The Greenville, SC “grapevine telegraph” has been strong for a while now with excitement about The Village of West Greenville. Forbes tagged The Village as a “Neighborhood to Watch” two years ago in a 2021 travel article. You’d think the neighborhood would be on everyone’s radar after that, but COVID.
“For the first half of the 20th century, West Greenville (which now encompasses both the historic West End and the Village of West Greenville) served as the commercial hub for the region’s textile industry, with Brandon Mill and Woodside Mill (once the largest cotton mill under one roof in the world).
“The Village of West Greenville [now] boasts some of the city’s hippest restaurants, as well as 60+ art galleries, studios, specialty shops and services, and the Greenville Center for the Creative Arts, an anchor for Greenville’s visual arts community.” ~ visitgreenville.com
After listening to praise after praise, it was the time to go on an discovery adventure with my pal and fellow foodophile, Barrie. If you know either of us, you won’t be surprised that we chose to start at a bakery.
The Village of West Greenville is easily walkable. Park once and done. We began on historic Pendleton St and worked our way over to historic, Poe West. Poe West defines itself as:
“For the chance-takers and creators, the hard-workers and entrepreneurs, from food and fare to design and dreams. This is your basecamp.” ~ poewest.com
Click for full-size printable Map
Or, if you want to see The Village of West Greenville Dining options on a live, interactive Google Map, follow this link: Interactive Google Map of The Village of West Greenville by Carolina Epicurean.
Rise Bakery
Rise is where I’d buy fresh-baked bread. Their Cranberry Walnut & Herb Comte loaves look absolutely amazing. They’re available as one of their seasonal Saturday features through December 30th.
Espresso drinks are available (saw the machine), and they do sell pastries, but there isn’t much seating for lingering with a friend or spreading work out when you consider 8 seats at a narrow counter. Not bad for a shorter stay, though.
We left with two pastries in a bag to take home: a Morning Bun for Barrie and a Chocolate Croissant for me. Both were tasty and held up well to the wait.
From Rise, we stepped literally next door to The Village Grind.
The Village Grind
What a great spot. Spacious, but still cozy, plenty of seating (some cushioned), lots of live plants, and that wall of mirrors! There’s also a good-sized covered patio out front. There’s definitely energy and a hip vibe going on here.
Did my standard Latte test, which they passed with flying colors. Delicious! Both pastries were good, if you look at them as something to go along with your coffee. Not sure if they make their own pastries? One review said they don’t. Forgot to ask when we were there, so tried contacting them afterwards, but no joy.
Poe West
“Poe West is an approximately five-acre property located at 556 Perry Avenue in the West Village of Greenville, one street over from historic Pendleton Street. The property has multiple structures including historically significant 1946 warehouses and a circa-1961one-story office building.
Poe West was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a good and intact example of a Mid-century Modern style, specifically in the International style, and for its association with the Poe Hardware Company.” ~ poewest.com
One especially cool thing to note about Poe West is that the Greenville Tech’s Truist Culinary & Hospitality Innovation Center is also a Poe West tenant. They cover all the bases with a variety of classes, including a two week, half day in-depth Server Training Lab. Follow the Training Lab link and check out the Course Outline toward the bottom of the page.
Our first of three stops in Poe West was Six and Twenty Distillery.
Six and Twenty Distillery
Six and Twenty Distillery was our Spirits Sponsor for the Greenville Small Plate Crawl back in the day. Participating bartenders competed for the win, creating a new cocktail using Six and Twenty spirits. Husk Charleston’s head bartender was our judge. Good memories, eh Nichole?
Back then, Six and Twenty was pretty much just a production facility in a totally different location. This Poe West location is sweet! Table, bar, and loungy seating, most with a view of the tank room action.
We left with two bottles each. I picked up a bottle of Carolina Cream and one of Double Made Gin. That Carolina Cream, though. They call it liquid dessert. I’m of the same opinion! Barrie’s husband’s a happy camper since she brought home a bottle of their 5-Grain Bourbon Whiskey (Special Release) Cask Strength, along with a bottle of Carolina Cream.
After spending some time at Six and Twenty Distillery, we worked our way down the row of shops in the Poe West buildings. Next stop, Unlocked Coffee Roasters.
Unlocked Coffee Roasters
What a discovery – for me anyway. I’m sure there are plenty of people in the Greenville area that know about Unlocked Coffee Roasters. Loved both, yes both, espresso drinks I had. First I ordered a Cappuccino, the only drink I planned on. Then another patron named Luke insisted that I HAD to try their Chocolate Espresso – and proceeded to buy one for me. Thank you Luke! Deliciousness I wouldn’t have known about otherwise.
Next, and last, Poe West stop was LaRue Fine Chocolate.
LaRue Fine Chocolate
Ever been to a chocolate shop that sported a full bar? Neither of us had, that’s for sure. I’ll just refer to it as a boozy chocolate shop! Most of the chocolates in the case were boozy, but I was able to find a couple that weren’t. Wanted to try a non-alcohol piece so I could get a better sense of the chocolate itself.
It’s a cute space that would be a perfect spot for meeting up with friends for a snack, drink, and chocolate. There do have desserts other than chocolate on their menu. This day there was a variety of interesting ice cream flavors, cheesecake, and sweet potato pie.
“So much more than just a chocolate shop. We offer craft cocktails, a hand selected wine list, a small (but pretty great) beer selection, small plates and sandwiches, charcuterie, house made ice cream, and other desserts. And of course our lovingly hand crafted chocolate truffles!”
The Anchorage
We were in the Village during the afternoon. The Anchorage only opens during dinner hours. I’m planning a trip back for dinner. Fingers crossed all the rave reviews are right. If you’ve been, please let me know your thoughts.
The Rabbit Hole
Another evening only spot I’ll be checking out asap. Ambiance, tapas & drinks all look amazing! Browse their Instagram Feed.
