Tandem: Order at the Bus, Eat Wherever You Want.

 

Tandem Occupies a Prominent Place in Downtown TR. Note the VW Bus at the right side of the picture.

There are ideas that seem good at the time of their conception, such as, “Let’s find a cure for cancer”, and there are ideas that, on their face, seem looney, like, "Let’s open a crepe shop in the tiny burg of Travelers Rest, SC." (Called TR by the locals.)

But while we still haven’t found a cure for cancer, the Tandem idea has worked out quite well. Travelers Rest is quickly changing from a small burg to a destination; one of the most popular places to move to in the US.

Just about any morning around 8 AM, you will find a line forming at the yellow VW bus outside the building where people order Key Lime, Cinnamon. or Sausage and potato crepes, as well as several seasonal offerings with a full line of coffees and other drinks.

There are three seating arrangements: On a nice fall day you can sit outside at picnic tables, If the southern sun is just a little intense, you can dine on a covered porch. The most popular destination this time of year is the air condition dining room where you get to watch a barista that would scare the crap out of Starbucks.

The Line forms early at the yellow bus.

The staff is always friendly and accommodating.

On this occasion I had the Cinnamon bun crepe, a delicate wrapping of cinnamon, butter, sugar, and icing. My wife went for the Key Lime crepe; A monster of a meal with a key lime filling topped with whipped cream. Probably due to the local heat wave, cold water was provided, though not ordered, to accompany our coffees.

The Cinnamon Crepe with Cappuccino ($9.25)

T

Key Lime. My Wife's Favorite ($6.00)

Tandem has become a regular breakfast stop for my Wife and I and judging by the line outside the bus every morning, many other people, too.

   

  

Monkey Wrench Smoke House: It's About the Meat

             

Legacy: Monkey Wrench resides in a building that once held the

 iconic Martha's Hardware Store.

         I’ve been wanting to visit this place despite its rumored pricey menu since it opened in 2018. Due to some internet comments about the service when it first opened, I decided to let things settle down a bit.

        The first thing I noticed was that it was dark inside, which made me wonder if my old eyes would be able to discern the menu. The décor is standard BBQ joint with exposed rafters and rustic pine furniture. For decades the building housed a hardware store that was a local landmark, hence the name.

        They have a lunch menu that offers a chopped sandwich and a drink for eight bucks, which we both went for. They offer four sauces: Kansas City, mustard, Lexington, and a Carolina favorite, Cheerwine sauce. (If you lived here, you’d know). There were no noticeable pigs in the place, but they did have a huge mural of a bovine skull which it seems would be more at home in Colorado than Carolina

A lotta bull: There were no visible pigs inside but the 

wall is decorated with this huge mural. 

The sandwich was served on a substantial bun almost guaranteed to hold up under heavy saucing, if that's your thing. The fries looked to be hand cut and were cooked pleasantly well done. The pork, while juicy and flavorful, had barely a hint of smoke. It could have been cooked in a crock pot for all I know.

       We decided the lunch special was only about a dollar more what we pay at one of our favorite places down the street. Is it enough to bring us back? Maybe for the Brisket.

           

Lunch Special  Eight bucks gets you a sandwich and fries with a drink.

🐷🐷🐷

Death by Nachos

Chicora Alley has been a downtown Greenville, SC destination for years, so when they opened a place in the nascent foodie haven of Travelers Rest, I had to give them a try. They occupy a building that was once the city firehouse, ergo the name “Firehouse" on the store front.

It is nice to walk into a place and see the wait staff smiling when they don’t have to. A large U-shaped bar commands the main room. We were ushered into the long narrow side room which once housed the fire trucks.

I opted for the barbecue nachos (12) and my partner went with the fish and chips special (14) I also ordered a Highland Brewing Company Oatmeal Porter from nearby Asheville (4).

After about an average wait, the server arrived with a mountain of nachos so large that I almost looked for the busts of dead presidents carved into the side. When she saw the look on my face she said, “With nachos we don’t play.”

"With nachos we don't play."

They had thoughtfully provided two plates so I could share. There was no barbecue on the chips, meat was extra.  Instead they were covered in a nice fresh pico along with black beans and corn, meximelt cheese and barbecue sauce, which added a slightly odd, but not totally off-putting twist. Another waiter stopped by and joked that if I finished the plate, I would get a free T-shirt.

My partner raved over the fish and chips (she’s still talking about them a week later) and offered me a sample. The cod was tender and flaky, and the beer batter was well balanced.

The Fish 'n Chips special

Imaginary or not, a T-shirt was not in the offing due to a bit of bad planning on my part; I had already consumed over half a tray of the chips they had served as an appetizer, so after a heroic effort I had to reluctantly push the plate away. They asked if I wanted a carry out box, but I demurred. Nobody likes soggy nachos. Next time I’m going for the Jerk Shrimp.

Rating: 🐷🐷🐷🐷