Everybody that has rated this place this far is crazy. The service was great. The food was very good (I had the fried bologna). The atmosphere is southern diner (I sat at the bar and ordered and ate). I loved this place. Part for the food and part for the people. I suggest giving it a try.
(4)
Oscar Y.
Everyone on Yelp tends to sound a little disappointed about this place. They sounded so disappointed that, although I was driving through Gaffney, I thought I would give it a miss. I'm glad I didn't, because it was a rare experience. Rare, for one reason, because I was the only customer 1130am on a Friday (so, no cigarette smoke). Rare also, because when I sat at the corner and ordered a dog, she handed it to me in a brown paper bag, so instead of eating at the counter, I took the hint, and took the bag and left, though she was really nice about putting the chili in a cup on the side (see pix of the dog outside and with the rental car). Rare, also, because the interior is one of a kind - - absolutely amazing diner fixtures - - incredible to behold (before leaving with the brown paper bag). The chili IS bland and a touch watery, but it might actually be homemade (not from a can as others have suggested)- - it has a lot of ground beef, but on a very innocuous base The dog and bacon were fun, the cheese was not technically cheese, from my perspective. It was, instead, industrial goo. Overall, this is a real curiosity - - the food is probably nothing anybody should travel more than a mile out of their way to seek out. The atmosphere, decorations, and fixtures ARE, however - - a totally unique and cool looking place. The staff there are scary. Inscrutably, frightningly, scary (people kept yelling out of the kitchen or walking in and saying inscrutable things). Surly, insensitive, self-absorbed. This place clocks in 9 out of 10 on the weird-o-meter. There is something strange going on here, for better or worse. 4 out of 5 stars.
(4)
Darlene L.
I must start by saying YUK!!!!! We like going to DDD spots and have had great success in the past. This is not worth seeking out. Ordered a Chili Burger (that they were on the show for). When it came out it had 1 small meatball and some running chili like substance on top. That was a chili sandwich, not a burger!!! My son (12) ordered the "homemade" chicken salad. He ate 2 bites and said his stomach was sick! We lovingly call my son a garbage disposal because he is at that age of a boy eating everything. He threw it away!!! We did not even eat it!!! Restaurant is connected to a smokey bar. The bathrooms are located in that side, so you have to walk through nasty smokey bar to use the restroom. The restaurant is in terrible disrepair. Total waste of time.
(1)
Craig G.
Stopping by to check out another "as seen on TV" diner. I had the chili burger as featured on DDD, and it's basically a nice Sloppy Joe with a meatball. They look small, but I found it filling enough. Despite signs to the contrary we had booth service and the staff was friendly. I guess its' more of a warning when things are crazy busy, which wasn't the case later afternoon on this autumn Saturday. The menu has a nice variety, although soft drinks are by the can. It's not too far off the interstate if you're into "famous restaurant" stops. The food and prices were fine, but wouldn't engender a "this place will be famous" response from a typical visitor.
(3)
Russ M.
I was drawn by the promos that Harolds had been featured on DDD w/Guy Fieri. Just goes to prove that the fact that Harolds was on TV does NOT mean that it serves good food. It IS a Diner, it IS a Dive...both of which are good things to me. I love a home town, diner with a big taste of something delicious...this ain't it... The "Chili Burger" was a sloppy joe lite. A bun w/a bit of mustard, a bit of onion and a dollop of their world famous "home-Made" chili. This chili appeared to be ground beef and canned tomato sauce. A Manwich Sandwich at my house would have been better. I also got a hot dog with chili cheese and bacon. Not impressive, Atlanta's Varsity or Alabama's Sneaky Pete's are WAAAAYYY ahead. I am glad I found Harolds and tried it out. Part of the adventure is that there are good, bad and ugly...this one is just bad.
(2)
George D.
A-OK is the best I can come up with. Given that it was on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives AND is in Gaffney, SC, it was pretty much one would expect. Not very clean. What surprised me was there is a bar side connected to the restaurant and reeks of smoke. I had to go to that side as that is where the men's room is located. The service was very good - from my waitress only. She took my order, delivered my order, brought me 1 water refill and was nice as could be. When I went to the counter to ask for a refill and some mustard, the woman didn't smile nor did she really say too much... and the place was pretty empty so not like she was busy. When I left, I gave the 2 women near the door a "see y'all later" and neither said anything to me. I splurged and ate very bad.... 2 chili dogs and fries. But, I did drink water! The dogs were pretty good. The chili was a touch too sweet for my tastes. The fries are the crinkle cut kind and were pretty good but not fresh cut. Tip - they charge 79 cents for credit card use. On a $6 lunch that's a 13% surcharge. A little over top wouldn't you agree? I can say I now tried the place with the big billboard on 85 with Guy Fieri's face on it. I won't go back - not because of any issue just doesn't have that 5 star pull.
(3)
A Captivating P.
Good food but nothing to write home about. Good country place, and good service. Owner Tony was a good guy and customer service was number one for him. I would visit again.
(3)
Kati S.
While passing through we decided to stop for a bite to eat. It was as I expected and assumed which is extreme hangover cure meets ball field food. After getting about half way through our food a little friend decided to stop by. I named him Guy the cockroach. I'm not sure why this establishment was featured on the food network in general as there isn't anything spectacular to it. Needless to say I won't be returning. (Photo of cockroach and menu at booth posted) the staff however, was very sweet. I just wish their working conditions were better.
(1)
Randy B.
This place is a southern cafe dive from hell! I love joints like this. This is a place to stop when coming up 85 as long as you like southern ass dive cafes. The chili burger is more like a sloppy joe with mustard but it's pretty damn good. The beans are southern style cooked in a load of fat. Corn bread could be better but not bad. Now the folks here are like the ones in Mayberry. Every one says "howdy" including the other customers which appear to be good old southern regulars. Service is good and smiles are big. The place is definitely worth a try. If you don't like it.... So what. Nothing in the place cost much.
(4)
Emily N.
This place takes the "dive" part of DD&D a little too seriously. Embrace what you are, but keep it clean. Paper plates were laid over the pots holding the food to keep it fresh? Idk...a little sketchy. However, my chili hamburger was excellent and my husband loved his chili dog. The fried pickles were average, nothing special. Im glad we tried it, would recommend it to a few select friends that I feel could get past the location/surroundings and actually enjoy the food.
(3)
Sid A.
I we t here based on Food Network experience and a friends recommendation. Chili burger was bad, something a kid would fix. Pinto beans were OK but a long shot from the best I've ever had. Cornbread muffin was dry. If traveling thru Gaffney on I-85, instead go to Daddy Joes BBQ.
(2)
Fred B.
Sought this place out, after reading various reviews - think it was even on TV - how bad can a restaurant in a town that has a tower topped by a giant peach out on the Interstate. Supposedly sells their "home made" chili by the gallon. If it is home made, it is from a broken home. This is the worst hot dog place I've been in since Bill's in little Washington. Having eaten in my share of holes-in-the-wall, I was not deterred by the exterior, actually encouraged remembering adventures of the past - my second mistake of this food hunt - the first of course was starting it to begin with. We arrived early, expecting there would be a crowd at noon in such a popular and well advertised place. There were already a few folks there - four locals bellied up to the bar (2 men, 2 women - this is balance), drinking beer, into which several pour salt, while smoking - they did seem to have most of their teeth, in the front at least. As a precaution, we ordered the hot dogs (yes, we ordered several - mistake #3) to go. This is something I'll do when my food instincts tell me all may not be right here. It took a little while to get our dogs - apparently avoiding stress by refusing to rush around is big here - the 4 at the bar had already ordered another round - it was 11:15AM. We left with our brown sack of dogs, feeling apprehensive, yet strangely excited on several different levels. Back in the car, the first bite was mind numbing - we had found the world's worst Southern chili dog - it was not Southern, nor chili, nor a hot dog. Luckily we had parked near a street side trash can, and I quickly dumped the remains there - this way no animals would be lost by feasting on the leftovers. Not all food adventures end well, but all are interesting.
(1)
Ken C.
Saw this place on the Food Network, so while in Gaffney, I decided to stop by. Ordered a chili dog and a chili burger, both tasted like dog food. This is by far the worst place I've ever been in. Stay far way from this place. No stars.
(1)
Bob B.
wow... what a disappointment. expected it to have the appeal associated with the food channel show. it is a dive with lousy (but cheap) food. unfortunately i can think of at least five places that i swore i would never return to that run circles around this pace and more that actually deserve notoriety. i am surprised that the food channel doesn't follow up to confirm whether or not the place still deserves to be listed on their web site. this one does not.
(1)
JT L.
Lots of history. Used to eat here as a kid. Still has the best hotdogs at the best price in the Southeast, hands down.
(4)
Hot Tub J.
Food is awesome (country-ass simple) and they also have fatback! What the H? Who sells fatback? Harolds, that's who! Hotdogs rule, those sloppy joe things rule, and that bean soup mess is awesome also. Their tea will give you Type II diabetes is you get a refill also. Don't let that crabby old bat with the white fright wig wait on you, she is always hung over and a grump. The other ladies and sweethearts.
(4)
Anna K.
We went here because I saw it on Food Network. The food was cheap (in quality also). On the wall they had a magazine page from the review of Food Network where the man said it was hysterical. I guess that was a compliment to them. My chili burger was meat sauce with a meatball in it. My boyfriend got a sauerkraut dog. You could tell the hotdog was sitting in the heater the whole day and the sauerkraut came from a can. The server was very short with her words and when she brought us our drinks she set a can down and a styrofoam cup. We had to pour the drink ourselves. The place was OLD. The furniture looked like it'd been there since WWll. Wouldn't go there again. You can only pay with a credit card if the order is over $20 if I remember correctly.
(1)
Dan F.
Ok, so I tour manage a band and one thing to do on the road is find the best or most unique thing to eat since most of the day consists of driving. After a month on the road we were on our way to NC for our last show and stopped at Harold's because it was on my tv food app. This was by far the worst place we ate all tour. Be wary of any place that puts a food network graphic over and entire window. This place is cheap but that's about all it has going for it. Te description had said something about made from scratch. I'm not sure what is exactly made from scratch, perhaps the "chili". If in fact it's homemade they may want to consider switching to canned stuff. I had a chili dog, some fries, poppers, onions rings and chicken stew. The stew was def homemade and that's what made it bad. A thin milky broth with some potato and overlooked chicken. The chili dog was your run of the mill packaged hot dog with their chili and some liquid fo cheese reminiscent of high school cheese fries. All the other apps or sides were just some frozen fries up restaurant supply items. I can't figure out what it was that earned this place a spot in television.
(1)
Randy N.
Pinto Beans and Cornbread in a down south home-style hole in the wall. Not as good as expected. Beans were not cooked long enough, and under-seasoned. Cornbread - OK, but nothing to write home about. The Food Network build up and the pictures of the beans on the website led to (reasonably high) expectations. Not bad. just meh.
(2)
Matt T.
Wish I would have read other reviews before I visited. I agree with others. The chili burger was just bad. We also ordered a fried bologna burger and other than the mustard there was not much flavor. Cheap fries and just bad food all around. Best advice, stop somewhere else.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Divey Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
John H.
Everybody that has rated this place this far is crazy. The service was great. The food was very good (I had the fried bologna). The atmosphere is southern diner (I sat at the bar and ordered and ate). I loved this place. Part for the food and part for the people. I suggest giving it a try.
(4)Oscar Y.
Everyone on Yelp tends to sound a little disappointed about this place. They sounded so disappointed that, although I was driving through Gaffney, I thought I would give it a miss. I'm glad I didn't, because it was a rare experience. Rare, for one reason, because I was the only customer 1130am on a Friday (so, no cigarette smoke). Rare also, because when I sat at the corner and ordered a dog, she handed it to me in a brown paper bag, so instead of eating at the counter, I took the hint, and took the bag and left, though she was really nice about putting the chili in a cup on the side (see pix of the dog outside and with the rental car). Rare, also, because the interior is one of a kind - - absolutely amazing diner fixtures - - incredible to behold (before leaving with the brown paper bag). The chili IS bland and a touch watery, but it might actually be homemade (not from a can as others have suggested)- - it has a lot of ground beef, but on a very innocuous base The dog and bacon were fun, the cheese was not technically cheese, from my perspective. It was, instead, industrial goo. Overall, this is a real curiosity - - the food is probably nothing anybody should travel more than a mile out of their way to seek out. The atmosphere, decorations, and fixtures ARE, however - - a totally unique and cool looking place. The staff there are scary. Inscrutably, frightningly, scary (people kept yelling out of the kitchen or walking in and saying inscrutable things). Surly, insensitive, self-absorbed. This place clocks in 9 out of 10 on the weird-o-meter. There is something strange going on here, for better or worse. 4 out of 5 stars.
(4)Darlene L.
I must start by saying YUK!!!!! We like going to DDD spots and have had great success in the past. This is not worth seeking out. Ordered a Chili Burger (that they were on the show for). When it came out it had 1 small meatball and some running chili like substance on top. That was a chili sandwich, not a burger!!! My son (12) ordered the "homemade" chicken salad. He ate 2 bites and said his stomach was sick! We lovingly call my son a garbage disposal because he is at that age of a boy eating everything. He threw it away!!! We did not even eat it!!! Restaurant is connected to a smokey bar. The bathrooms are located in that side, so you have to walk through nasty smokey bar to use the restroom. The restaurant is in terrible disrepair. Total waste of time.
(1)Craig G.
Stopping by to check out another "as seen on TV" diner. I had the chili burger as featured on DDD, and it's basically a nice Sloppy Joe with a meatball. They look small, but I found it filling enough. Despite signs to the contrary we had booth service and the staff was friendly. I guess its' more of a warning when things are crazy busy, which wasn't the case later afternoon on this autumn Saturday. The menu has a nice variety, although soft drinks are by the can. It's not too far off the interstate if you're into "famous restaurant" stops. The food and prices were fine, but wouldn't engender a "this place will be famous" response from a typical visitor.
(3)Russ M.
I was drawn by the promos that Harolds had been featured on DDD w/Guy Fieri. Just goes to prove that the fact that Harolds was on TV does NOT mean that it serves good food. It IS a Diner, it IS a Dive...both of which are good things to me. I love a home town, diner with a big taste of something delicious...this ain't it... The "Chili Burger" was a sloppy joe lite. A bun w/a bit of mustard, a bit of onion and a dollop of their world famous "home-Made" chili. This chili appeared to be ground beef and canned tomato sauce. A Manwich Sandwich at my house would have been better. I also got a hot dog with chili cheese and bacon. Not impressive, Atlanta's Varsity or Alabama's Sneaky Pete's are WAAAAYYY ahead. I am glad I found Harolds and tried it out. Part of the adventure is that there are good, bad and ugly...this one is just bad.
(2)George D.
A-OK is the best I can come up with. Given that it was on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives AND is in Gaffney, SC, it was pretty much one would expect. Not very clean. What surprised me was there is a bar side connected to the restaurant and reeks of smoke. I had to go to that side as that is where the men's room is located. The service was very good - from my waitress only. She took my order, delivered my order, brought me 1 water refill and was nice as could be. When I went to the counter to ask for a refill and some mustard, the woman didn't smile nor did she really say too much... and the place was pretty empty so not like she was busy. When I left, I gave the 2 women near the door a "see y'all later" and neither said anything to me. I splurged and ate very bad.... 2 chili dogs and fries. But, I did drink water! The dogs were pretty good. The chili was a touch too sweet for my tastes. The fries are the crinkle cut kind and were pretty good but not fresh cut. Tip - they charge 79 cents for credit card use. On a $6 lunch that's a 13% surcharge. A little over top wouldn't you agree? I can say I now tried the place with the big billboard on 85 with Guy Fieri's face on it. I won't go back - not because of any issue just doesn't have that 5 star pull.
(3)A Captivating P.
Good food but nothing to write home about. Good country place, and good service. Owner Tony was a good guy and customer service was number one for him. I would visit again.
(3)Kati S.
While passing through we decided to stop for a bite to eat. It was as I expected and assumed which is extreme hangover cure meets ball field food. After getting about half way through our food a little friend decided to stop by. I named him Guy the cockroach. I'm not sure why this establishment was featured on the food network in general as there isn't anything spectacular to it. Needless to say I won't be returning. (Photo of cockroach and menu at booth posted) the staff however, was very sweet. I just wish their working conditions were better.
(1)Randy B.
This place is a southern cafe dive from hell! I love joints like this. This is a place to stop when coming up 85 as long as you like southern ass dive cafes. The chili burger is more like a sloppy joe with mustard but it's pretty damn good. The beans are southern style cooked in a load of fat. Corn bread could be better but not bad. Now the folks here are like the ones in Mayberry. Every one says "howdy" including the other customers which appear to be good old southern regulars. Service is good and smiles are big. The place is definitely worth a try. If you don't like it.... So what. Nothing in the place cost much.
(4)Emily N.
This place takes the "dive" part of DD&D a little too seriously. Embrace what you are, but keep it clean. Paper plates were laid over the pots holding the food to keep it fresh? Idk...a little sketchy. However, my chili hamburger was excellent and my husband loved his chili dog. The fried pickles were average, nothing special. Im glad we tried it, would recommend it to a few select friends that I feel could get past the location/surroundings and actually enjoy the food.
(3)Sid A.
I we t here based on Food Network experience and a friends recommendation. Chili burger was bad, something a kid would fix. Pinto beans were OK but a long shot from the best I've ever had. Cornbread muffin was dry. If traveling thru Gaffney on I-85, instead go to Daddy Joes BBQ.
(2)Fred B.
Sought this place out, after reading various reviews - think it was even on TV - how bad can a restaurant in a town that has a tower topped by a giant peach out on the Interstate. Supposedly sells their "home made" chili by the gallon. If it is home made, it is from a broken home. This is the worst hot dog place I've been in since Bill's in little Washington. Having eaten in my share of holes-in-the-wall, I was not deterred by the exterior, actually encouraged remembering adventures of the past - my second mistake of this food hunt - the first of course was starting it to begin with. We arrived early, expecting there would be a crowd at noon in such a popular and well advertised place. There were already a few folks there - four locals bellied up to the bar (2 men, 2 women - this is balance), drinking beer, into which several pour salt, while smoking - they did seem to have most of their teeth, in the front at least. As a precaution, we ordered the hot dogs (yes, we ordered several - mistake #3) to go. This is something I'll do when my food instincts tell me all may not be right here. It took a little while to get our dogs - apparently avoiding stress by refusing to rush around is big here - the 4 at the bar had already ordered another round - it was 11:15AM. We left with our brown sack of dogs, feeling apprehensive, yet strangely excited on several different levels. Back in the car, the first bite was mind numbing - we had found the world's worst Southern chili dog - it was not Southern, nor chili, nor a hot dog. Luckily we had parked near a street side trash can, and I quickly dumped the remains there - this way no animals would be lost by feasting on the leftovers. Not all food adventures end well, but all are interesting.
(1)Ken C.
Saw this place on the Food Network, so while in Gaffney, I decided to stop by. Ordered a chili dog and a chili burger, both tasted like dog food. This is by far the worst place I've ever been in. Stay far way from this place. No stars.
(1)Bob B.
wow... what a disappointment. expected it to have the appeal associated with the food channel show. it is a dive with lousy (but cheap) food. unfortunately i can think of at least five places that i swore i would never return to that run circles around this pace and more that actually deserve notoriety. i am surprised that the food channel doesn't follow up to confirm whether or not the place still deserves to be listed on their web site. this one does not.
(1)JT L.
Lots of history. Used to eat here as a kid. Still has the best hotdogs at the best price in the Southeast, hands down.
(4)Hot Tub J.
Food is awesome (country-ass simple) and they also have fatback! What the H? Who sells fatback? Harolds, that's who! Hotdogs rule, those sloppy joe things rule, and that bean soup mess is awesome also. Their tea will give you Type II diabetes is you get a refill also. Don't let that crabby old bat with the white fright wig wait on you, she is always hung over and a grump. The other ladies and sweethearts.
(4)Anna K.
We went here because I saw it on Food Network. The food was cheap (in quality also). On the wall they had a magazine page from the review of Food Network where the man said it was hysterical. I guess that was a compliment to them. My chili burger was meat sauce with a meatball in it. My boyfriend got a sauerkraut dog. You could tell the hotdog was sitting in the heater the whole day and the sauerkraut came from a can. The server was very short with her words and when she brought us our drinks she set a can down and a styrofoam cup. We had to pour the drink ourselves. The place was OLD. The furniture looked like it'd been there since WWll. Wouldn't go there again. You can only pay with a credit card if the order is over $20 if I remember correctly.
(1)Dan F.
Ok, so I tour manage a band and one thing to do on the road is find the best or most unique thing to eat since most of the day consists of driving. After a month on the road we were on our way to NC for our last show and stopped at Harold's because it was on my tv food app. This was by far the worst place we ate all tour. Be wary of any place that puts a food network graphic over and entire window. This place is cheap but that's about all it has going for it. Te description had said something about made from scratch. I'm not sure what is exactly made from scratch, perhaps the "chili". If in fact it's homemade they may want to consider switching to canned stuff. I had a chili dog, some fries, poppers, onions rings and chicken stew. The stew was def homemade and that's what made it bad. A thin milky broth with some potato and overlooked chicken. The chili dog was your run of the mill packaged hot dog with their chili and some liquid fo cheese reminiscent of high school cheese fries. All the other apps or sides were just some frozen fries up restaurant supply items. I can't figure out what it was that earned this place a spot in television.
(1)Randy N.
Pinto Beans and Cornbread in a down south home-style hole in the wall. Not as good as expected. Beans were not cooked long enough, and under-seasoned. Cornbread - OK, but nothing to write home about. The Food Network build up and the pictures of the beans on the website led to (reasonably high) expectations. Not bad. just meh.
(2)Matt T.
Wish I would have read other reviews before I visited. I agree with others. The chili burger was just bad. We also ordered a fried bologna burger and other than the mustard there was not much flavor. Cheap fries and just bad food all around. Best advice, stop somewhere else.
(1)