OUR FOOD
Making classic American food and fine pub fare, the South Gate Brewing Company kitchen takes full advantage of its premier geographic location to obtain the very best bread, meats, cheeses and local produce. We believe in starting with the very best ingredients and handcrafting our food with love.
Chef Michael Farr grew up just outside of Cleveland, Ohio with his three younger brothers. The restaurant industry was no stranger to him as a child, he watched his mother’s hard work in restaurant management throughout his life and eventually picked up jobs as a teenager at local pizza shops. At the age of 21, he ventured out of his home state and made his way to the growing metropolis of Greenville, SC, where he found himself in the kitchen again, this time as a prep cook.
After a couple of years, Michael became a line cook at one of Greenville’s most successful restaurants, Table 301’s Soby’s New South Cuisine. For four years, under Chef Sean Garcia, he immersed himself in all aspects of the creation of modern southern cuisine. During this time, he also assisted Table 301 in opening a gastropub, The Nose Dive.
Realizing that cooking was more than just a job and was quickly becoming his life’s passion, Michael made another transition within the industry and moved to Athens, Ga., to work under James Beard Award-winning chef and Top Chef judge, Hugh Acheson, at his flagship restaurant Five & Ten. Continually working to refine the flavors of contemporary southern dishes, within a short two years, he worked his way up from line cook to Sous Chef. Michael was then promoted to Chef de Cuisine, during which time the restaurant was nominated for James Beard Outstanding Restaurant Award two years in a row.
In 2017, Michael left Five & Ten and moved across the country to Oakhurst, to be with his now wife, who had already relocated to the area. He quickly
connected with South Gate Brewing Company, which was a perfect fit, as they shared the same vision for the future of the restaurant. Here at the pub, Michael thoughtfully curates an ever-changing menu inspired by robust flavor combinations, locally sourced ingredients and our very own handcrafted beer, offering comforting dishes that pull at the heartstrings of our mountain community.