Cafe Strudel was one of the coolest restaurants I've been to in a long time, and I'm so thankful that I happened to wander in about 30 minutes before they closed. They had a really zany coffee section, with an assortment of unique coffee mugs, where you could get bottomless cups of coffee for only a few dollars. I got the chicken tenders and fries to eat, which were cooked to perfection and tasted excellent. Even though I shouldn't have, I wrapped up my meal with a piece of chocolate cake, which was absolutely delicious as well. All of the staff members were really nice and did a great job, and I loved the old-school, wacky (in a good way) ambiance and environment. It almost felt like the type of place you'd see in a TV show or movie, and I mean that in the best way possible. I will say that it's a little more expensive than most other restaurants, but that's obviously reflected in the quality of food and service that they provide. Overall, I loved my trip to Cafe Strudel, will definitely be back in the future, and would recommend it to anyone. A 5/5 experience for sure! read more

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I was between 3-4 stars. I honestly liked this place and would go back. What pushed me to lean towards 3 stars was service and pricing. Wait staff was barely around and food took a whileee to come out and at various times. The food was also good but not great. You can add protein to any item, but for essentially the cost of the meal. Adding turkey sausage was $7 and a small portion (and could have gone without), while the sunrise burrito in total was $10 and massive. I will say there was barely any wait at prime time on Sunday because barely anyone knows it's there. read more

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The service was so good. Our server was amazing- he literally didn't write a single order down and remembered it all. The food was good. My husband got the huevos and it was really good. And I got the chicken and waffles which was fine... I wouldn't get it again but it was still good. read more

Cafe Strudel - Huevos rancheros - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

Updating my review of May 11,2026: I just learned that the person who owned the Strudel restaurants sold them a year ago. The new management is likely the reason for the poor service and bland food that some have reported which is unlike the reputation this restaurant has had in the past. read more

Stopped in for Brunch on a Saturday with a group of friends and what a great choice! This place isn't fancy but the food is bomb! I was so glad my friends all let me nibble a little off their plate because every dish on the table was delicious. I went the basic route and decided on the mimosa pitcher with fresh squeezed OJ and the breakfast sandwich on a croissant... Yumm!! My wife got the Gambas Grits which was a bit on the heavy side but so very delicious. Another friend had the salmon and grits with caper(that's not the official name) and it was on the lighter side for grits and also very good!! Our food came out fairly quickly and the staff were wonderful! I will definitely be back next time I need a great brunch spot. Also, if you're a thrifter check out the cool thrift stores next to the restaurant. Sorry for the lack of photos! My food was so good I ate it before getting pics! Lol read more

Cafe Strudel - Drinking our mimosas - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

Great brunch spot! Loved the outdoor seating! Service was great always! Bonus points for them carrying Mae's Lemonade! read more

Cafe Strudel - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

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We arrived a little after 10:00am and they was busy. We had about 5min wait, the building very small and outdated. The server was very pleasant, friendly and bubbly, we told her it was our first time and she went over the menu and let us know, if you order coffee there was a coffee bar to get all the coffee you wanted. When I entrées arrived they were very plentiful and delicious. read more

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Seating customers is a joke. We came in on Mother's Day and waited in line with about 100 people. We waited outside and had about thirty people behind us. We noticed after an hour that everyone had been seated except us. There was no one else outside. When we went inside to inquire was to why and we were told there were five people in front of us who had called in. They had not shown up yet. When I called the day before I was told you cannot make reservations, so why are people allowed to call in while others cannot? That's my question. I recommended they start a system of taking reservations and the hostess was very snippy with me saying we never have done them. Maybe it's time to start I suggested. This will be my last time visiting this place. Food is good but CS is not! After speaking to the young hostess we still were not able to be seated for at least thirty minutes. I feel that they did this purposely because we spoke up about having to wait and inquired as to why it was taking so long to get seated. read more

Great ambience, love the self-serve coffee bar. The service was friendly and welcoming, and the food tasty. I'm hoping to stop in again at my next visit to Columbia! read more

Cafe Strudel - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

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Our group had avocado toast, low country hash browns & hangover hash browns. Drinks: we tried the Bacon Bloody Mary - 5 stars , Cappuccino with oat milk which was meh (the espresso is not strong enough IMO) & Sticky Bun Latte - 5 stars. The waitlist for Sunday brunch is long, the seating & how it's managed is unorganized IMO. Cons: avocado toast could have been toasted longer it was soggy, please add mashed up pieces of avocado (instead of the spread) & sliced tomato's on top instead for a better taste. Pros: Coffee Bar is cute, walk up & make your own cup of coffee. Service is great! Grace was our lovely waitress. Restaurant itself is cute & has a great atmosphere. Overall 3 stars because nothing other than the 2 drinks wowed us. ‍ read more

I was so excited to eat here after reading that they had vegan options due to allergies/health issues. My partner and I walked the river walked and ended up walking here for brunch. When we arrived the staff were greeted and met the waitress in a timely manner. However, when I asked if I could have the beyond burger as it was my only option the waitress let us know that she would have to check because they do not cater to vegans anymore. She then let me know that I could have the burger but not fries as they were cooked in lard. No offer of a side salad, fruit cup, or any other side. I appreciated the honesty but she said it with disgust and a noticeable shift it energy. She was friendly with every other table checking in but when it came to us with couldn't even get a drink refill. The beyond burger was a burger on bread no lettuce, no tomato, to sauce. So not terrible but not a great experience. All this to say if you have food allergies like me or live a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle this would be my last choice. read more

If you haven't had Cafe Strudel, you haven't had brunch in Cola! However, it's not brunch, until their freshly squeezed mimosas are involved! read more

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Service is very friendly and quick. I was in and out within 40 minutes when dining in for breakfast before work. Plus they have a super cute coffee bar. read more

Cafe Strudel - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

My bf wanted to come here for brunch with our friends since he's been here before and I must say, the food was amazing. I got an iced mocha to start and it was creamy and chocolatey. Perfect with my brunch. I ordered the brisket omelette because I wanted it last time but they were out of brisket so I thought it would be perfect to try it this time. I asked for the bbq sauce on the side because i was skeptical to try it on there already. So I poured some sauce on a little bite and oh man! The flavor was amazing. The smokiness of the brisket, the tangy bbq sauce, the creaminess of the omelette was delicious. The hash browns added texture to the omelette as well when I ate it together. Everyone said my food was the best out of all of ours. My bf got the salmon and grits with shrimp and his was really good as well. The salmon was cooked well and I loved the creaminess of the grits and sauce they had with capers. This was an amazing meal and the service was top tier as well. We will definitely be back with friends again or even a brunch date together. read more

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Cute, funky vibes inside. We were seated by a friendly server who then was replaced with a young lady who was either having a bad day or hates working there. Food was ok. I had the biscuit bowl. The biscuit was good. They should have a half portion option, it's enough for 2 people. Upon leaving I used the washroom and was revolted. Anthony Bourdain once said never eat in a restaurant with a filthy bathroom. If I would have used it BEFORE I ordered I would have walked out. Wasn't going to leave a bad review but then saw someone else mentioned the nasty bathroom months ago. So, please clean the bathroom. Also the hot water was so hot I scalded my hands. Not the best way to end my breakfast. read more

Ahh Cafe Strudel. Apologies for having not reviewed you earlier. As brunch goes, you never let me down. For well over a decade now your hangover hashbrowns have been a go to. Two eggs on top, over medium. Your strudel grilled with a light crunch on the outside is always welcome in my belly. Your Bloody Mary's are superb, particularly with bacon as a garnish. Seating is usually a short wait, but I tend to dine in solo here, so the bar works out well. I don't think I have ever had much of a bad experience here, other than craving it when it's closed. Will try again.... That's known.. read more

The food was delicious! I had the waffle and turkey sausage. The waffle was not your traditional waffle, it was perfect and quite filling. I love the flavor and the pecans gave it that extra crunch that made it so good. The turkey sausage was the moistest sausage I have ever had-ever. Usually it is dry and tough, but this sausage was not. My server was spot on. I like the atmosphere, it was crowded when I arrived, but I was seated immediately. I like Cafe Strudel and plan on returning again. read more

Cafe Strudel - Waffle with pecans and Turkey sausage. - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

Don't go busy weekends. They can't handle the volume. Great food. Great ambiance. But timer in wait list is inaccurate then you have to wait longer for food to arrive. Go quieter weekend. read more

Came into Columbia the weekend of October 25th for the Bama/SC game. The morning of game day, I was looking for a place to have breakfast before heading to the stadium. After looking up some breakfast places, Cafe Strudel kept popping up and kept saying that it's a local favorite. After trying it, I can see why. The food was really good. I had the coffee rub brisket hash and it did not disappoint. The coffee bar is all you can drink self serve coffee and they have different kinds of coffee. I had orange juice and let me tell you, it was fresh squeezed and amazing. So good that my Aunt had to get her own cup. The service was also really good. Our waiter answered all of our questions and kept checking on us. Will for sure be coming back next time I'm in Colombia for an SC game. read more

For those of you reading this shi* like a blog, LFG! If you're in the Columbia, SC area anytime soon, hopefully you find this review handy. We stopped in Café Strudel our last morning in town. I'd had them bookmarked for a brekke sooner in the week but we found ourselves full from so many sit down meals that needing a full brekke in the morning wasn't necessary. I'm so thankful we had the opportunity to visit them Saturday morning. We arrived to what was quoted as a 25-30min wait around 1030A, but turned out being closer to 10-15min. We glanced over the menu while we waited and we seated promptly there after. Service was GREAT!!! Me and my sons girlfriend both ordered their sticky bun latte with oat milk. Sweet but yummy. I had the cinnamon pancakes, my sons girlfriend had the Hawaiian Pineapple French Toast and my bestie had an egg dish. I think we all ordered the turkey bacon, which was tasty. I'd highly recommend this spot for an upbeat energetic sit down brekke. They also appear to have a bar and several morning/afternoon cocktail options. I didn't have my go to mimosa but they had several mimosa offerings and just about every table in the place had a bloody Mary on their table. I don't do tomato juice but if you do, I think that's the go to morning mixer around here. I will say the bathrooms could have used a bit of attention, both had issues but not an absolute deal breaker in any way. Food and Service were great. read more

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What was once a great cafe when I went to university here has since slipped into mismanagement and terrible tasting food. I ordered the "avocado toast" and sent it back because it was one of the worst things I've ever tasted...it was made with grocery store mush and old pico de gallo. Our waitress (who was very nice and courteous) talked with her manager and they said they would change or refund my order. We had to pay the full price. This was after a 1.5 hr wait to get in. Ambiance is what it is. Standard. Very sad to see this restaurant slip. Will not be coming back again unfortunately. read more

Things to love about Cafe Strudel: breakfast in all of its iterations -- pancakes, Benedict's, hashbrowns, omelets, scrambles, big ol' "busketts". Parking behind the restaurant. Self serve coffee bar so you can choose your poison to your heart's content. read more

Good place, but new management changed the menu and removed the amazing Charles Bagel. Me and my husband decided we can't go here anymore

I have to point out that I have been here on two separate occasions. Both times the service was. Everyone was polite, they were helpful, and my food came out quickly. The only thing I didn't like was the grits. I am not accustomed to the bloody Mary Type sauce they use for a roux. The second time I went, I had to put it on the side because the flavors didn't make sense as a combination. I will say that the ambience was great. I love looking around and painting from the wall and the wear and tear of the building. read more

Cafe Strudel - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

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The date of this review: October 8, 2022. This is the second time I ate at this location. I got the same thing I order the first time. I got the French Toast. It was so good. I went around at 1:30pm with family. I also got the iced latte with caramel flavor. The latte was delicious as well. If you want good breakfast, I suggest Cafe Strudel. I spent about $22 which is including the tip. It was worth the food. Our server was nice as well. Thank you for taking the time to read my review :) read more

Cafe Strudel - French Toast - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

A 45-minute wait estimate ended up being closer to 1 hour and 10 minutes. We got a text saying our table would be ready in 3 minutes but ended up waiting another 25 minutes after that text. After the long wait they sat us outside where there were 4 empty tables, so not sure why it took so long if we were going to be seated outside anyways. They also didn't ask if we were okay with sitting outside -- it was a hot day and we would've preferred indoor seating. The outside seating is just a picnic table, no back support. The food was good but not great. The bathroom was gross, out of paper towels, and the fixture to flush had been removed so you had to like press a button inside the open wall. I don't see us returning. read more

Cafe Strudel - Bathroom - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

The food portions are small but the taste is big. The service was great and I really like the location and ambiance. I would return again, just not went I'm hungry. read more

Food and coffee are awful!! We had eggs over easy, they could've cooked them a minute longer, hash browns were cold and tasted nasty, the toast was barely toasted. This place looked like a dump, floors were sticky, chairs you could barely get them t move due to dirty sticky floors. Only flavored coffee Tiramisu was nasty, light and French toast left a bad taste in your mouth. Not super busy but they made you wait! Not coming back!! read more

The brisket hashbrowns, coffee, and mimosa were so good! There is a wait but it's well worth it. Payton was our super sweet server and we'll definitely return for more. read more

Cafe Strudel - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

The food was great and came out fast. It was a laid back and classic diner ambiance with self serve mugs and coffee. Not the cleanest place which was unfortunate but still able to enjoy the vibes and the food. The service was fine and joyous, but I was told they were out of brisket after I already placed my order. It was a Sunday brunch so the wait was 50 minutes. I would go again in a non busy day to get a good classic diner food experience. Also normal prices. read more

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Updating my review as I've been drug here a few times after my really rough experience and they have far redeemed themselves. I came here on my own today and sat at the bar and had some yummy drinks and despite being insanely busy, the bartender was superior. read more

Cafe Strudel - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

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Small local favorite nestled away on State Street. Friendly staff and ample seating although it does fill up quickly, especially on the weekends. Breakfast is offered all day long and additional lunch items are also offered. Plenty of options for meet and veggie friendly folk. For this trip I decided to get creative and build my own bowl. I opted for the red quinoa, sautéed squash, marinated portables mushrooms, and bacon jam. I know it sounds weird but mixed all up and was one of a kind for which I l am eager to have again! read more

Cafe Strudel - Inside - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

We have been to this location at least 4 times for brunch and it always had a long waiting time. This last time was no different but this time around we finally decided to wait around to eat. We waited about an hour since there was about 29 parties ahead of us. I enjoyed how prompt with texts and updates to our wait. Once we got seated Husband got pointed in the direction of coffee per his request there was a self serve corner of bottomless coffee. There was no sugar stocked up and only one sugar dispenser. We asked out waitress which was the popular dishes and we decided to give them a try! We got the breakfast bowl, toasted croissant, and hangover hash browns along fresh squeezed OJ. We weren't throughly impressed with the food. I tried the croissant it wasn't very good I tried some of the breakfast bowl and wasn't impressed. The hash brown was crispy with okay toppings it was different and the eggs were great. My favorite thing was the OJ. Wouldn't want to wait again so I don't know if we would go back but there is plenty more to try! read more

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I had the French toast with Hawaiian bread and it was delicious. Bacon and eggs were good as well. I had the strawberry lemonade and it was great. Our waitress let us taste test the different lemonades. The ginger lemonade was awesome, my husband added pineapple to his and it was exceptional. He also really enjoyed his brisket omelette. We will definitely be back. read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our brunch today! I think I would come back just for the sticky bun latte! We started off with the yogurt parfait. The fruit was extremely fresh and the house made granola was bomb! Side note, it always makes me happy when someone knows how to make a creamy over medium egg..The service was excellent as well! read more

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Very nice restaurant! Very good food and wonderful service as well! I ordered brisket hash. I love it!

All good! Gluten free options, nice atmosphere...super nice and helpful servers. We had Salomon toast, omelettes and brisket... Teas and coffees great too!!! I recommend this place for everyone and families. read more

Cafe Strudel - Gluten free salmon toast. - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

Really quaint space but busy! Sunday's are super busy so prepare for a bit of a wait. We sat at the bar and Jamie was super sweet and helpful. I had the Brisket hash and it was amazing and very filling! My friend had it as well and had no complaints. They have a great menu but on Sundays you can only order off the breakfast menu. read more

Cafe Strudel - Brisket Hash - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

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Went here today for brunch and we all had a great time. The coffee bar had hot coffee and a nice variety. We ordered a pitcher of the Hawaiian mimosas to share and we all really enjoyed it. The selection of food was pretty good and the prices weren't bad! Our server was friendly but not the fastest. Could be because we were outback but really not a problem for us. I'll definitely have to stop here again sometime. read more

Cafe Strudel - Shrimp and grits! - New American Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

I HAD TO put 1 star in order to post this comment. Terrible customer service. Wait staff needs training on " what customer service " means. Also....SMILE read more