Once a quick pit stop on the way to Asheville, Travelers Rest is now a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and cyclists looking to cruise on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. This grownup college town located just outside of Greenville is home to Furman University and has undergone several changes in the last 15 years like many other towns in the Carolinas. When in “TR,” there’s a variety of dining destinations worth checking out, whether the occasion is calling for a classic coffee shop, easy going local hangout or elevated gastropub. When in the Greenville area, don’t just travel through Travelers Rest — stop by one of these 10 destinations.
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10 Must-Try Bars and Restaurants in Travelers Rest, South Carolina
Top recommendations for Travelers Rest

Chicora Alley Fire House Travelers Rest
This Caribbean fusion restaurant specializes in plates like the Jamaican Me Hungry chicken sandwich, which comes fully loaded with jerk chicken, bacon, cheese, and plantains. The Travelers Rest location is housed in an old firehouse and often hosts live bands playing anything from Caribbean reggae to Southern jazz.
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Tandem Creperie and Coffeehouse
Coffee lovers have found a home at Tandem, where they brew Counter Culture coffee and serve all the caffeinated drinks Millennials love — think honey lavender lattes and housemade spiced chai. As the namesake suggests, Tandem is also a place to find savory and sweet crepes made using white, wheat, cornmeal or almond batter. Many of the sweet options are riffs on classic desserts like tiramisu and pumpkin pie.
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Swamp Rabbit Brewery & Taproom
Located just a hop, skip and a jump from the Swamp Rabbit Trail, this brewery has a little bit of everything, from Belgian-style white ales to German marzens and pilsners. Patrons can snack on bites from food trucks like Mo & Joe’s BBQ and Hip Burger in between sips of craft beer.
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Topsoil Kitchen & Market
The space that used to house the Café at Williams Hardware, which closed about a year ago, now belongs to a new vegetable-heavy restaurant. Look for shareable dishes like radishes with chimichurri butter and charred carrots along with mains like quail with local mushrooms.
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Monkey Wrench Smokehouse
Stop by this quintessential smokehouse for all things barbecue. Start with smoked hash queso dip, which features a variety of house-smoke meats, before diving into a tray of sliced brisket or dry rubbed ribs.
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Sidewall Pizza Company
Sidewall Pizza now has six locations, but the original is housed in a former tire shop on TR’s Main Street. Find thin crust pies like the basil pesto Greenville Goddess along with a new flavor of housemade ice cream each day.
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Whistle Stop at The American Cafe
Whistle Stop at the American Cafe is filled with diner vibes with dishes like fried pickles and hamburger steak with homemade gravy. There’s something for everyone at this family-owned establishment that has been around since 1945.
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The Tasting Room of Travelers Rest
Just behind Farmhouse Tacos find The Tasting Room, a casual wine bar where guests can order by the glass or take a bottle to go. This establishment, which also offers craft beers on tap, celebrates the finer things in an approachable and reasonably priced manner.
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Farmhouse Tacos
Farmhouse could be classified as a craft taco joint, and the options run the gamut, from chili-rubbed tuna to fried avocado with cilantro pesto or charred pepper steak with blue cheese crumbles. There’s also nachos, queso and a loaded burrito bowl.
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Hare & Field
Go to Hare & Field for refined bar food and fancy burgers like the Southern Gentlemen, which is topped with bacon, smoked barbecue sauce, and pimento cheese. Stop by for weekend brunch when the eatery offers biscuits, grit bowls and bottomless mimosas.
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