Restaurants in Clemson

The chefs at Harbor Inn Seafood cast a wide net across America’s vast waters, hauling up recipes for seafood standbys ranging from river-dwelling catfish to Atlantic denizens such as scallops and crab. Undersea eats arrive fried and boiled, taking their place at the table with terrestrial delicacies including juicy cuts of prime rib and filet mignon.

A restaurant with two faces, Corporate Deli and Yia Yia's "at night" aim to sate cravings for Greek flavors at lunch, dinner, and catered events. Deli pros construct 11 specialty sandwiches to anchor lunchtime meals and whip up beef tenderloin hoagies, quesadillas, and melts. Catering brings the in-house recipes to work, weddings, proms, and special occasions, where skilled staff members set up mobile meals. At night, the staff wraps the building in a cocoon of pita to transform it into Yia Yia's, a Greek restaurant that battles hunger with the assistance of succulent kebabs and traditional family recipes made from scratch.

An armory of hookahs launches cool streams of smoke, which meander out onto America's Pub & Grub's open patio. Waitresses tote plates that hint at the comfort-fare traditions of Cajun and European cuisines with fried catfish, shepherd's pie, and other warming creations. Lights dance across the black-granite bar, where cocktails and draught beers mingle with happy chatter or woes about the tin-can-phone industry. Live acoustic tunes occupy the eatery's airwaves on some evenings, and guests croon their favorite tunes during karaoke gatherings.

Athens native Emily Ullrich began cultivating a fervor for food at an early age, spending her youth cooking southern-style dishes under the guidance of her grandmother. At age 16, Emily took a job at the local Hawthorne Drugs’s soda fountain, working there intermittently before taking charge and transforming it into a full-service restaurant 12 years later. Visitors to the drugstore can meander into the restaurant’s intimate dining room, where apple-green and azure walls and antiques create a welcoming household kitchen atmosphere. The eatery’s menu of classic and specialty sandwiches placed it among the top local restaurants at Taste of Athens 2012, and its signature Brunswick stew landed it in the list of finalists for the Flavor of Georgia 2012. If the scent of baking cheesy biscuits and roasting authentic Cuban sandwiches don’t inspire nostrils to belt out the chorus of Yankee Doodle, the dexterous chef welcomes guests to suggest their own creations from kitchen ingredients.

The Deli at Pelham Falls enlivens mealtimes with mouthwatering breakfasts, hearty sandwiches, and fresh, wholesome salads. Like the nearby wormhole to Manhattan, the deli's menu of tangy Reubens, pastrami on rye, and roast-beef clubs brings an authentic piece of New York City to the local area. Morning feasts of french toast or three-egg omelets greet the day with melty cheese and creamy pats of butter. Along with grilling juicy burgers and amply stuffed sandwiches, the Deli at Pelham Falls equips corporate lunches and gatherings with catered Boar's Head lunches, savory breakfasts, or meaty deli buffet platters.

Weaver D's Delicious Fine Foods’ owner and founder, Dexter Weaver, has built a business around his company slogan, "automatic for the people," which also inspired R.E.M.'s 1992 hit album by the same name. A Los Angeles Times article reveals the story behind the words—each day within the neon-green building, Dexter and his staff dish out a mountain of fried chicken, pork-chop sandwiches, and squash casserole, all served "automatic with a smile." He even wrote a book, Automatic Y’all: Weaver D’s Guide to the Soul, which outlines his eatery's recipes, how they relate to life, and some of the best reasons to name a dog Okra.