New in and around Greenville, NC
There have been a few new places opening up lately. We've tried Marabella Old World Pizza a couple of times, and it's quite nice. This is in the former location of Big Apple Pizza, which I was sad to see go, but at least this provides some karmic balance. I've tried a couple of the European style pizzas, and they were good. My favorite so far has been the Mondello, which has fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, and arugula on it.
However, you *have* to try the sausage roll. Secret best menu item, I guarantee. The garlic knots are really good, as well.
Also, there's apparently a new Middle Eastern place in the old Andy's on Cotanche, and a bbq rib joint has gone into the former location of the execrable Bar-B-Cutie. Has anyone tried these?
I can't remember if I've recommended this place or not, but Carol's in Robersonville has been open for about a year and has really excellent soul food/country cooking and good barbecue. It's worth a drive out of town, but they're not open on Monday or Tuesday.
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Just tried the new Vietnamese place, EC Pho, in the Kmart shopping center. Unfortunately, I can't say anything good about it. The pho itself was lackluster -- flavorless broth, stringy meat, and a real lack of garnishes. The portion of noodles was a little stingy, too. I ended up ordering a house special fried rice, too, and it was pretty flavorless. Server was sweet, but clueless -- I was there with a vegetarian friend (bad idea, I know, but she was up for it) and the server mixed up the spring rolls and gave her the meat versions, which she didn't realize until she'd eaten half of one. Oh well. I really wish this place were better.
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re: Naco
Naco
Sep 29, 2012 04:35 AM
I tried EC Pho and found it to be quite okay. The pho was not bad at all, the spring rolls were good, and the banh mi, which is about the best thing I've had, was nice. None of this is life changing stuff, but if you are living in Greenville you know all about lives of quiet desperation already. All else being equal I'd go to Sakura, but EC Pho fills a niche for me as it is a lot closer to the house than Sakura or any of the acceptable Thai places in town. I can't think of much or anything that's better than that banh mi within a 5 minute drive of my house.
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Some news around town:
Again on Skyy Bar, haven't gone but have heard their chicken and waffles are delicious. Hours and place has been kind of sketch, it's a weird location off 10th st.
The Quarry just opened in downtown and features gourmet pizza. There's a new Mellow Mushroom by the mall now as well, just ate their the other day. It was alright, I just came back from Charleston and had amazing pizza at EVO there though, so it might be better than I thought.
A HuHot opened on Greenville Blvd. For those who aren't familiar with it, it's a midwest Mongolian grill chain. Definitely a meh, Mongolian Empire is better in my opinion if you are into that.
Out between the local yogurt and starbucks, in the Food Lion area on Arlington near Statonsburg is a new Indian restaurant. Have not tried, but nice to have more ethnic options.
The Umbrella Market in downtown just started up again, Wednesday's 5-8. I'll be making a blog post soon on it, but there's some nice new vendors there including a local cupcake baker doing some amazing things like a bourbon cake with mint julep icing. There's also two bakers, one from Bath and one from Grimesland selling artisan bread and pastries. Picked up a delicious challah. Spring just kicking in, so produce is just modest for the moment.
Best news of all is that Chef and the Farmer has reopened! Looking forward to seeing them this summer.
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Anybody heard any news from Chef and the Farmer? That fire was a major bummer. Here's hoping they get their business up and running again soon. Good luck, folks.
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re: kagi
Their facebook page says they are looking to reopen at the end of this week hopefully. It was a really tragic fire, but I think they'll be back and in full force soon. In the meantime, I think Cafe Duo's reopened in Greenville with its new location on Red Banks. Hoping to check it out soon.
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Just tried a new place called Pop's across from the Sheetz tenth st. near ECU. The guys at Finneli's decided to open a burger joint using local beef from Ayden. Diner-like place serving good, simple burgers with slaw, chili and the works along with shoe-string fries kind of like McDonalds, but crispier. Open late till 1 AM. The burger was really juicy and a good size, way better cooked then any fast food place in town, five guys included for anyone looking for the comparison. I'm pretty happy with this place, affordable fast non-chain local angus burgers is something Greenville needed badly, definitely worth a lunch stop.
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re: ForagingFoodie
I tried Pop's; I gotta disagree with you. I thought the burgers were WAY overcooked -- dry, pucklike -- , the buns were cheap, the slaw and chili toppings pretty flavorless. Not even remotely close to Five Guys. Decent fries, but nothing special. Maybe I went on a bad night, but I can't say I was impressed.
So, I think this calls for a Best Burger in Greenville discussion. I'll go with Five Guys, but is there a better local option?
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re: kagi
Naco
Feb 17, 2012 09:41 AM
Greenville wants for really good options here, I think. Basil's has some interesting "infused" burgers which are just patties with various other things mixed in, but good. One of them that I had was quite good, but I forget the name of it. I want to say it had balsamic vinegar on it.
Andy's and Cubbies are alright for what they are trying to do. I know some folks that swear by Ernie's, but it's been so long for me that I can't say. I do really like Blackbeard's "Mess Burger" although that is not in town- but worth the drive, I would say.
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re: kagi
That's really disappointing! I actually have been there a few times since though and it has been a little uneven. The quality of the meat's definitely gone down a touch since their opening, but there have been times when it's still been like it was before, a solid fast food burger.
In local news though, a new place called Skyy Bar and Restaurant just opened, and they supposedly specialize in chicken and waffles in a variety of ways. I'm looking to get out there and try them sometime soon. Also, the most recent word on Chef and the Farmer is a mid-April opening.
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Hey -- anybody got anything new to add in and around Greenville, NC? My only "new" rec is Cafe Duo in Chocowinity (for some reason I never went, when they were on Memorial). Tasty Italian food -- mainly pasta, and mainly not red sauce. Very reasonably priced wine. Portions are kinda small, though. Anybody else tried anything new?
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re: kagi
Cafe Duo is opening a new Greenville branch late this year on Red Banks. Excited to have them back for an evening option.
The Scullery has been around for a few months now in the downtown. They serve french-press coffee, some decent, sometimes creative food options and mildly sinister grilled cheeses. Also some fun, homemade ice cream options, flavors change daily. A nice lunch location to throw in the mix.
So many frozen yogurt locations. So many. I think that's it unfortunately.
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re: ForagingFoodie
Good description of the Scullery -- they make the best coffee in town, IMO, and the homemade ice cream and lemonade-type drinks are great. The sandwiches I've had were just so-so.
I also hear that there's a new chef at Atlantic Grille and he's both better and more ambitious than the last one. Haven't tested that claim yet, though.
As for fro-yo: Local Yogurt is pretty good; Peppermints, not so much. I have been happy to see the Local Yogurt truck at a few events around town -- we could use more good food trucks 'round here.
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re: kagi
I haven't tried Atlantic Grille for dinner, but I enjoy their brunch on occasion. One of the better ones in town I think. Might have to go soon to check that out also.
On a bit of a lesser culinary note, there's also a pizzaria called Big Daddy's I've wanted to talk to about. I'm not thrilled about the name, but their pizza from my experience is crisp and flavorful, and had some good freshness to it. They've got some monstrous ones, or at least the one we order, which was enough to feed a crowd of people. I've had really watery, not so pleasant pizza from Marabella's the last couple of times, so Big Daddy's might be my new go-to if I can get pass the name.
And dropping back a bit, Sakura Asian Express seems to be adding more to the menu. They have a few special request dishes like a Miso Ramen and some other new additions in the past month that have been interesting. I also dipped into their fried curry potato ravioli the other week, which was a very nice bite.
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We are very happy with Anchalee Thai, former Saeng Thai, restaurant on Memorial. Food is as goo as what we had in Thailand if you order the right dishes and make sure that they understand that you want it "Thai Hot". Don't fall for the 1-5 pepper choice go for 15-20 if you want it authentic.
Crispy duck with basil is our favorite followed by the drunken noodles, whole chili fish, beef or shrimp salad although they are incredibly spicy so go 5 pepper for those. Sticky rice with yellow mango is delicious and my wife loves the coconut ice cream.
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Anchalee Thai Restaurant
3400 S Memorial Dr Ste 17, Greenville, NC 27834›5 Replies-
re: DaveN
Naco
May 8, 2011 03:42 PM
Are they consistent with the spiciness? While I liked Saeng Thai a lot, my problem with it and the other Thai places in town has been that, even if you order "Thai hot" or "double Thai hot" or what have you, they're all over the map in terms of how spicy and complex it is. I have been liking Sakura Asian Express a lot simply because they are consistent in how they spice the food; I always get what I order.
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Just tried the Atlantic Grill (new-ish, near the intersection of 5th and 10th) over the weekend. Verdict: decent. Similar to Starlight or Copper and Vine in both style and quality, though a little more on the traditional side (oversize pepper grinders, y'know). I had the special: a "cajun sirloin" with fried shrimp, sweet potatoes and haricots verts. The steak was just OK, a little tough, but at least they did a real medium rare. Salads and bread were skimpy (though the bread was pretty good for Greenville). Crème brûlée was good, but nothing special. The cocktail menu looked a little heavy on the sorority-girl flavored vodka drinks, but my companions enjoyed theirs; I didn't look at the wine; I will say that they made an excellent cup of coffee. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but since it's in my neighborhood, I'll definitely consider going back.
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Have you been to Copper and Vine downtown? Nice lunch and fun snacks at night, augmented by a few more substantial plates.
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re: veganhater
Finally made it to Copper and Vine for dinner. I can't say it blew me away, but anything new is welcome in Greenville. For starters, we had chevre-stuffed-and-chorizo-wrapped dates (excellent), crab dip (mayonnaisey, which I don't like, but the big chunks of crabmeat were delicious), and something like an Asian spring roll, but wrapped in steamed or parboiled collards (didn't quite work, but points for trying). For mains, we had lamb "lollipops" (pretty good) and duck breast (meh...kind of flavorless, but I did like the spicy sweet potatoes a lot). I'm no wine expert, but the list looked interesting to me, we liked both glasses we ordered, and I could definitely see myself coming in for a drink and a snack some time.
In another city I'd call this place Just OK, but in the context of Greenville I think it rises to Pretty Good. Similar in quality and focus to Starlight (but with more emphasis on small plates); not as good as Chef and the Farmer.
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The Middle Eastern place on Cotanche, Jericho's, was OK while it lasted -- but when I stopped by last week, they were no longer serving food (only hookahs!) and they told me they were shutting down entirely very soon. Has anybody tried Ali Baba, on Moye near the hospital?
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re: kagi
Naco
Jul 8, 2009 12:44 PM
I ate at Ali Baba once when it first opened. It was okay, nothing really special. This is that location's third incarnation as a Middle Eastern restaurant, and it's gotten worse every time. Version 1.0(the Olive Grove) was really great, but the chef burned out.
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re: Naco
Well, I went by Ali Baba today and found it was closed. So I tried Ernie's Subs, on the opposite corner of Memorial and Moye. It's a cool little building and looks like a great little local business...but the Italian sub I ordered really wasn't very good. Poor quality meat, poor quality bread. Bummer. Anyone know of a really good sandwich in this town?
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re: kagi
Naco
Sep 3, 2009 02:44 PM
Ernie's is not bad if you stick to burgers and the like. The subs just aren't good.
The Met used to be pretty good, but changed owners a few years ago and suffered for it. It's still probably one of your better options. There's also Mike's Deli down by campus, although I haven't eaten there in ages. A Tavola has some stuff that's okay, but they're a little inconsistent. I like their Cuban sandwich, but they tend to over sauce it.
If you like tortas, Supermercado El Rancho on Charles has a pretty big(and interesting) selection. You might also try Marabella Pizza- the folks that run it are bakers by trade, and the sausage rolls I've had from there have been good. I think they have some sandwiches on the menu, too. Sometimes they sell fresh bread for a couple of bucks a loaf, also.
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re: burgeoningfoodie
Naco
Jun 26, 2009 02:33 PM
CPWs is still in business. I find that they're very hit or miss- the regular menu is kind of weak, and sometimes the monthly special menus don't suit my tastes. IMO the special menu is the only way to go at CPWs, so it's really a matter of whether or not they've got something on there that you'd like.
As for other recs, do a search and you'll pull up a couple of recent threads.
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Naco
Jun 13, 2009 07:37 PM
I hit the new flea market on Greene St. again today to see what a weekend day looks like. This may be a place to watch in the future, as there were a few food finds there today.
The one I sampled was jerk chicken. There was a Jamaican guy with a charcoal grill set up on the outside wall of the building, facing the parking lot, doing jerk chicken. This was really good stuff; we could taste the spices for a while after eating(it was only mildly hot/spicy though), and the chicken was cooked perfectly. He charges $5 for a quarter plus two pieces of bread.
Inside, there was a stall advertising some Mexican foods- elotes, esquites, diablitos, and several others. I wasn't sure what all of them were, and the setup was a bit confusing, as there didn't seem to be a grill or food prep area in that stall. There was one lady who was making plates for people that appeared to consist of some sort of slaw(I'd guess it was curtido) piled on top of a large tortilla, topped with Valentina hot sauce. They were pretty busy and I had to get going, so I didn't get to give them the third degree like I wanted.
There was also a guy outside that I noticed as I left who was selling homemade pork rinds.
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re: Naco
To revive an old thread --
I finally went to the "indoor discount mall" on Greene St. today. There's now a lot going on there -- the Jerusalem Market has pretty extensive Middle Eastern and Indo-Pakistani groceries, including halal meat. They also have a restaurant with counter service and booths, serving shawarma, hummus, etc. I had a chicken tanab (sp?) wrap, and it was FABULOUS -- great spices, well cooked. I asked if they sold fresh pita to go -- one of the really maddening things I can't seem to find in Greenville -- and they said they were sold out, but in the morning they'd have it.
At the same counter with the Middle Eastern food, there's also Jamaican food on a steam tray -- goat, chicken and oxtail curry, rice & beans, etc. Looked and smelled good, but I didn't have any.
Finally, they have some Mexican groceries and make tacos too (along with hot dogs and hamburgers). They seem to be covering all the bases. Anyway, it was nice to be able to have a Jamaican ginger beer with my spicy chicken. I'd go back.
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re: kagi
Naco
Sep 27, 2010 06:51 AM
I've been meaning to get over there to try the Middle Eastern and Jamaican stuff. I noticed that they put up a sign for Jamaican food recently- previously there had a been a couple of different guys selling jerk chicken on Saturdays outside. One of them was excellent, the other was good, but not stellar. I didn't realize that they were doing Middle Eastern stuff the last time I was there until I'd already had jerk chicken outside.
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re: kagi
NY P8ntball
Jan 7, 2011 06:21 PM
Hey. Don't want to hijack but can u guys update this with must eats or point me to another thread? I keep finding stuff about the South Carolina Greenville. Gonna be there for a month starting in the next week or two and will need to know where to eat. Thanks in advance.
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re: kagi
Just thought I'd mention, since nobody else has, that the folks from Jerusalem Market have relocated to West 5th St., under the name "Munchy's." And they're only doing the Jamaican, though they've got a lot of Middle Eastern groceries. Same stuff: jerk chicken, curries and roti on the steam tray (pretty good) and frozen beef patties (which I kind of like, in a perverse, Hot Pockety kind of way). I wonder if they'd make some of their other recipes, if you asked.
Also noticed on West 5th, though I was there too late to check it out: the Gold Post Cafe, open for breakfast, lunch, and fish fry on Fridays. Looks intriguing!
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Naco
Mar 5, 2009 05:19 AM
We've tried Uncle Yammy's, the ribs/bbq place in the old Bar-B-Cutie. I had a bbq sandwich, and my wife had fried chicken. She liked her fried chicken and sides. The bbq was fairly bland, but the sauce is nice, and with some of that, you've got a pretty good sandwich.
Normally though, I'd say that there's no reason to come here over B's or Pete Jones, but Yammy's has beer. Good beer. I had an excellent tropical stout from Sri Lanka with my bbq, and it really made the meal for me, and I also can't think of another bbq joint that lets you do this. We'll be back.
