Columbia - Restaurants

A running list of Columbia restaurants. Websites will be listed whenever I can find them.

Rosso - Rustic Italian. Wood-fire grill. Outdoor seating. My favorite place in Columbia for desserts, especially tiramisu. Dinners run between $15 and $20. One of my favorites. Located outside of downtown in Forest Acres. http://www.rossocolumbia.com/

Cock n Bull - English pub food. Great beer on tap. They play a lot of soccer and rugby on their TVs and will open for important games. Usually open for lunch and dinner. Good hangout place on Rosewood Drive. http://www.cnbpub.net/

Miyo's - There are a few of these in the Columbia area. They have a variety of Asian cuisine, sushi, Chinese, Thai and some good vegetarian options. They have lunch and dinner. Best choice in Columbia for Chinese food. http://www.miyos.com/

Japanese options

There are a few good choices in Columbia for sushi and Japanese cuisine.

Sakura - off of Forest Drive. http://sakurasc1.com/home.html

Camon - downtown Columbia on Assembly. Only open for dinner and not open on Sundays, I believe.

Inakaya - on St Andrews Rd in Irmo or on O'Neil Court in Columbia (off of Two Notch Rd.)

Gervais and Vine - tapas, pizza and good wine. Outdoor seating. They have lots of special events and live music. They also have their own parking lot which is nice to have in the Vista. http://www.gervine.com/

Motor Supply Company - One of the most unique restaurants in Columbia. It has been around since 1989 in the Vista. Their menu is constantly changing and their cocktails are award-winning. At least twice a year they have a farm week where they feature the local farmers that provide their produce, meats, and cheeses. It's tucked back off of Gervais and I highly recommend making reservations. They do weekday lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. They've been featured in many magazines and articles about Columbia. http://www.motorsupplycobistro.com/ 

Cola's - One of my favorite restaurants. They have a great atmosphere and are located in the Vista. Be sure to go when the weather is nice and they have their doors opened up. (They have some of those glass garage doors that they open up.) It's nice. My favorite dish there is the Beef Short Ribs with grits and carrots. The flavors are great and the meat falls off the bone. They also make a lot of their own infused vodkas which makes for unique drink combinations. http://colasrestaurant.com/

Bourbon - Bourbon has created a lot of buzz in Columbia. It was started by the same guy who opened Rosso and Gervais and Vine. The food is Cajun/Creole and Southern. It's a limited menu that can change. Everything I've had there has been good. But the real reason to go is for the bar. They're really making an impact on the bar-tending in Columbia. Not to mention one of the most extensive whiskey menus in Columbia. It's quite a book to go through! It's a small space with some outdoor seating but they don't take reservations. If you have a large party, you could check with them. It's been pretty popular since it's opening in 2014 and I'm not sure if it's going to slow down. http://www.bourboncolumbia.com/ 

Blue Marlin - Everyone in Columbia has been to Blue Marlin at some point. It's a popular spot for business meetings or taking out of town visitors. They're known for their shrimp and grits and seafood. It's a good size restaurant that has meeting space and is open for lunch and dinner. They also have good catering. They have won me over because when I visit the area during the day and they will sometimes feed the parking meters so that their lunch customers don't have to worry about getting a parking ticket. Good customer service! They're also one of the restaurants that's open on Sunday. http://www.bluemarlincolumbia.com/

Burger Tavern 77 - My favorite burger joint in Columbia. They have a great menu with beef, turkey, chicken and black bean burgers, plus they give you the option of creating your own burger with whatever toppings you want. Their fries are also my favorite in town. Open for lunch and dinner. They also have a great outdoor eating space. http://burgertavern77.com/ 

Cantina 76 - two locations in Columbia: Devine Street and Main Street "Mexican Inspired" with great tacos, salads, quesadillas, and other items. My favorite are the tacos and the quesadilla. They also usually have some good specials. They can get pretty busy so be prepared to wait during busy meal times. They also have other locations around South Carolina. http://www.cantina76.com/ 

Pizza Joint  - My favorite pizza in Columbia. New York style with a sweeter pizza sauce. They also have good topping combinations. Their slices are huge and you also can get a 20 inch pizza! So big, the box won't fit in my oven. We like to go there to watch Gamecock games on their TV or to sit outside on their patio. They also have great specials. They were started by a group from Augusta so I'll have to check it out there sometime. http://thepizzajoint.net/ 

Publico - On Greene Street in Five Points. Latin-Asian fusion. Tacos, quesadillas, sandwiches, poke bowls, salads, ramen bowls, all kinds of food. I like their quesadillas and tacos. Nice outdoor eating area and large garage door/windows that they open when the weather is nice. http://www.publicokitchenandtap.com/

Coffee Houses:

Immaculate Consumption - an interesting mix of people (college and government), they roast their own beans and have amazing food. Usually open for breakfast and lunch M-F. http://immaculate-consumption.com/ 

Drip - two locations: Five Points and Main Street - great food, amazing coffee (each cup is made individually), best cup of decaf coffee in Columbia, also great for dessert. They seem to always be open. They also serve fresh squeezed orange juice and lemonade, which makes a great Arnold Palmer. http://dripcolumbia.com/
Indah - two locations: Sumter Street (off of North Main Street) or Main Street, in the Arcade mall. Great local coffee, some snacks and breakfast foods, good also for cold brew coffee. https://indahcoffee.com/

British Bulldog Pub - this pub is in the Irmo/Harbison area of Columbia (the Northwest side). It's in the shopping center with Columbiana Grande Theater. I recommend going during the week or try their weekend brunch. Dishes that I recommend: the Irish Egg Rolls, Scotch Eggs, Curry (if you say hot, they'll make it hot!), or the Beef and Cheddar Pasty (pronounced PAH-stee). http://www.thebritishbulldogpub.com/

Hunter-Gatherer - Hunter-Gatherer is one of the few places in Columbia that is a brew-pub. And a great one at that! Not only do they make good beers but their menu is great too. They always have multiple specials as well as a good menu that offer some creative vegetarian dishes.
It's located on South Main, near USC, and can get pretty busy on the weekends. They're only open for dinner. They also have a nice outdoor dining space with a few tables. http://huntergathererbrewery.com/
Their Twitter feed is the best way to see what's going on. They also have opened up a separate brewery in a historic hangar at the Owen's Airport. They have pizza, salads, and snacks to serve with their beer. It's a great place to go, especially on a nice day when they open up the hangar doors.