Greensboro Sportsplex – Foodie Guide

About five miles from the heart of Greensboro, North Carolina, is the Greensboro Sportsplex. This sports complex hosts a number of sporting events, from basketball and volleyball to soccer and hockey.

The Greensboro Sportsplex is also located next to a shopping center that’s home to a variety of fast food eateries. However, Greensboro has so many culinary delights that you shouldn’t limit yourself to the nearby chains you can find anywhere else. Instead, go eat at these local restaurants that are sure to satisfy your hunger.

 

Crafted The Art of the Taco

For a unique spin on the average taco, take a nine-minute drive from Greensboro Sportsplex to Crafted The Art of the Taco. They do not consider themselves a Mexican restaurant. Instead, they are viewed as a taco joint. Chef Kris Fuller makes sure that only the freshest ingredients are used to bring out international influences in each of their tacos, so get ready to have your taste buds amazed.

While there are some starters and burgers on the menu, we’ll focus on their tacos since that’s what this eatery is known for. When you order, you get to pick two tacos, which you can mix and match, and one side. You can choose from over 10 creatively crafted tacos. For some Southern cooking in taco form, order the Big Truck. It contains pulled pork, mac and cheese, tobacco onions, scallions, and a bacon barbecue sauce. If you’re looking for something on the spicy side, try the Oxford taco. It features chipotle-marinated chicken, guacamole, red cabbage, pineapple-jalapeno relish, chipotle-lime sour cream, crumbled queso, and cilantro.

If you’re vegetarian or vegan, most of the items on their menu can be made with a meat substitute or meatless. An example of one of Crafted’s meatless tacos is the Hoodie, which comes with falafel, spicy pickled cucumbers, pickled red onions, mixed greens, and Baja sauce. It’s also worth noting that almost all of the sauces that are made in-house are vegan.

 

Crafted The Art of Street Food

Chef Kris didn’t stop at tacos. She also opened Crafted The Art of Street Food. This restaurant brings all of the best street food from around the world together under one roof. Their dishes are packed with flavor and are made using locally produced ingredients. This restaurant is also nine minutes from the Greensboro Sportsplex.

Crafted The Art of Street Food’s menu is made up of small or large plates. The cuisines come from Asian, Southern, and Latin roots. You can also find burgers, sandwiches, and various snacks available. If you love Asian cuisine, order the Korean short ribs, Thai green curry, pad Thai, or the Ramen of the Month. For a dish with Latin flavors, go with the Ropa Vieja, which consists of shredded Cuban beef, tomato, bell pepper, rice, crispy plantains, and cotija cheese and comes with tortillas. Burgers and sandwiches include the Graffiti Burger, which is topped with bacon and Gouda mac n’ cheese, and the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. Like The Art of the Taco, many of these menu options can be made vegan and gluten-free upon request.

 

Sticks & Stones

Sticks & Stones serves up Italian comfort food with a healthy twist. Their Italian cuisine is made with locally sourced, organic, and seasonal ingredients. Take a 12-minute drive from Greensboro Sportsplex over to Sticks & Stones for some fresh pizza.

There are over 10 pizza options at Sticks & Stones. All of their pizza dough is made in-house with organic flour from Lindley Mills, a local mill in Eli Whitney, North Carolina. The slow fermentation process of the dough gives it a richer taste. Pizzas cook in a wood-burning stove in order to enhance the flavors and textures.

Try the Sweet Carolina pizza topped with tomato sauce, sweet Italian sausage, roasted chiles, spinach, mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan. Vegetarians can order the Magnolia Mountain pizza. This pie comes topped with mushrooms, olives, arugula, mozzarella, ricotta, Parmesan, and extra virgin olive oil. They also offer vegan substitutes, such as vegan chicken and cheeses.

 

Mythos Grill

Roughly five miles from Greensboro Sportsplex is the highly rated Mythos Grill, a traditional Greek eatery. They’ve been open since 2005 with two locations in Greensboro. Mythos Grill uses both locally sourced food and some ingredients imported directly from Greece, keeping it fresh and authentic.

At Mythos Grill, meals are made from scratch the way they would be prepared in the streets of Athens. Chicken and pork are marinated all night, which makes them juicy and tender. Meat used for gyros is cooked on their specialty rotisserie. Vegetarian options include a falafel wrap, hummus pita wrap, vegi pita wrap, and spanakopita, a traditional spinach pie.

 

Pho Hien Vuong

Making the nine-mile trip from Greensboro Sportsplex to Pho Hien Vuong is well worth it. This restaurant has been family-owned and -operated since 1996, so they’re obviously doing something right! They cook healthy southeastern Vietnamese and Thai dishes with recipes that use minimal oil and fresh ingredients, herbs, and spices. Along with delicious food, you’ll experience friendly service from the courteous staff members.

Start your meal with an appetizer of Vietnamese-style fried spring rolls. For an entree, order pho noodle soup. You get a choice of egg, clear, or rice noodles with any of these soups. If you’d prefer Thai cuisine over a Vietnamese dish, you can get fresh pad Thai or variations of tom yum kai soups. The menu has something for everyone with beef, chicken, seafood, tofu, and vegetable options. In fact, there’s no shortage of vegetarian options at Pho Hien Vuong. With well over 15 meatless choices, vegetarians have a great selection to choose from.

 

Melt Kitchen and Bar

Melt Kitchen and Bar is a casual American restaurant located 15 minutes away from the Greensboro Sportsplex. It’s a great spot for a quick lunch or dinner with family or a group of friends.

Begin your meal with an appetizer of their duck fat fries or Almost Famous Sprouts, which are crispy Brussels sprouts topped with bacon, fried capers, dried cherries, balsamic glaze, and pistachio vinaigrette. You can share your starter with friends or keep it all to yourself. Then move onto an entree like a panini or burger. If you’re in the mood for something light, order the Granny panini. It comes with turkey, Granny Smith apples, red onion jam, brie, mozzarella, and a maple Dijon sauce. As for burgers, there are three options. You can choose from the Melt Burger, the Pimento Burger, or the Bacon & Blue Burger.

Melt has plenty of options for vegans and vegetarians as well. Order an appetizer of panko-fried cauliflower. Meatless entree choices include a cheese panini called the Melt; the Port City panini with a portobello mushroom, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and mozzarella; a black bean burger, a spicy peanut tofu wrap, and a fried avocado taco.

 

Hops Burger Bar

Hops Burger Bar is a local favorite. It’s only a 10-minute drive from the Greensboro Sportsplex. Set aside some time to stop by and have a burger. This is a restaurant with limited seating and is first-come, first-served, so be sure to plan with this in mind.

There are 10 original burgers on the menu. Burgers automatically come with an Angus beef patty, but you can substitute in a turkey burger, grilled chicken, yellowfin tuna, bison burger, a nutty patty, or mushroom-cauliflower burger. At Hops Burger Bar, burgers are inspired by other cuisines and cultures. For example, if you enjoy French onion soup, consider ordering the French onion burger. There’s even a Japanese inspired burger called the Hibachi burger. Each burger concoction is so inventive that you really have to look at the menu for yourself. You can always create your own burger too if none of their flavor combinations happen to pique your interest.

While you’re there, don’t forget to check out the Wall of Fries. A big seller is the truffle oil and Parmesan fries. If you’re getting a spicy burger, order the Parmesan jalapeno fries. There’s even a sweet option: sweet potato fries topped with cinnamon and sugar. Going to Hops with a group is the perfect way to share fries and find your favorite.

 

Smith Street Diner

The Smith Street Diner opened their doors in 2005. Since then they’ve been serving generous portions of all-day breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. They have regulars coming back and eager visitors looking forward to trying their delicious food. This is a laid-back spot to pop in for some breakfast or lunch is under five miles from the Greensboro Sportsplex.

Guests can get a taste of homemade, Southern-style breakfast food at Smith Street Diner. A staple you can find there are biscuits with egg and cheese. Meats like bacon, sausage, ham, or pork tenderloin can be added to the biscuit as well. If you don’t want a biscuit, you can still get your fill of eggs and meat with the farm fresh eggs combo plate. There’s even an option to add a pancake to this combination plate for less than a dollar. Other breakfast options include pancakes, bagels, oatmeal, omelets, and all-you-can-eat cereal.

 

The Green Bean Restaurant

Originally only a coffeehouse in Downtown Greensboro, The Green Bean Restaurant opened a second location to serve breakfast and lunch. Now you can enjoy freshly brewed coffee and tasty eats at The Green Bean Restaurant in the Golden Gate Shopping Center, which is a six-minute drive from the Greensboro Sportsplex.

The coffee at The Green Bean Restaurant is roasted locally by Joe Van Gogh Roasters, and Yes! Weekly readers voted their coffee the Best Coffee in the Triad in 2015. They support local businesses as often as they can by using Neese’s sausages, bagels from New Garden Bagel, and dairy from Homeland Creamery. You can order something as simple as oatmeal or avocado toast for a quick breakfast or stay for a while and get a frittata or breakfast burrito.

 

La Bamba Mexican Restaurant

La Bamba Mexican Restaurant opened its doors in 1989. With its success over the years, it has expanded several times. Now that the space is larger, this is a very accommodating restaurant for families or large groups. It’s less than three miles away from the Greensboro Sportsplex and right around the corner from The Green Bean Restaurant.

This eatery has a large menu filled with Mexican dishes. From burritos, tacos, and quesadillas to tostadas, enchiladas, fajitas, and taquitos, guests have an abundance of options to choose from. If you can’t decide on one item, get a combination plate to try a few. Meatless choices are also available for vegetarians. Make sure to leave some room for authentic Mexican desserts, such as churros, sopapillas, and xango.