A Local's Guide to Greenville, South Carolina
Our family has now lived in Greenville, South Carolina for two years, and we are so grateful to call this place home.
We moved here from Fort Worth, Texas, to be closer to family—my parents live in Kentucky, and my husband’s family is in North Carolina. Since we both work from home, we had the rare opportunity to choose anywhere… and we chose Greenville.
The pace here is slower in the best way. People spend lots of time outdoors and are super friendly. It’s been a wonderful place to land.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve gotten quite a few messages asking, “We’re coming to Greenville. What do you recommend doing/eating/seeing?”
So I thought I would share the place we genuinely love. I hope this points you in the right direction!
Our Favorite Greenville Restaurants
Greenville is a foodie’s paradise! So many local, delicious options. These are our favorites, and all of these restaurants have plenty of gluten-free options!
Southern Pressed Juicery — Our go-to for healthy acai bowls. On Tuesdays, they have a B1G1 Free deal! My favorite is the Green Monstah.
Windy City Burgers — A fun, casual stop for the best burger in town and each burger is named for a Chicago street! The restaurant itself is tiny, but the line often moves quickly, and it’s always worth the wait! You really can’t go wrong, but my favorite burger is the Northwood burger with garlic parmesan fries.
Coastal Crust Pizza — This is our family’s favorite wood-fired pizza place (with multiple locations). Try the fig and prosciutto pizza with an arugula salad on the side. Delicious!
O-Ku — Our favorite date night spot with delicious sushi! This one is right downtown, so you can take a walk up and down Main Street after dinner. My favorite sushi on the menu is The G.O.A.T. and you can’t miss the crispy fingerling potatoes with smoked bravas aioli.
Pomegranate on Main — This restaurant serves delicious, healthy Persian food and is right next to Liberty Bridge (a prime location for exploring Greenville). I love the Koobideh Kabob. Nearly everything in this restaurant is naturally gluten-free.
The Lazy Goat — For a fancier dinner, this upscale Mediterranean restaurant has a gorgeous view of the Reedy River.
Tahini Middle Eastern Eatery — This is a fairly new restaurant on Main Street that serves fresh, flavorful Middle Eastern food. I love the chicken salad and falafel over hummus.
White Duck Taco Shop — This taco shop has multiple locations and so many delicious options with everything priced a la carte! My favorite is the tikka masala taco.
Scout’s Doughnuts — A locally-owned donut shop (owned by some friends of ours!) with cronuts, plus gluten-free options.
Coffee Shops & Little Stops
M. Judson Booksellers is a charming bookstore in the heart of downtown Greenville with a fun children’s section, beautiful Greenville art and gifts, and a coffee shop that serves award-winning LaRue Fine Chocolates (so worth trying!).
Carmella’s Cafe & Dessert Bar — A delicious spot with coffee, tea, European-style desserts (many are gluten-free!) and a cozy atmosphere. Our family loves biking here and stopping for a treat!
Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery — This is a must-visit for local, organic food and a laid-back outdoor space. It sits right on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, so many people bike to it. There’s also a great enclosed spot for kids to play while you eat! On Thursday nights, they do music bingo which is a lot of fun. I love ordering the Clemson Turkey Cobb Salad, but there are so many wonderful options!
The Village Grind — My personal favorite coffee shop in Greenville! It looks like Anthropologie inside with eclectic art, mugs, and chairs, and the coffee (or matcha) is delicious. After you visit, walk down the street to grab some sourdough bread from Rise Bakery, a fresh juice from Kuka Juice, and (if you can) something from Revival Butchery (our favorite butcher in town that’s owned by the best people).
Things to Do
Hollowed Earth Pottery — A local business that offers pottery classes and a store where you can purchase the work of local potters. I’ve done their “Make Your Own Mug” class twice where you build a mug from scratch, decorate it, and then they glaze and fire it and you pick it up in a few weeks. If you’re visiting from out of town, they can ship it to you! Highly recommend!
Unity Park — This is a fantastic playground for all ages right next to a green space and a Food Hall with all kinds of coffee and restaurant options. It gets pretty packed on the weekends, but is a great spot to visit especially on weekdays! You can also rent bikes here if you want to ride on the Swamp Rabbit Trail (which connects to the park) into downtown Greenville.
The Greenville Zoo — A small but wonderful zoo to visit with kids!
Paris Mountain State Park — This state park offers camp sites, so many gorgeous hikes, and you can even swim in the lake in the summer! There is a small admission fee to get into the park.
Baseball Game at Fluor Field — The Greenville Drive, our local minor league baseball team, plays at Fluor Field in the heart of downtown. It makes for such a fun family night!
A Few More Local Favorites
Mice on Main — On Main Street in downtown Greenville, you’ll find nine small bronze mice sculptures hidden along several city blocks (inspired by Goodnight Moon). Locals love to give you hints about where to find them!
Greenville Saturday Market — Every Saturday from May through September, two blocks of Main Street close down for an expansive farmer’s market. It’s packed, but so much fun! My favorite part is the rocking chairs where people sit to hear local music.
Tandem Creperie & Coffeehouse — If you’re up for a short drive, Traveler’s Rest is about 15 minutes from downtown Greenville and is the sweetest little town! One of our favorite restaurants there is Tandem Creperie. You order outside from a yellow bus, then sit inside (or on the patio). They do offer plenty of gluten-free options. Our favorite is the sausage kale potato crepe, but you really can’t go wrong! And if you ride a tandem bike there, you get a discount. :)
MacGregor Orchard — A little further north in Traveler’s Rest is a small but beautiful orchard where you can pick your own apples, peaches, Muscadine grapes, Asian pears, and more, depending on the season. You’ll want to call ahead to make sure they’re open and allowing picking.
If I had just a few hours to spend in Greenville…
I’d be sure to walk through Falls Park on the Reedy, cross the iconic Liberty Bridge (a must!), visit the lobby of the Grand Bohemian Hotel. I’d stop for some hibiscus tea and a treat at Carmella’s, walk up Main Street and enjoy the shops for a while (we especially love Mast General Store!), then stop for a meal. If you have extra time, there’s more park to explore in Falls Park. It's gorgeous in every season!
This list certainly isn’t exhaustive, but I hope it’s a helpful place to start. If you find yourself in Greenville, I hope you enjoy your time here as much as we have! It is a truly special place.
