Smak — Restaurant in Gaffney

Took our son-in-law and his mother (they are Americans) to this place to get a new experience and to try some really good food. So we ordered: chebureki, tajik pilaf, lamb dumplings, lula kebab, stuffed pepper, cabbage rolls, some salads like olivie, carrot salad, eggplant salad, lavash, drinks. I love cooking and homemade food so my family is pretty familiar with our traditional food. Also I'm pretty familiar with eastern food so honestly I was kinda disappointed. I expected more flavorful and tasty food considering all the 5* reviews. The food was just ok but nothing special. "Real tajik pilaf" tasted just like my pilaf made in InstaPot. And too much zira, and no carrot etc. Sorry guys, not impressed at all. Expected real thin lavash made in tandyr but got just a flat bread like naan or pita. Nothing tasted authentic. The Americans complained about greasy food: the stuffed peppers were too oily so no one could eat them, also the chebureki. And what about lula kebab? It just reminded pork and beef meatballs on the skewers) The service was also so-so. Why don't you smile guys? Why are you taking out empty plates while ppl are eating?) Just one thing was authentic here: the real sovjet union stolovka feeling)) Despite that I would say the food is not bad and priced fairly, if you have no time for cooking at home it could...

Stopped in the QT truck stop off of i85 in Gaffney to get rest and supper for the evening. Just behind the store, in the old "GranDaddy's BBQ" building, is a very unassuming spot that holds some awesome food. Service was great. The owners' son took my order at the counter. Very kind young man. I wanted to sample, since I've never had Halal food (intentionally, at least). ordered the Samsa, Tajik Pilaf with Chicken Kabob and cabbage salad, and a creme horn. Samsa was flavorful and fresh. The pastry was buttery, savory, flaky, and tasty!

The Pilaf was comforting and flavorful with slow roasted beef. Not overly spiced, but it was a dish that is confident in what it is and not trying to be anything else. Highly recommend.

The Chicken was outstanding. Tender, juicy, and very flavorful even if just a bit salty. To me, it tasted marinated in something and prepared carefully. This dish was piled with fresh house-pickled onions also, which went very well with the pilaf.

The creme horn was, of course, delicious too! I don't usually like them, because I've never had a real one (Food Lion ones don't count as real, right?) Buttery pastry topped with powdered sugar. Creme was rich and not as sweet as I expected. Goes quite well with a cup of coffee!

Overall, give this place a try....

Stopped for dinner expecting Granddaddy's BBQ and instead found SMAX and I'm not sad about it. Middle Eastern cuisine but not your normal commercial fare. A fantastic family run restaurant. Started with the Shurpa, a lamb soup with a huge chunk of lamb, thick carrots, chickpeas, and a whole potato in a flavorful broth. One order of their Chicken Kabob meal and salad with a choice of starch: Roasted /Mash potato, Dolma, Tajik Pilaf, or Cabbage rolls. Cooked to perfection and delicious. We also ordered the Lamb Pot Roast and it was stunning. Chunks of lamb mixed with potatoes, mushrooms, chickpeas, etc in a delicious thick creamy sauce. I wish we had ordered Flatbread to sop up the last drops of sauce, it was so good. When asked, I was told everything is homemade from family recipes. Check out their desserts. They had what I thought was a whole candied peach but was instead a creme caramel peach cake. They also offer savory handpies that looked delicious. I'm hoping to...