New downtown York restaurant opens with southern ‘soul food’ concept
Brandon Metcalfe said he moved to York County 14 years ago and stumbled across historic downtown York, S.C. He thought it would make a nice place for a restaurant, he said.
“Just good old-fashioned food people grew up on,” he said.
He and some buddies decided to expand on his father’s restaurants, SoCo Grille, SoCo Chophouse, SoCo Marina Grille and the upcoming SoCo Wood-Fired Pizza. The restaurants are based mainly in Georgetown, S.C.
The first franchised SoCo Grille is now open in York.
Greg Metcalfe, Brandon’s father and executive chef, said the concept is southern soul food with a Southwest twist.
“The really unique thing about our restaurant concept is that everything is homemade and fresh,” Greg Metcalfe said, adding the restaurant does not have a freezer. “So when you to eat with us, it’s going to be kind of like going to Grandma’s supper table on Sunday.”
One specialty is Greg Metcalfe’s mother’s meatloaf recipe. Others include seafood from the S.C. coast like grouper, shrimp, flounder, along with tacos and quesadillas. The grill also uses local markets for vegetables and a meat company in Hickory Grove, S.C.
Sides include southern staples like collard greens, butter beans, mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese.
“We feel like our concept is a small-town concept,” Greg Metcalfe said. “It’s a meat and potatoes, comfort food, and so we really feel like York is a great fit for us.”
The restaurant is open 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday - Thursday; 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and will eventually include a Sunday brunch.
The restaurant is located at 8 N. Congress Street.
