Back in October, we decided to go for a little drive and wound up in Travelers Rest for lunch at the Cafe at Williams Hardware (13 Main Street).

Located right along the Swamp Rabbit Trail, the cafe was hopping on this gorgeous autumn day. The line was long when we arrived but there was a greeter handing out menus and the ordering systems seemed to be both fast and organized. I opted for the chicken salad sandwich with potato salad while Mr. McB ordered the grilled cheese BLT sans “T.”

Unable to secure a spot on either of the porches, we took a high-top table inside the cafe. We enjoyed chatting and people watching.

A mother and her teenage daughters soon sat near us. They were our first indication that the ordering system (you place the order at the register and get a number to take to your table) might not be so efficient since they made it to their table without a number. They flagged down a server and after trying to find the order, she took it again. It was when these ladies got their food that we really noticed that we had been waiting for more than 30 minutes on our sandwiches. We asked our server about it. She set off to find our order and said that she would get us a free dessert to make up for the wait.

Within five minutes our sandwiches made it to the table. My chicken salad was really very delicious. It was prepared with a mix of herbs that made it light and delicious. The chicken chunks were plump and juicy. The bread was good and the tomato and lettuce were both very fresh. The potato salad (made with redskin potatoes) had a nice flavor but the potatoes didn’t seem to be cooked thoroughly. I like the potato to retain a little of it’s bulk but I don’t want to encounter a bite of potato that borders on raw.

McB’s grilled cheese BLT came with the “T” despite his request and assurances that this was no problem. It was an easy remedy since the tomato was simply added to the top after the sandwich was prepared. It was still a little disappointing that after waiting all this time the simple request wasn’t fulfilled. They were very generous with the bacon which had a smoky flavor that I enjoyed but that he didn’t find as appealing.

We selected a piece of chocolate cake for our dessert. It was very moist and nice.

We decided that the cafe was a nice spot if you were out for a walk or ride on the trail but that it didn’t merit a special trip.