Very good if you like spicy buffalo chicken dip! Our server…read morewas awesome and knew a lot about the menu and was super helpful for our first time

My wife and I tried out The Flock Shop in Simpsonville this past Saturday…read more It's located at 129 Main Street, Simpsonville, SC--a block from the clock, where you'll find the Flock. We had a plan to visit somewhere we'd never been before, so we wandered around checking local reviews. We stopped right in front of The Flock Shop and asked, "That's the new place, right?" This location opened in January 2026, I believe. The original is on the south side of Spartanburg on Pine Street (US 176). First impressions matter. We barely got in the door before we were enthusiastically greeted at the hostess stand. There's "welcoming," and then there's sincere hospitality. We got the sincere hospitality. Like the original, the Simpsonville location is one part industrial brick and cinderblock, one part garage with roll-up doors, and one part chicken joint--complete with chicken-wire-inspired dividers and décor. It's wide open, bright, and spacious, with plenty of tables, a few high tops, comfortable booths, and an outdoor covered patio with fans running at full speed. Our waitress was fantastic. Friendly and helpful, she took orders, explained menu items, and even gave us a little backstory on the restaurant. She also wasn't shy about telling us what she personally liked. It never felt like a sales pitch--just honest guidance from someone who knew the menu. My wife ordered a Diet Coke, I got a Coke Zero, and somehow she never mixed them up through multiple refills. I would have. I also watched the staff move swiftly around the dining room taking and delivering orders. Even the busboy stopped to check on us. The menu is predominantly chicken, naturally, but there were several appetizers we'll have to try another time. The "Pre-Game" section includes egg rolls, loaded fries, catfish nuggets, and Mac 'n' Cheese Fritters that looked outstanding. (And points to the typesetter for using the proper number and placement of the apostrophes!) There's also crispy pickled okra, which a real Southerner would probably appreciate. The "Sammiches" section offers variations on hot chicken, plus a Chicken Salad BLT and a Catfish Po-Boy, along with four salads. But the headliner is the dry-brined, buttermilk-soaked chicken: available as two or three tenders, nuggets, or a boneless breast. You then choose your heat level, ranging from none to three flames, Korean BBQ, or an Alabama White with Hot Honey called "Flock Style." My wife ordered the Korean BBQ two-piece. I ordered the three-piece with no heat. I've got nothing to prove, LOL. And how many times have I ordered a three-piece or four-piece chicken tender meal only to receive sad little nugget-sized strips that, combined, wouldn't equal one real chicken breast? She chose the Simple Slaw and the Adluh Farms Stone Ground Grits. I got the Baked Mac 'N' Cheese and Hush Puppies. In no time at all, the trays arrived. I've tried chicken tenders all over the country, and these were the largest I've seen in a couple of decades. It's also been a long time since I didn't finish my lunch. They were big, crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside, with just a slight heat and a real "Grandma slaved over a hot skillet of Crisco" flavor. The Korean BBQ tenders were every bit as large, coated in a tangy sauce that clung to the chicken instead of weeping off, and finished with a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds. Have to pick, death is not an option, her Korean BBQ tenders were better. Her slaw was crisp and fresh, not swimming in mayonnaise, with a nice balanced flavor. The Mac 'N' Cheese was good. The Hush Puppies, however, were more like Hush Hounds--big ol' crispy spheres served with a sweet whipped butter that I swear had a hint of cinnamon. Yeah...those were really good. But the biggest surprise of the entire lunch? The grits. One bite and I actually teared up. These were the best grits I've had as a Yankee transplant since arriving in the South in 1982. Growing up, grits were simply a breakfast grain--somewhere between Malt-O-Meal and oatmeal to my middle-school palate. Then somebody invented shrimp and grits, and I started paying attention. Now I've found something even more grand. These were hearty grits, served piping hot yet still creamy instead of congealing into a school cafeteria mashed-potato-like lump. Mixed in were chunks of smoked bacon and goat cheese, with a special guest star: spiced crushed pecans. Pecans! I don't know who came up with that recipe, but if you're looking to adopt me, I'm available. The chicken alone is worth the drive to Simpsonville. The grits? Man, what a great side dish to a fine and fun lunch. I know I've raved about them--probably too much--but you know how I get when restaurants serve genuinely good food at a decent price. As we were finishing up, our waitress very kindly brought us a to-go cup of those incredible grits to accompany the one untouched chicken tender I couldn't finish. Man, what a breakfast I had the next morning.