Chicora Alley Fire House Travelers Rest

I'm a photographer who was recently hired by Chicora Alley in Travelers Rest to capture content for their website/social media. I got to meet a majority of the staff and got to see behind the scenes in the kitchen. The people were super friendly and just an overall positive and fun atmosphere. The bar was fun too, and I enjoyed meeting some of the regulars. There is a rich history to the restaurant, and I heard several famous stories. The food is also fantastic! I got to try the Jamaican Me Hungry, the Shrimp and grits, and the Caribbean Jerk Chicken. All were great and I would recommend any of them!

Wow, what an amazing experience at Chicora Alley Fire House in Travelers Rest, SC! This place is a gem nestled right in the heart of downtown, with its awesome location along the charming Chicora Alley. The vibe is perfect—lively yet cozy, with string lights and a welcoming firehouse aesthetic that makes it ideal for a night out or a casual meal after exploring the nearby Swamp Rabbit Trail. The food here is absolutely excellent. We tried a few dishes, but the burger stole the show—hands down one of the best in the Greenville area! It was juicy, perfectly cooked, and packed with flavor, served on a toasted brioche bun that held up to every bite. The rest of the menu, from fresh appetizers to creative cocktails, was top-notch and left us wanting to come back to try more. The waitstaff truly went above and beyond. Our server was incredibly attentive, offering great recommendations and making sure every detail of our meal was perfect. They had that warm, genuine hospitality that makes you feel right at home, checking in just enough to keep things seamless without being overbearing. If you’re in the Greenville area and craving a fantastic meal in a prime location, Chicora Alley Fire House is a must-visit. Five stars all the way—we’ll definitely be back for another round of those burgers and that stellar service!

Stopped by here for a quick lunch. Extremely varied menu; quick, polite service, good food. Lots of indoor and outdoor seating, extensive beer menu. Relaxed environment. It's very slight off the beaten path in Travelers Rest, but worth the trip. Tons of parking across the street.

This is a cool spot with tasty food. We only sat on the patio so I can’t tell you what the inside was like. This is definitely a locals spot for casual dinner. I was craving a good ol’ burger and it didn’t disappoint. Veggies were fresh and the burger itself was cooked well as was the sweet potato fries. The quesadillas was good too. The shrimp and grits wasn’t exactly beautiful to look at but the flavor was pretty decent. My family is super picky about shrimp and grits, so when I say “it wasn’t the best” it doesn’t mean it was bad. We would probably order it again, but after we’ve tried more of their menu. I am going to say that the deserts weren’t the best and I will be skipping those all together in the future. Overall I really enjoyed this spot and will hit it up again. Oh yeah, our server was awesome.

Really, really good food with excellent variety. The Brussel sprouts, amazing. The various salsas were different and tasty. Service was accommodating, helpful, and courteous. We ate on the patio and aren’t from the area. We noticed circulating fans sitting over the food and thought that was a smart move for our neighboring table to bring what we now know is a fly fan. Unfortunately, we had so many flies. When that table left, they didn’t take the fan! That was a restaurant accommodation and I guess we had to ask for one versus our server assuming we didn’t want to eat with flies. We would have absolutely given a 5 if not for the flies.

We had an awesome dinner at Chicora Alley Fire House in Travelers Rest! The outdoor patio is fantastic — spacious, dog-friendly, and they even had water bowls available for our pup. Our group of 13 had plenty of room, and the staff was incredible from start to finish. The food did not disappoint. The Brussels appetizer was massive, perfectly crisp, and bursting with flavor. I had the Jerk Plate — huge portion with a side salad and just the right amount of spice and kick. The Roasted Chicken Burrito was absolutely packed with deliciousness. We couldn’t resist ending with dessert — the chocolate cakes were the perfect finish. The only downside — if you’re eating outside, be prepared for flies once the food hits the table. The mini fans the staff provided didn’t do much, but honestly, the food and service more than made up for it. Highly recommend!

Amazing Service, amazing food and make sure you get dessert! They are decadent. I had Fish and chips, excellent. Pumpkin chili was good! Wife had burrito bowl, said it was good.

First time here after driving by a bunch of times with it always being packed!, we finally made a lunch date out of it and we were not disappointed!. We had the perfect seats near the TVs and beautiful art. The dining room was super clean and the waiters were so nice and helpful with refills and picking out what's best on the menu. Our food came out in a decent time and was so fresh and hot. The flavors were extremely good. We can't wait to go back.

Support A local restaurant! We had a great experience here and will be back anytime we are in Travelers Rest. The burgers and wings are great!

This was a nice enough place to enjoy a meal with our two labs. The outside seating was in front of the establishment so the level of road noise was high. Service was friendly and accommodating. The menu definitely slanted toward Mexican inspired food. I was truly undecided so I asked our server for her favorites. She said the tacos were her go to choice. So I acquiesced and ordered the cali fish and the Thai chicken versions. For an appetizer we tried the coconut shrimp. Unfortunately for me that was the best bite of the day - they were fresh, light, incredibly crunchy with a great toasted coconut punch. I was super confused when my plated flour tortilla tacos arrived. The balance of filling to tortilla was ridiculous. I couldn't even eat it as a taco but had to use a knife and fork. The ingredients were all finely chopped and indiscernible. I never even found the flash fried grouper. After a couple bites, I was done. The first one ruined my appetite so I didn't even try the Thai chicken one. Another diner, however was delighted with her grouper sandwich and coleslaw. And my husband enjoyed the fully loaded half portion of the nachos. I wasn't a fan. Way too many ingredients all fighting to make a statement. The chips were soggy because of the onslaught of toppings and salsas. If you use quality ingredients sparingly and make them shine there is no need to overload a diner's palate with unnecessary add ons. I like to see and identify the ingredients in my meal. Sadly, I couldn't even find the fish. Meh.

Seriously, the best crab cakes I've ever had! Heading out of Greensville South Carolina. We were looking for someplace to have a good late lunch outside the city. I did a quick search on my Yelp when we hit a few miles out and came across the Chicora Alley Firehouse. It's an unassuming building that definitely used to be an old firehouse .. just low and nondescript. There's a patio out front and since it was a nice day, we decided to sit there. I had a nice brown beer and my friend ordered the flash fried brussels sprouts with goat cheese, and I ordered the crabcake. The sandwich choice, but without the bread. Both of these plates were absolutely delicious and quite generous. I was sorely tempted to try some of the amazing, homemade desserts they had on display, but I was too full to do so. The next day as we were reminiscing about it, we tried to remember how far it was away from our place in Asheville and if it was possible to go back again soon. Maybe just for dessert. Or maybe for more crab cakes.

My group pf 3 had mixed reviews on Chicora Alley. First, we would love to sit outside when it's warmer out. The atmosphere is fun! I had the Jerk Plate with tofu. It was really great! I loved the sweetness and other wasn't spicy which I expected. One of my friends ordered the Mexican salad. It was massive to the point of being overwhelming. Servers should let you know when a serving is out of the norm big. A heads up is nice so you can talk about splitting or not ordering an appetizer. Salads aren't good left over and it ended up in the garbage which feels wasteful. Our other friend ordered a breakfast of eggs, bacon and biscuits which she liked.

Great service, great food, and a very good assortment of beers to indulge everyone's tastes. If it's nice outside, they have an abundance of outdoor seating to accommodate most everyone. If you're new to the area, like we are, give it a try. We'll definitely be back for more.

Easily a Travelers Rest best. Such a fun/laid back Sunday funday vibe. Live music, brunch, carafe specials, homemade dessert case-gourmet bar food for the win! Had to try their brunch of course. HUGE proportions so come hungry! Also be prepared to wait. Hostess greeted us right away and texted when our table was ready. Open chair space helped passed the 35 minute wait. Not bad but there is nothing else around here and it's not the safest to walk (referring to lack of sidewalk). Service was amazing! Lexi was our server and her energy was infectious! She got us pumped for brunch and was very helpful with the menu especially when deciding between dishes. I appreciated the fact that they were serving brunch as well as their regular menu. We ordered the jerk chicken & waffles and the fried crab cake Benedict. YESSS to the chicken & waffles. Holy explosion of sweet, & savory with a splash of spicy. 10/10 worth the calories. The waffle had some sugar crystals which gave it a good crunch- it tasted like a funnel waffle cake. So so good. The jerk sauce and mango salsa amplified the flavors of this dish. Would have easily been 5 stars if the chicken to waffle ratio was more equal. Chicken tenders were good but the dish only came with 2 little nuggets (so to speak). The fried crab cake Benedict was good as well but it needed more sauce. Great treat yourself type of meal. They come with a side and I would say skip the grits. No seasoning and overly chunky in texture. The shredded has brown patty was okay, extra crispy if that's your thing. What's brunch without a cocktail?! They do $15 mimosa carafes (which is an absolute steal) but it was a Bloody Mary kind of morning and no regrets. I LOVE a unique Bloody Mary. No homemade mix but they do spruce it up with goat cheese stuffed olives, spices and pico juice. Yes, do yourself a favor and get one for brunch! Not just known for their brunch! They have happy hour throughout the week, live music and trivia. They also allow dogs on the patio (big plus for this dog mom). Plenty of parking between their small personal lot and the huge lot across the street. Will absolutely be back! Great place to take out of town visitors or just to spend the day. We saw quite a few tables that got nachos, definitely coming back to try those.

Nice fun place to get drinks and good food. Best service by the staff with lots of room to sit. Tried the fish special with crab cake over rice and it was a good mix of fresh fish withe sweet plantain.

Total out of towner and decided to try Chicora. Fish tacos were delicious! Nachos were good but I am not a fan of grapes on my nachos. In all fairness they're part of the 5 different salsas so that's why there's grapes in one of them. Kids got burgers and my best friend got the risotto, which she is a huge fan of! But let me skip to the best part....the key lime pie!!!!!! Make sure you get a slice! Enjoy a little piece of heaven!!!!

A group of us had a watch party here. The staff made sure to check on us. For food started with the Thai wings and Mac and cheese bites. The wings were crispy like I like my wings and flavorful. Mac and cheese bites were fried perfectly and nice and creamy inside. For entree tried the fish and chips, brisket taco, and the Cali fish. All were really good.

Service, food and ambiance never fail to impress! This original firehouse converted to upbeat restaurant is a sure pleaser. From delicious appetizers to their mamas Sloppy Joe! Homemade pimento cheese, jerk chicken tacos... lots of new takes on old favorites! You MUST try it for yourself!

service at bar was rude ! Don't ask about GF they don't care. eat or don't! first and last time. not worth the wait to get in

Great food and service, everyone having a good time. Excellent drink menu. Fun place for sure!

Great beer Menü, I had the firefish special, it was amazing, grouper, crabcake over rice with fried plantain and mango salsa.

Great service, appetizers and desserts. The bar menu is extensive and the outdoor seating is nice for a date night.

Excellent lunch. Fish and chips was a great meal. I substituted fried okra for the French fries and had the most delicious lunch. I topped this off with their raspberry cheesecake and cannot rave enough what a fantastic meal I had. This place is a true gem. Service was excellent. We were with a large group and the waitstaff was absolutely fantastic handling all of our orders. I will be back again. While this location is 25 minutes from home, it's worth the trip!! 5 stars with no complaints!

Mariah is the best ! She's the beautiful brunette behind the bar. She can take several orders at once , watch for food and cash people out without missing a beat ! If you have never worked in food service you may not understand the process. Drinks are being made for inside , outside and at the bar , along with food orders and people waiting for seats . This is a TR hangout . The food and service are second to none !

Service was great, food delicious! Had the Thai sweet chili wings & fries & they were well prepared & delicious. I'd give them 5 stars but it's pretty noisy in there when they are fairly full.

Wow! From the decor to the simple seating, live music and food, this is a must stop on your way through town. Easy to get to off Hwy 25, so skip the stops in Hendersonville NC and stop here before getting to Greenville SC! Everything is good and the flavor combos play with your head. The Jerk Chicken and Waffles sounds spicy like Jerk typically is, but it's NOT! It has a little but it is more sweet then spicy. The fries are perfect in every way. The crab cakes are all crab, not all fillers. The BBQ bacon burger is flavorful and the fish sandwich makes you feel like you are sitting at the beach. Service is fast and everything comes out hot and fresh. Serving sizes are giant so next time I'm splitting an Entree. Don't forget the desserts! The Key Lime Pie Cheesecake...hands down better then Cheesecake Factory! Can't wait till the next menus item I try when I'm back in town. P.s. the music does get loud! So if noise is not your thing just sit out on their open porch. They have fans and shade and the street isn't very busy.

Highly Recommend Chicora Alley in TR. Food and service has always been wonderfully consistent. A few days ago, we had a little problem with part of our to go order. Called in, and Greg, the manager, friendly and direct immediately took care of it. Even though it was just part of the order, he gave us our entire order and then some, on the house! Key Lime pie, to die for.

This is my go-to spot in TR. I'm here at least once a week. Great staff, good food, fun atmosphere. Best part is, they always have Highland Gaelic on draught!

Fun place with always a wait. Get there early. Great bartenders and smiling servers. The usual bar food but always tasty.

To start, the hostess was not friendly and flung menus on the table and walked away. Our server was ok, took our order, brought drinks, fairly standard. The queso for the chips was very watery and had no flavor. Mac and cheese bites were bland too. My burger came out medium when ordered well done but I didn't bother sending it back. Fries tasted like fast food. My daughter got a brisket taco which she described as good, not great. My husband had an enchilada which he said was bland and flavorless. Definitely not the best food in the area for the price.

My mom recommended this restaurant so we decided to come here for Sunday brunch. We came before it opened, but there was already a line to get in when we got there. There's parking in the back and across the street, and we parked in the lot across the street. They are dog friendly, but only in the covered porch area. They are strict about placement, so be sure to check in with the hostess before sitting down. We snagged a nice outdoor table and a high chair for the baby before the waitress gave us menus and asked us what we would like to drink. We didn't order alcohol, but it appeared the bloody Marys were the popular drink of choice. I ordered the jerk shrimp with a salad, my mom ordered the three tacos, and my husband ordered the burger. Our food came out quickly, and we dug in. The jerk shrimp with rice, salad, and plantain chutney was huge and has plenty of flavoring, quantity, and quality. My husband ate all of his burger, which was a bit messy! My mom ate all but one taco, and said three was more than enough for her. She recommends the shrimp, brisket, and chicken tacos. The prices were decent, $14-$18 a plate. We liked our food and the atmosphere and would like to come back on our next visit.

Love this gem in Travelers Rest! The mile high nachos are a must always!!! The half serving is plenty for 2 to share for a meal. Love the outdoor seating (dog-friendly!) and open feel and cool vibes of this location and the friendly staff.

I knew we were in the right place when I walked inside to ask about outdoor seating with dogs and saw the dessert case and the sign that said to ask about their homemade ice cream! For pre-dessert (lunch), I had the Jerk Chicken sandwich which was delicious and my wife had the coconut shrimp, also delicious. For dessert I had the homemade vanilla ice cream and my wife had a Samie, which was two oatmeal cookies with a filling in between. Both were amazing. The dog-friendly patio was very nice, and the service was great.

This place rocks! Great food, very creative menu selections, great beer selections too. Service was good as well. This was our first time eating here and we will definitely be back, it's worth the drive down from Hendersonville NC. If your in the Travelers Rest (Greenville SC, Hendersonville NC) area it's well worth checking out!

Food is great. Excellent burgers and the nachos are . Also, the Jerk Chicken plate is fantastic. The servers are always friendly and take great care of us. Sometimes the music gets a little too loud but there is great outdoor seating. It's just a great place.

We love the food at Chicora Alley! We ordered the Mile High Nachos. Shrimp & Grits, Tacos, Sloppy Joes, Chicken Quesadillas, etc for our party of eight. Our server was attentive and friendly. The restaurant is clean and unique - having been a former firehouse. Great place to bring kids as customers are having a good time and talking. We love coming to Chicora Alley!

I have now been to this restaurant 8 times in the past 6 months even though it is across town from where I live and takes 25 minutes. Each time I have gotten something different and the last 3 times I've gotten a special which is not on the regular menu and each of them were delicious. Tonight was Cajun gumbo with grilled chicken added and it was authentic. There were several New Orleans dishes in homage to Mardi Gras. So whether it is tacos, burgers, burritos, wings, seafood or a special-every time I walked away satisfied. And they have the Narragansett lager on tap and it's ice cold. This place has made my regular rotation list that will now get visited at least monthly.

Local hotspot. Great food...highly recommend the Grouper sandwich or the Grouper meal (Fish n Chips). Great service always! Great beer selection and decent wine selection. Very reasonably priced. Love this place! This a great spot to hit after a walk/run/bike ride on the swamp rabbit. Working up a big appetite is a good thing as the serving portions are LARGE!

Great grouper. Sandwich with Mac & Cheese bites. How do they get mac & cheese inside those little triangles and deep fry them??? Also coconut fried shrimp with sweet spicy sauce was delectable. Great service and comfortable ambiance with interesting photos on the wall. Yummy looking deserts to go with homemade ice cream. What's not to like?

This place is a couple miles from my house so my wife and I ride our bikes there. We really enjoy the service and outdoor atmosphere. I always try something different on the menu and have yet to be let downs The food is good and prices fair.

We've been twice. My wife likes to make changes to her meal to suit her needs. The staff have been more than accommodating which we really appreciate. We like to sit outside so the pooch can hang out with us too. The food is top notch. Familiar dishes with a spin, usually something exiting and unexpected that elevates the dish to the next level. We love Chicora Alley!

Chicora is one of my family's favorite spots. Two kids (10 and 6) always enjoy the food and ambience. Service is good by both new staff and veterans. Not a long wait for food out of the kitchen and always love the desert selection. If we are full, get it to go!

Stopped in for late lunch post Sunday hike. Sat at the bar, good ambiance with the open air set-up. We ordered Mama's Mexican salad and the 3 street tacos: grouper, brisket and Thai chicken. Everything was excellent! Good sized portions, creative tasty flavors. Why 4 vs 5 stars? Bartender moved at an uninterested, snail's pace. Was often busy cleaning or other busywork, not taking note of guest's needs. Will say rest of staff: foodrunner, busser, etc were great. Would definitely return.

Was sat with no server.....folks sat more than 5 mins after us were waited on first. During a normal night, great , otherwise avoid like the plague. I told people in the parking lot to leave. We will not be back.

Quality food, friendly service, unique atmosphere! It does have outdoor seating which also a plus. Travelers Rest has come a long way and Chicora Alley did not disappoint! The food definitely hit the spot. I have heard their wings are really good, so I hope to try those at some point!

Our favorite restaurant!! Amazing flavorful food that is at an amazing price! We have a deep love for food and don't often leave reviews but the food continues to blow us away and no matter where we eat we compare all the food to chicora Alley! Lol So far some of our favorites- BRUNCH- jerk chicken and waffles Breakfast Burger DINNER- any of the street Taco's! Roasted chicken burrito We will keep going back until we have tried everything on the menu! Enjoy!

The experience here was great! Had additional parking across the street and had a pretty hefty line out the door when we arrived but we were promptly seated and served. Very busy but staff works well together to ensure all customers are taken care of! We tried fried pickles and the nachos and both were amazing! Definitely plan to eat here again

So just moved here and heard about this place. It was okay. Kay was my waitress and she was awesome. Food was meh. Really disappointed in Nachos with brisket. While I ate every bite, brisket had no heat or flavor to it. I decided to try again. Went back next day for Happy Hour. Bartender Mariah is a huge asset to this establishment, but the much talked about wings left me dissatisfied. It seems like a good place to go for drinks with some friends.

A converted gas station which is a cool joint. Full bar with lots of beer options. We had wings and a big bowl of nachos that were outstanding. Five different salsas on top of the chips! The wings were delicious. The place was full on a Sunday night but the wait wasn't bad.

We love Chicora Alley in TR! Most of the time we have brought our dog with us, so have been seated on the patio/porch - but it is always very welcoming, the food is interesting and fresh, and we think the Nachos (including all the ingredients) are the best we have had anywhere. Also recently had one of the limited seasonal salads which was one of the freshest I've ever. had. So many menu choices, and none that have disappointed us so far. Service is friendly and professional. And desserts at Chicora Alley are my husband's favorite - (I do not usually order dessert anywhere else) but I like the ones they have here. Only negative is parking usually has to be across a busy street (they do have parking behind so you can get that if you're lucky), so just be careful with that crossing! This is the place we love to come to bring any out of town guests, and also anytime we don't want to cook (which I kind of don't want to so we can go to Chicora Alley instead).

Food is ok, nothing special! Service is very slow and the music inside area is so loud u have to shout to talk. No one ever came to our table to ask us everything was ok or cod we need anything else. Ordered tacos and got a dried up lime on the side We haven't been here in a year and i quickly realized why! DISAPPOINTING! TR you need more restaurant option!!!!

We haven't been here in a few years but after reading so many great reviews we decided to go before a cheer competition. We got the coconut shrimp for starters and was not disappointed. They were big, crispy and the Thai sauce was perfect. Í also had the fish and chips and they were also delicious! The service was great-fast and helpful. We made it to the competition in plenty of time. Like all the other reviewers I can't wait to go back and try something else.

Great food and service. Shrimp and grits on point! Love listening to live local musicians while eating. Sit outside on nice days while enjoying your food.

I had the brisket dip and fries and my wife got the brisket street tacos and fries. Food was excellent. I never thought about dipping a brisket sandwich in au jous sauce but it was excellent. Good selection of national and local beers. My only complaint is as an above knee amputee I can't sit on higher stools which is all they had inside so we had to eat outside at a regular table. It was borderline too cold and windy to eat outside but we made the best of it. Will be back when the weather warms up again!

I LOVE this little spot in Travelers Rest! It has that local flavor feel. The food is solid. Love the grouper sandwich, but have spoken with locals seated around me and inquired about other offerings: gumbo, crab cake sandwich, wings etc. Everyone seems thrilled with their food. I've only sat at the bar and thoroughly enjoyed that experience. Local musicians doing their thing and a spirit of support from the staff and the patrons alike. Oh...Don't miss dessert...I get the impression a local lady makes them and the Key Lime Pie is OFF THE CHAIN! ENJOY!

Food was great, staff was great and atmosphere was good! Only negative I had is that they didn't have any Bert's Bangin hot sauce for me to buy!

Food was amazing and everyone at my table really enjoyed it. Only one complaint and it was about the tacos, so if you're hungry don't get the tacos because they're small. The service is the main reason for the three stars. I know everyone has bad days but it does ruin the experience when you don't check up on us and you take a really long time to take orders, refill drinks, or anything really. Our waitress also didn't seem very happy to be there at all and had an ugly attitude the whole time. The only other problem would be the sticky tables and the gross take out box we were given. So the place isn't very clean.

Ok so the reviews looked pretty good so we decided to go here for a bachelorette dinner before we went out. Our waiter had the personality of a shelf and maybe that's just us having "too much personality" in the group and not knowing how to interact with him. The heaters were nice especially since we sat there for over an hour and 15 minutes before we got our food. I mean, I see why it took long because we got chicken burgers tacos and wings and that's a hard order. We were comped with another round- which nobody wanted- and with 2 desserts which is nice. Our waiter just kind of didn't come back and you could tell he wanted us to leave but when you have 8 ladies who are hungry, we can get irritable. Maybe it was his first night? I'd probably try this place again but at another location! Do get the fried jalapeños though!