Grab your mayo pool floaties and appetites for nightshade vegetables, as the infamous Duke’s Hot Tomato Summer Event returns to Greenville, SC! First started in Richmond, VA, in July 2022, this event challenged local restaurants to create innovative dishes featuring fresh, in-season summer tomatoes and Duke’s mayonnaise. Over 35 local Upcountry SC restaurants are listed as participants here.
The week of specials for 2025 runs from July 17th to 27th. While we won’t list the menu from every participating restaurant (as not all have released their options), we have highlighted some from each area around the Upcountry for you to check out!
Downtown Greenville, SC:
- Curean
- Fireforge Crafted Beer – Heirloom Tomato Sliders (Challah slider bun, local heirloom tomatoes, street corn aioli, and smoked maldon).
- Indaco
- O-Ku
- Spinx Market & Eatery – Classic Tomato Sandwich (White bread, Duke’s Mayo, and tomato)
- Papi’s Tacos (both the River Arts District and Augusta Rd locations)
- Passerelle Bistro
- Fork & Plough
- Rick Erwin’s West End Grill
- Little Secret (pop-up, location and menu coming soon)
- Mangia Martorell (pop-up, location and menu coming soon)
West Greenville, SC:
- Comal 864 (Woodside location)
- Bar Margaret
- The Bohemian Cafe – Duke’s Boho Bloody Mary (House made bloody Mary mix with Duke’s mayonnaise blended with roasted garlic, vodka, spicy bacon and pickled vegetable flag); Fried Green Tomatoes (Fried green tomatoes topped with melted house made jalapeno pimento cheese and Cajun bacon crumbles); Fried Green Tomato BLT (Fried green tomato on toasted focaccia with a sundried tomato pesto and garlic Duke’s mayonnaise with bacon and lettuce); Tomato Pie (Tomatoes with herb goat cheese, parmesan cheese, and mixed cheese with tomato pesto and Duke’s mayonanaise); and Duke’s Chocolate Mayo Cake (Duke’s chocolate mayo cake, layered with chocolate buttercream icing, and a house made tomato bacon fig jam).
- The Cook’s Station – The Duke’s BLT (Crispy pecanwood-smoked picnic shoulder bacon, lettuce, thick-sliced tomato, marinated cucumber salad, and Duke’s charred lemon aioli on sourdough bread)
- Lewis Barbecue
Midtown – Greenville, SC:
- Comal 864 (Midtown location)
- Augusta Street Market – The Franklin (Franklin Hickory Nut Gap Bacon, Hartness Farm Buttercrunch Lettuce, Smith Nursery Heirloom Tomatoes, Duke’s, and Toasted Milk Bread)
- Home Team BBQ
- Stella’s Southern Brasserie
- Social Latitude (Woodruff Rd. area) – Tomato Pie Sandwich (Marinated tomatoes, secret sauce (made with Dukes Mayo), cheddar, mozzarella with a basil seasoning); and Club Tower (3 layer tower of ham, turkey, cheddar, Swiss, bacon w/ lettuce and tomato. Finished with Duke’s Mayo.)
Eastside & Taylors/Greer, SC
- GB&D
- Mill City Kitchen – BLT pizza (Pork belly, roasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, arugula & herb Duke’s mayo)
- The Cabana at Greer Golf
- The Southern Growl
- White Wine & Butter
Simpsonville, Travelers Rest, and more:
- Bridgeway Brewing Co.
- Lili + Koko Boutique + Bubbles – Seared Ahi Tuna Tacos (Pan-seared ahi tuna paired with teriyaki marinated vegetable slaw garnished with Duke’s Sriracha cream sauce served on a flour tortilla)
- Roti by Stella’s
- Shortfields
- Stella’s Southern Bistro
- HeyDay Sandwiches and Cocktails
- Sidewall Pizza (reach out for participating locations, menu coming soon)
- Topsoil Restaurant
- Traveler’s Rest Farmers Market – For those who want to taste multiple tomato & mayo creations in one place, this is your opportunity! Check out the 10th Annual Tomato Sandwich Taste Off, from 9 – 11:30 am on July 26th. Your ticket (see link above) buys you sample-sized renditions of each of the chefs’ best attempts at a tomato sandwich and a vote to choose the winner.
- Kite Hill Brewing Co.
Whether you’re a big fan of tomato pie, your secret family recipe for chocolate cake adds a little Duke’s mayo, or you love a Mayo and tomato sandwich, you can find all kinds of creative (and traditional) twists on the classics coming up in a few weeks.
As always, stay tuned to Upcountysc.com for the latest in your travel, food, and lodging bests, and for what to do when it comes to visiting the Upcountry SC area!
By: Sarah (Moore) Gross, Contributing Author