2024 America's Classics: Wade's Restaurant
Wade’s Restaurant is one of six recipients of the 2024 America's Classics Award, presented by Heinz. A Restaurant and Chef Awards category, the America's Classics Award is given to locally owned restaurants that have timeless appeal and are beloved regionally for quality food that reflects the character of its community.
Located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, this family-run restaurant was founded in 1947 by Wade Lindsey and Betty Lindsey. Wade’s follows family recipes for its Southern meat-and-three menu. Everything is made fresh from whole foods and served at a fair price. It’s a place where tea is steeped the old-fashioned way, and chicken is breaded by hand. The Lindsey children, Hamp and Carole, took the helm in 1977 and now grandkids Wade and Anna have joined the team and lead operations alongside Joey Basso. Sonya Hunter and Ray Pearson lead the charge in the kitchen and have been part of the Wade’s Restaurant family for more than two decades. Every team member is made to feel valued, and it shows up in their quintessential hospitality.