Food so good a random kid asked to join. We said yes…read more Smells nice in here. One flickering light though. We got the pig out. We couldn't wait to eat so I am showing my empty plate. DONT eat the pickles. ‍eat here. Came again with the fam. Wow 2 well feds done in 40 minutes. Try the cornbread. Eat here.

Was visiting the area and came across Midwood Smokehouse when looking for a BBQ spot. The menu…read morelooked great and the photos online highlighting the food and the establishment looked promising; still rustic but with a modern twist. The table enjoyed the Miguel's Queso. I'm pretty sure the kids licked the bowl clean. Kids Chicken Nuggets - 6 crispy nuggets with a side of choice. Thick breading but good portion and taste. Crinkle fries were a bit hit for this little one. Enjoyed the fries with ranch. Lone Star Brisket Sandwich - Smoked brisket, house-made pickles, and slaw. Brisket looked delicious but was a bit dry and lacked seasoning. The pickles, slaw, and BBQ sauce delivered the moisture and flavor. Smoked Half Chicken - Smaller chicken quarter but tender and moist. Still lacking flavor counting on the BBQ sauce. Had the mac-and-cheese and fries as a side. Mac was cheesy but again dry. Saint Louis Pork Ribs - Good portion but again on the flavor - heavily reliant on the sauce. Sweet tea was perfect and the pickles were delicious! Service wasn't the best; refills were hard to get. I think next time we will avoid a chain and find a hole-in-the-wall establishment.

First of all after reading reviews from 2020 it doesn't seem fair that the new owners of The Grille…read morehave responsibility for the older reviews. The restaurant is always clean and the service is great. We go to Trivia every Wednesday and always have a fun time. I think sometimes people don't understand that it isn't easy running a restaurant. The Owners are local and work hard to make their business successful. I know from experience that it's hard to please everybody and its usually the ones that complain that write the reviews.

Everyone was very friendly and accommodated my request for a…read more grilled chicken sandwich with no bun! The grilled asparagus were perfect as well as the steamed broccoli.

I've been here twice and both times service has been great and food was delicious. Ive always been…read moreseated promptly since you can make reservations or call and get added to the waitlist. Theres seated my both inside and outside and the vibes are great. I've heard that their food is always great and you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Though I couldn't remember what I got last time I decided to go with something totally different and try the flounder wrap which was simple but out of this world! Soooo good, and with my wrap I did the truffle fries with a side of ranch and blue cheese. Everything was a hit and our server too was great. 10/10 great find for Columbia! Oh and I almost forgot, the peanut butter pie slice was like eating a big snickers the perfect amount of peanut butter, chocolate and crunch! It was phenomenal- so rich.

Thankful for another trip around the sun and this year instead of heading out of the country I…read morecelebrated in SC with family. The only downside about my born day is the close proximity to Valentine's day. Which can sometimes make the planning around the commercialized love day tricky... especially when it comes to restaurant reservations.... Womp womp. Backstreets Grill said they could accommodate a party of 8. They were clearly busy and with our party size we could understand. Nonetheless, we had a very loonnngggg wait, which was frustrating and deflating. We waited 4x the time the young ladies initially told us upon arrival. However, once we were finally seated things started to turn around slightly. I say slightly because we were seated on the enclosed patio, with a portable heater but several people were cold. Just to think they kept asking us and others if we wanted to sit outside. (It's February @ night). Now the food: Some of the dishes were more favorable than others and I must admit all of my personal choices were great. Appetizers: -Mussels - White Wine (My Order) -Fried Oysters (I tried) -Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna -Lump Crab Dip (I tried) -Tomato Parmesan Soup (My Order) -Side House & Caesar Salads (I tried) I personally had the Mussels, which were perfect, and the tomato parmesan soup and both made you want to lick the bowl. The broths were so good. I tried the fried oysters, they were also very good, but the presentation was a little messy. The Lump Crab Dip and the Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna completely fell short and were not memorable at all and both of the side salads were sad. Entrées: -Cajun Chicken Pasta w/ Blackened Shrimp (My order) -Buffalo Chicken Pizza (I tried) -House-made Meatloaf w/ mashed potatoes & vegetables -Pork-chop w/ mashed potatoes & green beans -Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla w/ Fries -Ribeye w/ Truffle Parmesan Fries My sister and I both ordered the Cajun Chicken pasta, I added the blackened shrimp to my order, we were both extremely happy. The dish was not spicy but it was well balanced. The recipients of the Meatloaf, Buffalo Chicken Pizza and the Quesadilla were all also pleased with their dishes. The folks that ordered the ribeye and the two pork-chops were not impressed... the dishes were just ok. Our server Adrian, was pleasant, but you can tell he was very overwhelmed which sometimes didn't translate well. As the night went on we understood he was being pulled in multiple directions at once and he did good despite of it. Overall I enjoyed my celebration and experience @ Backstreets Grill. Just A Note: I notice that they can get busy so be ready to wait. Even smaller parties were forced to stretch their patience.

This place is amazing! For exceptional service ask for Leasia. She always take good care of us…read more Decided to try the "special" and it was really good.. Everyone is so personable which makes it feel like family. Check

Waited 2hours for our food. Order the t-bone ... no filet and paid $58. I don't not recommend…read morethis place. .... And we had a reservation!!!!!!

Tantalizing food that is really in a good price range. Great ambiance and Aiden our waiter was a…read moregood vibe.

The food, starter fried green tomatoes. Delicious…read more Service Aiden, was AWESOME!!! Ambiance, lovely, we sat outside and weather is really nice and the view. I will come back again and bring family. Thanks

Great burgers great atmosphere. Super quirky but good vibes. We were sat down immediately and the…read morefood came out quickly. Simple menu and I like that. The fries are good. Seasoned but not over seasoned. 10/10 would come back.

Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint is a no frills burger spot that put a focus on craft beer,…read moresignature sauce, and creative modern burger concepts. The vibe here is dive bar but the beer selection is solid. You'd find a solid selection of craft brews. They do a daily burger special which I went with this trip and was a 9/10 burger idea and was well executed. When it comes to the fries they have BOTH regular and sweet potato fries which instead of ketchup you'd use the signature Jack Browns sauce which reminds me of Mac sauce. The sauce alone is worth the hype and they put a giant bottle on your table when you sit down so they intend on you using it religiously. All in all Jack Brown's makes a great burger and when you put it all together this is a great spot to go for craft brews, interesting burger ideas, and a good spot to chill.

Located inside of the Graduate Hotel this is more then just a lobby bar. It is an enjoyable and…read morerelaxing place for a great meal with personable and efficient service. The vibe and culture is what makes this place special.

Had some wonderful beef nachos and two old fashioned. The bartender is a super dude. Very helpful…read more I asked for extra jalapenos and sour cream and they accommodated. The ground beef was fresh and not greasy.

California Dreaming was an OK spot for upscale dining. I didn't have a special event that I went…read morehere for, but just wanted to try something new. I'd say that it was slightly above average. They had a decent selection of beers on tap, and my friend definitely liked their selection of wines. I got some of the croissants as an appetizer, which were good, but a little expensive for what you were actually getting. I got the chicken tenders and fries to eat, which were solid, but nothing otherworldly. I do think my guest liked her meal, although I'm not completely sure what it's called. As for the service and ambiance, California Dreaming is definitely the darkest restaurant I've ever been to, which I guess is either a pro or a con based on personal opinion. I presume that it would be a good spot for a date night, but maybe not the best spot for casual dining (which is obviously the point of a restaurant like California Dreaming). Our server was nice, relatively attentive, and I'd say that he did a good job overall. All-in-all, I debated giving the restaurant either three (3) or four (4) stars, but I ultimately went with four (4). It was a unique experience, but I won't necessarily be rushing back. I think that has as much to do with personal taste than anything that they did wrong or right, however.

Always a great vibe at California Dreaming in Columbia. We visit all the time as my wife and my…read moremother in love are USC alumni and my daughter is destined to be a Gamecock. So quick bites and campus tours are always good. Started off with expresso martins, honey butter croissants and seafood nachos. All were good and the nachos are a staple. Both wife and mom missed the heart of palms salmon salad that was offered for years along with some other menus changes. We settled on the she crab soup and house salads with extra dressing along with the full rack of ribs. Again everything good but we miss the old menu or the one similar to the dinner menu in Charleston. The waitress was very attentive and apologetic as we had a party of 10 and not able to sit together but in the same area. Overall good vibe and food as always.

The adults come out to play at Goat's in Five Points! If you have a love for espresso martinis,…read moreyou'll definitely want to check them out!

The bar is everything I look for from a cocktail bar - spacious yet cozy, dark with enough light to…read moreread what's in front of you, and quality drink. The cocktails were the star of the night - ranging from $11 to $13 - both their classics and house creations were well balanced and worth trying. Table service was provided with attentive wait staff who weren't overbearing. The only miss for the night was the food. While certain items like the fries and the Brussels sprouts were great, other items like the burger and duck tacos didn't hit the mark with a burger that was too dry and overly charred and the tacos which were too gamey and could have used a some more acid. For a drink I'd certainly visit again, but would likely pass on food.

I was not too impressed with my trip to DiPratos, which was disappointing because it had been…read morerecommended to me by several different people, and I was excited to try it out. I came in a few minutes after 10:00 a.m., the time they open, and while I don't expect a restaurant to be in tip-top shape the second they open, they did not seem at all ready for the day or to accept customers. I stood at the front for a few awkward moments before asking one of the hostesses if I was supposed to seat myself, when she replied "oh no, I'll seat you", and then led me to one of the nearby tables. Somewhat grossly, the tablecloth on the table I was seated at was covered with coffee stains from previous guests, which was kind of unsettling. I then asked for a cup of coffee, and was told that there wasn't any ready, and that I would need to wait a few minutes. Again, not a huge deal, but I would expect a breakfast restaurant to have some coffee ready by the time that they open. Second, when perusing the menu, I was not particularly impressed by their "limited breakfast" options, nor anything on their regular menu. I decided to go with a simple hot dog, and substituted the offered sides with an order of French fries, which ridiculously cost me almost $4 extra. In addition, my hot dog was fine, but nothing exceptional, and definitely not better than one I could've gotten at Costco for a markedly cheaper price. The one (1) bright spot was that the fries were very good, and of higher quality than most other fries I've gotten at similar restaurants. Finally, my server was nice enough, but a little rough around the edges and not overly attentive. In addition, the ambiance was pretty basic, with nothing about it that really stuck out. All-in-all, I wouldn't be adverse to returning to DiPratos on a Saturday or Sunday to try their breakfast menu, but I won't be coming back during the week, and wouldn't really recommend that anybody else do so either.

I've only tasted their pimento cheese at the festival and the original is phenomenal! I'd purchase…read moreagain. Friendly staff! I'd definitely check out their restaurant/deli soon!