My Top Five Restaurants in GVL and TR

If there’s anything this blog writing thing has made me realize, it’s that I don’t take nearly enough pictures. Luckily, I don’t really need pictures I have taken myself to show y’all some of my favorite restaurants near Furman’s campus.

#5: Sidewall Pizza Company

Sidewall Pizza Company has multiple locations in the Greenville area, but the Travelers Rest location is always a popular spot for Furman students. The pizza is really good, but it is also very convenient. Also, there is a Furman student discount, which is a huge plus.

#4: Tommy’s Ham House

Tommy’s Ham House, located just down the road from campus, is not only my favorite breakfast restaurant in the area, but it is a favorite within the entire Furman community. Tommy Stevenson (pictured above), a Furman graduate, has owned and operated the restaurant for over thirty years. You really can’t go wrong by ordering anything on the menu, it’s all great! Stevenson hosts the Furman football team for breakfast on gamedays, and continues to support everyone in the Furman community. It is such a local staple that prominent politicians, including President Trump, have chosen to make campaign stops at the restaurant.

#3 Farmhouse Tacos

Farmhouse Tacos has locations in Greenville and Travelers Rest, but the TR location is quite a bit closer to campus. It”s easy to get to, the atmosphere is fun, and in my opinion, they have the best tacos near Furman. My personal favorite are the Buffalo Chicken and Chipotle BBQ Chicken tacos. The Farmhouse franchise has also opened up a pizza restaurant that I am looking forward to trying when we can return to campus.

#2 HipBurger

With all of the incredible restaurants in the Greenville area, I know it may seem crazy to put a food truck in my top two favorite. For those who have tried HipBurger, though, I think they would understand. The HipBurger is one of the best burgers I have ever had, and the fries are really good too. The limited menu also includes chicken sandwiches and chicken nuggets, but the burger is just hard to beat. They are also opening a full restaurant soon in Mauldin, just outside of Greenville. Until then, follow them on Instagram @eathipburger to keep up with the truck’s whereabouts.

#1 Henry’s Smokehouse

It’s cheap. It’s fast. And it is by far the best barbecue in the Greenville area. Henry’s Smokehouse became my favorite restaurant in the area pretty early on at Furman, but I don’t feel like enough Furman students are familiar with it. After all, though, barbecue is my favorite type of food, so I may be a little bias.

Honorable Mentions: Nose Dive, Biscuit Head, Elvino’s, Shortfield’s

You may be thinking this list is missing some obvious restaurants. I excluded places like Soby’s and Rick Erwin’s because, quite frankly, most college students don’t really eat there unless it’s parent’s weekend. So, these are my top five restaurants that are affordable and conveniently located for Furman students. If you haven’t eaten at some of these places, I encourage you to do so!

-Hill Douglas