Busboys and Poets - Columbia

Great service and great food. Easy 5 stars.

Did the happy hour. The food was really good as well as the drinks. Catfish was good with the collard
greens!!

The food and service are amazing!

Awesome food with great books and such a friendly staff! Couldn't ask for more!

The atmosphere and staff here are top-tier EASILY a 5-star experience on that front alone. The vibe is warm, creative, and welcoming, and the service was just as impressive. However, when it comes to the food, I’d say it was just okay. Nothing I’d send back, but also nothing that made me want to rave or insist someone else try it. I went on a Saturday morning for breakfast, so maybe lunch or dinner would be a different story. I’d absolutely return, if only for the ambiance and experience.

I LOVE this place.

Busboys and Poets Review
Breakfast at Busboys and Poets was delicious as always! This place truly never disappoints. The food was fresh, flavorful, and hit the spot.

My waiter and host, Nelson, was incredibly attentive and kind—his warm energy added to the already inviting atmosphere.

Whether it’s your first visit or your fiftieth, Busboys and Poets consistently delivers great food, great service, and a vibe that makes you want to stay a little longer. Definitely one of my favorite spots!

got the tempeh panini and vegan tuna salad sandwich. both were rlly amazing but the vegan tuna sandwich was def the best. would highly recommend this place and wish I could give it 5 stars. Updated from previous review on 2025-07-10

I went here with my fiancee during the weekend, and woweee. It was quite loud and lively during brunch time. The table next to us was *SO* loud. It was such a turn off because they were obviously done having food, and still spent their sweet time yelling over at each other, talking. Oh dear, it was a bit stressful during hunger pangs. I wanted to go home immediately, but that changed soon after we got our appetizer. 😅 Also, of note, several vegan items during brunch are unavailable during weekends and federal holidays. I didn't love that, considering it was my first time visiting their restaurant. So, just be cognizant of that. I really enjoyed the cauliflower bites, and my vegan "chicken" sandwich. Their home fries are marked vegan on the menu, so that was a nice surprise. With some bell peppers and a little bit of tomato sauce, it was a nice touch of zing. If I return to visit, I'll probably go during the week days. Updated from previous review on 2025-02-21

Good food and good customer service and atmosphere. Highly recommend.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Met friends here for a holiday party. We were a group of 25 and got (surprisingly) good service! My clam & scallop chowder tasted great but the broth was a little 'thin'. The grilled chicken cobb salad was very good and very filling. My only 'complaint' is about my dessert. I ordered the apple bread pudding with vanilla gelato TO GO. Our server assured me that the gelato would come in a separate container. Well...when it arrived, I (luckily) opened the TO GO container to find the gelato had been placed on top of warm bread pudding creating a runny mess! The issue was rectified and I was brought an appropriate to go order with gelato in a separate container. I enjoyed this place and I'll come back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

It was our first time visiting the turn house! Luke was our server tonight, he was absolutely amazing, extremely helpful and very pleasant! The food was delicious and the atmosphere was impeccable. Definitely will be visiting here again with my family! Absolutely a must try! No way they should have a 4.3 it needs to be a 5Star!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Baked Crab Dip, Lobster Roll, Chicken Sandwich, French Toast, Fish & Chips, Deviled Eggs, Turn House Burger, Smoked Chicken Wings, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Steak, Salad, Wings, Charcuterie Board, Caesar Salad, Crab Cake Sandwich, Watermelon Salad, Beet Salad

Always enjoy meals & atmosphere here! Waiter was fantastic! Happy Holidays!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

2024 07 dinner was the usual solid experience. Our waiter was a very attentive listener who scheduled well. The food was well prepared and displayed. The only issue - the old bay wings were many, many times saltier than last week. The buffalo wings aren’t particularly interesting.

Overall, this is a solid operation I wish they would add some other spicy dishes and more red wine choices

Oh no, they changed their menu! They removed brisket, salmon, and lamb my favorites. We'll have to monitor their menu, we will go back when their menu changes again.

Yet another enjoyable dinner at Turn House. Our waiter John was fantastic! He’s a very personable, and good listener and he checked back frequently. What a good guy.

Wine choices were good and we had an agreeable Merlot.

Appetizer choices are a little limited I’d like to see some new choices. On the entree side there are some great choices like brisket, steak, lamb , and salmon. We’ll come again!

Another great meal from Turn house. Nichole greeted us and made sure we felt welcome. The wings are really fantastic but I wish they had a few more types. The crab dip has Worcestershire I’m not a fan. We ordered the spiced chicken it was grilled well and sweet but didn’t have any other flavor.
We enjoyed tonight’s visit Ronak is an excellent waiter

My brisket was delicious and my wife’s Reuben was outstanding. This kitchen needs a medal!

Our buffalo wings were spicy! I think that turn house needs to consider other flavors like habanero or vindaloo
Oh no they just changed their menu! They subtracted the brisket and lamb. We’ll keep an eye on future menu changes and hope that they add some other entrees in the future
Update: we had a tough time finding appetizers or entrees that we could order the items on the menu are very uninteresting I have to scrape for spicy food

We loved the outdoor patio, the views are beautiful. Our waitress was very sweet and efficient, the dinner was well-paced. The food was well prepared and presented but I found the menu very ordinary - boring! We'll consider coming back when the menu changes.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Here for a company party. The food was great! The room we were in was kind of blah.

Dietary restrictions: We told them my husband could have no dairy and no red meat. However, the mashed potatoes that came with his chicken were full of butter, and the broccolini was also coated with butter. Beware!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5