Kounter

Restaurant · Rock Hill

Kounter

Restaurant · Rock Hill

1

135 E Main St Suite 101, Rock Hill, SC 29730

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Highlights

Kounter serves inventive American dishes like smoked tuna poke and fried ribs in a cozy, historic Rock Hill spot with killer cocktails.  

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135 E Main St Suite 101, Rock Hill, SC 29730 Get directions

kounterdining.com
@kounterdining

$$ · Menu

Reserve

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135 E Main St Suite 101, Rock Hill, SC 29730 Get directions

+1 803 328 7333
kounterdining.com
@kounterdining

$$ · Menu

Reserve

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outdoor seating

Last updated

Jul 30, 2025

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Insiders from the Carolinas Name the Best New Restaurants for 2021 - Eater Carolinas

"Kounter in Rock Hill has a dome-smoked ahi tuna salad with Napa cabbage that I could eat everyday." - Eater Staff

https://carolinas.eater.com/2021/12/28/22856441/north-and-south-carolina-name-the-best-new-restaurants-for-2021
View Postcard for Kounter

M C

Google
My husband and I went to this restaurant after being asked from a friend have we ever tried it? We stated, “No” and they said you have to go! “It’s great!” Well, we finally went and the food was great and fresh! We went for dinner, all of our appetizers were amazing and our meal was even better! We even decided to order a desert and I’m glad we did because it was worth every bite! We will come back and try the lunch and brunch on Sunday’s. And we will bring more people with us when we return because they have to try this food!

Kim McManus

Google
We had such a fun time! The food was phenomenal. I loved the flank steak. It was perfectly seasoned and expertly seared. The peanut butter pie was rich and thick. Our waiter gauged our mood and gave us extra attention, sharing stories about the restaurant. My only gripe was the noise level. Due to the acoustics of the room, the conversation noise reached painful levels several times throughout the evening.

Matt Quinn

Google
We drove down from Charlotte on a recommendation from a friend and Kounter did not disappoint. We had dinner on a Saturday night around 6:15 and the restaurant was surprisingly not packed. This rating isn’t just a “4” but I would say a 4.6/5. We will 100% be coming back. Awesome spot and a must visit if you are in Rock Hill (or close). Brussels on Brussels: 4.5/5 - excellent and cooked just right Fried Ribs: 5/5 - unique dish that blew us away. This is a MUST order Seared Scallops: 4/5 - they were cooked well. Definitely recommend Whipped Key Lime: 4/5 - solid

Dr. Mallika Stubbs

Google
I had a pretty good experience at Kounter! From the moment I walked in, the historic atmosphere was preserved impeccable and the service was top-notch. The staff was attentive, knowledgeable, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. The presentation of the dishes was impeccable, and you can tell a lot of thought goes into the menu. However, while everything looked incredible, I found that some of the dishes lacked the bold seasoning I was expecting. The flavors were good but didn’t quite reach that next level of excellence. Overall, Kounter is definitely worth a visit for the ambiance, history, and service. With a little more seasoning in the dishes, it would easily be a 5-star experience! 4/5 stars.

Jeffrey Cohen

Google
The food was wonderful. I had the seared scallops with the fried cheddar grit croutons. It was delicious, and not a huge meal which helped save room for dessert. The seasonal espresso cheesecake cannoli was amazing! The shell is a bit thinner than your standard cannoli shell, but the cheesecake filling has a great tang to go with its sweetness. The staff was great too. Skylar was attentive and helped me decide on things to eat and drink as everything looks good. Can't recommend them enough.

Michelle Renta

Google
We had Mothers Day brunch and as usual, Kounter did not disappoint. Evan was an awesome, attentive server with a great personality. I had chicken and waffles and my husband had shrimp and grits with a side of the house potato hash, and Cubano toast. The chicken was bone in drumsticks, which was a little different, but the outside was very light, crispy and delicious. Bottomless mimosas of course were a perfect blend; not too strong, not too sweet. Everything was cooked perfectly and when they box up what you can’t finish, they even put the date on the box for you. Thank you Kounter for a great experience! 

K R

Google
We went on a little date night adventure and our 1st stop was a nice dinner at Kounter. We had reservations so we did not have to wait. This was our first time to this restaurant and it’s not very large inside so I would recommend making a reservation in advance. The history of this place is so interesting to learn about and great that the owner kept the original counter and barstools! The food was great! The service was fast and friendly. We also met Chef Rob, such a down to earth friendly guy. If you are looking for a local date night spot, give Kounter a shot! Then take a peek at Elsie’s at Kounter for a unique experience…that review is coming soon!

Oksana

Google
Presentation of the food was great but it didn’t taste as good as it looked. I had seared scallops which is the most expensive meal on the menu but when it arrived it looked so small like as appetizer. It is on the menu in the section bigger bites. Very misleading and disappointing what you get for 31$ and also advertise it as a bigger bite. Our friend had the smoking tuna poke, again great presentation. I had problems to find tuna inside the meal, all I could see was shredded cabbage. An ocean of cabbage. The BBQ burger sliders looked great but tasted not good at all. The meat was very salty and not eatable. In general, it was very noisy in the restaurant, no proper conversation possible, you have to shout all the time. Wouldn’t recommend!
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Clayton S.

Yelp
This place is really quaint. Hometown diner meets farm to market feel. Rock Hill is growing on me especially in this little district. The staff was super friendly and the bar was very welcoming to an out of towner. Loved the old fridge behind the bar it's like my beer fridge at home. Atmosphere 5 Service a 5+ Cocktail menu had lots of interesting options and I settled on one of the rotating taps. Drinks 5 - options are always good The menu had a bunch of different options and I couldn't decide. Wanted to grab like 10 things on the shareables but decided on the trout. What a good choice! Food -5+ Give it a try!
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Kaicey W.

Yelp
We decided to celebrate our 15 year anniversary at Kounter after reading many good things online. Overall it was a great experience. It's obviously a very popular place and being a last minute plan on our part, it seemed lucky that we were able to snag a reservation on a Friday night. Service was wonderful, the food was great, and the whole vibe was top tier. Even being short staffed, they stayed on top of service. There was never a long wait for food or drinks and even though our waitress(es) were training and taking care of many tables, they made a point to take the time to provide excellent service. Our table wasn't available at the time of our reservation but honestly, it worked out better because we were able to enjoy the nice weather at their tables outside. It was also much quieter but still had the great tunes playing overhead. It's not often you get to listen to Backstreet Boys while eating a fancy meal lol. I ordered the scallops and my husband had the blue plate special. Both dishes were great. As was our totchos appetizer. All of the flavors were unique but worked together so well. I will say my scallops were a little chewy but not overly so. Nowhere near rubber territory but not exactly the best I've ever had. I was pleasantly surprised by the grit cake and sauce that accompanied them though. It was still a great choice but as there are so many great options on the menu, I would probably try something else next time. My husband's meatloaf meal was awesome so that's a solid bet. The totchos were also unique but so good. They were actually more like balls of hashbrowns with toppings than tots. All the flavors worked well together. Oh! And I can't forget to mention their take on a White Russian with peanut butter whiskey was pretty delicious! The mini Reese cup garnish was a nice touch as well. Overall, I would definitely visit this place again and probably will in the near future. Our waitress mentioned many people order a lot of the smaller plates or a few larger ones and share so that will probably be the move next time. There's too many good options on their menus to narrow it down to just a couple plates!
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Alyson T.

Yelp
Where to begin! From the time we sat down at the counter to when we left it was such a great experience. Loved the atmosphere as soon as you walked in it felt alive and welcoming. We started off strong with some cocktails. We started off with the Winter is coming and Rose colored glasses. The Pear martini was absolutely delicious! Then it was time to order some of the shareable items. We started with the Char grilled oysters, chicken and waffle sushi the smoking tuna poke. These were on point. We did also get the cauliflower nugs and they were cooked to perfection and the dipping sauces were spot on. The experience of watching your tuna poke being made in front of you was amazing. Being at the counter and being to interact with Chef Rob was the best! We then went to our main meal and did blackened Carolina trout and dirty rice. This was the best trout I have ever had, cooked to perfection and flaky. We also had the 17 herb seared hangar steak. We of course had to end the night with dessert as we had a front row seat them being made all night. We went with Mom's chocolate pie and the Cheesecake cannoli. It was such an amazing night of food, drink, and conversation. We will be back!!

Michael M.

Yelp
Date night with the wife. Originally had 5:45 reservation but knew we couldn't make that. Called early in the day and staff was gracious to move to 6:15. Food was delicious. We split food and got the cake tray chicken sliders and Totchos. The sliders had very tasty chicken with pieces not too small and not too large. The totchos were like boxcar tater tots They were huge and yummy. For dessert we each got our own but shared. I got Butterfinger Cheesecake Cannoli. All my favorites in one dish. Wife got whipped key lime. I had a little bit of trouble hearing even with my hearing aids. Not from too many people but just from a room with lots of echo.
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Jack B.

Yelp
Kounter has been our destination stopover when passing through RockHill. We have always enjoyed great food and service. Our challenge is selecting items that minimize leftover food as portions are extremely generous. As a traveler we don't have the option to carry out for later. Beef sliders, fries and mom's chocolate pie are favorites, just overwhelming in amount. Our suggestion is to offer a half order of sliders and fries as an entree choice.

Sean H.

Yelp
Went there to grab a bite when in town, they were empty and asked if an hour was ok. I wasn't sure how long it would take them to feed us since I had never been there before. I hope their food is amazing because they need to work on communication.
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Dan V.

Yelp
Really great meal. The chicken and waffles app was a unique play with a really thin tortilla like waffle creation wrapping tender chicken. The lobster gnocchi was fantastic. The sliders were super tender and a huge portion for the money. All the drinks we had were creatively made and tasty. Great service too in a really neat downtown area.
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Rose S.

Yelp
Have been waiting to go to go to Kounter. I wasn't disappointed. We decided on brunch since the lunch and dinner menus have an abundance of cheese. I had the chicken and waffle. The chicken was white meat that was in the form of 2 chicken tenders which works much better than needing to figure out how to handle the chicken. The waffles were on the thin side but tasty. I was going to ask for more syrup but just went as is which works too. My friend had the breakfast Sammy. It's thinner bread and for her personal preference too much bread so she deconstructed it and really enjoyed it. The steak and eggs was tasty and cooked perfectly. Jalapeño bacon is on the spicier side. And was cooked not crunchy but just as it should be. We all agreed the hash while ok was like eating a soggy potato. We wanted it to be a bit more crispy. All in all a great brunch!
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Michelle S.

Yelp
Kounter is delicious. I find the menu clean but innovative. Beautiful atmosphere and I cannot speak more highly of the service. Everyone is kind and attentive. I will say, if you are interested in attending the "speakeasy" best of luck. We have tried on several occasions theres a short wait and to have to wait at the bar at Kounter and something will open up shortly. It has never happened. We've sat and waited until we got tired of waiting. Just saying. Kounter is fantastic and there is no complaint there. Just be mindful when it comes to the "speakeasy." Has always been a let down for us.
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Kasey M.

Yelp
This is the best restaurant in Rock Hill for sure! Each menu item has something special about it, and the presentations are always top notch. There's a rich cultural historial history and the hallway beside the restaurant is a museum dedicated to the Friendship 9 and their fight for equal rights. The staff are great and really seem to love the place. I suggest the chicken and waffle sushi, the pear martini, the chicken and biscuits, and the Ceasar salad shaker. I haven't had a single item that I didn't love immensely. Definitely try Elsie's next door if you decide to visit Kounter.
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Paul M.

Yelp
Loved it here .. quality service and ambiance. Would've stopped in a long time ago had I known it was Rob Masone's place. Good people, he and Sam. Smash burger on point as well as our kids' fried chicken which was lightly battered yet crunchy and well seasoned. Ice cold local draft beers and fresh salads also big contributors. Cheers Kounter!
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Mitch K.

Yelp
Great lunch with visiting cousins. I do very much like and appreciate their clever menu. Food is excellent and service personable and on the spot. Our server was Waverly G. and she was super. Their version of tossed salad is shaken salad. I had the old town cobb ($13) which comes complete in a Mason jar. Shake it and twist it around to distribute the dressing. I also asked for additional ranch dressing ($.50). Cousin #1 had the fried ribs (yes, you read that right...fried) and they were wonderful. They were meat falling off of the bone cooked with a light batter what was a little sweet, but so good. Cousin #2 had edamame ($5) and a Cubano sandwich ($13). We all were into the edamame that had been dressed with a very spicy pepper oil. In addition to extra napkin messy fingers and faces, the flavors were well beyond the just lightly boiled pods. They were excellent. And there is beer and wine. The Kounter was one of the most early of the Black sit-ins. In 1962 the Friendship 9 occupies the counter seats to the horror of the locals and area customs, were arrested and jailed for a month. The hallway leading to their banquet room is a museum of this event and worth a visit if you are in downtown Rock Hill. Kounter is a go to place, uniqely local and unusually good.
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Dorothy S.

Yelp
No trip to Rock Hill is complete without a meal at Kounter! A late lunch found me in a dilemma over what to choose. I went with the pimento-crab dip and added a side Caesar salad. Nothing disappointed! The Caesar salad has lovely homemade crackers (?) that added a delightful cheesy crunch to the fresh salad. The dip was enough to share and was also a yummy choice. So much so, I left no room for their peanut butter pie. Hmmmm, guess I'll have to go back. Again. Foodies will delight in the food and drink selections.
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Rose E.

Yelp
First of all, I must mention that this place needs better tables and chairs. For me at least, their seating situation strikes me as weak. They seem to have more high-tops and counter-top seatings over the standard, two- or four by four tables/seatings. If this was a casual burger joint, I'd be fine with that...but this is a nice restaurant, with fairly expensive menu. I just don't get it. Again, on our most recent visit, we encountered more seating issues. This time, I reserved our table via Open Table in advance, with explicit notes requesting a "standard table". Well, despite all that, we arrived only to be escourted to the counter...to counter-top seating! Not even high-top tables this time...but counter-top! *SIGH* Despite our extreme disappointment, we decided to just dine outdoors, in just one of their two super-casual patio tables (not comfy at all, with no cushioned seatings). BTW, this wasn't a super-nice patio dining situation. Honestly, at this point, I was ready to drop many stars. But then...the FOOD! We ordered several dishes to share...from this Smoking Tuna Poke and Thai Shrimp Bao Tacos, to Sticky Chicken and Seared Scallops. Our luck started to change. Everything we ordered tasted AMAZING. Surprisingly for me, I loved the Smoking Tuna Poke the most. Not only impressively presented, in a smoking platter (thus the name!), this had to be the best salad I've had in a LONG time! The sauce was SO savory, and even the Tuna was innovative in its cubed slices!! Possibly one of the most expensive salad dishes we've had...but worth every penny. The Bao Tacos were also super-delicious...not only filled with flavor, the fried, semi-crunchy buns tasted SO good! We loved the Scallops as well...but felt it was a bit lacking in portion, considering the lofty pricing. In fact, I noticed that in Yelp, others got 3 stacks of Scallops...we only received 2. Huh?? Did we get shorted...or did they get "thrifty" more recently?? Guess my least favorite of the dishes were the Sticky Chicken...but even that was delicious! I also enjoyed their Pear+Lime Spritz Mocktail...and my husband loved his blonde beer (??). We agreed that this had to be the best, most cutting edge restaurant in Rock Hill. I've always loved the historical theme of this restaurant as well. Very cool, concept-driven, innovative place. However, I can't stop myself from expressing my disappointment with the lack of comfy seatings, and a smaller portion of Scallops at the same price. Though we weren't thrilled with how the hostess took us straight to the counter (despite our reservation, with specific request!), our waitress was great...as she was very attentive, despite being the only customers that were seated outdoors. This was one of those situations where I could have given a bad rating...but the quality of the foods bumped things up. I might have even bumped this up to 5 stars for their chef-inspired foods...but I felted shorted in the portion of Scallops. So that's the second pitfall on this night. Still, we DID love all the foods. We agreed to never come here again during peak dinner hours, but shoot for 5 pm next time (our reservations was for 6 pm). Also, I plan to skip Open Table, but instead call ahead to request a "standard table" (instead of high tops or counter-top seatings)...if even that works???
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Terrell Y.

Yelp
The food was really good and you get A TON of food. The cake plate sliders was ordered for our table and yes it comes on a cake plate tower. Decent ambiance as well
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H S.

Yelp
Cool space with a fascinating history and the food was quite literally magical. Wait staff was friendly and I would definitely go back. Some picts of our food and a little exploration of downtown Rock Hill.
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Allison S.

Yelp
Unbelievably good. The Jalepeno cheddar biscuit gives it a bite. The chicken was fresh and moist. Not too heavy. Greens were perfect
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Aubrey M.

Yelp
SO good! I got the Blackened Carolina Trout (front plate) and subbed the rice for mashed potatoes. Everything was cooked perfectly and to be honest, I'm not a huge okra fan, but these were chefs kiss. My mom got the Deep South Bao Tacos (which I also ate because she never finishes her plate ) The bao bun was kind of fried I think, but the crunch with the pulled pork was really good. On top of that, our waitress was so sweet. The restaurant is also on this street that's lined with trees and lights...it's super cute and was nice to be out there during the sunset. 10/10.
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Ellyn S.

Yelp
This is a cute little restaurant nestled in beautiful downtown Rock Hill. The atmosphere and service are wonderful and the food is darn good too. I didn't think too much about the name when my husband made the reservation, but when we got there I found out it was more than just hip branding. They integrated a ton of the history from there an actual sit-in that took place there during the Civil Rights Era. Such a cool way to honor and remember the events that happened in our area in the not so distant past! Their menu is filled with a lot of cool and unique flavors like the smokey deliciousness of tuna poke bowl and the yummy pimento crab dip! It isn't noted on the menu but a lot of the food has a little kick to it. Including the lobster gnocchi and the bacon wrapped meatloaf! Just a heads up for my fellow heat intolerant people! Nothing unbearable though, just unexpected. The prices are on par for what I've been realizing is "normal" for downtown restaurants in this region. It was around $100, including tip, for two of us. We had an appetizer, two entrees, a cocktail, and a domestic beer.
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Courtney J.

Yelp
Came here for brunch one day, and it was an experience. They have a very eclectic menu, but our server was super knowledgeable and offered up great recommendations. I started with the cinnamon roll appetizer and got the smoked avocado toast with crispy potatoes. The cinnamon rolls weren't the best. The icing was stellar, it had a citrus twist to it; but the cinnamon rolls were not soft and they were not hot. Lukewarm at best. The smoked avocado toast comes with a presentation. It's served under a glass topper that's filled with smoke. I was under the impression that the salmon would be the cold flat smoked salmon that you can get from the grocery store, but it was an entire serving of salmon filet smoked. It was soooo good. I got my egg fried hard, but you can get it served any way. Sn: i asked for ketchup with my potatoes, but this restaurant doesn't have ketchup. They have a house-made sauce similar to ketchup. Good. But not ketchup. Overall it was a good experience. Our food came out super slow, but the manager did come to apologize for that. The restaurant is cute, and the menu offers a lot of combinations that I've never tried before. They also have a decent drink menu. I didn't get anything, but my companions did and enjoyed. Give it a try, I'll definitely be going back!

Dave W.

Yelp
What a great meal we all had. Fried rib appetizer was excellent. Shrimp and grits were a unique presentation and perfect. Hangar steak on potato pancake was yummy. Salmon over mushrooms also scrumptious. Service by Natalie was timely and attentive. No room for desserts. Maybe next time. What a nice find!
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Tiara T.

Yelp
Came for brunch with my girlfriends and had a great brunch. The 2 hour mimosas are a steal and the sparkling lemonade was pretty good. My favorite was the waffles; they were crunchy on the outside and super soft on the inside which I loved. The service was great and the place has great throwback vibes. Would come again!
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Lauren G.

Yelp
A great meal at Kounter! All the servers were great - I can't remember our main server, she was also working at the bar, it wasn't too packed at 4:45-5 pm, so we had great service . From the apps, to a shared main meal and off the Valentines menu, a delish desert, peanut and jelly wontons ! What what?! Wowzer! we will be back for sure ~ only recommendation , have a different playlist - it wasn't geared towards the ambiance in Kounter. And this is really the only legit restaurant on Main St, which was SO surprising ~ this strip on Main St def needs some more trendy restaurants
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Shaun E.

Yelp
My wife and I are currently shopping for a home in Rock Hill. So we've visited the town several times and we are always on the lookout for a great place to dine. There is no shortage of restaurants and bars in the downtown area. But we may have found our favorite. We stopped at Kounter on Thursday night and sat at the bar to get a feel for the place. We had a couple cocktails which were excellent and checked out the menu. The staff was so pleasant. The manager even came over to welcome us and talk about their food etc. The menu is very eclectic. We went back on Friday and split a couple orders. We had the fried bacon with the cheese dip and the fried duck bao tacos. It was AMAZING!! We can't wait for our next trip! The pear martini is a must! Btw. They are opening a Speakeasy lounge next door! They are expecting to open in December. Highly recommend! Prices are fair and there is something for everyone!
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Tracey D.

Yelp
Great find in the center of Rock Hill. Very welcoming, great service and good food make Kounter an excellent spot for a meal. Limited menu but everything seems delicious. My chicken sliders were a huge portion with chicken dipped in buttermilk and topped with a special sauce & pickles on a seasoned bun. The sticky chicken was served over rice with a tasty sweet tai chili sauce. All items were yummy!
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Adam D.

Yelp
Amazing food and reasonable prices, we'll be back for sure. Cool ambiance, neat updated take on the classic American counter diner. As a hobbyist woodworker, I loved all of the wood accents. Service was excellent as well
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Anthnoy C.

Yelp
This is a review from my last visit as well as my visit today. Just a note, they keep it a little cool inside so maybe bring a light sweater. To start their mimosas and Bellinis are very good. They rotate flavors for the mimosas and they are all delicious. The first time I ordered gettin piggy with it. Flatbread with pulled pork, egg jalapeño bacon with white bbq sauce. Surprisingly good and very flavorful. The sauce and pork went together so well and the flatbread brought it all together. Upon my 2nd visit I got the bama breakfast. It came displayed on a very nice glass cake stand. Very tasty, however for me the bologna was a little thick for me, but the egg and sauce with the biscuit went very well together. My wife ordered biscuits and waffle on our first visit and the old town original this time. The waffle was a bit plain but the chicken was very juicy. The old town original was fried egg over a biscuit and fried rib with jalapeño bacon. The rib was fall off the bone tender and the bacon was so so good I can go on and on about this place but to be honest just give it a shot. It's great.
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Shionda F.

Yelp
Not just supper this was an experience! Kounter just launched a Sunday Supper Club concept ! Kounter located in the heart of Rock hill,SC is launching a Sunday supper club with Chef Rob. The drinks were phenomenal and each course over exceeded my expectations. Included in this supper club experience is for each guest to choose a cocktail, & a 4 course meal , along with a surprise additional course , and a bottle of wine as well . Talk about a bang for your buck and an experience this is it . What I loved most is how interactive it was,Chef Rob came out several times to ask how was everything and if you had any favorites. My favorite hands down was the watermelon lasagna, talk about wowing your palate this course nailed it. Far as the desserts it was hard to choose a favorite everything was absolutely amazing. Be sure before leaving to check out The Jail no bail : How 30 days impacted the civil rights movement exhibit can be found when exiting Kounter .
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John D.

Yelp
Staff was very friendly and the chef came out to socialize with everyone. The steak was great and they potato pancake was exceptional. The restaurant is small, so it can definitely get loud in there. Also it completely convinced my "medium rare" steak wasn't actually "rare," but that's my biggest negative, so I can't complain too much. The desert was unique, not the greatest ever, but the presentation was solid.
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Randy B.

Yelp
Love the food. Love the drinks. Love the service. Love the location. Love the history and how they preserved it while keeping a functional restaurant. We eat here every time we are in town.
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Melissa G.

Yelp
Unfortunately I cannot give this place a good review. Out of the three of us eating, no one liked any of the food. All in all I feel like they're just trying too hard and missing the mark. They would benefit from simplifying the dishes first, then modifying/experimenting once the base dish is top notch. For example, two of us ordered salads. For some reason they come 1/2 in a bowl and 1/2 in a jar. You're supposed to shake the jar and use tongs to pull out the salad to put in the bowl, then mix again. WHY? Is this just trying to be a cool social media jar salad? Those are meant for meal prepping so your top ingredients aren't soaked by the dressing over time. At a restaurant it's just awkward and unnecessary. For my salad, the chicken was very dry and the fried coating was burnt. The dressing was also crazy sweet. We had also gotten two appetizers, the tachos and the fried ribs. The tachos were mushy and had a strange sweet relish on top. The flavor was kind of all over the place. If the tots were normal tot size and not the size of of a kiwi, they would probably crisp up better and be better complimented by the relish. The fried ribs were ok, but would have been much better without being fried. I guess it's a novelty? Idk, just another example of where it seems they try too hard to be something different/cool and it doesn't land. People were nice, venue was cool... I think dinner would be better (we were there for lunch). The people I was with had to get other food after... so I can only give the place 2 stars if we had to go pay for another meal afterwards.
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Angela D.

Yelp
Once again Kounter deserves 5 stars!! The scallop dish is fabulous!! Service always great!! The salmon was also outstanding!! Plates cleaned 100%!!
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Helen N.

Yelp
Swanky cool vibe salty foods. Brussels sprouts, chile shrimp appetizer, were way too salty. I don't know if it just tonight or what but my heart was feeling all the salt. The staff is always awesome though. Beth was super sweet and left us a nice note. We couldn't finish it because of how salty it was sadly. If the focaccia bread was on the side it might've helped balance out the dish but it was soaked in the sauce. I would've loved to have been able to taste the bread more on it own but ut was so overpowered. I got my go to meatloaf because it's the least pricey thing on the menu with the most value. The Brussels were like salt. The meatloaf helped ease the pain but it's so sad because I love Brussels sprouts. The drinks were alright. The twisted White Russian is the best with nondairy oat milk for lactose intolerant people. It's yummy and doesn't taste too strong with the flavors mixing well. Overall I hope Kounter isn't going to be losing their touch because it's been my go to for a while but I don't know if I want to continue going or recommend my friends and family.

Robert M.

Yelp
Oh my god! The food here is ridiculous! I had the smash burger and honestly I have never loved a burger so much. The Brussels sprouts on the side were transcendent. I came here expecting a so so meal at a historically significant diner and I received so much more.
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Duane M.

Yelp
I'm not sure how many reviews I've done for this fine culinary establishment but one more can only help. Fine food at a fine price with great service. Don't get no better! Everything I've tried is off da hook. Our favorite is the poke app. It also has a very nice show with the smoke. Anything you get here will be the best you ever had!
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Terri M.

Yelp
So glad Rock Hill has preserved this spot for history. Site of Friendship Nine sit in, this diner has the feel of diner, with things like meatloaf but with an upscale twist. Full bar. The drink is pretty but should come with warning "Smokey flavor forward". We made reservations. Worth a visit.
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Katie L.

Yelp
Got a handful of dishes to go and everything was delicious and would totally order them again. The restaurant is adorable inside as well.
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Jen L.

Yelp
I could go on and on about this spot - it is one of our favorites in the area. We have never had a bad meal here, and enjoy coming for their lunch menu as well as their dinner menu. The drinks are fantastic and creative as well. The history behind the building is also very interesting. On their lunch menu, our go to meals are the Cuban sandwich (for the hubby) and the Asian Chicken salad (for me). I think it is safe to say that we have tried just about every lunch menu item and have never been disappointed. They also put on events every so often which are very fun as well. They are a great asset to the community, and Chef Rob is an amazing guy! Definitely give them a try, whether it is a special event or a casual lunch.
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Brian N.

Yelp
What a culinary treat. Food presentation was awesome. Food was absolutely delicious. The tuna poke was a surprising treat. The sliders, enormous. Drinks were good, wide variety for all the tastes. Service was good as well. Cute location. Will definitely be back.
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Bou B.

Yelp
Used to be a stellar place... maybe quality has declined recently, but it's a solid option for contemporary food in Rock Hill.
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Danielle S.

Yelp
Small, cute spot! The menu choices have nice touches with some ingredients that you wouldn't really expect to go together, but they do!! (The chef knows what he is doing!) Our waitress Skylar was super nice and even told us about many things to do for fun in Rock Hill!
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Robert C.

Yelp
Wow, what a great meal in a historic location! What can I say that hasn't already been written in prior reviews? Just a few comments: The Smoking Tuna Poke and Chile + Garlic Shrimp are both terrific starters. However, the dressing on the poke is rather sweet, while the sauce for the shrimp carries a lot of heat. So what makes the two dishes even better? Combine the two on your plate. The flavors of the two dishes meld perfectly together, an ideal marriage (there's an analogy here somewhere, but I've lost it). The peppers in the poke dish have to be the most adorable ( my wife's word, not mine) we've ever seen. Quite tasty as well! On the trip to the restroom, take some time to check out the display in honor of the Friendship 9. Review the history of the event, consider how our society has changed in the last 60 years but also how much more further we can yet improve. But then, remember you left to use the restroom and that your food is getting cold. So ok, better to visit this memorial either before or after dinner. A couple minor nits, the meat loaf was on the dry side (although the potatoes and Brussels sprouts with the entree were delicious). Also, this place gets busy and when it does it suffers from all-too-typical restaurant acoustics. Seating is close so my wife was talking quietly to me from across the table. Unfortunately I couldn't hear her over the hubbub so I smiled and nodded my head a lot. Suddenly she raised her voice a bit. "Why aren't you answering my questions?", she asked. "I'm sorry", I replied, "I'm having a hard time hearing you." "Shh, keep your voice down, you're talking too loudly!" (Getting old is no fun).
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Jacqueline T.

Yelp
We came here to celebrate my mom's birthday and had a great meal. We came for an early dinner at 4:30 and if you prefer a quieter restaurant, I'd recommend that. By 5:30 it was crowded and very loud. We couldn't hear each other well. My parents, husband, and I ordered quite a few dishes and shared them all. We got the Kre8 Crisps, Baked Feta, Beef Cake Stand Sliders, Chicken Cake Stand Sliders, Deep South Bao Tacos, Salmon Belly Bao Tacos, Spaghetti O's + Meatballs, and PB+J Wontons (dessert). There wasn't a single thing that I thought wasn't good. My favorite things were probably the Spaghetti O's + Meatballs, Kre8 Crisps, and PB+J Wontons. I also really enjoyed the Bao Tacos. I liked both sliders a lot, but I wish they served them as actually sliders. They come with 8 (large portion) and they're not cut into individual sliders. The chicken ones were really hard to eat because you had to cut the chicken yourself and then each slider ended up having a different amount of chicken. The service was outstanding. Our waitress was great and the food came out fast. This is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Charlotte now. I'd definitely recommend checking it out!
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Ethan L.

Yelp
Good atmosphere and great service. Lots of great dishes. Chicken and waffles were great. My meal was crab cakes and they were okay. I thought the flavor was good but a lot of filling. I'm from Maryland so I have high expectations, so may be better to others. Lots of cool options on the menu and the smoking tuna poke was cool as they took the cover off and the smoke came out. Overall good experience and would come again
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Anthony T.

Yelp
During my very first dining experience with Kounter, my palate was wowed, my eyes and my senses were delighted through the food prep and presentation. I was thrilled. I hope to come back soon. Recently, my wife, and my in-laws experienced Kounter to celebrate someone's birthday. We were lucky enough to try much of the menu. I enjoyed everything and it's difficult to determine what items I enjoyed more than others, but I'll try my best. I would recommend getting the Kre8 crisps, Salmon belly bao tacos, Chicken sliders, and the Spaghetti-o's and meatballs.
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Teresa R.

Yelp
The perfect spot for a new experience! Try everything, but don't skip the pear martini or the ahi tuna.

Harry B.

Yelp
Great food. Unusual dishes with unusually delicious taste You will be glad you chose the establishment from the time you arrive until you depart. The prices are adequate for such a great meal. Trust me, you will make the experience a conversation with friends as to how much you enjoyed the entire event. I would recommend this establishment for any small group gathering as the crowd gets large in the evenings. Oh! The desserts are killer! We visit Kounter frequently, and never have we been dissatisfied. Great for a cozy and warm night out. My only complaint is the app I used to post my opinion.......................... it makes you write too much.
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Glenn W.

Yelp
excellent food and incredible history!!! we had a huge table and everything was GREAT!!! It is a high recommend if you are in Rock Hill area. Be prepared though... the portions are big enough for leftovers!!!
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Tabitha s.

Yelp
This place is a gem for Rock Hill. It has a cool café vibe and the food is really good. My favorite is brunch on the weekends. Place is small so I would highly recommend reservations.