Sparkle City Eateries

[Sparkleman]

Hub City: Have you been at night? If so, do share.

[Jael]

It is on Hwy. 9 between I-85 and Business 85, closer to business 85. The food is not too bad. Good lunch fare.

Is that the one that's in the corner of a strip mall? If so, I've eaten there once at night. Food was good - comparable to the same fare as Corona's or San Marcos(?) out on the Asheville Highway.

[Sparkleman]

Man you guys are quickly deflating my ballon here and my wife's version is sounding like she might just have wanted Mexican so bad that this was the latest in the line of "the best ever" that comes out of her mouth on occasion.

I have been to one what I would call authentic Mexican joint here in the "SC". It is out on Fairforest road past the DOT and about 1/2 mile before this runs back into Asheville Hwy. I think it is called Los Paisanos and it is just a shack tucked back away from the road. I went there with a guy several years ago who said it was as close to the type food he used to get in San Diego. It was not like any Mexican I had seen or eaten before and the folks there barely spoke English. It was completely out of this world! The catch- it was a tough, rugged place with several questionable amigos nearby. A dinner here while amazing could be a shaky experience as the locale ain't the safest.

[hub-city]

NO I haven't been there at night. Just lunch and it wasn't bad, just not exceptional. The is a Mexican restaurant in Taylors called El Matador. It has been forever eince I have been there but they used to have the best chili rellenos around.

Give the one on Hwy. 9 a chance and let us know about the supper menue.

[Spartan]

Man you guys are quickly deflating my ballon here and my wife's version is sounding like she might just have wanted Mexican so bad that this was the latest in the line of "the best ever" that comes out of her mouth on occasion.

I have been to one what I would call authentic Mexican joint here in the "SC". It is out on Fairforest road past the DOT and about 1/2 mile before this runs back into Asheville Hwy. I think it is called Los Paisanos and it is just a shack tucked back away from the road. I went there with a guy several years ago who said it was as close to the type food he used to get in San Diego. It was not like any Mexican I had seen or eaten before and the folks there barely spoke English. It was completely out of this world! The catch- it was a tough, rugged place with several questionable amigos nearby. A dinner here while amazing could be a shaky experience as the locale ain't the safest.

Thats no surprise. That restaurant is in the main hispanic part of town. The Bi-Lo on Asheville Hwy has lots of good mexican food products... much more than any other store in Spartanburg for that same reason.

[Spartan]

Baskin Robins has re-opened both its Spartanburg locations. The oner of Hub City Coffee is behind it. This is good news for downtown, which suffered from the loss of the location at Main & Pine. This is another one of those things about downtown that is decentralized. I'm still hoping for an ice cream shop closer to Morgan Square.

It seems like the Main & Pine area (about 1 block in all directions) is becoming more of a secondary restaurant hub within downtown.

[Sparkleman]

El Patron Review:

If you are in a hurry, forget about this place as the service on Friday night was awful and the place was not even half full. The food was a little better than standard Mexican fare like Coronas/Monterey's but again the service sucked. The waiter couldn't get anything correct and I am pretty sure he spoke no English. When we were finally ready to go, it took forever to pay the tab as he had mixed things up and put them on different tickets. You would have thought we were changing dollars for pesos at the register it took so long. The one thing they have going for them is great margaritas, but I am not driving halfway to Boiling Springs for this. I told my wife to get a grip on the "this is the best" term from now on.

[huck94]

Baskin Robins has re-opened both its Spartanburg locations. The oner of Hub City Coffee is behind it. This is good news for downtown, which suffered from the loss of the location at Main & Pine. This is another one of those things about downtown that is decentralized. I'm still hoping for an ice cream shop closer to Morgan Square.

It seems like the Main & Pine area (about 1 block in all directions) is becoming more of a secondary restaurant hub within downtown.

To back that up, I noticed the new shopping center between Kennedy and Pine adjacent to the new Arby's has a sign up that DD is coming soon. DD aka Dunkin' Donuts.

[Sparkleman]

Another note on the Baskin Robbins/ Pizza Place/ Fords Drugs, this strip mall is going to be torn down in the spring and moved up closer to the corner of Pine and Main. It is being done to update the look of the shops and I'm sure the new rent will show that. However, is there a place in the "SC" that sees more daily traffic?

[Spartan]

We have more information on the Eastern Gateway project somewhere around here. I'll post a link here when I find it. I think that as far as daily traffic is concerned, North Pine, Blackstock, Ezell/Hwy 29, and riedville Rd all see more traffic. I don't have numbers to back that up on hand, but I've seen the counts before.

[breed]

We have more information on the Eastern Gateway project somewhere around here. I'll post a link here when I find it. I think that as far as daily traffic is concerned, North Pine, Blackstock, Ezell/Hwy 29, and riedville Rd all see more traffic. I don't have numbers to back that up on hand, but I've seen the counts before.

Here are some numbers... they are all very close...

Pine @ Daniel Morgan (north of Main) 35.1k

Pine @ Henry (south of Main) 26.9k

So somewhere between the two, I would guess towards the higher end. I think an argument can be made for it having the highest... and if it doesn't, it is within a stone's throw.

Other traffic counts...

WO Ezell @ Powell Mill: 27.7k

WO Ezell @ Blackstock: 32.5k

St. John @ Daniel Morgan: 19k

Asheville Hwy, north of I-85: 24.4k

Hwy 9 @ Old Furnace: 24.6k

Chesnee Hwy, north of I-85: 18.6k

Reidville @ Camelot: 29.5k

[Sparkleman]

While technically not in the city, there is a place out on 295 (Southport Rd) that is called The Southport Bar & Grill. It has been around about 15 years but in the last 2-3 years moved into a newer, bigger, and nicer building. They have what is currently the #1 burger in town in my book. This thing surpasses anything that the Beacon, the Spice, or Ikes can dish up. While there try the onion rings ashey are light as a feather and tasty as heck. Oh and if you're not working, you can also grab as icey grog.

[Spartan]

Blasphemy!

Where is this so-called "#1 burger joint" located on 295?

[Sparkleman]

Its funny that this place is located a mile from where I work, but until last month I had never been there. However due to the power of advertising (the Herald ran a review on the place in the Escape section about 6 weeks ago), we decided to give it a shot 1 day. That was all it took to blow off Ikes forever. We had already stopped going for hot dogs as Holmes in Arcadia blows Ikes away on that count.

[hub-city]

Not trying to be too picky Sparkleman, but being 1 mile from where you work doen's help me that much in the diredtion area since I don't know where you work........... Any more clues to this restaurant's location? I love a good burger, and a good scavenger hunt, but gas is just too much to travel the whole road looking.

[hub-city]

I saw somewhere in the Greenville thread some new concepts for McDonalds. It looks like this is what is being built a the new McDonalds on Heron Circle. They tore the old one down and the new one looks to be huge. Even though we're talking about McDonalds, it is great to see something new coming to that area. It could all use some spicing up.

This isn't the thread but since I'm speaking of Heron Circle, it looks like the traffic on Bus. 85 has really picked up the last few months, especially during the commute times. I wish we could really do more to that whole stretch that we call Veteran's Parkway. It could be something special.

Edited March 7, 2008 by hub-city

[Spartan]

^what would you suggest we do with business 85?

The new McDonalds that I've seen are similar but with one large arch over the front, or two arches on the side, each of which favor some much older McDonalds concepts.

[Sparkleman]

Not trying to be too picky Sparkleman, but being 1 mile from where you work doen's help me that much in the diredtion area since I don't know where you work........... Any more clues to this restaurant's location? I love a good burger, and a good scavenger hunt, but gas is just too much to travel the whole road looking.

They are at 629 Southport Rd and as you get off Hwy 221 at Hwy 295 head to the right for 1/4 mile and they are on the right.

[Sparkleman]

Below is a copy of an email that I received today about a new lunch place here in town. The location is about 2 house down from Stone Lighting on Oakland Avenue. I have a copy of the menu is a Word doc and can either post it or I'll pm it to you.

This message goes out to all my friends in the semi-corporate world of Spartanburg. As you may know, I cook at a little place called the Oakland House. We have only been open about 6 weeks, and have done no advertising. We have finally, after 19 tries, gotten the menu where we like it. SO here!! I'm sending this to ya'll so you can do what must be done to get your coworkers to eat with us.

We are open Tues-Fri lunch, from 11-2pm. I make almost everything we serve, including fresh focaccia bread, EVERYDAY. Our specials vary, depending on what Ms. Katie (the owner, my boss and sous chef) and I feel like making. We try to stay seasonal and use local goods when possible. Feel free to call in the morning to ask about that day's special, and if there is anything in particular you would like us to make, give us a few days notice, and we'd be happy to put our own spin on it!

Let me know if you have any questions. Again, this is my first attempt at advertising. Word of mouth is always the best. I'm probably going to post a bulletin on Myspace sometime, so if you see any of this in repeat, that's why.

So, please, print this menu, hang it where people can see it, or email it around. I'd greatly appreciate it!!!

[Spartan]

So where is this located?

[Sparkleman]

Take a right off Main St by Venus Pie and its about an 1/8 of a mile on the left on Oakland.

[hub-city]

sounds cool, can you post a couple of items that might be interesting? I might have to give it a try.

PS. Stone lighting has some great stuff.

Edited March 11, 2008 by hub-city

[Sparkleman]

Specialty Sandwiches

The Cuban

The Tuscan

The Parisian

The Hawaiian

The Monterrey

Chicken Breast Sandwich

Salads

Chicken Caesar Salad

Napa Valley Chicken Salad

Salad Trio

Sandwiches

Ham and Cheese

Curried Turkey Salad

Oakland House Chicken Salad

Herbed Tuna Salad

Turkey Club

Soup and Half Sandwich

Soup of the Day

Blue Plate Specials

Change it up with something different

Edited March 23, 2008 by Spartan
Cleanup was needed.

[spartanburgh]

This is good news to have another good choice to eat. I have also heard some bad news. Wild Wings will close in Downtown Spartanburg within 2 weeks. The work is that the owner who also owns the location in Myrtle Beach has already closed that store. I'm hearing that the restaraunt will reopen with no franchise agreement and a new name as the owners apparently haven't been paying their franchise fees.

[hub-city]

WOW, how can they not pay their fees? I would assume that the menue would have to change significantly not to be associated with WW. This is crazy!!!