Welcome to part two ✌🏽 of my adventure in the #Carolinas. If you haven’t read the first half already, just click here 👈🏽. The first day was all about the concert but the second day was all adventure. I had planned this little mini road trip 🚗 to finish out my S/O’s birthday. First stop after checking out of hotel, Rock Hill, SC!
Our first course of action was lunch 🍽 at this new restaurant my (older) brother is managing. He had been telling about how beautiful the area was and how the restaurant had 5 floors with rooftop dining overlooking a river! 🏞 Now I’m from SC and I’m familiar with the Rock Hill area but I never knew there was a river that ran through it. So I had to see it for myself (although he had me at rooftop). 👂🏽The restaurant is called The Pump House. It’s called that because, well, that’s exactly what it used to be. 🤷🏾 It used to be an industrial pump house that pumped almost five million gallons per day to the Celanese plant. Now it’s a multi-million dollar restaurant serving upscale Southern cuisine with 12 local craft beers and over 900 different wines and a view of the Catawba River you can’t find anywhere else! 👌🏽
My initial reaction was total amazement at how beautiful the building and river was. I was super excited to get inside but we stopped to read some of the historical facts they have on the pumps. Once inside, we took the elevator to the 5th floor which was the rooftop. We sat in this lounge area overlooking the river, next to an outdoor fireplace (how chic!). 💅🏽 We had the whole section by ourselves. That plus the fact that my brother is the manager there had me feeling like VIP. 🤑😎 My brother also got a chance to help create the signature drinks, so I opted for one of his creations, the Poached Pear Margarita. 🍐
My brother insisted that we try the fried okra. I don’t eat okra so I was reluctant at first but I decided to try something new. I also ordered the seared scallops. I’m extra af and wanted to feel fancy. Plus I really love scallops! For the entree I got grilled Chilean salmon and my S/O got a salmon burger. I loved the variety of seafood they had on the menu, especially with them not being a seafood restaurant. Usually it’s just shrimp or salmon, and tilapia, which we don’t eat.
Not only was the presentation as beautiful as the view, the food was AMAZEBALLS!!! 🙌🏽 Like as I’m writing this, I wish I could UBEREats some here to Atlanta. I can taste that fried okra now. 😣 Needless to say, we cleaned our plates and finished the meal off with pinot grigio while taking in the view. 🥂
After sitting there half the day, feeling like royalty we decided it was time to go. I need to stop in Columbia before heading to Greenville to see my other (younger) brother. His girlfriend was throwing a poetry/art show and I wanted to support. 💪🏽 I had been to Greenville a few times before doing promo work, but I never really had a chance to explore the city. I did, however, know of this huge park on the river with this towering bridge that was a must-see in Greenville, Falls Park on the Reedy. It was definitely a sight to see. 😍🤗 I loved it. We walked around the park and took a few pictures before meeting with my brother and enjoying the show before our long ride back home.
I love little mini vacations like this. Any moment to get away from my normal day to explore a new city, even if it is for work, is great to me. I love traveling and I’m trying to give my bf my travel bug so he can enjoy it as much as I do. 👉🏽 Go check out The Pump House if you’re ever in the Charlotte area and see you guys in my next post. 🤙🏽
#rockhill #localguide #foodie #charlotte #travelguide #greenville
