The Pickens Foodie “Off the Grid” Finds, Part II
I’m back again, y’all. 😊
The last time I was here, I shared with you some of my favorite spots in Pickens County. If you missed that one, you can check it out here.
Now that it’s Fall and football season, I thought I’d take you on a foodie trip to Tiger town. A lot of hungry fans venture to downtown Clemson or to neighboring cities Pendleton and Seneca for a bite to eat around game days. And while it may be easy to land at a national chain restaurant, there are some unique local spots where your spent dollars would go a long way to keeping family-owned businesses operating.
So, to make the “Where do you want to go?” question much easier to answer when you’re in Clemson territory, I’ve rounded up several of my favorites that are sure to become yours, too.
Writer + most images: Brooke Carman, The Pickens Foodie
But first coffee.
313 Cafe is the cutest coffee shop. I was in dire need of caffeine when they came through with this Honey Lavender latte (pictured here). If you’re a fan of Methodical Coffee, you’d be happy to know that 313 Cafe uses its magical beans in its shop. And, this is the best chocolate muffin I’ve ever gotten.
Such a chill aesthetic and killer drink specials to boot. This shop uses Taylors-based Junto Coffee for their coffee drinks and also carries freshly baked yummies from Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Martha’s Marvelous Munchies... all top-notch places.
“All In” has a wide assortment of coffee drinks including specialty lattes like Honey Lavender, White Chocolate Coconut and Chocolate Covered Strawberry Mocha, Cuban espresso and Vietnamese iced coffee. They also have some of the best desserts I’ve ever seen. 😍
I got the French Toast Bread Puddin complete with almond/vanilla syrup, fresh blueberries, bacon, and get this... butter pecan ice cream. 🥰
What an incredible presentation and it was just as delicious as it looks in this photo!!!
The beauty of Dimas Brothers is that you can order breakfast or lunch at any hour. If you want a burger at 7 am, you totally can. If you slept in until noon and crave French toast, you can have that too. Phenomenal all the way around!
I got the Bacon Mac & Cheeseburger with onion rings and baked beans. I could really taste the love in everything because it was all so delicious. The burger was nice & flavorful, the baked beans tasted homemade, and I don’t know what kind of magic the onion rings are battered with because they are so amazing!! 🤤
I got the Pipeline Burger: Grilled Ham, Pineapple, Swiss, and lettuce with a teriyaki glaze. I also got truffle fries as my side. PHENOMENAL!! All of it!!
I’ve been to Presst a few times because they are at the top of the game when it comes to quality and consistency. They make everything from scratch—bread, dressings, sides, soups, and cookies—and also they provide complimentary tea and lemonade with your meal.
Photo provided by Presst Food & Wine
It is a bit of a hole in the wall and has a limited menu but oh did it make me drool…. Bibimbap, Bulgogi, Indian Chickpea Curry, Massaman Curry, Pad Thai, Sweet Potato Glass Noodles…. 😍 Vegetarian and gluten-free friendly!
The cheese+sauce+crust combo on my Margherita pizza was insane. Absolutely delicious!! This pizza was made with so much love!! It didn’t need anything extra because it was perfect as is.
And at the end of a long day…
Keowee Brewing has an incredible beer range that they brew in-house and they are mighty tasty! Super chill environment. Their Southern Oasis, a cosmopolitan cranberry lime hard seltzer is my favorite!!
The banana pudding pound cake is to die for!! It tastes just like the classic southern dessert. This bakery serves pound cake by the slice and pound cake cupcakes in a variety of flavors. There are also gluten-free options as well.
About The Pickens Foodie:
Brooke Carman has been running The Pickens Foodie for nearly a year now, having turned a hobby into a huge passion project with a loyal following. Eating at local spots while exploring where she lives gives her that same sense of adventure that she’s been missing since her time in the U.S. Navy.