26 Best Southern Restaurants in Columbia

“The BEST filet I’ve ever had! We continue to dine at Saluda’s and we’re always extremely happy with our meals. Delicious!!“

“I love that they are open early. Everything is made to order and the breakfast doesn't miss.“

“It was my pleasure to have late lunch at Southern Crave for the First Time Yesterday!
I Ordered The BIG CRAVE PLATTER which consist of 2 Meats & 3 Sides!

Smoked Oxtails- Poor Quantity Only 2 Oxtails
Chicken Drummetts- Poor Quantity Only 4 Drums
Seafood Mac & Cheese-Smallest Portion Every
Collards-The Largest Quanity Good Flavor
Yams-Tasted Smoked-Platted Next To Ox Tails
I’m A Sweet Potato Fan So I Was Disappointed
Cornbread Muffin-Definitely Good Could’ve Used 2 with All Them Collards
Pineapple UpsideDown Bundt Cake-To Die For Should’ve Gotten 2
45$ No Drink
Honestly Everything Was Hot, Fresh & Seasoned
You get a platter full of sides & Little to No Meat
I’ll Definitely Give Them 4/5 because of Quanity of Meat!“

“Ordered lunch via doordash and everything was truly delicious. I live out in the Irmo area and the food was still warm when it arrived. You can taste the freshness of the ingredients and the care put into preparing the meal.“

“I eat their weekly. Grew up eating Lizards Thicket. Started out at the one that used to be by the airport. I’ve eaten at all of them. They are all good. Love the breakfast. Love the specials. Love the staff. Would recommend anybody that has had a bad Experience. Don’t let that one time experience stop you from enjoying a lot more of good experiences there. Highly recommend them.!!!!👍“

“As a local Realtor, we have a lot of events. Spotted Salamander is INCREDIBLE food and catering team is tops. They are award winning for a reason! Brava!“

“I eat their weekly. Grew up eating Lizards Thicket. Started out at the one that used to be by the airport. I’ve eaten at all of them. They are all good. Love the breakfast. Love the specials. Love the staff. Would recommend anybody that has had a bad Experience. Don’t let that one time experience stop you from enjoying a lot more of good experiences there. Highly recommend them.!!!!👍“

“We drove from Charleston SC to try this place and let me tell you they did not disappoint! The pork rinds came to the table still popping. The brisket, ribs and pork literally melt in your mouth. The fried pork chops were the best I have had in my lifetime and the sides like candied cornbread, Lima beans, Mac and cheese, dirty rice and okra were absolutely on point! Don’t forget to try the brisket Mac and cheese! 🤯 Amazing southern bbq! We will be back!“

“greeted as soon as we walked in. service was fantastic. I had the catfish stew and it was Amazing! definitely worth finding!“

“great food, awesome service, love it here! hidden gem of the vista!!!“

“We were in town for a gymnastics meet and needed a place for brunch before his competition time. We ordered a few different things and literally all of it was amazing. My youngest son said, "I'm full but it's SO GOOD I want to keep eating." The Stuffed French Toast Breakfast came with enough sides that we could all try a bite of them (eggs, chicken sausage, grits, biscuit). I've never liked grits, but these grits were amazing!! So buttery/creamy. I ordered a hot chicken sandwich and wound up stealing my son's biscuit and putting the chicken on that instead of the bun - oh. my. goodness! Delicious!! We were in town for the weekend and ate at 3 different restaurants - this was the best by A MILE!!! Definitely recommend. Service was quick and friendly, as well. The owner even stopped by every table, making sure we had everything we needed.“

“I eat their weekly. Grew up eating Lizards Thicket. Started out at the one that used to be by the airport. I’ve eaten at all of them. They are all good. Love the breakfast. Love the specials. Love the staff. Would recommend anybody that has had a bad Experience. Don’t let that one time experience stop you from enjoying a lot more of good experiences there. Highly recommend them.!!!!👍“

“The Mother's Day Buffet at the Doubletree is terrific. This was our 2nd year in a row and we weren't disappointed. They provide such a wide variety of food choices and everything is cooked to perfection. The staff is so friendly and professional, and the decor even includes an ice sculpture with a gorgeous flower arrangement. It is really a full dining experience and the desserts are not to be missed, we will return again.“

“Located in the grand lobby of the Marriott Columbia, South Columbia, it’s the perfect spot for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night snacks and drinks as the kitchen closes at 11:00 pm. The drinks and the food are great with a well stocked bar that can accommodate about 12-14 people and there’s always a table available. The service is exceptional and the wait staff is exactly what the hospitality industry should represent. Our waitress Shannon was super personable while being a consummate professional. The true southern hospitality personified. Highly recommend Midlands for hotel guests and anybody else looking for a great meal and a comfortable space.“

“Cannot say enough about this home away from home restaurant. The servers are the friendliest! They take their time with each patron, but are observent and quick with refills.
Meatloaf on Wed. Great!
Liver and onions on Thurs. Great!!
My favorite location is Florence, but i just moved to Columbia.“

“I eat their weekly. Grew up eating Lizards Thicket. Started out at the one that used to be by the airport. I’ve eaten at all of them. They are all good. Love the breakfast. Love the specials. Love the staff. Would recommend anybody that has had a bad Experience. Don’t let that one time experience stop you from enjoying a lot more of good experiences there. Highly recommend them.!!!!👍“

“All around great food. Good place to eat wings and watch the game“

“I’m reminded of nearly fifteen years ago, when I stopped in for a visit with one of my great aunts telling me about this place. I remember her saying how good the food was, and especially the yams! We spoke more on the subject, and I told her that I would come back one day to pick her up and we’d go out to eat together and try the food out. Unfortunately, she passed shortly after, so I never got the chance to indulge such a hearty experience with her, however in spirit always! So, I decided after all these years to give them a try even though, I became vegan almost a year ago, but it’s been trying but I had a “cheat” day and gave them a shot! Oxtails/white rice & gravy, broccoli casserole, macaroni and cheese, stewed turkey wing, meatloaf, yams, and cornbread! Haven’t had a great meal like this in quite some time and it was well worth the wait! The staff were very kind, and the atmosphere was very nice! The food however… I’m a decent cook myself, and this was very reminiscent of my own cooking tbh. I was beyond impressed, I will definitely have to pay another visit very soon to try more menu items.“

“We visited Crackerbarrel on Bush River Road yesterday in the evening. It was a great experience and we were very happy and pleased with the service there. Curtis was our server and he was exceptional.“

“Enjoy the "Chicken Rasta Pasta" and a cool beverage at R&B best spot in town to enjoy yourself, service is fantastic, bartenders are beautiful and treat you with a smile. You deserve a good time, come to R&B and treat yourself!“

“Yes, yes, yes this place has some good food there in Columbia SC. there wait staff is great, Big shout out to there cook Mrs.Kizzy Davis !! Will eat there agaín on our next visit“

“Food is fresh and good - BUT be done at 8:15 and gone by 8:50 They leave at 9PM Hours -Buffet CLOSED 8:15 - PM & Be gone by 10-minutes 'til 9“

“I eat their weekly. Grew up eating Lizards Thicket. Started out at the one that used to be by the airport. I’ve eaten at all of them. They are all good. Love the breakfast. Love the specials. Love the staff. Would recommend anybody that has had a bad Experience. Don’t let that one time experience stop you from enjoying a lot more of good experiences there. Highly recommend them.!!!!👍“

“This places was just absolutely amazing. The Vibe was very nice and it was very friendly and family oriented. My server Alexa was just top tier! The professionalism, knowledge of the menu and overall service was immaculate. It was my first time ever trying Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles being that I am only visiting the area for work, and I Guarantee I will be back. I didn’t know what I wanted and Alexa let me know her top favorite dishes on the menu which helped me make my decision. The food was Hot, delicious, and came out in a timely manner. I definitely will be returning and thank you again Alexa for such amazing service and making me already feel like a repeat customer, and thank you cooks for ensuring that my food made a wonderful part of the experience, also, you have to Try the Koolaid, it was the Bomb!“

“I enjoy the family atmosphere. This is where my family enjoys gathering for special occasions. My only complaint would be for the front desk person that sits guest, to be more courteous. I would suggest more customer service development to attract customers rather than drive them away. We can’t loose another restaurant in our area. Thank you to all those that make this a positive family experience.“

“MIKE AND NICKY WERE GREAT! Place is clean. I ordered a catering large order and it was ready on the preagreed time. Great folks to work with and food is awesome. Everyone said they always wanted to try...but just had not. They said they would be going now on! Check this place out...really goodsubstabtimake themselves a cut above what you may think!“