I really, really liked Carolina Cafe! It felt like somewhere out of the 1960s, with its old-fashioned vibe, wooden chairs, and black-and-white checkered floor tiles! As a fan of acrylic art, I also loved the artworks displayed across the cafe. As for my food, I thought the bagels were a tad too large, making them kind of difficult to bite into, but they weren't bad by any means. I also didn't love how they had a sign asking you to leave them a *good* review on Yelp or Google, in exchange for a free bagel. I don't mind businesses asking for feedback, but you shouldn't bribe your customers into writing good reviews; you should earn them with your quality. Nevertheless, I still liked Carolina Cafe, would recommend it for a quick bite to eat, and will stop in again sometime in the future! read more

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Updated review! PROS: - I still love the everything bagels! I would go so far as to say that this is the best everything bagel that I've ever had. It's a NY-style bagel, and the biggest thing that sets it apart from all other bagel places is that they put the everything seasoning on both sides of the bagel, so the taste goes throughout the whole bagel. Also, the toasted onion really packs on the flavor! - Good value for the price. - Generous amount of cream cheese spread. CONS: - The service can be hit or miss depending on which students are working. - The tables and floors are often sticky. - The cream cheese spreads aren't very flavorful. FAVORITES: - The everything bagel! TIPS: - Order and eat in the restaurant for the freshest bagels experience. - Don't order online - it's unreliable. Call if you must. OVERALL: - Best everything bagel! read more

Carolina Cafe and Catering - Everything bagel with garlic & herb spread - Bagels Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Best bagel on campus don't come without getting it! I mean I can't remember the last time I woke up and didn't come straight here! read more

Carolina Cafe and Catering - Bagels Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

So cheap and awesome! Nick was very nice and I will definitely be coming back! The bagel was amazing too!

I have been coming here for quite some time, love the bagels and chocolate croissants as a good pick-me-up before class or lunch. However, a recent visit really disappointed me, and it was no fault of the food or service. This was the first time I happened to see the owner, and I was shocked that he was screaming at employees in front of customers, which is unprofessional, uncomfortable, and unnecessary. It completely changed the vibe of the place and other customers seemed off put by it as well. The staff, and especially the ones I consistently see there deserve nothing but the utmost respect. Even if there were issues, they should have been handled privately, and calmly. To the owner, I sincerely hope you see this and reflect. read more

The food tastes amazing as well as the service is excellent and the music selection is awesome... they got me creating whole playlist from the experience read more

Perfect service and food every time! Best fresh bagels around! Budget and family friendly.

The service was great and I appreciate them being open during the snow! They have a lot of different bagel flavors which is great.

Amazing everything bagels! A USC must have! This is my favorite spot to come to in between classes.

Carolina Cafe is always a great experience. The prices are fair, the service is friendly and efficient, and my order is always ready right on time. Consistently reliable with great food. Would highly recommend. read more

Clay and his team were very helpful in delivering me a wonderful breakfast in the morning. Great service, great energy, great team.

Best bagels in the city, come here with my friends every Sunday post gameday. Great service and overall atmosphere! Highly recommend!

I love Carolina Cafe's delicious bagel sandwiches for breakfast and lunch. The staff are always so nice and there's hardly any wait time. This has been my go to place while working and whenever it's time for nearby Goodyear service. It's so peaceful to walk the horseshoe and reminisce about college days. Thanks to everyone at Carolina Cafe. Hope you never close. read more

No greeting when coming in. I guess it's a difference between the shifts. Usually get a warm greeting from the young man that's at the front but I guess he wasn't there today. No line at the register so I went on up. 4 people there and it took a moment for one of them to decide to take my order. I only get a salad. For $12 I would expect my salad to not still be dirty and contain pieces with pink mold on them. Usually I get a fruit cup but you could tell by just looking at them that they were old fruit. Close to my job but definitely won't be back unless something changes. There is poppy seed dressing on the salad larger black specs are seeds. read more

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I'm a senior at USC, and the Carolina Cafe is a go-to spot for me and my friends. All of the staff is super nice and helpful, and I always get my food super quickly! The bagels and bagel sandwiches are very good and reasonably priced. I see the cashier Ryan frequently, and he is always approachable and makes conversation with me. If you're looking for a cute local breakfast/lunch spot, you should try this place out! read more

Best bagels in Columbia and amazing service. I will definitely be coming back! It's a nice place to study and eat if you're a student like me read more

Best bagels, very cute place also very nice service! Very affordable as well! Go now!

this place is awesome I can't say it enough. genuinely the greatest service I've ever seen. the chocolate raspberry coffee is the best I've ever tried read more

Good bagel sandwiches, great prices. But...40 minutes to make two bagel sandwiches?? The store was busy but not slammed by any means. I had called in the order ahead of time; I don't know if they placed me lower down in the queue but it should not have read more

Best bagels in Columbia. Always fresh, great service, good coffee. Try the "Lake Murray" bagel with salmon. Very busy so the best time to visit is when USC is on break and students are out of town or early on a Saturday morning :). read more

!!! DO NOT ORDER ONLINE !!! 8/24 8:45 am- not busy, seemingly 3 people on this shift. My boyfriend and I ordered online & got charged. When we went to pick up, we were told the order didn't go through and to call our bank. No offer to make it or help with the situation. Just brushed off. The other two heard the conversation as well and said nothing. I gave it 2 instead of one because the food is good and we look forward to coming, but this is the second time this has happened so feel obligated to share. read more

We were staying in the Graduate Hotel, two blocks away, wanted breakfast, so the front desk suggested the Carolina Cafe. Right smack in the university area, this is a coffee, bagel, sandwich place. Popular with the college crowd and busy all day until they close in the afternoon. Very nice staff, who are, consequently, busy as well. Very nice selection of big fat bagels. Looked like a dozen to choose from. Their sandwiches are the main course, on bagel or bread or croissant. They will also grill scrambled eggs to go on to any sandwich. I opted for an egg salad on rye toast, called The Newberry ($6.75), which was not a problem. It was just fine. Wife had The Hilton Head ($7.50), another sandwich variation, this one chicken salad, which she liked and the taste I got, I liked. We both had hot tea. Sandwiches came with a pickle slice and a bag of chips. There are wraps, soups, salads, melts and the sandwiches. So this is an eat with your hands kind of place. Clean and people bus their tables, so it stays neat. Corner location so you can watch the traffic and people go by. Though i did not get the breakfast I wanted, the Carolina Cafe was just fine. Catering is also their bag. read more

Stopped here for lunch- great little spot! We got bagel sandwiches, and they were very good. Everyone was nice, and we had an overall good experience. read more

The bagels were very good. Glad to have found this spot during a short trip to Columbia.

Stopped in for a roast beef sandwich on an everything bagel and an iced latte. Both were good and it seems like this place stays busy throughout the day. The bagel sandwich came with an orange and bag of chips. read more

Carolina Cafe and Catering - Roast beef and horseradish on everything bagel - Bagels Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Whether it's Sausage, Egg, and Pepper-Jack on Jalapeno; Ham, Egg, and Cheddar on Croissant; or Cinnamon and Sugar on Plain -- it's always great. Along with the best tea in town, and a great staff, it's the perfect way to start your day. (And there's Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese on Plain when it's in season!). read more

Carolina Cafe and Catering - Bagels Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Okay, the bagel was supreme! That everything seasoning was on point! The ratios perfection. Thanks sandwich itself was good, I feel like to make it really good sandwich, it needed more stuff inside- more meat, cheese, and egg. But the bagels, well...my partner and I went back for seconds aftwards read more

Carolina Cafe and Catering - Everything Bagel Sandwich - Bagels Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Food is usually pretty good though I'm pretty sure they use a cream cheese spread as opposed to the real deal. Potions are good and the service is usually pretty decent though you'll on occasion see staff standing around when there are dirty tables all in the lobby. Is usually get it to go but there is a reason this place has started in business. Maybe not fine dining but you'll get a solid experience more than likely read more

Horrible customer service, 6-8 college age/young kids work at this cafe who all stood around while coffee needed to get filled and tables need to be put up outside. Came in with our dog since the tables were not up on the outside yet, as it was well past 9 am. While I ordered our drinks, which no one told us that we get our own cup and get it ourselves but hot chocolate is made in the back. A young woman came over to tell us that our tiny dog who is quietly sitting with my child, was not allowed. Well, there are no seats outside and the website said dogs are allowed. A young man set the tables up while we waited. The bagel itself was a normal bagel, nothing special. Hot chocolate is watery and the coffee is subpar. Service is a disgrace. Never again. read more

I ordered the Myrtle Beach on a toasted plain bagel and replaced the mustard with mayo. I greatly enjoyed the sandwich. Staff member Sydney was helpful in making sure I got the right sandwich with all my special requests. read more

Hands down, Carolina Cafe is the BEST bagel shop. Jalapeño bagel with Egg and Cheddar are my personal favorite. Salads are made fresh every day with local produce and many dressings are made in house. read more

If you order from Carolina Cafe, please do not wait on Alley to give you a call back for a total price. VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!! On top of that when my team member pick the order up he was not given a detailed receipt of what we were being charged for. We ordered a small breakfast for my team which consisted of breakfast begals(15) that were $76.78. The problem I'm having is that a "Continental" tray of mini cinnamon rolls, a couple of cheese danish's and muffins, that was feeding roughly 12-15 employees cost was $75.80. Really excessive. I understand how the food industry works and I specialize in Customer Service daily and that was not what Carolina Cafe exhibited to us. read more

Carolina Cafe and Catering - Bagels Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

This family run business has been a neighborhood staple for over 22 years. Now that's saying something. We ducked in for a quick cup of coffee and tea and walked into the perfect breakfast spot. I always judge restaurants by the quality of their salads. Check out the color of the fruit salad. Every piece was perfection. I've never seen that ever. Wait there's more the bengals were awesome made on premise by people who know what they are doing. Chewy perfection with great toppings and carefully crafted veggie spread. OMG this is must! read more

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I really should go here more often. I work on campus, but usually just bring my food. I forgot that in May, most everything shuts down, so it's really hard to find a cup of coffee. I remembered going here, years ago, and thought, maybe I'll give them a try. I got the Snickerdoodle coffee and it was fantastic. Since I was there, I figured maybe I'd get a bagel too. I opted for a sausage egg and cheese on an everything bagel, and it did not disappoint. I did forget how messy they can be, so I had to do some vacuuming in my office :-). Anyway I recommend this place, and I should also mention that the staff were friendly. read more

Found large fly on the cheese on the sandwich. Also tea was sour. Will not be coming back.

If you're from up north, don't expect this place to be like home. The eggs are reheated, the bacon is sad, and overall I'd say you could go to Einstein's and get the same experience. A bagel is a bagel, sure, but I was at least expecting this place to be better quality than a fast food joint. read more

I've been getting only the finest bagels from this corner spot since 2011. Yes, this is a another bagel shop, but for many reasons I continue to crave it over others. They deliver if you live within (I think) a 5 mile radius. They are situated in the middle of campus, maybe off to the side, but nonetheless. The bagel sandwiches are phenomenal-I always get the everything bagel with sausage,egg, & cheese or the jalapeño bagel with bacon, egg & cheese. Honestly haven't strayed in a while and most other bagel places don't compare. Did I mention it's extremely affordable? Order ahead over the phone and it's ready in 7-10 min and piping hot. You won't be sorry!! read more

Every time I go there, I get the bacon, egg and cheese on an everything bagel. Beware of this bagel because you will get onion breath. Typically, I pair this sandwich with a coffee of the day and if I'm hungover, a Gatorade on top of it. It's a great place to eat, the service is slowish but if you stand there, they will get it out to you faster. read more

I always pass this place but thought I would stop in because I had time. Why yes, I will have a bacon egg and cheese on a sundried tomato bagel. Toasted? Of course! I sat down at one the cleaner tables which was not so clean. They bring my sandwich out and honestly if it was more that $6 or $7, I would have asked for my money back. Microwavable bacon plus I couldn't taste the sun dried tomato. My taste buds were so crushed. So the bottom line here is that while the staff was nice, I won't be recommending or returning to this place. read more

We get bagels here every weekend and they are fabulous! We love everything bagels and these are top notch! Thank for my weekend breakfast!