50 Best American Restaurants near Columbia

“We love the cocktails, steak night, and brunch. The kids don’t really love the dinner menu so we just steer away from family dinner.“

“This is my wife and I’s favorite spot in Columbia! It is an outstanding experience all around. Super friendly staff and a great menu that has anything you are looking for. The homemade chicken strips are our favorite, but the smoked wings are some of the best wings I have ever had. We highly recommend!“

“Good Food, and a great time!!“

“I recommend Cafe on the Abbey for anyone any day of the week! Breakfast or Lunch! The food, the service, the atmosphere is excellent. My favorite is the vegan and gluten friendly items that their baker Amanda makes!!! She makes the best cakes ever for any occasion and bakes the best Gluten Free cake around!!! Check them out!!“

“I’m here to say one thing, go see Nina. That’s all you need to know.

Not only is she one of the most incredibly beautiful bartenders you’ll meet in your entire life (trust me, I’ve met plenty) she also has the best personality AND attention to service.

Your drink will never be empty and you’ll always leave with a smile, that’s truly unmatchable.“

“We are full-time RVers who, while traveling around the US, are in search of the best cheeseburger and have a rating system of The Best (only 1 rated), Very Good, Good, OK, and Not Impressed. While at our home base in Southern Illinois, we were in the Columbia, IL, area and Googled “hamburger restaurants.” We saw Washy’s Pub had good burger reviews, so decided to give them a try for lunch. Washy’s has a simple bar atmosphere with about a dozen tables. We ordered their Classic burger with me having American cheese and my wife pepperjack. We also requested lettuce, pickles, and sliced onions. The handmade patties were about 10 oz (good sized), nicely seasoned, cooked to order, charbroiled, and served on a nicely-toast fresh bun. I had their skinny-style battered fries and my wife had onion rings. The burgers came out hot and were super tasty due the meat seasoning. We’re not sure what seasoning they used, but it worked! My wife’s burger was just a tiny bit better than mine due the pepperjack they use. The fries and onion rings were among the best we’ve had as well. We rated the burgers (even without a special sauce), fries, and onion rings Very Good. The service was also top notch.“

“Great burgers! I LOVED my TriPPPy burger which has a pineapple chutney and bacon jam. You will want extra napkins with that one.? My husband built his own burger to get just what he wanted and enjoyed his burger. They also have veggie options, but these carnivores did not explore them.“

“Amazing food, atmosphere, service, great quality and quantity for what you pay for and the dessert section is huge! My new favorite place“

“Best Gyro I have found in st.louis.“

“Absolutely amazing food!!!“

“The staff were very personable, and inviting. I had such a great experience! The food was hot and delicious also. We were a party of 20+ and they took care of us very well. I’d definitely return! I think there were only two people running the kitchen but if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it based on the service.“

“Hands down the best burgers in the area!“

“Food is delicious. Little gem in STL. Great service .“

“Best late night pizza and bartenders around🍕🍕🍻🍻🍻“

“August 23, 2024 First time playing Annbriar & loved it. Tees, fairways & greens were in very good condition! I really liked the layout with many uphill & downhill shots required. Elec carts & GPS?“

“Yesterday a celebration of life was held in the Mystic Oak banquet room with catering by Mr. BBQ. The food, service and courtesy was amazing. Karen was very considerate and helpful in keeping the event stress free. Just what we needed under the circumstances. Thanks so much for a lovely afternoon. I will definitely hold another event there.“

“This place perfect’ !! Kat and her crew r amazing!!! I had a bad night that could escalated worse !!! I don’t drink !! But I had family issue that night!! And I apologize if I hurt costumers and staff!!! You all r wonderful for doing job rt!! And most of all kat and her husband helped me with situation that could been way worse!! There hero’s and to the bouncers!! I once had couple jobs of babysitting!! But aside jokes!’ No exuses for me!! I hope I can shake lát and her husbands hand sometime!!! Once again thank u!! Bless u and staff !!!! This is real me today!!!million infinity stars !! To kat and her crew!!!! Thank u one more time!!’“

“Just visited for the first time. Great atmosphere, awesome staff, nice menu! We will be regulars!!“

“I have always found the staff here to be super friendly, some are a little more attentive than others but the service is generally good. I ordered the fish and chips. Our server stated the fish comes with fries, I wasn’t sure how to take that as I have a noticeable British accent. The fries were a little dry but the food was hot and fish was
good. The restaurant is also clean and well maintained.“

“Short on staff. But friendly and attentive.“

“They are the best burgers in St. Louis.“

“Enjoyed Sunday Brunch!!!!“

“Great food, great people, great atmosphere.“

“I found them on Doordash and the food was delicious and the burger was huge. I couldn't even finish it. I'm definitely going to order from them again.“

“If you haven’t gotten a JJ Twig’s burger with a fried egg on it, you are missing out. Big juicy burger cooked up by Sam is exactly how I wanted to spend my lunch today. Friendly people and good food. I will definitely come back to see what Sam is cooking.“

“We wanted to let you know, we been coming at lease once a month. No matter what we order it has been good. The service and the way y'all work together to help the customer is great. hats off to the kitchen and the other staff for great job.“

“If you haven’t been to Cellar House yet, you’re missing out. It’s one of those rare spots that feels like a hidden gem — honestly surprised it wasn’t busier on a Friday night.
The bourbon selection is excellent, and they went above and beyond by making a custom Chinese Manhattan for us that wasn’t even on the menu. That kind of flexibility and attention to detail really stands out.
The food is clean, straightforward, and very well executed. The ahi sliders were perfectly seared — wouldn’t change a thing. The fries were crispy, clearly cooked in clean oil, and seasoned just right, paired with a bright, well-balanced aioli. The rigatoni had vibrant, developed flavors — highly recommend keeping it as is without adding meat. It holds its own.
Service was exceptional. We stayed about 30 minutes past closing catching up with a friend and never felt rushed. In fact, they offered another round. That level of hospitality is rare.
The patio ambiance deserves its own mention — relaxing, tucked away, and surprisingly peaceful despite being near a busy road. It’s the perfect spot to sip a bourbon or enjoy a glass of wine and unwind.
They rotate their menu seasonally, and you can tell they genuinely care about what they’re doing.
No notes, no requests — just a great experience all around. From a customer, a chef, and someone who needed a solid night to relax… thank you.“

“If you haven’t tried Terry’s tacos, you are missing out! They are awesome! Especially liked the chips.👍“

“Went to the “Taste of History” event tonight, and it was WONDERFUL! Such a cool, unique building, and the tour was so informative! The included dinner was delicious and honestly a great value for the cost of the ticket.“

“Delicious food, attentive service, and cozy ambiance. Highly recommended for a delightful mea“

“The burgers are really good.“

“The meals and service at Frankie Gs are always top notch and today was no exception. Me friend ordered the reuben sandwich and commented how good the marbled rye bread was as well as the flavor of the corned beef. I ordered the buffalo chicken wrap and asked the kitchen to add jalapenos. The wrap came out as ordered and was delicious. One negative: It was a cold day and supplies were being delivered through the back door. Everytime the back door opened freezing air blasted into the dining area. It might be helpful to put an intermediate door on the back hallway that could be closed during deliveries.“

“Everyone was very nice and worked hard to make our group at home and the food was very good!“

“Every table was full which is to be expected on Valentine’s Day and mardi gra on a Saturday. I was impressed with the staff. Everyone seemed to be operating smooth, busy, but smooth. There were older white women and a black women. I can’t express enough how great it was to watch them work together and so efficiently!“

“My favorite place to grab a bite to eat or drink after my Mt. Bike ride at Cliff Cave .“

“Great staff !! Lots of fun games and just a down home atmosphere!“

“I go to grand grill probably about 3 times a week I love the food! The workers are just as amazing“

“I had the B&G combo. It was amazing and they weren't greedy with the gravy. The 2 servers were both personable and made sure our coffee stayed hot.“

“Great staff and great food!!!“

“The place is not operating or even open, l arrived today June 5,2023 ....was hoping to enjoy the place.....as it was very good 20 years ago.....now that I am back in town to live, I do hope this special place will open soon.....as I just live about 12 doors away. Regards“

“Ate at Cafe Smoke Shack recently. The food was fantastic. Service was excellent and our waiter was very attentive. Giant portions, well prepared & we were all extremely pleased with our meal. "Stan, Matt & Marlowe were charming and cordial to all. The owner (Matt/Chef) is one of the nicest and most hospitable folks you'll ever want to meet. Truly cares about his customers. Stay clear of Bill... Why you ask? He was a smug, rude & a disingenuous individual. Brought in six (6) people & spent over $300.00 with no other customers dining that day. He acted like he did us a favor. All of the other employees were wonderful.“

“The Asian wings were great and the side salad was way above average (I eat a lot of salads). Fresh salad, great cheese and croutons made a definite difference. The wait for dessert was rather long (longer than it took to get our meal) but the fried banana bread was amazing and the value made it even better based on the huge portion. No average or ordinary food here!! Can't wait to try other things when we return.“

“Great spot to take kids. Staff are friendly and helpful when your hands are full with kids! Pretzels are fresh and warm!“

“Was a wonderful dining experience. Food and service was great. Will definitely come here again!“

“we stay alot there. always friendly service and staff. our rooms are always clean..very nice motel..“

“We miss this chain after moving to Texas! This location was very clean and the service was great. Food was top notch as always!“

“fun spot. always treated good and have a good time.“

“good food. friendly staff. clean place.“

“We're quickly becoming addicted to this place... They're fast and reasonably priced, the menu is extensive for a takeout grill, and everything we've tried has been great. My girlfriend (a New Jersey native) says that both the gyros and the cheesesteaks are boardwalk-quality, which is not a compliment she's throws around lightly :)“

“Wesli the wonderful waitress“