"There are meat and threes and then there’s Wade’s. It’s the winner of the 2024 James Beard Foundation America’s Classic Award. It is South Carolina’s third winner and the first for the Upstate; the award was created in 1998 to honor restaurant excellence for concepts with timeless appeal. Wade’s feeds thousands of guests each day. Fifteen hundred orders of mac and cheese are served, as well as 750 turkey plates. Yeast rolls cap out at 3,500 because they simply can’t bake more. Wade’s is known for valuing its staff of 130+, offering benefits to full-time employees, and providing scratch-made meals to guests at an extraordinarily fair price." - Stephanie Burnette