The place has a nice atmosphere, the food is mostly good. The reason I'm giving 3 stars is for the service. Our waitress seemed like she blamed me for having a hair in my salad. I was pulling the hair out of my mouth and one of the first remarks out of her mouth was "we have no females in the kitchen" completely out line. My husband's short rib was great, although there was no bone.... I had the salmon which I was disappointed to find out the skin was not still on, I don't mind it without the skin, and the flavor was good, but when I mentioned it to the waitress she said something about it burning in the pan, in a way that implied that it wasn't possible to cook with skin on, I appreciate her pride in the food but it is severely misplaced, I can cook better salmon for less than $28. No apology or anything, just her way of telling me I was wrong instead of passing it along as constructive criticism. After her remark I stopped eating and left. My husband paid the bill still tipped well, but we won't be back. I hope she reads this and works on her service skills. I rarely leave bad reviews but when you're spending that kind of money you need better staff. 3 stars was very generous of me. read more

Malia's - New American Near Me - Aiken, South Carolina

We had a 7 :15 dinner reservation for a Saturday evening made the prior Wednesday. On arrival 5 minutes early we were never greeted by the knuckle cracking hostess. When we told her our name & time of reservation her reply was " people are in your seat & might be there a long time," ( more knuckle cracking) . When asked if there was somewhere we could sit her reply was "Nope". We walked to the Whitney & although crowded they welcomed us & squeezed us in. We were celebrating a special occasion & spent over $300.00 for 3. Needless to say I am happy that our celebration wasn't ruined. I realize it is hard to get help these days but this is totally unacceptable. We have dined often at Malia's & always enjoyed our meal & service. Please tell your front of the house employees that they are the first impression a diner experiences & this was so unacceptable. This girl needs serious training or dismissal. read more

I have been twice and both times were excellent. I live in Atlanta and enjoy having a wonderful meal and great service when I visit my home city. read more

Malia's has been an Aiken landmark for more than 30 years. Since it's beginning at the back of an exclusive dress shop the food has been consistently exceptional. The steak salad at lunch is always a treat, the sautéed medallions of beef tenderloin are always tasty and tender. Nobody prepares a better salmon at dinner regardless of how it's prepared. The ambiance is very relaxing and the service superb. You won't be disappointed! read more

I had lunch here last week for the first time but definitely not the last. It was delicious and the service was outstanding. I could live on the multi-grain bread that was brought to the table. The atmosphere is cozy although it was pretty loud in there so I wouldn't call it intimate. I struggled a bit to hear my companion speak. I will return for certain however. read more

Went here for dinner the other night. I had an old fashion to drink while I waited for the table, which didn't take long. The drink was perfectly made. We had the garden salad and the oysters to start the meal. The oysters were fantastic, very well done. They dinner course was the pork chop and it was cooked perfectly. Might have been the best I have had. We certainly look forward to going to back and trying more options. Great place. Make a reservation for dinner for sure. read more

The desk clerk at our hotel said this was her favorite restaurant in town. We made a reservation for that evening, and we were not disappointed. Appetizer, Soup, Entrees, and Deserts left us impressed. We had the opportunity to speak with Chef Matthew, and he was a delight, as was our server Dawn. We enjoyed hoe cakes with lump crab, a verde pasolè that was bright and could be a meal on its own, then I had seafood pappardelle while my wife had the filet (both excellent, even though I felt the pappardelle was a bit under seasoned). Deserts - yes. My wife has white chocolate creme brûlée, and I had the signature raspberry pie. The pie is a must! If in Aiken, this is a must-try. read more

I read the reviews....made me think it must be fabulous..and yet there were a few complainants...so I read their reviews of the other places they reviewed.....hahaha....wanna know what I learned???? The were-self-admitted cheapskates, they gave their favorite bars, nail salons, and yes, believe it or not DENTISTS' 5 stars.....really???....sigh... Ok...folks, I am a chef with over 40 years of experience in the culinary arts....and this is what my lady and i discovered during our first visit to Malia's.... The food: what'd we eat??....the most incredible chestnut and mushroom bisque, superb New England mushroom chowder, spinach salad, an indescribably delicious beef short rib and mushroom pot pie.... The desserts: they DO deserve a separate paragraph folks for they nearly put us into a patisserie paralysis.....sigh......she had a sticky toffee cake pudding covered with a whipped cream whatever that was oh-so-good....me, I had the raspberry pie, whose shortbread crust and fresh raspberry fruit....and not goo...filling...topped off with vanilla ice cream.....these were supplanted by cups of freshly ground dark roast coffee......yumm doesn't do these delicacies justice... As to the ambiance.....the restaurant, purposefully or not, has a shape (long and narrow) that gives the tables on the sides a feeling of privacy and intimacy..... Now, about the wait staff...our every needs were anticipated, our every question was answered, and we never found ourselves waiting for anything... Bottom line: Malia' s deserves give five stars for everything they did for us...and for so many other people too.... read more

So, if I want a very nice sit down meal with my wife and want to take our time and enjoy the meal, this is the place. The right wait staff that keeps an eye on the table but does not impose by checking on you too much coupled with very good menu selections, coupled with food that makes you go mmmmmm, just makes for an enjoyable meal. They have always been so nice and pleasant and the food is always very good, the bartender/mixologist turns out the good drinks also. For us the most important thing is you are NEVER rushed. And a little hint, make a reservation. read more

I loved the Eggplant with shrimp on top and the house salad. The atmosphere is so nice and relaxing. Service fabulous.

Nice atmosphere, good food, attentive staff. Ask to be seated outside - beautiful with the lighting, at night, so relaxing. read more

Great food, good wine selection, atmosphere OK, with an overall professional serving staff, all at a reasonable price.

I have been coming to this restaurant since I moved to Aiken 20 years ago. It has always been exceptional, both the service and food quality. My opinion on this restaurant has changed drastically today. The food was mediocre and the service was poor. Lolo, our sever, was extremely slow and lacked any type of enthusiasm. Drinks were always unfilled, infrequent visits to the table, and just an overall bad experience. I hope this restaurant does not go down hill, for this was once my favorite restaurant in Aiken. read more

I'm tired of writing reviews. This is very good and you will open your wallet but i think the tastes may warrant the price. It is a special occasion place, like living. read more

Had lunch with my bride on a Saturday. Not very busy. Service was fine and lunch menu varied to satisfy anyone I had pork tenderloin flat bread and wife the egg salad sandwich. Both vert good. Only negative of experience was the hostess. Not unfriendly but lots of room for improvement! read more

Malia's is easily one of the best restaurants in town. The food is fantastic- their lunch menu changes regularly and you can always find a tasty option. A great option for lunch, dinner, or just cocktails! They recently upgraded their bar and it is one of the hidden gems in town. Their bartender mixes up delicious drinks, definitely sit at the bar one night and ask him to make you something special. read more

Malia's - Amazing cocktails- rival top bars anywhere in the country! - New American Near Me - Aiken, South Carolina

Was one of the best restaurants in Aiken, and is still very good. Menu changes daily, and local produce is used when available. Good prices for lunch, more upscale and expensive for dinner. Wine prices are reasonable by the bottle, but $6.00 for a SMALL glass of just ok wine is not that great... Tue-Fri 11:30 - 2:00 Lunch Th-Sat 5:0-10 Dinner Reservations are advised for dinner. Update: They have halved the size of the restaurant to lease the front half to a dress shop. They will not accept groups of more than 8 people (unless you don't want to sit at one table.) With the size change, I would say reservations for dinner are REQUIRED, and since they were packed for lunch before I will see if it is even an option with the reduced size. read more

Precious' favorite place to eat in Aiken - and deservedly so. Everything is first-rate. I had a fried oyster naan flatbread (po-boy with an Indian twist!). Precious had a spinach and mushroom crepe. Both were first-rate. Nice wine list. Our waiter said the owner took pride in trying new things on the wine list. Nice touch. Very nice outdoor seating behind the restaurant on nice days. I won't take a star off but the acoustics are wretched for those of us with poor hearing. Very high ceilings with no acoustical material make conversation challenging when the place gets filled. read more

Had a business lunch here today at a colleagues suggestion and so glad she did! The atmosphere is subdued and relaxed. Staff couldn't have been nicer and attentive. I ordered shrimp and grits and without hesitation I can saw probably the best I've had- ever. This would be an excellent date destination, business lunch, birthday gathering- almost any occasion. The restaurant is not on the larger side and can accommodate smaller sizes of parties. Well worth going and will not be disappointed. read more

Once again we stepped into Malias restaurant Saturday 2/5/22 ad it was very cold that day, just before 2pm just to sit at their bar for cup of coffee only to be told we're Not serving anyone else. The owner says not to serve anyone else. Problem is we were addressed with total rudeness. This is NOT the first time we've been talked to by their employees. This is totally unacceptable. We understand if you're ready to close and needed a cut off time but what about common courtesy? I've lived here all my life and don't have to tolerate the attitude. I'll take my business elsewhere and yes, share my experience with all my friends and family on FB, Instagram, yelp and Twitter. read more

One of the best places to eat in Aiken. Nice surroundings and fantastic food/service. A true treasure in downtown Aiken.

Nothing special...uninspired seafood fettucini . Scallops were fresh, but sauce and veggies were so bland. Hubbys filet was tough...cooked right, but the quality of the meat wasn't great. Service was very nice and courteous...no complaints there. Very pricey for the food. Being from Dallas, I've eaten amazing high priced food. Maybe lunch might be better and less expensive. read more

It all started with the greeting when we walked in. There was none. No smile, no hello, nothing but straight faced, "do you have a reservation". It seems she was annoyed with her job. The waitress was nice and efficient. She had nothing to say when our food came. Nothing! How about a enjoy your meal? But she was OK. The food was also only OK. We had high hopes base on the reviews we read. I had short ribs. They were OK and tasted like short ribs, but nothing out of the ordinary and no real exciting flavor. My wife had vegetable pasta primavera and again, nothing exciting there at all. The pasta was a bit on the bland side. Not cheesy, not garlicky, really nothing much. We were sadly disappointed. read more

This is a lovely place. I loved the layout, and was surprised how little noise there was. Food was great. I had the pork scallopini which was very good, and my friend loved the short rib. Our other friend praised the eggplant stack--she apparently orders it almost every time. I would heartily recommend! read more

Cute little spot for dinner! Some reviews about waitresses and bad moods?? They were very nice and greeted me with smiles and even partook in my joking. Now, I don't know if it's because I'm a striking, Hansom man....ok, it probably is because of that, that they were so nice. The menu is a little upscale...pricey....but not for a baller like me, ha. I almost settled on the Salmon (love me some seafood) but decided on the burger as it came with soup as a side if I chose. I wanted the black bean soup...Boom!!!! So glad I did. It was amazing, very flavorful and come is a nice size bowl...let me say again, it tasted great!! The bread they being before the meal made this soup fantastic! The place filled up very quickly after my arrival just after 5:30pm-a food sign of a great establishment. The sweat tea I ordered was right on point. The burger was pretty good, definitely thick and cooked very nicely. I didn't realize it came with onions, rather I overlooked it on the menu. I think it would have been a really good burger if I would have asked for no onions. Try the black bean soup. Overall, if you want to impress your date with a very nice dinner, nice ambience, great wait staff, excellent food, being her here, you will both appreciate it! read more

Plan to come early if you want a table. Small cute place that serves really good and inventive food. Everything is fresh and tasty the decor is upscale and so are the prices. Like all of Aiken is is quite casual. pasta and sauce is amazing the burger is expensive but wonderful read more

Worst bartender. The gal with blond hair couldn't muster a hi or hello, didn't greet us for an awkward length of time even though we were the only two people sitting at the bar. No greeting or smile or acknowledgement and then after a few minutes of ignoring is she walked over with a blank stare and asked "Are you ready to order?" ... My $10 cocktail had a cherry at the bottom that was so mushy it was unappetizing. I draped it over the edge of the glass for effect. I tried to eat it but it literally was too mushy to pick up and lift out of the glass. Sorry, but never experienced that before and usually enjoy eating the cherry I paid for. Never got a smile from her the whole time, even throughout paying and leaving. I was looking for a pleasant time but will not ever plan to get a cocktail at that bar. read more

We had a fantastic meal there. Long wait but worth it. Delicious food and nice atmosphere. Will be going back. This is a keeper.

I give the restaurant 4 stars only because they ran out of the soup of the day, then they were out of the oysters, they also ran out of the fish so basically all the specials, I ordered the risotto was absolutely delicious one of the best I tasted, it wA quiet a wait for the meal but was totally worth the wait..I would return hopefully the oysters and soup would be available read more

Malia's - Love the liver pate.. - New American Near Me - Aiken, South Carolina

Fine dining at it's best in Aiken. Great wine and beer selections. Wait staff are very well trained. Never had ANYTHING that was not very good here and most we've had was excellent!! My all time fav was an app made from lamb crown roast section called lamb pops. As some reviews have stated this is a place for celebrating and as a fine dining establishment one should expect a certain price range. I'd say it is more than reasonable!! If the weather permits I suggest eating on the back patio!! For Aikenites this is a place for a Bon Appetite!! read more

We went here for lunch and it was great. They have a good selection of items for lunch. They staff was friendly and provided great service. The food was excellent and price was reasonable. A must visit in downtown Aiken. read more

Love this place (except I often forget they're closed Monday's!). Menu always interesting fresh, atmosphere warm and thankfully not screaming loud like the trend in too many restaurants today. Best part? ALWAYS fresh ingredients, interesting combinations, prepared with love and care! Went light with simple tossed salad and cold linguine/smoked salmon small plate. Was reminded immediately why I love this place: true foodies who make even a tossed salad pop with fresh ingredients, light Italian dressing, good fresh bread and real butter....why is this so hard for everybody else? Linguine/salmon had a citrus thing going on that just worked. Topped off with coffee (they need to carry espresso) and fresh Dubose Farms SC peaches in a crisp w/big cookie pieces and ice cream...still in bliss. Hard to try anything else in Aiken after this! read more

Malia's - Peach crisp, fresh Dubose Farm, SC peaches - New American Near Me - Aiken, South Carolina

The best restaurant in Aiken without a doubt Chef Michael really pays attention to details The menu has a lot of options that are innovative. The bar served by Andrew is great for a drink or while you wait. Don' miss it if you want a great experience read more

One if the best restaurants in aiken!!we normally come for lunch, dinner can get really busy- Great service! :) FYI order their raspberry pie!!! delicious:) read more

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These sicophants make almost decent yet extremely over priced foods. They cater to rich folk with half ass food. Eat here for image and a chance to practice Bulimia a rich person level. read more

My and son and I took my Mom to Lunch yesterday for Mother's Day. Mom and I split the vegetable risotto and burger and salad. It was just outstanding! My son had the lamb burger and he loved it. We also had raspberry pie which was delicious. I have to say the waitress didn't refill drinks, forgot our coffee and had us wait too long for the pie but the food!! Wow. This will be our go to place for now on. Worth every dime. Great ambiance and artwork too! read more

I recently had lunch here and ordered the Pork Tacos. It was phenomenal. The service was great and the staff friendly. You won't be disappointed when you go. I've never been for dinner but plan on going sometime soon. read more

This place is awesome.. have been 3 times now -- once for dinner, twice for lunch and have never been disappointing. The service has some room for improvement.. but the food has been great every time. read more

This was an expensive mistake for lunch.Our party of 4 was given our drinks and pretty much forgotten about. We had to ask for bread and we recieved 4 very small slices. Again we had to hunt down waitstaff for refills of bread and drinks. After what seemed like a long wait for food (2 burgers 2 crepes) someone else delivered our order. The crepes were not the definition of a crepe, which should be a thin pancake, but ratherthe chicken crepe was more of a caserole. The soup was too heavily seasoned with pepper the burgers were too much roll and not enough burger. Our waitress never asked us if everything was okay-almost like she was afraid to ask Overall, our lunch experience was very disappointing read more

I've had lunch with clients here, and it's always wonderful. The waitstaff is very attentive, the food is fresh, and the ambiance is warm. Malia's is a jewel! read more