‘Rock Hill’s food scene is exploding’: New restaurant to join growing Riverwalk lineup
There aren’t many restaurants reachable by either car, foot, bike or kayak. Rock Hill soon will have another one.
Yet another new Rock Hill restaurant, Libbie’s Bistro at Riverwalk, aims for a spring opening. Manager Chris Johnson said there are still details to work out, but the restaurant could open later in March. Libbie’s will join a slew of recent restaurant openings that include Kounter, 354 Skybar, Ay Papi Tacos & Tequila and others.
“It seems like Rock Hill’s food scene is exploding right now,” Johnson said. “We’ve got some great chefs in town.”
Libbie’s intends to add another. Chef Brandon Williams brings corporate dining experience in Charlotte to the new Riverwalk site. The Libbie’s menu will have entrees from the mid-$20s to sandwiches for $10. There are firecracker wings with a house-made glaze, deviled eggs with fried capers, a glazed porkbelly appetizer and Carolina caviar with red peas, peppers and onions.
“Our feature entree will be our short ribs,” Johnson said.
There are seafood dishes and pasta, crab cakes, rustic chicken with French preparation, he said. There are burgers and sandwiches. A taco trio will have braised chicken, porkbelly and short ribs. There’a a Carolina power bowl with an assortment of lighter offerings.
“We’ve got healthy options, too,” Johnson said.
The 652 Herrons Ferry Road address is a corner site at Riverwalk. There were prior plans for an Italian restaurant there. The location looks out toward the Piedmont Medical Center Trail and Catawba River, just below the U.S. 21 bridge. It’s in a growing community of new homes with plenty of sidewalks and bike trails.
Libbie’s will be open for lunch and dinner, and has garage doors on either side to take in the scenery.
”It’s awesome,” Johnson said of the location. “It’s beautiful inside.”
The dining experience, in scale, should fit in between what guests might experience at other restaurants nearby. Riverwalk has a growing list of restaurants or food sites that includes The Pump House, Grapevine Wine Shop and The Brass Tap.
“Out tagline is simple, approachable and refined,” Johnson said. “It will be ingredients people recognize. We want to make it approachable enough to be able to have regulars.”
This story was originally published March 1, 2021 at 1:05 PM.
