Restaurants in Easley

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.

At Zarza Eclectic Cuisine, co-owner Jose Landa commits to “giving people an experience … Something that can't be found anywhere else in Spartanburg,” as he told GoUpstate.com in 2011. Under his supervision, nimble chefs do just that, melding culinary influences from South America, western Europe, and the Mediterranean into menus of pan-regional fusion cuisine. In addition to baking saffron-scented pans of paella, they also grill Argentinean chorizo and slow-cook legs of lamb in blackberry wine and herbs. An in-house Argentinean butcher personally fillets fish and carves steaks from grass-fed, Angus-certified beef.

Bordered by an exposed brick wall, the 120-seat dining room occasionally hosts live music performances, which can entertain diners as they try to differentiate their salad fork from their tuning fork.

Diners gather at Pier 221 Seafood Restaurant for an abundance of fresh seafood prepared in myriad ways. The broiler sizzles up everything from fork-tender salmon steaks and juicy scallops to 10-ounce cuts of rib eye served alongside a school of jumbo shrimp. Kids and adults talk across the table with mouths full of fried whole catfish, deviled crab, or the children’s menu’s chicken tenders. Fish platters appease ampler appetites with a cornucopia stuffed with flounder and crab meat, and hefty sandwiches and lunch dishes vanquish midday cravings like a fire hose extinguishing a single match.

Everyday Organic’s culinary wizards seek out chemical-, hormone-, and preservative-free ingredients from local farms to healthify mealtime with an organic menu that features light and fast eats alongside hearty sandwiches and salads. Starters encourage pre-entree nibbling on roasted-veggie dip, which perches atop pita wedges like a proud, amorphous bird of prey. Grilled, marinated tofu tumbles over tabbouleh salad, whereas provolone, muenster, and baby-swiss cheeses melt in unison inside a gourmet grilled cheese. Guests can wash down big bites with gulps of milk massaged from mature soybeans.

At the restaurant, a small service counter welcomes guests inside the cozy eatery, where chalkboards announce daily specials and sage-colored tables hover over cherry-wood chairs. White and beige walls soak up the sunlight that pours through a large storefront window, where budding local vegetables can watch their future careers unfold.