Here's where to get your pumpkin fix in Greenville

Tis still the season of pumpkin everything, and though Starbucks may have made the Pumpkin Spice Latte a thing, there are tons of other ways to get your pumpkin fix here in the Upstate. Sweet, savory, in beer form, whatever suits your fancy, give one of these pumpkin treats a try.

-Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery lives and breathes pumpkins this time of year. Just check out the collection of heirloom variety gourds they have. The pumpkins are from Fishel Farm, in North Carolina and come in a rainbow of colors.

But if you want a real treat, try one of Swamp Rabbit’s pumpkin donuts along with one of their pumpkins spice lattes. The latte actually has pumpkin in it, not just flavored syrup.

In fact, Swamp Rabbit uses real, fresh pumpkin in all of their pumpkin items. And not just canned puree.

“I think that’s the difference,” says Mary Walsh, co-owner of Swamp Rabbit, with Jac Oliver. “It is a lot cheaper and affordable to get it from a can already pureed. But since we have so many local pumpkin anyway, we cut them up and we roast them and then we mash them up.”

The extra work is apparent in the rich pumpkin flavor.

And if you’re looking for something extra special, try one of the pumpkin spice cream pies.  The pies are layered with a pecan crust, then a house made chocolate ganache, and then a layer of a cream and cream cheese mixture that is whipped with fresh spiced pumpkin. The pies change seasonally, but, as Jac Oliver puts it, “since we have so many pumpkins sitting around and people demand, yes demand, pumpkin flavors, it was the perfect fit.”

205 Cedar Lane Rd., Greenville; http://swamprabbitcafe.com

-Keeping in the sweet realm, Strossner’s has a phenomenal pumpkin pound cake. The cake comes topped with a special praline topping that takes it to another level. It’s seasonal and only available September through December. But if you can’t make it to the shop at 21 Roper Mountain Rd., you can order online via www.strossnerspoundcakes.com.

-Tandem Creperie & Coffeehouse is getting in the seasonal spirit as well with their special Pumpkin Pie crepe. The delightful nosh melds a creamy pumpkin custard with crunchy grahams, pecans, fluffy whipped cream and maple vanilla drizzle all rolled into one spectacular breakfast (or lunchtime) treat.

Located at 2 S. Main St., Travelers Rest; www.tandemcc.com

-Staying in TR, Upcountry Provisions Bakery & Bistro is doing its pumpkin thing too. They’ve currently got a pumpkin muffin that is topped with a pecan streusel, and is, get this, gluten free. The bakery will be featuring the muffins through December, and then they will also start making their pumpkin bread come Nov. 1. The bread is a little bit sweet and just a tad savory, says Cheryl Kraus, who co-owns Upcountry with her husband, Stephen.

“To me, pumpkin is that introduction of the new season,” Kraus says. “And it’s related to holidays for me because we toast pumpkin seeds and we decorate pumpkins and we make desserts out of pumpkins and it is part of celebratory meals. So I feel like it’s exciting because it signifies the season of celebrating.”

And starting Nov. 1, Upcountry will also begin taking pie orders for the holidays. It’s best to pre-order as they tend to sell out.

6809 State Park Rd. Travelers Rest; http://upcountryprovisions.com

-On the savory side, Lowes Foods offers a unique pumpkin sausage. The store, which opened its first Upstate location in Greer last month has a whole department devoted to making any flavor of sausage you could imagine. Well, turns out pumpkin is one of them. You can find The Great Pumpkin variety in the SuasageWorks section of the store. The sausage is a mix of pork, pumpkin, warm fall spices and a hint of sage.

850 E. Suber Rd., Greer; www.lowesfoods.com

-And the Table 301 restaurants are stepping up their pumpkin game (savory and sweet) too.  The Lazy Goat is currently featuring a pumpkin risotto with sage and brown butter. At Nose Dive, you’ll find a special pumpkin spice tiramisu, with espresso caramel Speculoos and pumpkin seed brittle.

170 Riverplace, Greenville; http://thelazygoat.com  and 116 S. Main St., Greenville; http://thenosedive.com

On the healthier side, Southern Pressed Juicery is currently offering two pumpkin-ful cold-pressed juices.  The Pumpkin Spiked combines pumpkin, apple, ginger, chia seeds and cardamom into a tasty sip, and the Pumpkin Pie Mylk is a blend of pumpkin, almonds, dates, water, agave, cinnamon, vanilla extract and grey sea salt.

2 W. Washington St., Greenville; http://southernpressedjuicery.com

-Speaking of drinks, Thomas Creek has their seasonal Pumpkin Ale available. The beer mixes seasonal spices to give you just a hint of just-baked pumpkin pie flavor. 2054 Piedmont Hwy., Greenville; http://thomascreekbeer.com/