50 Best American Restaurants in Columbia

“The food was good and the service was great. The only thing l was not happy about is where the hostess sat us. It was inside but like a enclosed patio/porch setting. We were bothered by flies and gnats!! One even decided to drink some tea with me by drowning itself in my glass. They need to pay more attention to this area before sitting people ot there.“

“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.“

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

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

“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.“

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

“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.“

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

“First time in with a business group. We tried the duck wings, watermelon salad and the cheese plate. All was good especially the sauce on the wings. I had the NY strip. I don't normally like sauces, but the one in the steak was good and not overpowering. A few of my colleagues ordered the duck entree, and based on their clean plates, it must've been delicious. If it's on the menu next time - they change it daily - I'm definitely going to order it. Great unassuming place.“

“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.!!!!👍“

“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.“

“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.“

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

“Very good food and service!“

“Sam had us proper feeling like we were at a resort. Drinks were super cold and food was hot. She kept things moving and was one of the best servers we have ever had. She was able to keep my kids comfortable while also keeping the adults fed. Will be back and hopefully we get Sam.“

“Step into the past, with swivel chairs, analog menus, and a handwritten order, and enjoy your time at Rush's. The food absolutely fantastic, for a fast food restaurant. The entire experience was absolutely incredible.
You have so much variety in this menu that you can eat almost anything you want, or at least expect in fast food. They had hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, chicken, BBQ, and even dinners that you could take home.
I got to enjoy a chili cheese burger, and fries with coleslaw on the basket side. Let's just say adding the coleslaw, to the top of the burger was fantastic. Moreover, they had vinegar to put on your fries! And the peach milkshake was absolutely fabulous, and hit the spot on a hot day. I also got a chilly dog because of the 250th 4th of July celebration!
Going there just took me back in time, to a more simple and elegant experience, that is not corporate. The atmosphere reminded me of fast food, just back in the 90s. Go and experience their eclecticness for yourself. If they had one of these close to me in North Carolina, I would be a regular!“

“Saw them this morning. The food is good and reminds me of home. will be having again for sure.“

“Celebrated my 61st birthday there.We had an awesome time ‼️“

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

“Amazing People & Services. Had A Blast.“

“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!“

“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 :)“

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

“Good ppl, great food and great customer service“

“Great place with great service! They honor first responders and our veterans, and the restaurant is always clean. Great to have mission bbq in Colombia!“

“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!“

“Its Thursday week is almost over no one felt like cooking so we went to this location and got a family chicken deal... legs and thighs as well as fries and bread. Food is cooked fresh to order. The staff was very helpful enthusiastic and you could tell they were happy to be at work.“

“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!“

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

“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!“

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

“Flounder and that’s enough 😂“

“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!!“

“If I had the money, I would donate millions, perhaps even billions to Lizard's Thicket to ensure all their restaurants stay up and running forever. They never miss on amazing food and great customer service. I've been to possibly all of their restaurants and I've never ever been disappointed. They've never even messed up an order or missed an item and I go quite often. Whenever people ask me for food recommendations, I always refer them here. Yes, there are fancier restaurants but they're not going to match the obvious passion and dedication from the cooks working here or their commitment to consistent southern hospitality. Great establishment!“

“California Dreaming in Columbia did not disappoint! The she-crab soup was rich and delicious, the shrimp nachos were just as good, and the peach margarita was absolutely divine. The service was excellent, and the atmosphere was the perfect mix of upscale and comfortable. My only issue was the steak. I ordered it medium rare, but it was cooked longer than I requested. Even so, we enjoyed our visit overall and would definitely return.“

“amazing affordable prices amazing chicken wings“

“Erica did an excellent job serving us. She greeted us, brought us our menus, and took our drink orders right away. She also was patient and gracious with us adding and making changes to our orders. She took our orders when we were ready and brought our food right away. The food was delicious too. We were thankful to have such a courteous and accommodating waitress. Erica did an outstanding job.“

“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.“

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

“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!“

“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!“

“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“

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

“had a great time. the food was awesome.“

“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!“

“We stopped by Rush's in Columbia SC on the way home to Greenville SC from Charleston SC. This was a great little spot for a good burger and friendly staff clean restaurant 😀 03/29/2026“

“Great customer service. Waitresses were nice“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stopped by Colombo’s on a quiet Sunday evening, and it hit the spot. Tamara at the bar was fantastic—friendly, attentive, and full of great suggestions. I went with the crab dip and wings, and both were packed with flavor. My drink was perfectly mixed, and the atmosphere was laid-back but classy. It wasn’t crowded, just peaceful and inviting. The kind of place where you can unwind, eat good, and feel taken care of. I’ll absolutely be back.“

“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!!“