Best Outdoor Dining Spots in Greenville, SC
Travel to the Blue Ridge Mountains and you'll discover that this stunning part of South Carolina is more dynamic than you ever imagined. From family friendly spots that bring together loved ones for fun and delicious food to parks that exhibit the beautiful South Carolina scenery, there is nothing this city doesn't have.
But one of the best parts of living in or visiting Greenville is the opportunities for outdoor dining. Check out this list of the best outdoor dining spots in Downtown Greenville and beyond, then tell us which one is your favorite place for fresh ingredients, fresh air, and a refreshing time with pals.
Best Rooftop Dining
Dinner with a view? Sign us up -- for a reservation at UP on the Roof, that is. This downtown Greenville hotspot offers rooftop dining paired with a menu bursting with excellent food and craft cocktails. The lineup changes seasonally, with mouthwatering menu items like Local Mushroom Risotto, with truffle, parmesan, and a red wine reduction, sharing center stage with Southern-inspired options like a Jumbo Sea Scallops "Benedict" (prepare yourself for the irresistible combo of blue crab and bacon), and the Prime Rooftop Burger topped with pimento cheese and other delectable ingredients.
UP offers brunch, too, so you can sip on bottomless mimosas and munch on Beetroot Tartare and Moules Frites while looking out over the city.
Best Outdoor Brewery
Birds Fly South describes itself as "progressively old school urban farmhouse brewing." This passion project is run by a husband-and-wife team, Shawn and Lindsay Johnson, who have made a name for themselves through a menu of saisons, sours, and hoppy farmhouse beers made with Brettanomyces yeast.
The Johnsons also have an impressive barrel-aging program and popular brews like lager and IPA available to the masses. Customers have the option to sit inside the spacious tasting room, which was once a wool mill, or they can sit outside in the BFS beer garden where picnic tables and trees provide plenty of seating and shade. Good thing since both pets and kiddos are welcome to join in on the fun.
Go around the corner from the main tasting room, referred to as Hampton Station, and you'll find The Aviary. This is BFS's back bar, where they host live bands and showcase special projects like brew collaborations and vintage bottles they've managed to snag from secret sources.
While Birds Fly South doesn't have its own kitchen, they do offer some snacks that match up perfectly with their beer menu, and White Duck Taco is right next door. There's also several trucks that roll through on the regular, keeping beer fans satisfied as they enjoy fresh air, fine brews, and lots of good eats.
Pro tip: Hampton Station is also home to Craft Axe Throwing and The Flow Depot, a yoga studio. It's entertainment, a workout, and refreshments all lumped together, so you can make a full day of it with ease.
Best Outdoor Spot for Fine Dining
Stately and steeped in tradition, Halls Chophouse's Greenville location is just what you expect from one of the country's top steakhouses and fine dining establishments. It's all about the USDA Prime beef, which comes directly from the famed Allen Brothers of Chicago, but the atmosphere also plays a huge role for the fine dining customers.
You can dine inside, where the floor-to-ceiling windows spill natural light onto the white linen-covered tables and the grand piano waits for its musician to strike up a tune. Or you may be one of the few lucky diners to win a spot outdoors, where you can toast a relationship milestone or enjoy date night, with the bridge and huge swaths of greenery as your backdrop.
It just feels right to snack on the signature Halls Seafood Tower, resplendent with oysters, shrimp, and chilled lobster tail, while enjoying fresh air and the sounds of Greenville as your fine dining soundtrack. There are chops galore -- veal, pork, and lamb -- as well as salads, sides (just say yes to the Sweet & Sour Collard Greens), and plenty of entrée-sized seafood options as well.
As the South Carolina sun dips behind the horizon, finish off your meal with something sweet, like their Southern Caramel Cake or a classic Warm Cookie Skillet topped with vanilla ice cream, and revel in the magic that's all around you.
Best Global Dining
Indoor meets outdoor, East meets West, Greek meets African -- it all comes together at The Lazy Goat, a Greenville restaurant influenced by Mediterranean cuisine and committed to scratch cooking galore. It is the perfect place to take your time and enjoy the Reedy River from your perch in the dining room, meet friends for small plates and specialty cocktails, or head outside for dinner on the outdoor patio.
Communal tables and an open kitchen add the energy that makes the dining experience shine, but it's the menu that keeps guests coming back time and time again. Tapas like Fried Goat Cheese with pistachio dust, pepper, and vanilla honey and Duck Confit Patatas Bravas are made to be nibbled on. For bigger appetites, there's entrées like a savory Ravioli do Pepe Piquillo overflowing with flavor thanks to ricotta, feta, piquillo peppers, Vidalia onions, English peas, and creamy green harissa -- it's Italian, it's Southern, it's just plain delicious. Or try Tavuk Shish, yogurt-marinated chicken with white bean salad and sumac onions, for an unexpected culinary experience you'll want to come back to time and time again.
There are even desserts, so you can linger on the patio with lemon poppy Loukomades and crafted cocktails and relax.
Best Unique Outdoor Dining
Is it a stadium? An industrial space turned rave spot? Someone's backyard that got a seriously big city upgrade? It's hard to put a label on what Gather GVL does, but one thing is for sure -- whatever you want to call it, it's really, really good.
Gather is not a restaurant but rather a gathering spot, just as the name suggests. It's designed to make the most of both indoor and outdoor areas. There's a large roof canopy that offers protection from the elements, so the local restaurants are open rain or shine, but there's also communal dining tables, picnic tables, and an umbrella-dotted green that provides a plethora of outdoor dining options for those who want to eat in the open air.
Unlike other outdoor dining options that have a single menu, Gather's visitors grab whatever strikes their fancy from the eateries housed inside Gather's main structure. Pale ales and stouts from Greenville Beer Exchange, fried chicken and fresh doughnuts from Hendough, mimosas and frosé from Juice Box Wine Bar, lobster rolls from the Lob Father, a flavorful Cuban sandwich from Myami Bites-- it's all possible when you stop by Gather. Perfect for families, a casual date night, or mid-morning catch up with friends, Gather is uniquely Greenville and well worth exploring.
Best Alfresco Casual Dining in Greenville
Discover what happens when French cookery collides with Southern hospitality when you stop by Passerelle Bistro. This charming spot is tucked into Greenville's Falls Park, nestled along the banks of the picturesque Reedy River. In fact, the restaurant's name means "footbridge," alluding to the nearby Liberty Bridge, creating a view that pairs perfectly with the bistro's cuisine.
Grab a table in the Passerelle's outdoor seating area and start your feast with small plates like Broiled Raclette and Mussels Passerelle with saffron, white wine, cream, tomato, and garlic. There are salads studded with goat cheese and draped in spring pea buttermilk dressing as well as French classics like Niçoise, with seared tuna, pickled haricots vert, and anchovy, and Duck Cassoulet.
Keep an eye out for special events at the bistro, including regular Tuesday night Mussels and Frites specials, or book in for a special occasion like an anniversary to enjoy a bit of romance and a selection for Passerelle's carefully curated wine list.
Best Food Hall
The Commons combines all the charm and utility of an indoor food hall with both indoor and outdoor seating to let hungry shoppers fill both their reusable grocery bags and their bellies. The space's founders wanted to create a place that was family friendly and welcomed pedestrians, hence the versatile design. Adding to vibe is the overall industrial feel of the building, which lends itself to relaxed shopping, casual dining, and lots of memory making.
Locals come to The Commons to fill up on craft beer from Community Tap, bread and pastries from SC Bake Room, and handheld Mexican delights from Automatic Taco. Apart from dining, they also stop by to check out custom denim from Billiam Jeans and to get their rides fixed at Greenville Bike & Tri Company.
The food hall's proximity to The Swampy Rabbit Trail, a popular spot for Greenville's nature enthusiasts, makes it easy to split an afternoon between outdoor pursuits and a spot of shopping and lunch back at the 12,000-square-foot Commons. Grab amazing food, then sit outside along the building's edge to enjoy your spoils and restore your energy before heading back out to enjoy the city.
Best Streetside Dining and Wine
Reid's Fine Foods is a mainstay in Greenville. Why? There are dozens of reasons this legendary spot, first established in 1928, is still so popular. Maybe it's all the prepared foods, gift baskets, and Southern gourmet specialties available for retail purchase so you can make a feast at home. Maybe it's the in-house menu that's filled with great spins on traditional dishes such as Nashville Hot Chicken, Burrata Bruschetta, and Deep River Salt & Vinegar Chips.
Or maybe it's the newer outdoor space, which allows guests the chance to dine amidst the city buzz. Little bistro-style tables ooze with charm, giving you an outdoor dining experience where you can sit, chat, and relax.
For more information on Reid's or what makes the Carolinas so special, check out our blog.