Ready to sample the best of York County restaurants? Here’s how to win prizes for it.
Call it the YoCo Taste Trail, take two.
On Tuesday Visit York County released its second annual list of some of the best area restaurants. The release also starts the clock on a series of prizes throughout 2021, just for eating out and checking in to prove it.
In early 2020 Visit York County and US Foods launched the taste trail. It’s patterned after the popular YoCo Brew Trail which draws hundreds of people to area breweries. Diners download or pull up the Visit York County app and check in at restaurants when they eat there.
Last year there were 15 dishes from across the county selected for the trail. Restaurants and tourism officials didn’t know then just how interesting a year it would be for area restaurants and diners.
”We had two great months,” said Visit York County president and CEO Billy Dunlap, “and then COVID came around.”
Indoor dining closed for months in 2020 to curb spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Even now many area restaurants still do more takeout or curbside orders than before COVID hit.
“The restaurants in York County have done such a great job since March, reinventing themselves and figuring out how to navigate the pandemic,” Dunlap said. “This is just another way to bring exposure to them.”
The second version of the taste trail has a few changes. The most noteable one expands the menu at participating restaurants.
“Last year we did 15 particular dishes on the taste trail,” Dunlap said. “This year we’re doing 15 restaurants.”
The trail still will highlight certain dishes at each stop.
”It’s the same principle,” Dunlap said of year two. “You check in on our app. Every time you check in at a restaurant per month, you’re entered into a drawing for a $25 gift certificate. If you do 12 of the 15 (restaurants) throughout the year, you’re entered in for a $250 gift certificate.”
The gift certificates are incentives, Dunlap said, but the selected restaurants have plenty to offer with their food. The trail is a mix of area staples and restaurants that opened within the past year. There are breakfast and dessert spots, even a food truck.
“This taste trail really just highlights some of the ones that are special and have dishes that we know people want to partake in,” Dunlap said.
Included in the new taste trail are Spice Asian Eatery, Taco Molino, Salmeri’s Italian Kitchen, Hobo’s Bar & Grill and Cupcrazed in Fort Mill. Rock Hill adds Kounter, LRB Cantina, Ebenezer Grill, PW’s Ice Cream and the Cibi Cibi Food Truck. Lake Wylie has Bagel Boat and Chef’s Kitchen.
Sweet Caroline’s barbecue in McConnells, Greek Grill in Tega Cay and Garden Cafe York round out the list.
Dunlap said the food at participating restaurants — whether dining in or still through takeout and curbside — is reason enough to make the trip. The prizes aren’t bad either. He hopes the 2021 taste trail will serve both restaurants and diners, at a time when both could probably use it.
“Just continuing to serve the restaurants that have served us for so long,” Dunlap said.
This story was originally published January 12, 2021 at 11:49 AM.
