Greenville’s Mayo Trail May Be the Best Way to Explore the City

Greenville, South Carolina, may be known for its small town charm, its picturesque parks that wind through the downtown area and its friendly, low key vibe. But too many people aren’t aware that it’s also the home to a legendary food product: Duke’s Mayonnaise.

Eugenia Duke created the iconic condiment in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1917. Originally, she sold sandwiches to World War I soldiers who trained at a nearby military camp, and they became wildly popular—so popular, in fact, that she reportedly sold 10,000 sandwiches in a single day in 1919. The sandwiches themselves were a hit, clearly, but they were largely celebrated for the rich, delightfully creamy mayo that dressed them. By 1923, she went into business in what is today known as Wyche Pavilion bottling her signature mayonnaise recipe, which has not been altered since its inception. Although she sold her business a few years later, Duke’s continues to grace grocery store shelves as a cult favorite condiment. 

Although you can slather Duke’s onto basically anything you make at home, Greenville is offering locals and visitors alike a new way to experience the mayo brand: Eugenia Duke’s Unofficial Mayo Guide to Greenville. Yes, it’s a mayo trail, and it should make the mayo lovers among us feel seen. This self-guided mayo trail offers participants the opportunity to try Eugenia Duke’s mayonnaise recipe in 20 different dishes at food establishments scattered throughout the city along with four historical stops that help paint a picture of Eugenia Duke’s impact on the cultural and culinary fabric of the city. Participating restaurants will start serving their mayo-forward dishes starting on November 3 of this year, 2023.

The guide includes six different stops that are serving up mayonnaise-doused snacks, from Lewis BBQ’s tangy coleslaw to Jones Oyster Co.’s smoked Carolina fish dip. If you’re still hungry after that, you’ll have the opportunity to try 14 different entrees at participating restaurants. Society Sandwich Bar & Grill is serving up a “Southern Weather” chicken sandwich, and Fork and Plough is plating beef carpaccio. Don’t forget to try the tomato pie sandwich (!) from Social Latitude and the crab cakes from Soby’s, either. 

Last year on November 3, Greenville’s hospitality industry joined forces to donate 10,000 sandwiches to local food banks, schools, soup kitchens and shelters, a process that required a team of sandwich makers spending six hours slathering slices of bread with mayo. This year, they’re going to do it again as a way to honor Eugenia Duke’s legacy and to spread (pun intended) the love to those who may need it. It’s a charitable kickoff to what’s sure to be one of Greenville’s most delicious culinary experiences.

You may have been to bar crawls, woven your way through wine trails or even stuffed yourself on a Pop-Tart trail, but chances are you’ve never eaten your way through 20 mayo-centric dishes. There’s perhaps nothing more Southern than a mayo trail, a unique opportunity to experience a taste of what Greenville’s chefs have to offer while uncovering a tiny piece of culinary history.

Samantha Maxwell is a food writer and editor based in Boston. Follow her on Twitter at @samseating.