Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery — Restaurant in Greenville

I certainly won’t be making any friends with this review, but a review is an honest opinion and this is mine. Eat Local – Ride bikes…. they say…..what they forgot to mention is that you might want to consider taking out a second mortgage if you shop here. Again, this is my opinion, not a fact. I think what disappoints me is their “mission”. Shop local, support local. What seems to be missing here, in my opinion, is that we’d all like to do that, but we have to able to afford to do that, we local people. The prices prevent me from doing this. I don’t need to be told the reasons for this. It doesn’t add up at all. I’ve lived in many different places/countries, shopped at some lovely local places, but never, ever, have I seen prices like this. Not even when I lived in Paris!

Which brings me to the Croissants. If they had that wow factor where I’d say “this is as close as I’ll get to a Parisian Croissant”, then ok, but sadly they are not for me, and at that price they should be fairly close. Yes, I’m familiar with the air pressure making a difference, the type of flour etc, the work involved, the quality of the butter, the overhead costs. I struggled to find the ham and cheese that was supposed to be in that variety.

Now to the infamous Stecca bread. It’s good but it’s good at most places that sell it. I can’t comment on any of the other baked goods as the prices are simply not justifiable and also unaffordable for me. With these prices I fail to see how this establishment is supporting local consumers. The average person cannot afford to shop here. There is a certain clientele and it does not change. Someone once described the people that can afford to shop and eat there as Rich Hippies. Swamp Rabbit Café needs to find a happy medium, unless they are content with providing only to a certain “class” of people. I’ve read replies from the owners that they don’t make a ton of money from their “mission”. Some of their Instagram Posts/Facebook posts tell a very different story, and that’s fine. What isn’t fine is the “mission” they describe, as this doesn’t add up for me personally. Yes, they take SNAP, I saw that on their website. I don’t have SNAP, but I can only imagine that if someone did use that there, they might be able to feed their family (on low income) for a couple of days, at most.

Some reviews state that everything is local. That is by no means correct. Spring onions from Mexico….nothing against that at all, but that is not supporting local. Puff pastry that costs an arm and a leg from NY? Pesto (6 oz) at $12.49! (Their prices are on their website so I’m not sharing anything that isn’t public) I wasn’t aware that Atlanta, GA was local. The list is endless of non-local produce. I have NO problem with things not being local, I have a problem with places like this advertising Buy local, Support local etc, when many of the products are not local and this establishment doesn’t seem to be up to date with the economy here either, and that not everyone is wealthy. I’d support them if they supported all local consumers.

End note is the following: I walk out of there feeling like a fool, every single time, as if I am being bamboozled, and in my opinion I am. No I don’t have to shop there, but that is not the answer to what should be supporting local, nor the point of this review. $3 for one tomato is not, in my opinion, supporting local. Selling starter plants that are quite literally dead doesn’t do it for me. I hope you people will try to really support all aspects of local and that you might find it in yourselves to focus on everyone local here because it is a circle, and only supporting suppliers cuts the circle off at times. Sadly, so many local places have closed here in Greenville, because they did not get local support as there was no room left. Shop around people and support all the local places. There is room...

Stepping into Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery feels like a breath of fresh air. From the moment I walked in, I was struck by the vibrant atmosphere and the enticing aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with something wonderfully savory. It's clear this isn't just your average grocery store; it's a community hub with a real passion for good food. Let's talk groceries first. I was genuinely impressed by the selection of locally sourced produce. The vibrant colors of the fruits and vegetables practically jumped out at me, and knowing they came from nearby farms made me feel good about what I was buying. They also have a fantastic range of artisanal cheeses, freshly baked breads that smelled absolutely divine, and unique pantry staples I haven't seen elsewhere. I ended up grabbing some beautiful heirloom tomatoes, a crusty baguette, and a block of local cheddar – I can already tell they're going to make a fantastic lunch. But the cafe side? Oh my goodness. I decided to treat myself to a breakfast sandwich, and it was honestly one of the best I've had in a long time. The ingredients tasted so fresh, the bread was perfectly toasted, and the coffee was rich and flavorful. Watching the other dishes come out – vibrant salads, hearty sandwiches, and tempting pastries – definitely put the cafe on my list for a return visit. The staff were also incredibly friendly and helpful, offering recommendations and making the whole experience even more enjoyable. Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery has managed to create something truly special. It's a place where you can stock your kitchen with high-quality, often local ingredients, and also grab a delicious meal or snack in a welcoming environment. It's the kind of place that makes you feel good about supporting local businesses and eating well. I left feeling inspired and already planning my next trip back. If you're in the area, you absolutely have to...

The coffee is delicious, the pastries are yummy, and the decorations for Fall were SO cute!

The one thing I didn't love is the kids area. SO MUCH dirt, amidst some wood chips. Every single toy is super dirty. And a lot of toys were pointless. Half of the toys were broken or wouldn't move in the dirt at all, like all of the fisher price/little tike cars, the shopping cart, etc. My girls were frustrated because they couldn't get things to move. And trying to get things to work/move, made lots of dust clouds.

It just seemed like there wasn't any upkeep at all.

I was able to find a random cup for one of them to use to at least gather some wood chips for the kitchen area or whatever, and then I had to be creative in using a piece of a broken toy as a scoop and bucket for my other daughter.

When we left, my girls were FILTHY. I'm not against kids getting a little dirty when they play. But it was pretty much like they took a dirt bath. And it's not something I would enjoy coming back to if they're going to get that dirty every time, especially if they weren't really having much fun.

The idea was cute with the different toys. My girls were honestly so excited to see the little tike cars, but they couldn't get any of them to move and a lot of the wheels were bent and broken, due to other kids probably trying to get it to move. So I feel like there needs to be either the rubber type play mat, or grass...something other than wood...