New Rock Hill restaurant at hot spot adds new eats, more music with welcoming vibe
For more than 20 years, Luke’s Sports Bar & Grill was a popular watering hole in Rock Hill where locals knew each other by name and everyone was welcome. That torch recently was passed to Garvey’s Bar & Grill.
Garvey’s opened its doors in Luke’s previous location on Labor Day, offering a menu similar to Luke’s offerings but adding a specialty — beef brisket.
“Where can you go around here where you can get brisket seven days a week? Nowhere,” co-owner Jonathan Garvey said. “So we do that here, along with pulled pork and barbecue chicken.”
He worked for weeks taste-testing different recipes, tweaking ingredients until nailing down the right flavors.
“We have three different sauces,” Garvey said. “Our eastern North Carolina sauce is vinegar based. We’ve got a South Carolina mustard sauce, and we developed our take on a Kansas City sauce. It gives you the sweet with a little heat on the back and just a little tang.”
At Garvey’s, everything’s made fresh daily — including dressings and barbecue sauces. Catering to palates ranging from tried-and-true traditionalists to eclectic foodies, Garvey serves burgers, sandwiches and salads, fried or smoked wings, and specials such as Friday flatbreads.
But Garvey’s doesn’t just serve food, it has a full bar and a selection of 15 domestic and craft beers on tap.
Once the plates and glasses are full, it’s time to play.
A musician since the mid-’80s, Garvey wanted to create a venue for entertainment. A large room off of the main dining area holds a small stage for musicians, DJs and karaoke. Garvey’s also hosts music bingo nights, corn hole tournaments, pool leagues and Golden Tee Golf, a simulated golf machine with 18 holes.
“We have something going on every day of the week,” he said. “On Sundays, we have one TV set to the Dolphins, one set to the Panthers and one set to the Bengals. One group of guys all decked out will be sitting at the table staring at that TV. That’s what a sports bar is all about.”
Jonathan and wife and co-owner Elizabeth Garvey are both Realtors and property investors. Over the last few years, they’ve flipped several residential properties. They jumped at the opportunity to open their first restaurant.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Jonathan said. “We want everybody to have a place to go that is your friendly neighborhood restaurant bar where you can enjoy yourself, and feel safe and comfortable.”
Elizabeth said she hopes Garvey’s will fill the void of losing Luke’s, a long-time staple on Herlong Avenue.
“Luke’s was the place to go. You’d say Luke’s and everybody would know what you were talking about,” she said. “I want to see what we do stand up to that kind of quality. I want to see Garvey’s be like that — a place where anybody and everybody can come.”
Want to go?
What: Garvey’s Bar & Grill
Where: 465 S. Herlong Ave., Rock Hill
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday, and 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday
Contact: 803-579-5743