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Universal Joint

4.0 (484 reviews)
Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

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Universal Joint Photos

Business Info

UNIVERSAL JOINT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Universal Joint

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quesadillas
Amanda S.

Stopped in for lunch. We sat out on the patio in the sunshine which was lovely. There was good music playing and our waiter was attentive. I left off one star because I have to say the chicken quesadilla I ordered was strangely flavorless. Not bad, just not great. Might need to season the chicken more and use a more flavorful cheese? I dunno, I'm not the expert! My bf liked his burger and the fries were good. I'd def go back for the vibes and try something different. Oh, also....the bathroom is tiny, which is fine, but they have a HUGE open topped garbage can in front of the toilet and it was a little too close to my face.

The bar area, demonstrative of the decor.
Tim N.

It was lunch hour on Jan 2 and the crowd was decent, we arrived at 12:25ish and our party of four was seated fairly quickly. Service was a bit slow, but we figured that was due to the crowd. This location is much more divey than the Greenville, SC location, but it is noted that this is a bar. It is also noted that this is an outdoor bar, more so than an indoor bar, since the two garage doors open the indoor space to a very ample out door space with private and community tables as well as a small bandstand. You can sense that on a pretty spring or summer day/evening, this is a much more comfortable dining spot. Our order was taken and three of our four ordered the Brisket Dip. The problem comes when we have waited at least twenty minutes past our order to be informed that "we are out of brisket for at least 45 to 50 minutes." We reordered burgers. Requested to be put at the top or closer to it on the cook station rather than to have to wait even longer. It was still pretty slow, but we were not in a particular hurry. It was merely the inconvenience and the timing that was very off-putting and there was no consideration to offer a complimentary drink or dessert or really anything other than, "what else would you like?" The thing is that we didn't get this information until more than 20 minutes after ordering. So it was not the waiters fault, it was poor communication from the kitchen to the waitstaff. However, with brisket being a featured and popular sandwich, with brisket nachos and a brisket burger and brisket tacos also all on the menu, this is a serious mid-day poor execution for the kitchen. One of our dinner guest didn't get his tots order and was given some black beans instead, when the food arrived, and then was brought a separate order of tots that looked as if 3/4 of them were older and got a second drop in the oil to refresh them, at least compared to my fresh tot order. The burgers were all decent. My medium burger was cooked well done though. It felt an awful lot like this restaurant was having an off day and unfortunately it was a busy day and I suppose following NYE things were not running as smoothly as normal.

Mimi W.

Our server was good, but she was very busy so sometimes we didn't see her. Our food came out hot and it was very well seasoned. Our drinks were pretty good and we met some of the locals even met the owners of hunkers vodka. Overall nice place, especially to stop and eat. Sports bar for sure. We enjoyed our visit.

Smash Burger
Grover W.

Took my daughter to Universal Joint for her birthday. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was fun, and the service was superb. We tried the Smash Burger, Brisket Nachos, and Blackened Fish Tacos. Everything was excellent! The service was fast and friendly, and the live music out on the patio was a nice touch. Highly recommend, and we will be back.

Pimento Cheese plate
Keith F.

This restaurant has an interesting menu. Lots of burgers and salads as well as few unique dishes. Service was ok and so were the prices. I had a Greek side salad that was small in size but did have a lot of variety in toppings. I also ordered the pimento cheese plate. It was a lot more than I expected. It had a great flavor and the seasoning on the cucumbers was great. I would definitely order it again. At the table an order of tacos and a burger were also ordered and enjoyed. The table loved their tater tots. The overall experience was pretty good. I would likely come back.

Qr code menu for draft beer
Seema Z.

Stopped here after a hike to pinnacle knob. It's in downtown Clayton and you would need to find street parking. They have a great draft selection with local beer, craft beer and also German beer like paulaner and my favorite Guinness at fantastic prices. My friends tried their burgers and they were all happy with the brisket and Swiss mushroom options.

Stewart W.

The burgers are amazing! Unfortunately I didn't get a burger. The BLT with pimento cheese was not bad, but not a burger. The tots are pretty amazing and the staff is very friendly!

Brisket Nachos

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7 years ago

Good burger, but the tater tots tasted like Ore Ida. Beer selection is big. They had 17 beers on tap.

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4 years ago

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7 years ago

Very good fresh food. Great variety. Outdoor seating area is really nice. Nice selection of food and beer!

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11 years ago

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10 years ago

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14 years ago

Delicious burgers! Great selection in a cool building. Give it a try!

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11 years ago

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5 years ago

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11 years ago

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6 years ago

I ate here twice within the last month and love sitting out by the fire! Excellent food and drinks and tons of fun at a safe distance!

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8 years ago

Great atmosphere with a diverse selection of food and beverages. Dog friendly. The waiter was knowledge about the food and drinks.

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6 years ago

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5 years ago

Great food. Nice atmosphere for an outside lunch. Very popular. You may need to wait a bit

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8 years ago

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8 years ago

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8 years ago

Great atmosphere and the burgers are amazing! Wings are delicious as well. Service is always friendly and prompt.

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7 years ago

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Page 8 of 13

Ask the Community - Universal Joint

Hi! Looking for a place to make reservations for a group of 8 during Thanksgiving week? Will you be open, have indoor seating and take reservations? We will be staying in Waterfall. Thanks!?

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We had an exceptional lunch at The Hush Cuban kitchen & bar today, and honestly, it was some of the…read morebest Cuban food we've ever had. We started with the beef empanadas, which were traditional, flavorful, and perfectly done. Then came the Cubano, and wow, absolutely outstanding. The pork was cooked perfectly, juicy and tender with just the right amount of crispy pieces that gave it incredible texture and flavor. We also ordered the Cajun Arroz con Pollo, and it completely blew us away. It was packed with flavor, the crispy chicken was truly perfect, and the Cajun seasoning was spot on, bold and delicious without being spicy. From start to finish, every bite was memorable. Add in the cool downtown Clayton vibe, and this place is a must visit. We'll absolutely be back.

Excellent food and service. We ordered the Ropa Vieja and the Avocado Salad--wow! Such a delight…read morefor the palette. The salad came with a whole avocado over fresh salad greens, tomatoes, pork and black beans. My only complaint I got full too fast. The ropa vieja was packed with flavor too. We had a shot of Uncle Nearest that was a generous pour. We will definitely return and encourage any visitors to make this a must try! Update! I wrote this review before we got our bill. The Uncle Nearest Whiskey shot was priced at $6. We were charged $10 and stated we had Jack Daniel's whiskey! When we pointed this out to our server, she said, "oh no, we have new menu prices, ok?" No, this is not okay. We should have been told this when ordering. Unbelievable the way she dismissed us.

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Clayton Cafe - Clayton Cafe Famous Fried Chicken

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Food is wonderful and the service is top notch. It is a favorite of ours when visiting Clayton. We…read morelove the Fried Green Tomatoes.

Well, it's down a couple of stars. I'm not from Clayton, but…read morewe love this little town and visit it often, last trip in January 2026. I noticed the window sign said "Angie's Clayton Cafe" and whilst being seated at 11:45AM on Tuesday June 2, 2026, noted the wall art had changed, no more local memorabilia, and the menu is now a well worn, two sheet pieces of copy paper. No problem, the place was nearing capacity per usual and we did get a window seated table. But, then I noticed, no collard greens on the menu. So, if you read my earlier reviews, you will note that I have eaten at quite a few "meat and three" style country diners and that I also know how to cook this food at home. That's a big qualifier, because Clayton Cafe had become a part of our destination trip to Clayton from Greenville, SC. It was just that good, a notch above the crowd. I didn't find this experience to be the same. The decor, service, ambiance was the same. Even the same crowd starting a 15 minute table wait shortly after noon. Business has not suffered, but the food is not the same. Overall, everything was less flavorful, more bland. The highlight, the white sawmill gravy was piping hot and flowed well, not a gloopy mess and I like that it was served on the side. The country fried steak was tender, but it had less crunch on the crust and was significantly bland - pepper and salt please. The green beans had a small chunk of meat involved, but they too were very bland and lacked a depth of flavor expected from the hamhock, the biscuit was good, but not the buttery crusty biscuit if yore. The okra was straight up flour breading with no cornmeal in the mixture and that's a game changer on this dish. Fried chicken was good. Squash, or squash casserole was a bland mess and left uneaten. Don't get me wrong. This three star rating means "OK". It's still a good meat and three. It's just not an exceptional meat and three as experiences my multiple prior visits. So that's when I asked the server if the restaurant had changed owners and yes, in April 2026. Well, there ya go, but Bon Chance to the new owners and Godspeed towards the hard work and keeping it going. Obviously, a full house lunch crowd on a Tuesday in June shows positive momentum. I'm just saying, pay attention to flavor, both in depth and complexity, to make these Southern standards stand out from the meat and three crowd.

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Clayton Cafe - 40 minute wait

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Photos
Rabun Social - Cool vibe. On the other side of the bar there are big windows that open to the outside. Outside there is seating for the bar. Very cool!

Cool vibe. On the other side of the bar there are big windows that open to the outside. Outside there is seating for the bar. Very cool!

Rabun Social - Nigiri 5

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Rabun Social - Cool artwork throughout

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Universal Joint - burgers - Updated June 2026

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