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.!!!!👍“

“These loaded Seafood Fries are on point!

Just recently stopped in to try a couple of their menu items. I had the 2 piece Flounder Platter which also came with Shrimp, which was delicious. I also had the Loaded Seafood Fries, which came with crab meat, and shrimp. The fries were amazing! I would definitely get this dish again.“

“Today was my first time trying this place, and I walked in to pleasantry!! Ms. Bull's kindness and patience alone had me! I ordered a side of mac n cheese and the brisket with the ketchup based sauce! It was delicious!! And not only did Ms Bull bring to my car what I ordered, she held a small convo with me (much respected and like-minded) as I tasted the food! She also gave me some complimentary cake that was warm and moist! I'm not one to lie, I was most definitely satisfied!! I will be back again!! The wait time is worth it if you are looking for soul touching food !!“

“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!!!“

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

“Flounder and that’s enough 😂“

“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!“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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!“

“If you're looking for a polished, modern restaurant, this isn't it. If you're looking for a family-owned, home cooking restaurant, this is a winner. My 1st visit & 1st meal here today was great. It's an older, rugged looking place with hardly any with sit but I'm coming back. The ladies that greeted and helped me we're very nice, very quick & the turkey wing in gravy over rice, with cabbage and yams, was outstanding. Family owned restaurants, with Mom and Dad cooking in the kitchen, are sadly becoming a thing of the past. Let's support this restaurant.“

“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!!“