My daughter was in Clover having her hair done, and I met her for lunch afterwards. There on King Mountain Street (Hwy 55 on the Mountain side of Main) was a cute cafe with a catchy name, and I’ve never been able to resist such. The cafe is in an older building, and while simply decorated, it has a bit of charm. We chose one of the small tables towards the front, and enjoyed watching traffic go by.
As you can probably tell by the SouPanini, the specialties in the cafe are 1) Soup, and 2) Panini (an Italian sandwich pressed in a grill iron). We ordered two combo’s – - a cup of soup and Panini of choice. There were two soups – - a corn chowder, and broccoli cheddar, simmering in industrial sized crock pots. The Panini’s were displayed in a refrigerated case, selections ranging from Turkey Pesto, California (turkey, spinach, avacodo, roasted peppers & more), Philly, Southwestern Chicken, Tuna Melt, and a “Man-ini” which was laden with salami, ham, pepperoni, and cheese.
I was surprised not to have a vegetarian choice. I’m not sure special requests could be accommodated, as the sandwiches were pre-made, possibly off-site. I think that DHEC requirements differ for restaurants based on what level of food prep is done, and it is possible that SouPanini’s is set up for sale, but limited prep.
My daughter and I each ordered a small soup/half panini (so we could experience the whole SouPanini!). My soup was quite tasty, and I enjoyed the California Panini very much. Rachel’s soup was piping hot, delicious. She wasn’t crazy about her Chicken Broccoli Panini, pronounced is as “okay.”
We didn’t sample the desserts or Gelato (Italian ice cream). There was a beautiful cases of cheesecakes, mile-high chocolate pie, and other tempatations. The cheesecakes came from The Cheesecake Factory. I’m not sure where the gelato was from, but it was not made on-site (I asked). A few years ago I co-owned and operated a coffee shop in Lake Wylie, and we experimented with gelato, ordering from a couple of vendors who made it locally. The gelato had a relatively short shelf life (about a week) before its consistency changed. So unless the store is high volume, gelato from an outside vendor isn’t economical or ideal for best flavor.
So – - bottom line. SouPanini’s is a good choice in Clover for something a little different, but I don’t think I’d drive out of my way. The staff was delightful and responsive, and the atmosphere relaxing. The place begs for an espresso machine and coffee bar menu. I’m not sure its current offerings will carry it through the long haul.
Panini prices are $5.50-$6.75, soup $3-$4, gelato $2-$3, and cheesecake $6.50 a slice. Open Tue-Sat 11am-8pm. 108 Kings Mtn Street, Clover. 803-222-4050
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