25 Best Southern Restaurants in Columbia

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

“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.“

“Absolutely love this place! Beautiful atmosphere, friendly staff, fantastic food! The honey-dusted fried chicken, biscuits, fried pickles, southern collard greens....oh, my gosh! I could go on and on! Just awesome! And our server, Tara, (tonight) was one of the best servers we've ever had, anywhere. Tupelo Honey is truly one of the best restaurants in all of Columbia,SC!“

“Stopped from out of town to enjoy a nice dinner and would come back 10 more times. Our waiter was quick and friendly, our bar drinks were delicious and the food was the star. Pork Rinds, meatloaf, catfish & grits + kids meals. So happy we popped in.“

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

“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.!!!!👍“

“I thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant!

Please know that it is a to-go restaurant. Dining in is not an option. There isn't even a trash receptacle in the lobby area, that would be a nice addition. A chair or two to sit in while waiting for your order would also be a nice addition.

The food makes it worth it! I ordered a platter with chicken, shrimp, collard greens, yams and macaroni & cheese. I also ordered a lambchop dinner with rice & gravy and potato salad. Everything was a 10/10 except the rice & gravy and the potato salad. The rice & gravy could've used more seasoning, it was very bland. The potato salad was sweet and had a glaze to it, it wasn't bad but it wasn't excellent either.“

“The best dang BBQ I've ever had in my life.
Best BBQ sandwich I've ever had, best barbecue hot sauce (7 sec) , best bun, best baked beans, best green beans, Baked Mac & cheese: my whole life I thought -what a waste of perfectly good macaroni- THIS is the Mac & cheese granny tried to make. Pulled pork was the definition of smoked, moist bbq. Blown away. It's that good.“

“Went to eat here today for the first time. A friend recommended it and I work very close by. I got my food to go and went back to my office to eat. I had the Egg Stravaganza and it was wonderful! I’m thinking about going again before the end of the week!“

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

“My server went above and beyond, Ill come back and edit this next time I get her name. The beef stew was honestly the best I have had that wasn't homemade in the South. Their fried Okra was delicious too. I asked for an Arnold Palmer, it's not a usual request but She got me one anyway. I enjoyed the meal and the service a good bit, Ill be sure to come back when I can. Prices are getting out of hand nowadays but that's everywhere, and at least you won't be leaving this place hungry, that's for sure.“

“Flounder and that’s enough 😂“

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

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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.“

“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!“

“I loved that it ran by family traditions
I was underwhelmed by flavor unfortunately
Great service
I am not against trying other items
Smothered turkey for me should slide off the bone and the gravy should make you finish it with your fingers
Greens were sweet not my preference
Potato salad was bland potatoes not tender enough
Mac n cheese lacked flavor

Peace and Light I wish you well“

“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!“

“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“

“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!!“

“Flounder and that’s enough 😂“

“My family had a wonderful experience at Kiki’s! Our waitress Anerryah was absolutely fantastic! She was so friendly and helpful! She made our dinner memorable and we thank her for that. Our food was also delicious as usual! Chicken and waffles were on point and the sweet potato fries and okra were downright awesome! Make sure to visit Kiki’s for a delicious down home meal!“

“We had an amazing dinner on Thursday. The waitress was amazing and super nice. They accommodated me being on crutches and wanting a table for 4 by the window. There was only 2 in my party, but need space for my leg and not be in the way. We started going to this location about 3 years ago and it was the best decision. Our wait staff is always pleasant and delightful. Very clean and super nice staff.“

“Today was my first time trying this place, I did it in the new location in Greer, I must say that the service was 10/10, the staff was extremely friendly, attentive and agile. I had an ultimate bacon biscuit and it was also a 10/10 great flavor and the biscuit was soft and not dry. On the side I had country fries and they were delicious. I will definitely return to this place!!“