Went for lunch today with friends. Got there at 11:10 and it wasn't crowded yet. We ordered the three piece chicken special, a chicken breast with water, a two piece chicken special and another separate chicken breast with a salad. Service quick, Chicken excellent (crispy yet moist), Crinkle fries were good and a great cole slaw (Sweet, similar to KFC but different). Always a great experience if you get there before the crowd. Definitely one of the top three chicken places in the Cola and surrounding areas! Probably #1 or #2 in most peoples polls. read more

I'm not sure what sparked the craving, but as I passed through Columbia at lunchtime, fried chicken suddenly seemed like the only answer. I asked Yelp for the highest‑rated spot and ended up here. The place was bustling, with most of the parking lot full, yet the ordering process moved quickly. By the time I returned from the restroom, my number was already being called. I had ordered a three‑piece meal with double cole slaw in place of fries and a sweet tea. Settling in at a table, I dug in. The cole slaw leaned too far on the sweet side for my taste, though the texture was crisp and fresh. I skipped the dinner roll and the tea, focusing instead on the chicken. It was thoroughly cooked, meaty, and satisfying. Not especially spicy or bold in flavor, but solidly good. This isn't a fancy establishment. The tables and floor may not be spotless, but the food delivers. Best fried chicken I've ever had? No. Still, it was very good, and worth the stop. [Review 1573 of 2025 - 1374 in South Carolina - 25123 overall] read more

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Yall. When I tell you this is hands down THE BEST fried chicken I've had in probably 7-8 years? I'm from South Mississippi and KNOW me some fried chicken, frfr. This place had me hootin and hollerin this afternoon. The workers made me feel right at home like it was meant to be. I don't know anyone here in Columbia and am just getting to know the area and got recommended. We have a place in my hometown called Hartz Chicken and this rivals it (never thought I'd say it). The entire vibe was giving blue collar worker, families, hard working professionals, my white tail, and all in between. If you haven't gone in here, you're wrong for that. I WILL be back, trust and believe that. Thank you to everyone at Bernie's for being so kind to me and welcoming me not only to South Carolina but to this gem of an eatery. read more

Bernie's Chicken - Chicken Special (3 Pieces), sweet Iced Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

On hold for 17 minutes and 54 seconds I'm pretty sure Bernie doesn't know! if you can't take Phone orders and put Voice Mail on and let the people know that you are too busy to take phone calls at this moment read more

Bernie's Chicken - Phone off the hook. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Old school chicken place here. Good place to escape the modernity and embrace a local gem. Their breading is solid, and even on the busiest of hours they turn some customers. read more

Had to be the best fried chicken I have ever had! Not greasy and very very crispy! Every piece is perfectly cooked and moist. Falls off the bone! The fries are crispy and cooked perfectly too. I think if I lived here I would eat this every day! I'm in love! I needed to get me some more before I went home to NY! The staff are friendly and work very hard. Please tip! They deserve it. You can sit inside or out to eat. It's not fancy but who needs fancy when eating fried chicken! It's comfortable and very casual. read more

Bernie's Chicken - Fried chicken and fries - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Great food! Just what the doc ordered. My belly is very happy! (And very big). The service is simple, your order, sit, wait to be called, get food, eat. I love the process. And I am a huge fan of local restaurants and bars. Everybody acts as if they've known you for years. Loved it read more

Good chicken but not great chicken. After seeing all the great reviews, I wanted to try what is supposedly Columbia's best fried chicken. I got the three piece special that comes with fries, a roll, and coleslaw. The chicken was fresh, crispy, and juicy. I personally thought it was a little bland and got a few cups of hot sauce to dip with. The fries and roll were nothing special. The coleslaw is chopped finely and sweeter than I'm used to. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Overall, not a memorable fried chicken experience. I've had better wings at plenty of other places. The restaurant has plenty of seating though I hear it gets quite busy during lunch time. The dining area also reminds me of a high school cafeteria. Service was quick and people were nice. I give Bernie's a 3.4/5. read more

Bernie's Chicken - Fried Chicken Special (3 Pieces)chicken - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Chicken was perfectly cooked, customer service was awesome!!! Definitely will try again!!! Also, prices were very budget friendly, but when great food is involved, who cares, well sometimes! read more

I had a chance to enjoyBernie's restaurant, this reminds me of a famous chicken spot in Charlotte North Carolina called, the chicken coop. Which is no longer open. I love the taste of the chicken. I'm not sure if they fry it in peanut oil or vegetable oil at Bernie's. But the chicken was Good. How they take your order reminds me of the chicken coop in Charlotte. Healthy serving of fries, potato salad is to die for. And I had a two piece dark cooked to perfection. Bernie's I will see you soon. read more

I'm surprised I haven't added this sooner than now. I totally thought I did. It may not be the prettiest place or the place to go to get the best customer service, but Bernie's is a Columbia staple. Their chicken meals are hardly ever a miss. I love that no matter how busy they are, they still accept call-in orders, which cuts down on the wait. I also love when it's busy because everything is fresh. The tea is great, too. I usually go for the chicken special if I don't do the family meal. I appreciate the rolls, the coleslaw, and the little cups of hot sauce. They also serve other things, like hot dogs and such. read more

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First of all, good chicken but not the best chicken I had. Chicken is deep fried and juicy inside but not rich in flavor , maybe my expectations is too high, I ll give the chicken 4/5. The Fries are bland not any salt in it, and not so fresh. I will say the flavor of Bernie s chicken is similar to Zesto. To me it's kinda overrated but still a good place to try out. read more

Bernie's Chicken - Daily Chicken Special (3 Pieces) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

First time trying Bernie's! Great chicken! Super friendly staff! Had the grilled chicken sandwich! It was a little spicy. I'm a weakling. Fries were 10/10. read more

Bernie's Chicken - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Good chicken, not earth shattering I got to have it chicken but it is good. Maybe if I was local and grew up on it would feel different but I don't see the hype but that's my two cents. Place is packed every lunch and they got it down to getting u in n out so that's a plus read more

The chicken is always great, the coleslaw is the icing on the cake. Busy atmosphere, no frills. But the chicken is always great. Seriously.

I have been going to Burnies for over 10 years and had a very bad experience when a worker from the back started using the f word in the dinning area. I stated that i didn't care to hear this to myself. Then he started using the f word repeatedly towards me. This person does not have any business working at this establishment. Then I observe this same person taking out the trash when i arrived and when i left the trash was inside the fenced area beside the building. This is a dehec violation. This guy has dread locks and a bad left eye. He is bad for business. read more

Tastes like a less greasy KFC. Food was okay until I saw the protagonist of this picture. Service isn't the greatest either. Certainly not the southern hospitality you hear about. I was on my last two bites when I saw the cockroach walking by. The outside sticker has an A rating too. read more

Bernie's Chicken - Cockroach - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Of course I love chicken. This spot had great reviews. Well to those reading this, this has to be the best chicken I have had at a restaurant. Let's talk about the service I ordered and before I sit down my number was being called. I got a 4 piece dark (only the best part of the chicken... to me) with fries and coleslaw. My coworker got the 3 piece combo (white) with fries and coleslaw. We sat down and took the first bite, first piece of chicken disappeared! Someone in the back has the secret to great food. I highly recommend this spot if you're in town, hands down 5 stars. read more

Bernie's Chicken - 4 piece dark w/ fries and coleslaw - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Chicken was excellent; golden, hot, fresh, flavorful. I stopped in to grab an 8 pieces family meal. It comes with 2 sides and a 1/2 gallon of sweet tea. It was a lot of food. Potato salad was good, sweet tea was great, but the fries are just ok...they're crinkle cut and unseasoned. The restaurant was busy! But they are fast and efficient workers, so the wait was not long at all. read more

Bernie's Chicken - a box of food in a car - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Best chicken in Columbia, hands down! Despite how busy it can get, the service is always super fast and super friendly!

Incredible! My son and I were in town for vacation a few days and although I grew up in Columbia, I had never had Bernie's chicken. Criminal I know...Well, we found out today why this place is a hometown treasure. My son even told me it was the best cheeseburger he'd ever had. Lol. I had the three piece special and it was to die for. I couldn't eat it fast enough. Visiting this spot is a must if your in SC ever. It is that darn good! Enjoy. read more

Bernie's Chicken - Cheeseburger - Basket and Chicken Special (3 Pieces) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I was up in the area do to work., All I can say is this olde Skool establishment has legit chicken sandwiches!! Service is quick and very organized! I'll will be back soon~If my employer sends me up to Columbia soon! read more

If you're in the Columbia area Monday-Friday this a must. Their chicken is cooked to order and cooked to perfection. If you go get there before 11:30 am because after that it's packed!! read more

Bernie's Chicken - Chicken Special (3 Pieces) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Pretty good food. Can't go wrong with the chicken. The special is just that. Their food is always hot and fresh! I kinda stood there the first time I visited. It's loud and faced paced and you gotta holler that order in. Lol! Much like up north in the city. Only reason I didn't give 5 stars is the desserts are not good. None of them! The chicken and fries make up for that though read more

Best friend chicken I've found in Columbia. Prices are good for what you get. It does get busy for lunch, but they move fast.

Delicious fried chicken!!! Don't tell granny, but this is even better than hers. They got that good ice, too. The kids loved it and the price was right. read more

I've heard a lot of good things about Bernie's and I also worked at Bojangles when I was younger so I came in with high expectations. It was a smaller kind of mom-and-pop restaurant, but was still booming with business. You order your food at the counter and get a receipt; once they finish making your food, you go up to the counter to pay and get your tray. I ordered the $7.25 three-piece special which came with three pieces of chicken, fries, coleslaw, a roll, and sweet tea. My friend ordered the two-piece chicken with baked beans and a lemonade. Her meal also came with coleslaw and a roll; however, she paid more than me for less food, so definitely get the special. Food came out very quick and hot. The chicken pieces were kind of small, but the skin was so crispy and flavorful. It was more charboiled skin so it's not the type of skin you get at KFC or Popeyes that's thick and clumpy. I got a wing, a drumstick, and a breast. The cook on all the pieces was perfect, even the breast was juicy which is generally harder to nail on white meat. I do wish the chicken meat itself had more flavor, but nothing a little ketchup and hot sauce can't fix. The fries were crunchy and hot. The roll was just a roll, kind of dry so I didn't eat it. The coleslaw had a weird after taste that kept me away. The sweet tea was soooo sweet, but still irresistible. Bernie's is good, not the best, but still one of the better options in Columbia. For the price, there was a TON of food; I left stuffed. Although, I don't know if I see myself coming here very often. What they need to do is add a spicy chicken! read more

The best fried chicken in columbia. The sides are pretty good too. Fries, Slaw, Baked beans or potato salad. They also have great peppers& rolls. read more

This chicken is so good. You will literally lick your fingers and your lips. It's crispy and tender at the same time. I drove over two hours and every mile was worth it. read more

True rating: 3.5. (Couldn't give a 4) Service: clearly a local favorite spot. High turnout, efficient, and food comes out fast. Food: like most people i got the 3 piece special which is 3 chicken, fries, slaw, drink, for $8.00. I don't like slaw so she let me get double fries. I subbed one chicken for a breast for $0.50 surcharge. Chicken came out hot and was juicy, breading not heavy, not light, but to me it was just "ok". Same with the French fries, no seasoned salt, basically no salt on them so u must use ketchup for sure to make them taste good. Roll, was just a regular Walmart dinner roll. Drink, sweet tea had a ton of ice, not much drink but i ate there and was able to get a refill on my way out. Tea is made with not too much sugar so that can be good or bad depending who cares. I also got a red velvet cake and it tasted like just a regular Walmart cake, meaning it was decent, but it wasn't RICH, no substance or wow factor, just a regular piece of basic cake. Good thing it was only $1.75 so i didn't feel cheated. This is an example of U get what u pay for in relations to the cake. Overall: decent place, but absolutely nothing stood out. Would i come back, yes maybe, if I'm in the area bc it is cheap and decent, but am i driving out of my way to come back? No. I'm from Charlotte so much better spots to go to in my opinion. (For those that care, this place is NOT black owned, i asked) read more

Bernie's Chicken - Chicken Special (3 Pieces) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Some of the best fried chicken around. Order ahead. Good pre-tailgate stop. Surprising not more slammed on game days!

Simple fried chicken, but darn good! And the game day special is worth a trip out of the house, even if not attending the game (or if the Gamecocks are playing elsewhere). Just to the point, great southern fried chicken! read more

This is great broasted chicken and very reasonably priced. We had the daily special which included 3 pieces of chicken, coleslaw, fries, a roll and tea for $9! Including the tax. Because we got all white meat, the total bill was $20 for the two of us! read more

Bernie's Chicken - Tea, 3 pc broasted chicken, fries, a roll and coleslaw! We got all white meat, bill came to $20! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

The chicken was delicious, but the sides weren't all that great. I did have to wait a bite to order, but the lady was super helpful. They could definitely use an upgrade to the restaurant, but it was at least clean. read more

I LOVE THIS CHICKEN!!!!! I'm from Phoenix AZ and my niece lives in SC. When I visit I got to go to Bernie's!!!!! My last visit I brought back some chicken do you know when I pop it in the air fryer baby!!!!! I don't like white meat but BERNIE!!!!! You got me digging the white!!!!! Don't chang nuttin!!!!! read more

Food and service was alright. But the bathroom and dining area could use a makeover. It seems like they haven't made any upgrades since they opened. read more

Upon first impression, what a dirty S Hole! It looks dirty from the outside but I was ok with that, some of the best "Mom & Pop" places do not look great from the outside. OK, first off, all their meal deals come with cole slaw and you're not allowed to substitute. So if you do not like cole slaw, too bad, we won't put it on your plate and you can pay an extra $1.50 for a 4oz side. I said I was eating in but they packaged it up to go with no fork in the bag. I looked at 5 tables before settling on less of all evils! Filty, greasy tables, I watched the woman walk around and wipe down the tables and benches with a wet rag, the same rag on at least 8-10 tables and benches!! No degreaser, no fresh bucket of water just smeared the grease aound all over the tables and benches!!! The bathroom made me feel dirty just walking in, I had to use a piece of towel to open the nasty, black, filty door. The place says est 1979, I think that's the last time it had a through cleaning, don't know how it passes a health inspection? The chicken was OK, nothing really stood out as fantastic, I won't go there again. read more

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The chicken is the Best in Columbia! Customer service is not consistent and the building is could use some sprucing up but the 3 pc chicken meal plus tea makes it all better! read more

Awesome chicken my wife got the hotdog she said it was great. The staff was very friendly. I have been here a few times in the past but forgot how good it is. read more

Chicken is always good and fresh The line may look long, but it goes away pretty quick and we walk in the door and know what you want your order read more