River Falls Cafe has the feel of a place run by people who actually want to know you. It is a small, owner-run spot on East Main in Duncan, where the chef often comes out from the kitchen to check on tables and the counter staff walk newcomers through the menu. Diners describe a warm, unhurried room, the kind of place that is as comfortable for a quick weekday lunch as it is for a long, catch-up dinner. The kitchen works from an eclectic American menu that leans into comfort: hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood, and pasta on one side, and a full cafe of good coffee and house-made desserts on the other. Shrimp and grits is the dish reviewers name most, often calling it the best they have had, and the French dip, Cuban, and chicken-fried steak come up nearly as often. Save room for the banana pudding or the Biscoff caramel cheesecake. Prices sit in the everyday range and portions run generous, and the cooking stays consistent enough that people who live nearby keep coming back. The same kitchen caters gatherings around the Upstate, and plenty of travelers passing through Duncan make a point of stopping in on the strength of the reviews.

Set inside the clubhouse at River Falls Plantation Golf Course, this tavern sits on the wooded stretch between Greenville and Spartanburg just off I-85 exit 63, and it welcomes the public rather than only players finishing a round. Fairway and water views frame both the dining room and the outdoor seating, and a 2026 buildout added a covered open-air hangout fitted with fans, lights, and TVs geared toward game days. The kitchen leans on shareable small plates and comfort-food classics, rounded out with salads, lighter bites, and a kids' menu across weekend brunch through dinner. Behind the bar sit cocktails that reviewers tend to single out, a broad lineup of domestic and imported beer, and a short wine list. That easygoing bar-and-grill mix, paired with service visitors describe as friendly and quick, is what earns most of the praise. The honest caveat is that some regard the food as solid rather than standout and treat the tavern first as a place to unwind over a drink before or after golf, and the closest parking fills up on busy days, with an overflow lot across the street.