My wife and I made our fourth or fifth brunch trip to Southern Grown in Greer, SC. (If you're…read moredriving down Wade Hampton, pass the Home Depot and Lowe's, and get to the QT-Walgreens-Spinx-Taco Bell intersection, turn north and you're nearly there.)
The original location, further south behind the Hibachi Cafe, was "cozy" (real estate agent-speak for "small"), but this new venue is large, wide open, and has both a covered patio and outdoor seating.
Laminated menus are available at the door, but you'll need to walk toward the back, get in line, and order at the bar. The staff is pretty quick, and the menu is succinct enough that the line usually moves fast.
After ordering, you're given a coaster-pager and can find a picnic-table-like place to sit.
I usually get a burger, but this time I went with the Classic Chicken Sandwich, $12.50. It's a generous panko-encrusted breast with lettuce, tomato, and some fine dill pickles. Tender and juicy with a good crunch.
My wife got the Classic Burger, $15. This big ol' burger is a thick Angus patty with American AND mozzarella cheese and dill pickles. I got the really good, hand-cut, crispy fries; my wife opted for the house potato chips. Either side is a great choice, so we shared.
Our lunch guests shared their House Pretzel with us. Each comes with a side of beer cheese and maple dark mustard, $9. The pretzel alone is worth the ride out there. Warm and soft on the inside, with a hard--almost tough--authentic German-style crust. The two sauces are equally great, and both were also very good with my fries after we fought over the last bits of the pretzel.
Our two Diet Cokes were remarkably cheap for these days: $1.85 each.
I suddenly thought it was 1994 again!
JUST BECAUSE it was October, we got the pumpkin cheesecake. My wife made a very wise decision. It was more like a whipped pumpkin pie than a cheesecake in consistency, with an oat crust and a sprinkle of brown sugar and whipped cream on top. I could have eaten two more slices of this sweet, light dessert, but at $7 a slice, I held back.
With Greer's hospitality tax and SC sales tax, our bill came to $45.33.
We've only gone to the new location for after-church brunch, so I'm not sure if the menu changes radically from week to week. The menus have limited dates at the top, so I'm guessing there's some item rotation. I've heard the dinner menu includes a bratwurst, which I'd love to try.
Overall, it's an easy place to drop in and grab a higher-end sandwich.
Side note: Years ago, we tried the place when it was behind the Hibachi Cafe. The server was annoyed with me because I didn't understand a question, and that spoiled any thought of trying the place again. I recall a soup being rather nice, but I felt like I was a mere annoyance.
It's sad, but it doesn't take much to turn customers away.
I'm glad my wife wanted to try it again at this new location.
She is far wiser than I am