Mr. Friendly's New Southern Cafe

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.

One of my favorite places. Fish is always amazing. Specials are always great! I always sit at the bar with Justin if there is room. Check this place out for sure!!

Mr. Friendly’s is one of our all time favorite restaurants. This time we drove out of our way to stop to eat. We were driving from Jacksonville to Charlotte and figured Columbia was close enough for a great southern meal and great bar.
We can say enough about the quality and taste of the food and the friendliness of the staff.

We visited as a family of four to celebrate a birthday. Though we didn’t have a reservation, we were fine with waiting about 45 minutes to be seated outdoors. Once seated, our server was courteous and helpful in explaining the large and interesting menu.

While everything sounded great, we were very disappointed once the food arrived. The portions were surprisingly small—especially for the price. For example, the side of collard greens was barely more than one tablespoon. The food itself was just okay in taste, but not at all worth the cost. Our total bill was over $150, and unfortunately, some of us left still hungry.

Given the underwhelming portions and high price point, we don’t see a reason to return.

Top Notch Food and Service

One of our favorite places!

Excellent food & friendly service. Walked in last minute for dinner & was able to dine at the bar until a table was open. ❤️

We have been coming to this restaurant for 20 years and have never had a bad meal. Always the best food and best service! The owners are great community supporters!

Fresh local fare and a constantly rotating menu make Mr. Friendly’s one of Columbia’s BEST restaurants. The daily specials, extensive wine list, and craft cocktails never disappoint. The impeccable service and valet parking are the icing on the cake!

This is one of our most favorite places in Columbia. I have eaten here a lot and have never had anything less than wonderful.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Easily one of the best restaurants in town. We had reservations for yesterday evening. My wire and I shared salmon croquettes to start, then lightly breaded sea trout with grits and collards and short ribs with Wasabi mashed potatoes and a delicious sauce over top. We finished with Key Lime pie, made the right way. Simple but so well executed. Phenomenal, absolutely delicious from start to finish. Well done. If I could afford it, I'd be here twice a week.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fish and Grits, Key Lime Pie, Salmon Croquettes

Absolutely the highlight of our trip to Columbia! From start to finish, this experience was a delight and needed after weeks spent dealing with the affects of Hurricane Helene on our home and community.

Ashton was our waitress and did a phenomenal job taking care of us, explaining things, and just being there to chat. It was great to feel normal for a bit.

We started with soup where I had the seafood bouillabaise which had such devine flavor and filled with seafood including many mussels and my hubby had the cream of broccoli soup which was decadently creamy and filled with tender broccoli florets.

I had the chef's vegetarian dish of pumpkin ravioli topped with brown butter, balsamic glaze, toasty pecans, and wilted spinach which was the perfect balanced dish that gave all the perfect fall fibes! My hubby had the sea trout topped with a creamy, cucumber remoulade with buttery grits and a crisp, tart slaw. Both dishes were so incredible in balance, flavor, and presentation. I honestly don't think you could go wrong with any of their dishes!

For dessert, Ashton and her manager graciously gifted us our dessert of apple pie springrolls with carmel sauce. Honestly, it made me never want to eat apple pie any other way again it was THAT GOOD!!!

They treated us so well from when we walked in until we left that we will easily drive the 2 hours just to eat there and will become on our list of stops when making trips to Charleston.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

WoW! From the soup to the entree & a dessert, everything was awesome. Our server, Ashton was great, helpful, friendly & informative. I had the Cheddar & broccoli soup, which was creamy with chunks of broccoli, not just pureed. My wife had the seafood bouillabaisse which was very fresh tasting. She opted for the pumpkin ravioli which had an excellent balance of flavors & I has the Atlantic Sea trout special. The fish was delicate with a breading that was light & crisp. The cucumber aioli? was a nice accent to the fish. The grits were buttery & perfectly seasoned and the slaw had a nice crunch & tang. Our desert was an apple cinnamon spring roll. Another OMG! The atmosphere was cozy and comfortable and the service was great, even having a manager meet & greet. I wish we lived closer to here, but if we're ever down here again, you can bet we'll be stopping in.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Delicious dinner.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Blackened Shrimp & Grits, Buttermilk Fried

Everything from the atmosphere to the service to the food was wonderful! Our waitress was amazing! The drinks were delicious. The food was amazing especially the collards!!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast