Every time I make the 1000 mile trek to Columbia I make sure I stop by. This weekend was no…read moredifferent! Simple Peru pour off coffee that was absolutely delicious. If you're in the area definitely stop by. Grab coffee, pastries, sandwiches or desserts. Everything looks amazing

The coffee here is not for beginners or lightweights. It is strong with a caffeine punch that will…read moreleave you buzzing for hours. Classic college town coffee spot. Dark vibe, male baristas who take their coffee seriously. Tables are occupied by students with their laptops escaping the confinements of their dorm rooms. Packed with students ready for their next fix. Parking is typically a challenge in this part of Five Points. Arrive with patience.

This was a very great experience!! Amazing views and service! Meet some great people! The food was…read morethe best part! So many options!!

Elevate your brunch experience all the way to the 18th floor at Top of Carolina! Arriving there was…read moreplenty of parking around the building. When entering the building, we were greeted by a staff member who checked our reservation and given instructions on where to go and which elevator to take. When entering, we were greeted warmly and promptly showed to our table. Our servers Allison and Jenna made absolutely sure we were informed about the service and what to expect. They also were attentive polite and professional along with the entire staff. The food (8 different stations) was amazing! Along with the different variety of mimosas. It is so beautifully decorated, and the view as the room rotate is incredible. Accepting only those with reservations for brunch on Sundays, they're closed during summer break but reopen in August when classes begin. This is a must do again in the very near future. Totally awesome!!

jared was an amazing server. we will definitely be coming back. he was very attentive and made the…read morenight!!

MOM!! Literally such…read morea fab establishment. It's beautifully done on the inside and I love the outdoor component as well. If you feeling like a baddie, order the "girl dinner" it's this HUGE martini glass filled to the brim with a Caesar salad TOPPED WITH SHOESTRING FRIES aaaaaaand you get either a drink or a dessert (I got the espresso martini option) 10/10 do recommend. Also Nick is incredible, as is Mackenzie!

smallSUGAR was excellent! Everything, from the food to the ambiance to the customer service, was…read moreamazing! First and foremost, I must start by commending the girls who were working there. They were all so sweet and really went above and beyond to make sure it was a high-quality experience. I noticed that they openly advertise that they don't accept tips and have slightly higher prices in order to pay their workers a living wage, and the results were directly reflected in the customer service that I received. As for the food and drink (coffee), that was pretty good as well! While I do wish that they might have had bagels, the croissant that I substituted it for was warm, buttery, and tasty, and it was a nice change from my usual coffee shop meal, as I've only had a croissant a handful of times. The coffee was fine, and I loved how they offered free refills, which I've noticed that other local coffee shops usually don't. Finally, I loved the setting of the restaurant, which gave you the opportunity to either sit inside and enjoy the ambiance or on the outside patio and enjoy some peace and quiet. I also loved the artwork that they had on the walls, which the waitress informed me was painted by a local artist and which you could purchase if you wanted to. All-in-all, I loved smallSUGAR, will be back in the future, and would highly recommend stopping in!

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.

Greeted and sat immediately when walking in. This was a place my brother chose to celebrate his…read moregraduation! A unique experience of its own. The place is very well air conditioned, and the space is very intentional. Visiting from out of state the waitress seemed a bit shy/new but curious about Wisconsin she warmed up a little bit. It's really cool that you can see the chefs in their element behind a glass wall while you wait. The silverware, or should I say Goldwear was beautiful. I started out with the All American Spritz- it was good but nothing extraordinary. However when I tried the pistachio martini, I was in disbelief! I was skeptical to order it as I've never even heard of one before and was unsure how pistachio would translate into a martini. It was creamy and somehow savory and sweet at the same time, the alcohol taste was nonexistent. And the rim was coated in pistachio crumbs. Both the drinks presentation was beautiful. I personally ordered the bbq chicken sandwhich, with mac and cheese instead of fries for the side. The sandwich was smoky, I could not stop eating it! If anyone was wondering what so special about the mac and cheese, it's the name of the noodles. And yes, the waitress will sound it out with you lol! The Mac and cheese wasn't creamy, and I found it a bit bland unfortunately. There was no order the same in the group I came with. The truffle fries were on the thinner crispier side, neat that there were different color of potatoes used. The duck wings came out like their very own presentation. I tried the alligator bites, that were served with 2 sauces, I thought there were kind of chewy , and weird enough I guess I have a preference with how my alligator is served since having tried some at the Wisco State fair. I love that the menu feels curated, you know what you're there for and it's not overwhelming to pick from the options of something new. The bathroom was very cute too! And the bar area was lit up, a cool atmosphere.

When my family in Columbia suggested a "forest to table" restaurant, I wasn't sure what to expect…read more But The Hollow surprised me in the best way. The concept centers on wild game. Bison, elk, boar, rabbit. These are proteins you don't see on most menus. The restaurant leans into a woodland theme with greenery hanging throughout the space. It borders on a bit much, but the open kitchen visible from the dining room grounds the whole experience and adds a nice touch of theater. The seating was comfortable and well spaced, perfect for a family dinner where you actually want to hear each other talk. Our server was outstanding, easily 5 out of 5. She knew the menu cold, offered thoughtful recommendations, and struck that ideal balance of attentive without being intrusive. She made the evening better. The drinks were mostly a win. Two cocktails were excellent, creative and well balanced. A third was over iced and fell flat. Minor miss, but worth noting. The food is where The Hollow really shines. The charcuterie board was a fantastic start, featuring a well curated spread of wild game meats, quality cheeses, fig, and mustard. The mains delivered across the board: salmon, elk, and bison all came out beautifully with great flavor and generous portions. The sides deserved their own applause, which isn't something I say often. The dessert menu was the one soft spot. Nothing grabbed our attention, so we ended up heading across the street to Kaminsky's for something sweet. For a kitchen that puts this much care into everything else, the dessert offerings felt like an afterthought. A couple of notes on the bill to be aware of: we were charged a few dollars for swapping a vegetable side. There was a 3% credit card surcharge that caught us off guard. When you're out with the family and the tab runs into the hundreds $, most folks are paying with a card. That's a fee I'd want to know about upfront. On the menu, from the server, somewhere visible before the check arrives. The bottom line: The Hollow is a creative, well executed restaurant with standout food and excellent service. If you're in Columbia, it's well worth a reservation.

Came in a busy Saturday and the place was crowded and loud filled with music and conversations…read more We did eventually get seated and eventually ordered. Crab cake: 4 stars. Real crab. Came with a nice cooling dill sauce that was so delicious. Took a star away cuz it was super salty but luckily saved by the dill sauce and water. Fried catfish: 4 stars. one of the best batter for fried fish. The batter on top was think and crispy and light so you couldn't taste the oils. Wish they split into 2 or three pieces instead of the jug piece. Because the piece was thick and big the bottom was soggy so minus the one star.

Pro: - The ambience was pretty cool, and I loved the…read morehipster aesthetic of it all. Con: - We ordered the catfish& grits and the trout. Both dishes were completely devoid of any flavor. Zero flavor whatsoever, and I wish I were exaggerating. The grits were flavorless slop, and both fish fillets tasted like solidified water.

This is Grand on Main in Columbia, SC…read more Chicken and Waffles are crispy and fluffy. The service is great there, they have a bowling alley, bar, a small stage for singers, and they have tv's that you can watch the games I went to The Grand for my birthday and it was amazing. So, please try it!!!!!

Diamond - 5 Stars Jacob - 1 Star…read more After an extra long visit to SC, a friend suggested we hang out before I head back to NYC. We ended up stopping at The Grand around 9/9:30pm on a Saturday. Upon entering the hostess informed us they were currently only serving the late night menu. We said no problem and elected to grab seats at the bar. There were several empty tables and a few empty seats @ the bar. However, the only two seats together at the bar needed to be cleared from the last patrons that were seated. We stood there for over 20 mins while Jacob continued to walk by never acknowledging us or the fact that we couldn't sit. When he finally cleared the dishes he just walked away, never cleaning the area. When he returned he still never greeted us or apologized for the wait, the mess... nothing. Jacob: What are you having? Me: Well hello... Jacob: Yea... what do you want? Me: Wow... ok. For starters can you please whip off the bar so we can properly have a seat. There is still food residue here from the last customers. ** we get a visible huff** He wipes down the bar and we proceed to order drinks, while he never really speak any more it's all via motions and body language. Amongst ourselves we check in with one another to confirm that we both were feeling very unwelcome. Instantly we decide that we will not be ordering anything additional and will be leaving after this one drink. Which is just as well because Jacob never returns. Someone , whom I can only assume was of a mangement status, asked if Jacob was helpful and we promptly and simultaneously said no and that we would like or bill. She shook her head in utter disbelief and disgust but then she also disappeared. Just so happened that Diamond, whom was on the other side of the bar happen to walk pass. She stopped and asked if we were ok after witnessing our frustration. We explained that we wanted the check and why we were leaving. She was super apologetic and closed out our tab. Her energy literal turned the experience around and if she would have came to our rescue sooner we would have considered staying. Thank you Diamond. Just A Note: Unfortunately, bad first impression because The Grand seems like it may offer a good time with the bowling lanes in the back.

Seasonal flight- in February Raspberry Vanilla…read more Of the 4 mimosas this was hands down my favorite

The service is everything. The wait staff are some of the nicest people I know and they deliver on…read morea personal level. The food is always good and their seasonal drinks are a fun addition. Despite the small size of the restaurant it never hindered my ability to get a seat and enjoy the bar. Parking is also super easy in this area and that was clutch during finals season for me.