Greenville's 32-acre Falls Park and the 22-mile-long Swamp Rabbit Trail.

A few spots higher on the list - and nearly taking the top honor - is Charleston, a perennial favorite on many a travel list. Condé Nast describes Charleston as a "small town" but also a city that "punches well above its weight."

The travel magazine pointed to factors pretty well-known about the city, its history, culture, food, and charm, that readers said ranked the city in the number-two spot. And it turns out it has remained on the list for 10 years and counting. Like many cities on the list, food was a strong favorite. Condé Nast even has a list of the 31 best restaurants in Charleston alone. But the "stately homes, cobblestone streets, waterfront views and abundance of flowering window boxes" create the atmosphere that keeps travelers coming back.

South Carolina is no stranger to lists from this travel magazine either. Another South Carolina town, Beaufort, was named among the most beautiful in America in August.

Read the full list of Readers' Choice cities on Condé Nast Traveler.

No matter what you or your children want to transform into for Halloween (or any other occasion), there’s a place in Greenville, SC that is one-stop shopping for costumes. Carolina Fashions is a costume factory that offers shoppers daily access to thousands of options year-round.

Wall to Wall Costumes

Have you ever been invited to an event or party, needed a costume, and it wasn’t near Halloween? Ordering it online is usually the only option, but what if you need to try it on or see it in person? There’s a huge factory store in Greenville that has the answer to your costume needs, and it’s open to the public!

Formerly located on Pleasantburg, near the Downtown airport, Carolina Fashions sat quietly, providing locals with costumes. Unfortunately, that location closed, and I figured it had just been another casualty of the pandemic. I was wrong, and the store attached to the factory is bigger, better, and inspiring me to get costumes for every occasion! Would it be weird to show up to a parent-teacher conference dressed as Ms. Frizzle? Probably, but I might do it anyway.

There are thousands of costume options for kids and adults, plus all of the accessories you would need to complete the look! They also have a fun carousel to keep the little ones entertained while you shop.

What Kind Of Costumes You Will Find At Carolina Fashions

Do you need some costume inspiration? Not sure where to start? Carolina Fashions produces garments for Rubies, so browsing their website will give you a good idea of just a fraction of what you will find in this vast warehouse.

They have licensed costumes in infant, kids, and adult sizes for franchises, including:

Carolina Fashions also carries high-end costumes for fancy fundraiser-type events. So if you have to find an outfit, and you aren’t sure what you want, a few minutes in this place and the only problem will be narrowing down the options.

Budget Friendly Costumes

Usually, leading up to a holiday is when items related to it are the highest priced. But it’s the opposite at Carolina Fashions. In the weeks leading up to Halloween, the costumes, masks, and accessories are all 50% off the retail price.

If that’s not enough to lure you in, the store has a back room of seconds and “damaged” items that are all only $5.99 each. These items include things where the sewing machine might not have caught a seam, the photo on the package might not match the costume, the accessory might be missing, or something else that is likely to go unnoticed. And if the outfit is only going to be worn for a few hours, it doesn’t matter.

When I checked out the store, I had zero intentions of leaving with anything aside from info. However, I wound up leaving with two costumes and two wigs for my daughter, and a costume for my son, all for $25. Just one of the costumes I got was priced that originally, at full retail price.

Reasons You Need A Costume

As I left the store, shopping bag in hand, I started thinking of all of the occasions I could make an excuse to return to this costume wonderland!

Halloween Season at Carolina Fashions

Of course, Halloween is the most obvious time to visit a costume store. But there’s another reason to visit this colossal costume clearinghouse. You can enter the Haunted Room attraction on Fridays and Saturdays leading up to Halloween if you head towards the “Christmas Village” and sign the waiver. The path will take you through several rooms with flashing lights, animatronics, and other scary things. There are no live-actor parts to this attraction, and I would probably say it’s best suited for kids age eight and over. However, it’s free to enjoy, so you can easily walk through it to judge for yourself before taking younger kids through.

For more Halloween Help, Check out the HUGE Kidding Around Halloween Guide!

Carolina Fashions400 Bon Air Street, Mauldin | 864.281.0925

After a federal court ruling Tuesday gave South Carolina school districts the power of authority in choosing to mandate masks in schools, Greenville County Schools decided against a mask mandate.

A federal court issued a temporary injunction that struck down mask Proviso 1.108, which prohibited South Carolina schools from mandating masks for students and staff.

According to a Friday morning Greenville County Schools news release, Greenville County Schools Superintendent Dr. W. Burke Royster announced the school district will not be implementing a mask mandate at this time, after consultation with district leadership and principals.

However, individualized educational plan and 504 teams will continue to consider all reasonable accommodations to ensure students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate education, the release said.

“Given the dramatic downward trend in GCS, our statistics compared to the state, the recognition that mask mandates are enormously burdensome on principals, teachers, and staff, and the knowledge that monitoring such a mandate takes our employees away from their primary instructional and support duties, the Greenville County Schools’ administration does not intend to implement a district-wide mask mandate at this time,” said Royster said. “Instead, we will utilize mandatory masking only in extreme circumstances and on a school-by-school basis.”

COVID-19 cases have declined by 40% within Greenville County Schools over the last four weeks, according to the release. Additionally, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), Greenville County Schools' students are responsible for "only 5% of COVID-positive school cases in South Carolina so far this year, even though the district represents about 10% of the total student population in the state," the release said.

Considering the data, the Greenville County Schools' administration believes this indicates existing measures, including the exclusion of COVID-positive students, rigorous contact tracing and quarantining of close contacts, enhanced air exchange protocols, and other mitigation strategies are "positively affecting spread in district schools," the release said.

If COVID-19 cases start trending upward, Greenville County Schools could implement a district-wide mask mandate, the release said.

"Even without a district-wide mandate, the administration could implement a mask requirement for individual schools or classrooms experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases," the release said. "As parents make the decision about what is best for their children, families are reminded that masking at school remains a recommendation of DHEC and the CDC."

Additionally, as of August 26, DHEC changed the parameters for determining close contacts to take into consideration the wearing of masks when the close contact occurs between students, according to the release.

For example, an unvaccinated student who spends at least 15 minutes within 3-to-6 feet of another COVID-positive student is considered a close contact and must quarantine, unless both individuals were wearing a face covering. As a result, the number of students missing school due to required quarantining could be significantly reduced if students were to consistently wear masks, the district said in the release.

The school district said they are implementing the following COVID-19 mitigation strategies currently:

Education and Family Issues Reporter Krys Merryman can be reached at 864.420.7111 or kmerryman@greenvillenews.com. Continue the conversation or join a new one on our Education and Family Issues in Greenville Facebook page or on Twitter @krys_merryman.