50 Best American Restaurants in Columbia

“Absolutely love Backstreets! The food is always great and the service is outstanding. Today our server Jamie was so attentive and friendly - so nice to see someone who is happy and customer-oriented. She wasn’t flustered by six ladies, special orders, separate checks and last minute to-go orders… in fact she welcomed each request with a warm smile and even made suggestions. Backstreets will continue to be our go to place.“

“I wanted to rave about the manager, Eddie, and chef, Jonathan. On Friday, I inquired about accommodating my stringent dietary restrictions, and they proactively exceeded expectations. My requirements included the exclusive use of pure olive oil in the preparation of my meal. Initially, I expressed concern that my options might be limited to broccoli and a simple salad. Manager Eddie assured me that this was unacceptable and suggested I contact the chef the following day to discuss my needs. Following this conversation, Chef Jonathan promptly developed a suitable solution. I ordered the brick chicken, prepared using only olive oil, rosemary, and thyme—a dish perfectly aligned with my dietary limitations. The meal was exquisite, and I thoroughly enjoyed dining with my friends. accommodate my very strict food intolerances, and they went out of their way to do just that. I needed my dishes to be cooked in pure olive oil, amongst other things. At first, I told Eddie it looked like I could only have broccoli and a salad with minimal toppings. He said, "You can't come here and just eat salad and broccoli." He then said to call the next day, and he would get the chef on the phone to discuss my food concerns. I called the next day, and Jonathan quickly had an idea. I ordered the brick chicken, which only had olive oil, rosemary, and thyme. Exactly what I was able to eat. It was delicious, and I was so thrilled to eat out with my friends. I so appreciate both of them going out of their way for me.“

“The food, service, and atmosphere was off the chain!!! Great place to eat and hangout!!!“

“Brussel sprouts, salmon, brisket halibut you name it and everything was delicious always!! Highly recommend!!“

“My bartender Felisatie greeted me with a smile and told my what the beer special of today was. She took my drink/food order in a timely fashion and made sure that my food order was complete before she enter it in the cash register...Hey pleasant personality is extremely rare nowadays.“

“Great food and great service. We had the fish and cheeseburger and both was excellent. oh ya my husband also had the lemon cake and it was delicious. We are from Oklahoma on our way too Myrtle beach and will have to stop on our way home.“

“Alex, was absolutely wonderful!! Great customer service!“

“We absolutely love the food and wonderful drinks here! The staff is amazing thank you Goats! We always have the best time here!“

“Loved the vibe, location, and food! The ambience is just as important as the food and service, and this place lived up to that. I had the pork chop which was divine, and I normally would never order that. Only complaint is that my mushroom soup and entree were served together.“

“Everything about our experience at Saluda's was just lovely from start to finish. Great atmosphere, fantastic service, absolutely delicious food. Highly recommend!!“

“just had meatball and provolone hot sandwich... fantastic“

“Traveled all the way from Charlotte NC to Colombia SC to watch the trombonist Hank Biail and saxophonist Phil Denny performance at Chayz Lounge. First time being there. The owner (Chayz Alexander) greeted everyone at the entrance and was very welcoming. The atmosphere was superbly magnificent. The wait staff was on point and food was extremely delicious 😋. Overall, my experience was fantastic and would come back again.“

“The food was great, tasted good and was out in a timely manner. They were busy. But they handled the crowd well. All the staff were freindly and courteous. They had great organization and worked together like a well oiled machine. Only negative was the place can get loud inside due to the building design“

“The bartender Alley is the best! I’ve had great service from lots of people here including Cat, Amanda, Maddie W, Maddie A. Erica, Raylee, and Fallon are also awesome!“

“This is one of my favorite spots in Columbia! They have an amazing rooftop with great energy. You can get food up there too although the menu is slightly limited and more geared towards small plates-- which makes sense for a rooftop anyway! In the main dining area service is excellent. I could eat the mushroom toast every day- it's that good! As a wine professional I appreciate their thoughtful selections, there's something for everyone. Much love!“

“Ronnie and Vennie, (sorry if I misspelled names) were amazing! They were very attentive to us, checked on us often, and made sure we had what we needed/wanted.
Very nice atmosphere, and the room was a great size for our group. Food was delish!!“

“Got a Chiken Biscuit, Chili Cheese Hot Dog, and a Large Sweet Tea.
Food is pretty good and the people there are rather nice.
The prices are rather very affordable as where most would charge your more money for the same things.

Would Highly Recommend trying them out for yourself.

Good Breakfast and Lunch.“

“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 barn bowl was delicious!“

“Really great friendly service, great bartenders, great burgers and fries and those deep fried Oreos!!“

“Customer Service was the best! Ms. Kim was so sweet and the best in what she does and that was making me want to come back to get my ten piece (honey garlic wings with chip wings and a large sweet tea. One of my favorite place to go! Keep up the great work Ms. Kim and staff :)“

“Absolutely it was a great place to eat food was great Definitely be going back again“

“Lizard Thicket on Garners Ferry Rd. has the worst customer service I have never had in a drive thru. I have never had a window shut in my face when requesting extra butter, then when I get the butter it is thrown in my hand. Forest Drive is my restaurant but they are being remodeled 😭... Great people Great service Great Management... I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO GARNERS FERRY... I felt very much racially profiled for no reason. I wasn't raised like that... I love and respect everyone regardless of race. My money is the same color as everyone else and it spends.“

“great food,cold beer ,friendly staff and well maintained atmosphere 👌“

“Came here with one of my very good friends, a Bestie, and we were greeted with delight. Our server, Emmalee, promptly greeted us with enthusiasm. We gave her our drink order and she returned promptly. I’ve had many meals and this is by far one of the best ones that I’ve had lately. Combine service with good food and you know the combination. Tomato pie? Delicious. I had the chicken scallopini and it was wonderful. My friend had the crabcakes and they were equally as good. We were then given caramel laced cheesecake and walnut pie and they were both so good. All this for 30 bucks?! I’ll be going back. Thank you to George for coming to check on us and making sure everything was up to their standards…and Emmalee needs a shout out once again. Thank you. You get an A+ in my book.“

“Lizard Thicket on Garners Ferry Rd. has the worst customer service I have never had in a drive thru. I have never had a window shut in my face when requesting extra butter, then when I get the butter it is thrown in my hand. Forest Drive is my restaurant but they are being remodeled 😭... Great people Great service Great Management... I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO GARNERS FERRY... I felt very much racially profiled for no reason. I wasn't raised like that... I love and respect everyone regardless of race. My money is the same color as everyone else and it spends.“

“This place is awesome! Good food, totally reasonable prices, and uncommonly good service. (Jarisa was fabulous!) if you’re like me and had driven by 100 times and always thought about stopping, DON’T DELAY stop today! You won’t regret it.“

“Professional environment Fast and polite bartenders Good food Good music A+ 💯“

“I had my first lunch with the restaurant in Columbia today and it was a GREAT experience! Definitely the very bbq in the area! Totally enjoyed the food, as well as the friendly demeanor of all who we came in contact with. I’m going to use the catering soon for an event at work and cannot wait for everyone to try it out! Thanks so much for your hard work!“

“Lots of local brew options on tap, food came out quick even though they were busy, great service at the bar from Cooper during JerryFest! Grateful Thanks!“

“We are from out of town visiting and wanted to try something new. We had a child with celiac so that can be difficult. This place had amazing servers and amazing food!! Def recommend for food and atmosphere!!“

“Sports bars are not my jam but it's a really nice one. The food was excellent. There were TVs tuned to every sport that was currently playing. The service was great. We really had a good time. I had a Reuben and french fries and local draft beer, and it was all perfect!“

“This is a very nice and clean establishment. The employees are very sweet. I had steak and chicken hibachi and it was absolutely amazing. I was able to get a chance to speak to the owner and the chef. They were also amazing. I will be going back really soon.“

“Veteran love And Good meat Bravo Zulu“

“Lizard Thicket on Garners Ferry Rd. has the worst customer service I have never had in a drive thru. I have never had a window shut in my face when requesting extra butter, then when I get the butter it is thrown in my hand. Forest Drive is my restaurant but they are being remodeled 😭... Great people Great service Great Management... I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO GARNERS FERRY... I felt very much racially profiled for no reason. I wasn't raised like that... I love and respect everyone regardless of race. My money is the same color as everyone else and it spends.“

“Amazing People & Services. Had A Blast.“

“I was here on a Saturday, which was tons of fun. Great DJ, amazing bartender (Ashlee), and the drinks are delicious.

Came back on a Sunday, very relaxed/chill, with another great bartender (Will), and the drinks were still just as delicious.

I visited a few bars/restaurants and this is definitely my favorite place in Columbia by far. I'll definitely be back!

On a side note - my favorite drinks so far are the Gypsy Woman and Warthog. Definitely give them a try!“

“This review is specifically for the newer Redbank location. We had a late night concert Monday night at the White Knoll High School PAC center and decided afterwards to go to this location. We weren't aware that they closed at 9pm until after we were leaving. Most of our party arrived at 8:15pm but we had some stragglers that arrived at 8:40pm. The entire staff was soooooooo incredible and accommodating, everyone helping each other get drinks, refills, bread and food out soooooooo quickly. Not one time did we ever feel "rushed" or "hovered" over to "hurry up." Instead they just let us enjoy our dining experience! The food was fantastic, even at the end of the shift, it was still all so fresh and delicious! I think we wrapped up our bills at 9:30pm. We all thanked the servers and all the management staff for allowing us to stay and enjoy our meal and we humbly apologized to them honestly not knowing the time they closed. The manager reassured us it was no problem at all and asked us if we enjoyed everything, food, service and all. We enthusiastically replied YES! I just wanted to specifically shout out to the store and staff how wonderful our dining experience was. I'm sorry for posting a few days afterwards, but please know your team was phenomenal and it didn't go unnoticed. Ty so very much again!“

“SanJuana is amazing. She anticipated needs and had things on the table before we ever had to think we needed it. The food was superb! She checked on us in away that was non-instrusive. She should train others and receive a promotion in management! This is the best food experience our family of 7 has had in 2026! Thank you SanJuana!“

“MY NEW FAVORITE PLACE! The food was incredible and the atmosphere perfect! I didn't get our server's name (curly hair on top) but he was fantastic, very attentive!“

“A variety of choices at every meal. Pleasant cooks, staff and kitchen/dining room manager. Willing to meet special dietary needs. Catering and bag lunch options for other facility venues on campus. Fresh, well stocked Salad bars and fresh sandwich topping/condiment bar. Creative entree offerings such as Gyros, Croissant French Toast, Breakfast Pizza. Great fresh inventory. Side private dining/presentation rooms. As CIU opened its doors to our leadership conference the Cafeteria Service laid out a spread with a smile.

Wheelchair accessibility: Modern college campus cafeteria with amenities and wide open dining facilities. Willing staff and accommodating tables for those using wheelchairs“

“Amazing prices, portions, and tasty food. This is the best, budget priced seafood in town.“

“Been coming here for years! I love it! Very welcoming and homely environment! Friendly staff and delicious food! Extremely fun to watch soccer games here… excited about the World Cup coming up!!“

“The food and service is really good! Never been disappointed. Always delicious.“

“Friendly staff, super clean room and close to everything downtown!“

“Great customer service. Waitresses were nice“

“The lace is very nicely decorated,,as we were having dinner there was some very loud guests that was using very loud and profane language my grand children was with me and the service staff did nothing about it. The last time I was here the place was very busy and the food was excellent.“

“amazing affordable prices amazing chicken wings“

“Chef Tom catered a Christmas dinner for our boat club this past weekend. A lot of great menu choices. I went with the bourbon marinated steak tips, twice baked potatoes & the grilled veggies. Many compliments on the potatoes, the tenderness of the meat & the taste & display of the vegetables. Drop off went smoothly. Jen was very helpful in setting up the dishes & answering all my questions. Would highly recommend!!“

“Some fantastic drinks! Justin at the bar is amazing and a great Bartender. First is called "To grandmother's house we go", the second is a play on the deadmans party and a greyhound, the third is a version of a green goddess that we (Justin and I) are gonna call "Not your Granny Smith". Great vibes and fun atmosphere. Ask him about trivia about the Graduate hotel. :-)“