22 Best Southern Restaurants in Columbia

“The BEST filet I’ve ever had! We continue to dine at Saluda’s and we’re always extremely happy with our meals. Delicious!!“

“Pretty sad that I haven’t tried this food until today. We got fried chicken and meatloaf for delivery and a fried grits appetizer. It was all good - there is nothing I would’ve changed.“

“Food: Delicious sauces, one for all different flavor pallets. Meat was very tender. Best part of the meal! I'm not a huge fan of baked mac in cheese, theirs is very cheesy. So if you like super cheesy mac with it being cheese heavy at the top, this is for you. I was a little disappointed with the rice. I'm a rice fanatic, and theirs seemed a little over seasoned and a little dried out. I would be willing to give it another shot, though, along with trying out some of the other various side options they have available.Service: Very nice people, explained the menu. Gave me a realistic waiting time and provided outstanding customer service. Good Job ??Atmosphere: Small little BBQ spot. They provide a few tables inside, but it seems more really like a spot you just pick up from, which I'm totally fine with. I honestly only made it outside to my car before I began to devour my meal, though. Can't wait to see these owners eventually get a larger space where more seating is accommodating.“

“The lady you have working the drive thru window 4/21 around 10 am is always SO PLEASANT everytime I come. It’s hard to not smile when she talks to you even just to ask your order. She shows up to work everyday I come by with a smile and eager to serve customers. Wanted to make sure her bosses saw that it doesn’t go unnoticed“

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

“The quality of the food, service, and presentation was more than enough to make us into fans! We will definitely be back!“

“a gem of a spot to get southern food in NE! now it's the south and every claims to have the best of everything but let me tell y'all, without a shadow of a doubt, their food SLAPS! i had the fried chicken platter with the mac n cheese and candied yams. when i tell yall EVERYTHING was seasoned to perfection! the chicken was crispy and juicy. the mac and cheese was CHEESY and the noodles were flavorful. the yams had just enough texture to them. if i could give this 100 stars i would. chris (owner) and his team do a great job of providing not just quick service but a friendly atmosphere as well. this is a to go establishment so there's no seating but the decor is bright and welcoming. lastly, we sampled some of the oxtail and when i tell y'all they were out of this world! not everyone can make oxtails. these were smoked and seasoned to PERFECTION! will definitely be coming back and getting that next time.“

“First time there and enjoyed it so much. The main thing besides the food being delicious was that everything in the restaurant wasn’t pork. They really have options for everyone. Just because we in the south doesn’t mean everything has to be pork. I appreciate that and will be back. Also, they had me at hello when I seen the drink menu.“

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

“Love me some Lizard's Thickett!!! Whenever I would take road trips with my Mama and Dad, we would always head out before the crack of dawn and stop at a Lizard's Thickett after an hour or so on the road. Our last waitress was named Kaila and she was fantastic. The food was great as usual. Looking forward to my next road trip.?“

“While we visited South Carolina, we dined at the Lizard's Thicket. This restaurant has so much to offer: cleanliness, an inviting atmosphere, hospitality, and delicious food. We purchased two four-veggie plates, one meat and three plate, and a fried chicken sandwich. Everything was hot, fresh, plenty, and delicious. In fact, it was so delicious that I requested to compliment the cook, Jermaine, before we left the restaurant. Jermaine is not only a talented cook, but he is also incredibly hospitable to the customers. Also, we appreciated our particularly attentive young waiter, and the friendliness of the employees who work together at this restaurant. (They were especially grateful that we paid in cash!) Columbia is blessed to have such a fine restaurant in their city, and Lizard's Thicket is incredibly blessed to have Jermaine bringing the customers back for more satisfying dishes!“

“There was plenty of parking and seating. My group all had a variety of selections that we shared and EVERYthing was too delicious!! My favorite veggie had to be the Brussel sprouts. My favorite protein was the appetizer shrimp! I'll definitely return!“

“Was taken to Poogan’s for my birthday dinner. Food and service were awesome ! Pimento cheese fritters, catfish nibbles, chicken pot pie, everything we had was so good and cooked correctly. I will keep going back!“

“Typical southern food. I give the service 4 stars because it took a long time to serve us, they even attended to and served people who arrived later, the waitress apologized to us but they were not that saturated. Except for that, which is surely punctual, the food was very delicious.“

“I worked here for many years and although I am not a fan of Mr. Robert Williams as he is mean to most of the staff, I am a fan of all the other Williams!! I do like the customers and I very much like the food! I must still give credit to the cleanliness of the restaurants and the quality of the food. The food is absolutely delicious! So I will not take away from that. My favorites are Flounder, macaroni and cheese, cabbage, collards, beef stew…. Oh! The salads are amazing with the fried chicken and egg! Omlets are good, don’t really like the bread anymore, that is probably because I ate it from the age of 16-30 haha. Nice friendly atmosphere from the customer perspective and good service! If you ever run into Mr. Matt Williams; He is one of the kindest people I ever met! John Williams too! They are wonderful people.I would suggest if you are looking for great service and food do go here… if you have the pleasure of being waited on by Gloria, Marilyn, April, or Genie…. You will truly get great service, and the food is always yummy!Cheers to Southern Food and a nice atmosphere to dine in, if you must get it to go, most locations have a drive through. Best Manager overall, “Dalton”.!Thanks for reading my review, and hope you decide to eat here, so that you know true Southern Food and Hospitality!Parking: Parking is A okay!Kid-friendliness: Very kid friendly environment, not sure if they still provide the crayons and paper but I do believe so!Wheelchair accessibility: There is an easy way near the front door to have wheelchair access at each location.“

“Gorgeous hotel restaurant in the heart of Downtown Columbia features all you would expect from the Marriott brand. The food was perfectly prepared, and my cocktail was one of the best Old Fashions I’ve ever had. Waitress / bargirl was very attentive and friendly, atmosphere was low lit upscale classy. Very much enjoyed it here. Will definitely be back and highly recommend.“

“Had breakfast here this Saturday morning. I had the waffle and my husband had the waffles with chicken. I should have gotten the same thing because was the chicken was The waffle was ok but the chicken was so good!! Very friendly staff and it was a nice place as well.“

“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’ve lived in the Columbia neighborhood of Earlewood for years and never knew about this gem!Staff are excellent, super friendly.The meatloaf is amazing, also enjoyed the greens, broccoli casserole, macaroni and cheese, too! 6 stars if I could!“

“I had an amazing experience with the crab legs – it felt like heaven! The Jamaican jerk butter was absolutely amazing – you have to try it! My daughter enjoyed the chicken tenders and fries, which were so delicious. Everything was seasoned to perfection! The service was fantastic, and everyone was super friendly and helpful. I can't remember the last time I finished all my food from a restaurant. Looking forward to returning for more delightful meals!“

“Yesterday (April 2, 2024) got great service from Jasmine (server) and Misha (cashier). The food and service are excellent.“