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    Bernie's Chicken

    4.2 (134 reviews)
    Closed • 10:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Bernie's Chicken Photos

    Business Info

    BERNIE'S CHICKEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for working

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    Recommended Reviews - Bernie's Chicken

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    Phone off the hook.

    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

    Fried chicken and fries
    Gail A.

    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.

    Fried Chicken Special (3 Pieces)chicken
    Annie W.

    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.

    Jade W.

    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.

    Daily Chicken Special (3 Pieces)
    Jake L.

    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.

    Logan L.

    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.

    Cockroach

    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.

    4 piece dark w/ fries and coleslaw
    Jimmie P.

    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.

    a box of food in a car
    Tien H.

    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.

    Cheeseburger - Basket and Chicken Special (3 Pieces)

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Found this in error. The best little chicken place in the entire place. Everything on the menu is very good.

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    12 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Came here for lunch and loved it! Great value and one of the best places to go to for fried chicken!

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    12 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    Page 4 of 4

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    smallSUGAR - Avocado tartine

    smallSUGAR

    4.5(314 reviews)
    2.8 mi•Gervais Street Corridor
    •$$

    I was just passing through Columbia and had heard that smallSUGAR has amazing pastries, so of…read morecourse I had to stop in--and holy cow! These are some of the most incredible pastries I've had yet. I'm pretty big on freshness, especially that very first bite into a croissant, and smallSUGAR went above and beyond. Everything tasted incredibly fresh, and the almond croissant was easily my favorite. SO good! If you're in Columbia or even just passing through like I was, I would highly recommend making a stop here. I will definitely be finding an excuse to come back!

    Stopped by smallSUGAR and had a decent overall experience, though a few things held it back…read more The space itself was clean and well-kept, with a modern, minimalist vibe that works well for a casual brunch or coffee stop. Service was fine. Nothing particularly standout, but smooth and efficient. For drinks, the coffee was average. It wasn't bad by any means, just nothing memorable. Especially considering the price point. Food-wise, there were some highlights. The sweet potato bowl was well-dressed and flavorful, though it felt like it was missing a protein component to make it more complete. The shakshuka was very good overall, with great flavor, though it leaned a bit salty. The biggest issue was the bread portion. It simply wasn't enough for the dish. I ended up ordering an extra side, and while it's listed as two slices, it's really just one slice cut in half. At $4 for that portion, that is very unreasonable. That was a recurring theme. Pricing felt high across the board for what you receive. While the flavors were there, nothing really stood out as exceptional enough to justify the cost. Overall, not a bad visit. Just one where the value didn't quite match the experience.

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    Bernie's Chicken - coffee - Updated September 2026

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