Outdoor Dining Across Spartanburg County

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Spartanburg’s food scene is full of authenticity, excitement, and innovation. And at several restaurants, the views aren’t bad either.

Next time you’re going to lunch or dinner, consider these options for outdoor dining around Spartanburg County for a meal in the open-air.

Heirloom: A Milltown Eatery

Heirloom’s patio area is so large it’s actually two spaces. One area features a shaded are with ceiling fans to keep diners cool, the other is an open-air area, featuring comfy, cushioned seats around a gorgeous, modern fire pit.

The food is great, too, with a menu full of traditional Southern food featuring local ingredients and modern techniques. Spartanburg County farmers’ work is proudly featured on the Heirloom menu, which is inspired by mill town families gathering around the table at the end of each day. The restaurant’s mill ties run deep, as it sits in the former Spartan Mills headquarters building.

Start out with the house pickle plate before moving on to some buttery cornbread or the biscuits and jam. Small plate options feature mix-and-match selections including the Hoppin’ John Hushpuppies, the Southern favorite pimento cheese, Brussels sprouts, seasonal veggies, Roots to Tips Pasta and much, much more.

Bar 1884

Atop Bar 1884’s Magnolia Street restaurant is a swanky outdoor dining area that gives you an elevated look at Downtown Spartanburg.

Opened by the owner of Miyako Sushi Group, Bar 1884 focuses less on Asian-style cuisine and more on classics and inventive dishes served along side specialty cocktails and an extensive list of beer and wine.

Appetizers like the fried green tomatoes, spinach-bacon dip and Blackened tuna nachos are joined by an enticing entrée list including an array of burgers, duck breast with mushroom sauce and sweet-chili barbecue salmon.

Stone Soup Market & Cafe

In the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Landrum’s Stone Soup Market & Café offers made-from-scratch dishes and a market stocked with local and imported specialty products to help your next homecooked meal get to the next level.

Outside the café is a small seating area that will make you think you’re dining on your own back porch as you chow down on options like Florentine eggs Benedict, omelets, hearty casseroles and delicious takes on pasta dishes like wild mushroom lasagna.

Stone Soup is also home to an array of vegetarian and vegan options, and a dog park behind the restaurant open seven days a week at no charge.

FR8yard

While FR8yard may not have a traditional outdoor dining setup like you’re used to at restaurants, there are few better spaces in Spartanburg to spend a few hours outside with some food and few drinks than FR8yard.

The outdoor biergarten, built from repurposed shipping containers, offers live music and a jumbotron used for sports and movies, depending on the night. Food at FR8yard includes street food favorites like upscale version of hotdogs, chili, and chicken on a stick, with a variety of delicious seasonings and sauces.

Dray Bar + Grill

Inside the historic Drayton Mills complex that has been revitalized in recent years sits Dray Bar + Grill. What started as a pop-up restaurant in partnership with neighboring Holliday Brewing has grown into a welcoming space of Dray’s own.

Gastropub-inspired takes on popular favorites and Southern classics can be found at Dray, all served indoors and at a comfortable outdoor patio area with traditional table-and-chair seating, along with lounge seating around heaters and a fire pit for those chillier nights.

Dray Bar + Grill prides itself in innovative comfort food and craft cocktails, but the welcoming environment has definitely played a role in the growth of this Spartanburg gem.

Rottie’s 221 Biergarten

A new addition to the charming downtown area of Woodruff, Rottie’s Biergarten offers an extensive list of beers on tap and newly-finished outdoor seating.

The menu at Rottie’s features hot dogs, German bratwurst, a New Orleans-style Muffuletta sandwich, a Philly cheesesteak, and jumbo orders of wings available with your choice of sauces or dry rubs.

Main Street-Morgan Square in Downtown Spartanburg

To give Downtown Spartanburg restaurants the ability to serve more customers, the City expanded outdoor dining by pedestrianizing a portion of Main Street near Morgan Square, allowing restaurants to set up tables and umbrellas for diners in the heart of the Hub City.

Restaurants along this stretch of Main Street include: