What are the best new or coming York County restaurants? Let your bracket decide

John Marks

March 16, 2023 at 8:20 AM·8 min read

Going out early isn’t the goal for scores of basketball teams that fill your bracket, or for that bracket itself when you send it in to the office pool. But it happens.

So The Herald is here with a new competition where there are no wrong answers, and nobody goes home hungry. Call it the Going Out Bracket.

We want to know which restaurants and beverage spots in York County have you most excited. We’ve compiled 32 recent openings or businesses that have been announced. Each week during the college basketball tournaments we’ll match them up and let your votes decide which places advance. We’ll then profile an eventual champion, whether it’s a new eatery or one still set to open.

Vote as often as you like each week. Share with friends. Just use the graphic below to fill out your winners. The first round poll is open now and closes Monday at noon. Once in closes, our next round will go live.

Of course we make no guarantees on restaurants or breweries that haven’t opened yet, but we know they have you talking with friends and neighbors so we want to include them. The list comes from Herald reports, city and town officials, the development community and the folks at Visit York County.

Matchups are nearly random. We matched up a Clover and a York spot in the first round, and two Fort Mill neighbors just for fun. But there are no seeds. Just a fun list to help us find the biggest buzz in York County. Matchups for later rounds will be based on vote totals.

So before you cast that first vote, here’s a look at the contenders:

VooDoo Wing Co.

VooDoo Wing Co. opened across from Baxter in January at the former Blacow Burger spot. VooDoo has a variety of wing and tender options in an array of sauces. It’s a fast casual wing concept.

More info: voodoowingco.com

The Flower Bar

The Flower Bar opened its downtown Fort Mill site in February. There’s another location in Rock Hill. The Main Street spot in Fort Mill brought a kitchen to the bar, floral arrangement, gift, workshop and even hosting concept.

More info: theflowerbarrockhill.com

Naf Naf

Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill held its grand opening in February. It’s near Brayden, between Fort Mill and Tega Cay. The menu has eastern staples like falafel, chicken schwarma, cous cous and more.

More info: nafnafgrill.com

LongBottom Meats

LongBottom Meats is part of The Perch in Rock Hill, near Winthrop University. The butcher shop opened in February with a variety of fresh meat, seafood, poultry and sausage options.

More info: longbottommeats.com

Fortes Mill Eatery

Fortes Mill Eatery, or FM Eatery, opened in February on Main Street in Fort Mill. It’s the same Flipside Restaurant Group ownership team behind area staples Flipside Cafe and Salmeri’s Italian Kitchen.

More info: theflipsiderestaurant.com

Big Time Boba

Big Time Boba opened in February beside fellow newcomer Meat Mafia in Lake Wylie. The boba tea spot has more than a dozen options plus custom creations, not far from Buster Boyd Bridge.

More info: Big Time Boba

Humble Cup Coffee Co.

Humble Cup Coffee Co. held its grand opening in January. The Fort Mill shop arrived in the long-time Ocean Palace site on Tom Hall St. in Fort Mill, expanding the company’s roasting servces.

More info: humblecupcoffeeco.com

Poppyseed Kitchen

Poppyseed Kitchen opened in late 2022 in Fort Mill. The Steele Creek Station restaurant offers a breakfast and lunch menu with baked goods, sandwiches, salads and plates along with a range of beverage choices.

More info: poppyseedkitchen.com

Blend

Blend opened in Riverwalk last fall. The Rock Hill spot brings sandwiches, wraps and healthier food options from a family with long ties to the area food scene.

More info: blendriverwalk.com

Ninety’s Dessert Bar

Ninety’s Dessert Bar opened this month at The Perch in Rock Hill. The Charlotte company offers custom dessert creations with ice cream, shakes, sundaes and more.

More info: ninetysdessertbar.com

Another Broken Egg Cafe

Another Broken Egg Cafe opened earlier this month in Rock Hill. It’s part of The Perch at Cherry Road and Oakland Avenue. It offers Southern-inspired breakfast and brunch menus.

More info: anotherbrokenegg.com

The Local Scoop

The Local Scoop has two Charlotte and one other North Carolina locations ahead of the addition at the Power House in Rock Hill. Shops use local ingredients and make desserts in store daily. Local Scoop uses several North Carolina farms for its ingredients.

More info: thelocalscoopcharlotte.com

Epic Prime

Epic Prime is an upscale steakhouse planned for The Power House in Rock Hill. It’s a main feature, and one of many restaurants, at the former city power plant in a converted former industrial building.

Javesca

Javesca at The Power House in Rock Hill will have freshly roasted coffee and seasonal drinks, baked goods, sandwiches, wraps and Vegan options. The company roasts coffee in Charlotte and lots of coffee options planned for Rock Hill.

More info: javesca.com

Middle James Brewing Company

Middle James Brewing Company is another Power House anchor. The brewer comes across the state line from where it began in Pineville, North Carolina to grow an already robust beverage brewing industry in York County.

More info: middlejamesbrewing.com

1042 Cafe

1042 Cafe should open in the next month or two on South Main Street in Clover. It will have sandwiches, coffee and drinks and is one of three new restaurants planned for the area.

More info: 1042 Cafe

Bossy Beulah’s

Bossy Beulah’s brings a Charlotte chicken shack concept to the former Coleman’s auto garage in downtown Fort Mill. Sandwiches and wings are the specialty. The company also does catering.

More info: bossybeulahs.com

Gordo & Chuli Taqueria

Gordo & Chuli Taqueria is another Power Plant announcement in Rock Hill. The original is based in Waxhaw, North Carolina and offers tacos, scratch-made tortillas and similar options.

More info: Gordo & Chuli

Raille St. Restaurant

The City of York and Visit York County list a new Raille St. Restaurant coming to the corner of Raille and Blackburn streets. It’s under construction now.

More info: Raille St. Restaurant

Clover Harvest

Clover Harvest is a farm-to-table restaurant that should open next month on Old North Main Street in Clover. The restaurant will partner with growers for a locally sourced menu.

More info: Clover Harvest

Whitaker’s

Whitaker’s will go into the Spratt Building on Main Street in Fort Mill. The neighborhood bar concept is based out of Savannah, Georgia and will offer a kitchen and dining room along with mezzanine area.

More info: whitakersbar.com

Naroodle Chibi

Naroodle Chibi aims for the traditional Japanes ramen stall vibe. It’s another announced food tenant at The Power House in Rock Hill. The brand comes from Orlando, Florida and will be among more than half a dozen food spaces in the former city power plant.

More info: naroodle.com

Flip Out Burger

Flip Out Burger joins the Flipside Restaurant Group stable of area eateries. The new burger concept will come to The Power House in downtown Rock Hill, in the Knowledge Park area.

More info: theflipsiderestaurant.com

Rock Taco

Rock Taco is a planned Main Street addition in Rock Hill from the owner of Burgers & Barley. The Mexican style restaurant will have street food elements.

More info: Rock Taco

Slim Chickens

Slim Chickens is a planned addition in a new phase of development near Springfield Town Center in Fort Mill. It’s a chicken tender, wing and sandwich shop with a separate Charlotte location.

More info: slimchickens.com

Ms. Lillian’s Kitchen

Another Power House project, Ms. Lillian’s Kitchen brings fried chicken, catfish and Southern comfort food to downtown Rock Hill. It’s one of several new restaurants and businesses planned in the old power plant building, along with apartments.

More info: powerhouserockhill.com

Farm Haus

The Power House now lists a popular Indian Land eatery among its coming attractions in Rock Hill. Farm Hause Butcher & Beer Garden is a restaurant and butcher shop with house made sausages and burgers, along with beverages.

More info: farmhaus-sc.com

Hoppin’

Hoppin’ is the conversion of a former cotton warehouse on Dave Lyle Boulevard in Rock Hill. It’s a coming self-pour taphouse expected to have dozens of beers on tap, plus wine.

More info: facebook.com/HoppinRockHill

Clutch Coffee Bar

Clutch Coffee Bar comes to Rock Hill with five sites already in North Carolina and another new one in Columbia. It offers coffee, smoothies, shakes, energy drinks and similar items, plus breakfast sandwiches and pastries.

More info: clutchcoffeebar.com

Zo.ra Food & Wine

Zo.ra Food & Wine just put sign up for a new restaurant at Village Harbor Drive in Lake Wylie. The restaurant’s website states a planned spring opening with dine in and special event hosting, and that hiring is underway.

More info: zorafoodwine.com

Chilango Tacos Y Mas

Chilango Tacos Y Mas comes to the Power House site in Rock Hill from the same family behind Charanda Mexican Grill and Cantina. Mexican style street food will be the focus, with a modern take on traditional items.