Sidetracked Cafe & Catering

Very, very good home-cooked food. The menu changes on a weekly basis, so it's nearly always a new option to try; there are many repeats, though, which provides "safety". Having said that, nearly everything we've had here is very good, and worth having again (the sole exception was a Kentucky Hot-brown, which was like no hot brown I'd ever had). The owners and staff are friendly, courteous, and accommodating; prices are reasonable. All in all, this is the best restaurant, by far, in Central, and one of the best in the Clemson area.

Understaffed, but the food was excellent. We parked in the gravel lot next to this nondescript building with minor Victorian accents. I admired the scalloped green roofing tiles, which I don't see too often.  The staff greeting us were very friendly and we were seated in a room with five tables with parisian motifs on the walls.  In the next room was a large gathering of ladies for a party, and that's where the management problems surfaced.  The poor waiter was assigned to both rooms, so it was frustratingly difficult getting refills and placing orders and when asked about it the staff mentioned that the owners had been cutting back.  That's a shame because the food was excellent.  My wife had the Savannah Chicken with the stuffed tomatoes and basmati rice.  I got to sample the tender chicken and it's rich sauce and the rice was superb. It's not often a side dish of rice gets such high praise, but it was delicious.  I had the Green Goddess Steak sandwich and the bread was fresh with a crisp crust while still being soft. The waiter said they don't bake their own bread, but they must be getting it locally for it to be so fresh.  It was stuffed with cucumbers, spinach, and slices of steak and was nice.  The pasta salad was good, but the homemade chips were probably the best I've ever had.  I don't think I've ever had them so thin.  Normally homemade chips are a bit crunchy but these were light and crisp and tasted wonderful. Each of us ordered a different dessert, so we got to try everything available that night: Red Velvet Cake, Pina Colada Pie, Chocolate Cobbler, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake.  I'm not a Red Velvet connoisseur, and it tasted fine by me, but the person who ordered it said it was excellent.  My wife's Chocolate Cobbler looked a messy mass, but it had a wonderful flavor and of course was her favorite of the four deserts.  My cheesecake was unpleasantly warm, and consequently overly mushy. The flavor was right, and would have been a hit if it had been chilled.  The last desert was very late in coming and the other desserts had been finished before it arrived.  It tasted delicious and it indeed tasted like a Pina Colada. I was afraid the pineapple might make it overpoweringly sweet, but they got just the right balance. My wife thought it needed a bit more coconut flavoring, but I'm not a big coconut fan and think it's perfect the way it is.  Among the other inconsistencies we found were that all our dinnerware was chipped and soft drinks are by the can.    If they  fix the staffing, kitchen inconsistencies, and plates it would be a solid 4 star rating.

The food at Sidetracked is as super as I had heard. I traveled from Atlanta to try the place, based on the recommendation of a friend.
EVERYTHING I tasted was amazing. The portions are huge and very fresh
I'm not even a dessert person, and I had to try the Orange Marmalade Cheesecake.
I was not disappointed!

Look for them on Facebook and see the weekly menu.  Worth the trip to
Central, SC

Thank you to my excellent server and dear friend,Dyan for suggesting I visit Sidetracked Cafe
I will be back with the family!
Susie