When customers look for "Cheesestick" at Delaney's Irish Pub in downtown Spartanburg, they aren't checking out an appetizer on the menu.

Cheesestick is a squirrel that has become an unofficial mascot of the eatery. It isn't unusual to see waitresses and customers dining outside feeding Cheesestick nuts and other small pieces of food. 

Delaney's waitress Payton James was the first to make friends with Cheesestick and introduced her to patrons and staff. 

"We saw her wander around and picking food up off the ground," James said. "We wondered if, like, we could feed her. We started tossing her food and she would come up to us, take it off the ground and run away."

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It did not take long for Cheesestick to realize just how much she enjoyed being fed. She eventually warmed up to her newfound attention. 

"One day, the owners of Tulip Tree were sitting outside, and Cheesestick was running around, and she, the owner of Tulip Tree, had a bag of walnuts," James says. "She gave me a walnut and I held my hand out, and she, Cheese Stick, just took it right out of my hand."

Cheesestick seemingly knows her popularity, so she does not have to wait long for food. She sits and waits patiently, knowing people are bound to feed her.

James is not the only person who is obsessed. Cheesestick has gained a large fan base.

"We have a regular that comes in and sends us packages of 5-pound bags of nuts to be able to feed her," James says. "All the people that know her, come to sit on the patio just to see her and be able to feed her. People that have never been here before or have seen her before, they think it's so cool because not everyone gets to feed a squirrel."

Cheesestick seems to know she is a big deal. She knows her name and appears when she is called. She even waits at the window if the host stand isn't outside. 

She has made her appearance prominent for Morgan Square diners.

"Everyone keeps nuts for her and has a stash for her," James said. "She comes to each window and makes little pit stops."

Locals even rave over getting to feed a squirrel on their lunch break. Ethan Riddle, 14, was excited to feed Cheesestick out of his hand. 

"It was pretty cool," Riddle said. "She just took it out of my hand."

Cheesestick's fanbase stretches across the animal kingdom. Sandy Fowler's dog, Jake, is one of Cheese Stick's best friends. 

"Jake follows her all around the square and they play with each other," Fowler said. "They've been friends for about three to four years."

Cheddar the squirrel, who James believes is Cheesestick's pup, is starting to learn from his mom. Cheddar is not too comfortable with taking food from one's hand, yet, but he is getting there. 

"We think Cheddar has picked it (Cheesestick's traits) off of his mom," James said.

If you're wanting to meet Cheesestick, Delaney's Irish Pub is the place to be. She can often be spotted around noon, waiting for her afternoon snack. Cheesestick is not shy and is willing to meet her fans.

Cheesestick loves interacting with people, but she shouldn't be handled. So, please, simply feed her from a safe distance.

If you do not have a chance to go to Delaney's, don't worry, Cheesestick and Cheddar both have social media accounts, and you can keep up with their daily postings.

You can keep up with both, Cheesestick and Cheddar, on their Instagram page. Cheesestick also has her own personal Facebook page, where you can frequently keep up with her.