Here are the 10 best restaurants for brunch in the Greenville SC area, new ranking shows

Eater South Carolina selected 10 best places for brunch in Greenville, which the website says “crushes the long, lazy weekend meal with plates built to stand out with no shortage of midday cocktails.”

Interestingly, half of the restaurants are outside Greenville’s famed downtown, known for its hundreds of restaurants, many on other best of lists.

The list is not numbered but the first recommended is Topsoil Kitchen & Market in Travelers Rest, about 10 miles north of Greenville, which is becoming known as a foodie town as well.

Located in the former Williams Hardware, Topsoil makes good on its mission as a farm to table restaurant. It has its own 16-acre farm owned by restaurant owner Wendy Lynam and is supported by the many nearby farmers.

Chef Adam Cooke is a James Beard semi-finalist for Best Chef Southeast. The restaurant’s website says he’s more than a chef, but a “culinary maestro.”

Eater calls the pancakes inventive, especially in-season carrot and praised pastry chef Tania Harris, also a James Beard semifinalist.

And what list that includes Greenville doesn’t mention The Swamp Rabbit Trail, the bike-walk path to Travelers Rest that runs behind the restaurant?

Maverick Biscuit in Taylors was second on the list. Buildable biscuits are their thing and the choices seem almost endless. Like the Whistle Stop BLT Biscuit with fried green tomatoes, house made pimento cheese, bacon, artisan greens and lemon vinaigrette. There’s also the biscuit benedict, or Bulls Bay with slow roasted short rib, roasted peppers, garlic, caramelized onions, sriracha hollandaise and an egg.

Eater points out fresh OJ mimosas and the Hangover Biscuit: fried chicken, milk gravy, eggs, and candied jalapeno.

“A doughnut riff utilizing cathead biscuit dough is a winner with lemon curd,” the website said.

Fork and Plough in the Historic Overbrook neighborhood adjacent to downtown “feels like a beloved neighborhood spot,” Eater said. Rotating specials include soft shell crab and grits and tomato and pimento cheese tart.

“Fork and Plough pours a celebrated mimosa; a frozen orange juice cube is topped with farmer fizz at a stellar price,” the website said.

Finally, a downtown Greenville restaurant: Nose Dive, which has an expansive patio eating area on Main Street.

“Grits are the reason to head to this Table 301 restaurant,” Eater said.

Truly.

Grits from Columbia’s Adluh Mills — where else — and toppings galore. roasted tomatoes, red pepper gravy, peppadews, pepper jack cheese sauce, sausage gravy, you name it, it’s there.

“Saturday brunch is a hot ticket at Nose Dive thanks to Greenville’s Saturday Market,” the website said.

Sister restaurant Soby’s was also named.

A block away on Main Street, Soby’s is credited with launching the foodie town that Greenville is today.

Owned by Carl Sobocinski, Soby’s also launched a restaurant group that includes six restaurants — a seventh opening soon in Mauldin — and a catering company.

Soby’s brunch is known for shrimp and grits and crab cakes.

New to Greenville, Indaco started in Charleston and has breakfast pizza topped with sunnyside eggs.

“A gem,” Eater said.

“Housemade pastries, like strawberry “Pop-Tarts” and crumb-topped coffee cake, pair with super strong coffee,” the website said.

The Rabbit Hole, an Alice in Wonderland-themed bar in West Greenville turned full-service restaurant “shines at brunch,” Eater said.

“A pillowy frittata, snap pea salad with lamb kofta, and mini croque madam are a few standouts on the rotating menu,” the website said. “Cocktails follow suit, and there’s breakfast wine too.”

Larkin’s moved from its longtime home beside the Reedy River to newly developed Camperdown, once the site of The Greenville News.

“Notable plates include apple beignets, steak and eggs, and a shrimp burger with fennel and mint slaw,” Eater said.

Juniper on the rooftop of the eight-story AC Hotel, also part of Camperdown, offers a Sunday brunch buffet.

It includes chia pudding, stuffed artichokes, and charcuterie, the website said.

“Juniper is a place to sip strikingly pretty cocktails and soak in the garden-themed vibe; there’s comfortable seating for two or twenty, but reservations are recommended at brunchtime,” Eater said.

ASD|SKY, an Atlanta architecture firm, designed Juniper as a ‘secret cocktail garden bar.’ Located at the corner of Main and Broad Streets, the restaurant offers a sweeping view of downtown Greenville and in the distance the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Come for the food, stay for the view.

Stella’s Southern Brasserie, not to be confused with sister restaurant Stella’s Southern Bistro in Simpsonville, is located in the Hollingsworth neighborhood east of Greenville.

Eater calls out French onion soup, a shaved vegetable salad, apple butter toast topped with lemon and mint, sugar-cured bacon and maple sage sausage.

Bloody Mary five ways and mimosa two ways are also available.

Eater has a national food and dining brand as well as 23 city sites.

It is owned by Vox Media.