50 Best American Restaurants in Columbia

“What a great find as we are traveling 16 hours from FL to MD as snow birds and finally decided to go out vs grabbing a pizza and staying at the Airbnb.
I yelped and saw their other reviews on google and said let's go!

I am sooooo thankful and as we snow bird ,now this will be our every January and end of February stops for awesome dinner and drinks!!!

And P.S. The greeters, wait staff, bartender and even OFF STAFF folks that sat beside us were so proud to be here, gave us recommendations,engaged in conversation and were that best!“

“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!!“

“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.“

“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.“

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

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

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

“The lady that took my order was polite and knowledgeable. I wish I would of gotten her name but I totally forgot because she was so personable. I got a chili cheese basket without lettuce, tomato, onions. I got my food promptly and HOT. But the burger looked smashed and the bread was extremely soggy. But other then that it was great. Hopefully thet 2“

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

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

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

“Lord who made the coleslaw today??
Please don't let them make it again 😡 whole meal thrown off..
I went out in the rain just because I wanted y'all's coleslaw
These chicken legs are delicious as always.
P. S. Don't play with that recipe.“

“Had a great first time visit. I never got our waitress name. But she did an ok job. The only problem I had was that she was also assigned a large birthday group. I ordered the spinach/artichoke dip, that was tasty. My drink (strawberry lemon drop) was perfect! I was very pleased with it. I then had fish & chips as my entree and street corn. Loved it. I'll definitely be going back.“

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

“Flounder and that’s enough 😂“

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

“This was my first visit. I had a 7:30 reservation and arrived 30 minutes early. Seated by 7:15. Our waiter Marcus, was quite pleasant and provided great feedback of our meal choice. He was quick and attentive. For our first course, we had local beet salad and mussels. Absolutely delicious!!! For the entree we had the swordfish replacement, Tilefish ( because they sold out of the swordfish). We’ve never heard of Tilefish and it was a great choice!!The shrimp and grits was delicious and savory. The only thing we were not to happy with was the cold air coming from the patio. It was a rather cool night. It was hard to relax because we were cold, sadly. I’m sure the atmosphere would have been better if we were not so cold. The parking is extremely tight and small so expect to possibly park on the street or use the valet parking. Overall, I would return again.“

“My friend came into town and I was on my way taking her back to the airport. We needed a quick place to grab a bite because her flight was delayed. I decided to get the burger. Wow! Totally amazing. At this location their burgers are fresh, never frozen! You can definitely tell the difference. I'm not a big fan of Applebee's I won't lie. But that burger deserves ALL five stars!!!!!“

“This establishment has gone from the bottom of my list to the top with the new general manager food and service has been exceptional . Jd makes the best quesadillas ever and Mark makes the perfects drink will be back real soon hungry for more.“

“Sam was amazing! My husband and I went on Valentine’s Day and had reservations. There was no wait and we were seated immediately. Sam, our waitress, made sure we had a perfect dinner and checked on us frequently. Our appetizers - charred wings, deviled eggs and mussels were great. For entrees we ordered steak and shrimp and grits. All were good. There was one small issue with the food and she told Will, the manager, who took care of it and offered us a replacement. He came to the table personally to apologize and took care of us as well. I’m very pleased with my first visit to Prohibition and we will definitely be back. Also all of my favorite 90s songs were playing!! Loved the vibes!“

“I had the pleasure of going to Chayz Lounge tonight for the Entrepreneurs Table talk and it was amazing. I learn a lot a took a lot of notes. I learned that I need to get out of my own way and do what Ghas given me the vision yo do, my purpose. And stand and business and know my worth. The food was amazing. The Honey Ginger Salmon was awesome. Thank you to Mrs Chaye for the words of wisdom and I do plan to just do it and not let others opinion get in my way.“

“This place is my little secret, even tho it is not a secret to many people. Always get a chili slaw dog with onion rings. Even tho they forgot my slaw on thos order I still love the dog and this place. Definitely got to try it out but make sure you get there early. Sometime the lunch rush and get busy. Thanks to everyone there for great service“

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

“Flounder and that’s enough 😂“

“First, we reserved priority seating over a week prior. When we checked in they took us to a high top table in the bar. I said that was unacceptable. She then told me we could either sit at the bar or wait for a table. I know it's a busy night, but that's why we made reservations. What happened to the priority seating I booked???? After waiting a bit, she came over and offered us a table in a separate room where we would be sitting alone in what looked like a room that hadn't been used in quite a while. There were even cleaning products sitting on one of the tables. We left the table and ended up eating at the bar. The service at the bar was very slow. We had to flag down someone to order and then again to get another drink. When the food finally came, my pork chop was way over cooked to the point that the meat actually crumbled when cut. Just an unacceptable experience through and through. Waste of $150.“

“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.“

“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!“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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.“

“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!“

“Great southern food! Wide variety on menu. I had this for lunch and the price was on point and delicious! The wait wasn’t bad, good family vibes and the waitress was a sweetheart! It was very large portions served and definitely needed a to go box!“

“Very good food and service!“

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

“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 People & Services. Had A Blast.“

“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!“

“Friendly service, tried the honey lemon pepper wings and they were delicious, and tasty drinks.“

“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!!“

“Our waiter Russell was so amazing!! He was so polite and took care of every little detail. He checked in on us multiple times and our drinks never got below halfway. Asked for grape jelly with our biscuits and he had four in the basket. We were just traveling through Columbia SC but if you are in the area go to the Cracker Barrel on Bush River Rd and ask for Russell…you will not be disappointed!!“

“Hunter did an excellent job as our server. He was also bar tending. Hunter was efficient , personable and had a sense of humor! Black and Blue burger was excellent. Cooked as requested. Only disappointment was that there was no outdoor dining available.“

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

“I’ve ordered from here a few times now. Staff are helpful and ordering is easy. Most of my orders have been fine with minimal complaints. This last time was a disappointment though. My sub was not made to order and I was missing 2 wings. I asked for no mustard and no onions and got both. It’s hard to return for a remake or to make a complaint when you are on a time limit for lunch so I was not able to get any mistakes corrected. Next time I’ll be sure to check the food harder when they show it to you when checking out.“

“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 :)“

“Megan Marsh is the best. So friendly and she knows what she is doing.. Will come again.“

“As soon as I walked i I was seated. The staff were really friendly. The food was cooked to a perfect temperature. The somlee came out mid course and asked if we'd like the house wine. 5 star meal at an affordable price. Only place i can get a gourmet meal and some virginia slims.will definitely be there again.“

“Good ppl, great food and great customer service“

“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!“