This is my FAVORITE restaurant in all of Columbia, SC. I always receive spectacular service and delicious food here. If you haven't tried Mr. Friendly's, you are indeed missing out. P.S. When you come, get the fried chicken with tasso gravy, mashed potatoes and collard greens. You will NOT regret it. read more

Peanut Butter Fudge Pie (5/5): The best part of the meal. The crumbly crust was delicious and the pie itself tasted like a Reese's cup. Buttermilk Fried Chicken (4/5): Decent fried chicken. I didn't expect it to be a boneless breast. Dark meat would've given it more flavor. The potatoes were flavorful and creamy. The collard greens were too acidic for me. Cornmeal Fried N.C. Catfish (3/5): The catfish wasn't anything special but the grits were very good. Lots of flavor and good texture. The collard greens were too acidic for me. Fried Adluh Yellow Grit Cakes (3/5): Would've been a lot better if it was fried more and had a crispier exterior. The herb goat cheese was good, but there was a little too much of it. Loved the roasted garlic (great for spreading on the complimentary bread!) Buttermilk Fried Shrimp (2/5): Only came with 4 shrimp. The shrimp itself wasn't very meaty and it also wasn't fried long enough. RATING SYSTEM 5 - Great (Need to get this again) 4 - Good (Would get this again) 3 - Ok (Might give this another shot) 2 - Not Good (Won't get this again) 1 - Bad (Telling people to avoid this) read more

Let me begin by saying I never thought I could find great food outside of Charleston. We'll let me tell you about this hidden gem. Mr. Friendly's restaurant is comfort southern food at its finest. The collard greens tasted like my momma was back in the kitchen....that really is all you need to know to get in your car right now. They have weekly specials but tonight I went with the Mahi Mahi. They also have drinks specials and excellent wine pairings. I will definitely be back every time to dine if I'm in the Columbia area. read more

Mr Friendly's New Southern Cafe - Golden Mahi-Mahi with grits and collard greens - Cafes Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

My wife and I eat at Mr. Friendly's quite often. Mr. Friendly's food is always delicious and the service is THE BEST!!!

We celebrated a friend's birthday the best way we know how -- with Shrimp & Grits and a whole table full of Southern goodness at Mr. Friendly's in Five Points! We kicked things off with the perfect starter: Fried Green Tomatoes with a crisp cornmeal crust and sharp pimento cheese -- basically Southern heaven on a plate. I went with Fried Chicken topped with creamy Tasso Ham gravy, Mashed Potatoes, and Collard Greens -- the ultimate comfort combo. My husband had the Fried Catfish, which was so fresh and tender it practically melted in your mouth. Our sweet friends ordered the Filet, topped with something everyone needs more of: Pimento Cheese -- YES, it's as dreamy as it sounds. With an extensive menu, amazing daily specials, and the warmest Southern hospitality, Mr. Friendly's is perfect for anyone. If you haven't been yet, it's time to find your new favorite dish! read more

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I've been here multiple times since my first check in. Everything, each time, exceeded my expectations. The food, the atmosphere, the customer service was excellent each and every every time. This is a great place for any and every occasion. read more

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We arrived on a Wednesday and did not have reservations. They were able to seat us inside. We started with the Spinach Dip appetizer. It came warm from the oven with a toasted crust on top. The flavor was perfect. I had the amazing Shrimp and Grits - some of the best I've ever had! The shrimp is blackened and I opted for the andouille gravy. The dish was perfectly spiced with it having some heat but not overpowering. Highly recommend! read more

Chicken cut like butter!! I tried there sweet peach tea as well! It's a must! Service was friendly and attentive would definitely go again read more

Mr Friendly's New Southern Cafe - Buttermilk Fried Chicken - Cafes Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

01.26 So glad a quick search landed me here. Parking wasn't the best but I did go during the busy lunch time. Cute little diner meets modern rustic vibe, imo. My waitress was great! I had the seafood ( long b word, lol) soup. It tasted good, I'm personally not a fan of potatoes in seafood soups. That was the only drawback for me. The shrimp and grits were the bomb, very tasty. I chose the sauce with the sausage. Shrimp did still have the tips on them. Had 2 mimosas, not quite the best taste wise. read more

Had my wife's birthday dinner there and they did not disappoint. The drinks....Cosmo and Long Island Ice Tea were well made. Had a Caesar salad and Tempura Shrimp to start and the latter was delicious. Afterwards my wife had the Peach Pecan crusted Salmon and I had the Lemon Trout with grits and both were amazing, fresh and flavorful. Very good experience, waitress was top notch and attentive. When visiting again this is our new spot, recommend highly. read more

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Everything is always delicious at Mr. Friendly's. Good is always fresh and delicious! We love Justin, the bartender as well. Great outdoor patio seating. Cozy environment. read more

Mr Friendly's New Southern Cafe - Bacon wrapped pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes and collard greens - Cafes Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Mr Friendly's is one of my favorite places in Columbia. The service is attentive and, appropriate to the name, very friendly! Our standbys are the meatloaf, the fried green tomatoes, the fried oysters, the Friendly salad, the fried chicken, roasted garlic... Oh, wait, I think I'm listing the whole menu. So it's all good. Good beverage program too. A nice, cozy, neighborhood treasure where you are never a stranger for long. read more

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Had a delicious meal here with our son & his girlfriend. We had a reservation so we sat right down. The spinach & artichoke dip & baked oyster appetizers were yummy. The fries chicken plate is huge so I recommend splitting. You also can't miss with the shrimp & grits. Finished the meal with the peach spring rolls for dessert! The ambiance is nice - a little loud, but we were seated in the bar area. read more

Great restaurant with good food and service. The prices are reasonable as well. One of our top three restaurants in the Columbia area.

I had a very tough time writing this one.. First of all the bread and herb seasoned butter served prior to our meal was excellent. So much so that when the owner asked if we wanted a bit more with our meal, I said yes but yet bread never came.?? The Cheese curds were amazingly good and my wife's salmon was excellent as well. I was totally discontented with my meatloaf. The portion was enormous .,way too much for one person. (Guessing about 10 oz?) The thickness of the serving caused the loaf to be dry and not moist which left it hard for me to eat very much .. So I didn't The owner asked me if everything was OK and at that time before my entree was served the answer was way better than okay but darn it all I so wanted that entire meal to be so as well! Perhaps another visit without the meatloaf may change my mind. read more

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This restaurant is just getting by on there name alone. Ppl are not posting the truth, i believe they are posting what they remember this restaurant use to be 10 plus yrs ago if awful had a face it would be this pla e. Arriving to the restaurant we were not asked where we would like to sit, they were just ushering us to the booths. So we suggested to her that we would like a tabletop. We were re directed to a tabletop, and our order was taken after she brought tap water to the table when we wanted sparkling water. I understand that she was being proactive, but not necessary at this time. We then got our food, which was fried green tomatoes and they tasted waterlogged. There was absolutely no flavor and it felt it tasted like they had set out most of the day. My entree was 7 mango salmon. Glazed, and I wanted to cut through it was pink. It was uncooked. It was not what I ordered the other two individuals at the table. Enjoy their meal. Dessert was key line pie and this was the 3 Coursemeal. After asking 42 boxes and then decided two box up my dessert and tape with me.Due to this was the most unpleasant experience.I've had in the four times that i've been here every time has been a one.I don't know why my husband keeps bringing me back here.But this is one of the moments where I pick my battles.I already know i'm not gonna eat.So therefore I know when I get home I could have.I can recook my meal. Saludas needs to come here and teach these folks how to make pride green tomatoes.Then, maybe I can come back.This go round the greens did not have as much sugar in them as the last three times that I was here.The paintings on the wall are always cute.Always enjoyable.You will not be able to hear the people next to you.Sitting at the same table, you are sitting at, you will not be able to hear their conversations.But you will hear everyone else's conversation in the restaurant.I don't really know what the logic behind.That is but I can't hear anything that is going on at my table.But everyone around me, I can tell you who has what children, whose grandchildren have come in from college, whose husband is cheating.And whose wife is going through menopause. So at this january eighth twenty twenty five, as I sit here and watch my server pr pr prance around the restaurant without giving me my bill.I'm so ready to go. I thought, the key line pie was gonna be delicious.Unfortunately, it tastes like don dishwashing soap. And of course I was not offered a bag to carry this garbage out in. Ugh!! read more

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Mr Friendly's is the home of fine Southern cuisine, good service, friendly proprietors, and seeing the regulars when you go. The menu changes daily but beloved familiars are always available (the succotash is my favorite). Salads, sandwiches, seafood entrees, creative entrees are all the products of a talented kitchen staff. A variety of wine offerings as well as mixed drinks are offered. Once you've eaten at Mr Friendly's you are on your way to becoming a Columbian read more

My Friendly's was so yummy! It was our first evening in town and I'd made a booking for the 4 of us for dinner. I knew we'd be seeing my son for graduation in the coming days and admittingly hoped I hadn't just made the best dinner plans without him in attendance, it was so tasty I began to feel bad being there without him. Luckily, we did share some other great places with him. I started with a chocolate orange old fashioned, creature of habit ;) It was great! My son teases me about how much I love dark liquor and it's true. This drink reminded me of something I'd had at Jameson, in Dublin so I had to try it. We shared the fried green tomatoes to start with, and they were fantastic. I love that they sandwiched pimento cheese in-between the stack of them. Two of my favorite items, in one dish. My bestie and I went halfsies on two entrees because we wanted to try the meatloaf but I also wanted catfish. Our two entrees were delish!!! We love meatloaf and make it often, but we always try to make it a little "healthier" and use turkey meat so having Mr. Friendly's was a REAL treat. My bff mentioned it really didn't need the sauce, which is true it's solid on it's own but I did like sauce. Their collards, grits and mashed potatoes are all very yummy too. I think my Mom had the oysters and my sons girlfriend had the grit cakes, but in all honesty I can't recall. We had just had wine and light bites before we came here, but my appetite is non stop unlike most normal peoples. My drink and two entrees were so delish, they were my sole focus but I think my Mom and my sons girlfriend enjoyed their choices as well. Service was great and very friendly too :) I would definitely recommend dining here. I'm so grateful we did. read more

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I don't know that my review will do this place justice! The food was AMAZING!! I had the fried chicken. The chicken was so crispy but still juicy! The collards... so good! Shrimp and grits in the creole sauce had a perfect amount of heat. Shrimp were perfectly cooked. Bacon wrapped tenderloin you could cut with a butter knife! I wish I had taken pictures bc the plating was so pretty! Staff were friendly and the restaurant is quaint. Patio has heating for winter and fans for summer. You don't want to miss this restaurant! read more

Small local restaurant with a big local lunch crowd. Older but clean. Meals, salads & sandwiches. Reasonably priced no $17 burgers. Easy to pass by even if you know where it's at! Off Two Notch near old mall in a strip mall. Daily specials. Worth the hunt! read more

I really enjoyed our experience here. I can't lie; I was unsure about the experience I would have here and started to pivot but decided to stick with the plan. Also, the reservation was late, so I was prepared for second-hand food and so on. So here we go..   I love that they have complimentary valet because it provides an opportunity to support the person providing the valet services. Being greeted by the staff upon entry was really nice. We waited for just a few minutes, but nothing too bad. I loved the vibe--very cozy.   We ordered the fried shrimp appetizer that came with a fried grit cake that was sliced like cornbread. The shrimp were a good size and fried well! I wish there were more than 4. The grit cake was okay. It was a decent compliment, especially with the pickled onions and hot sauce.   I absolutely loved my cocktail, which was a chocolate old fashioned. It is a must order, and it comes garnished so beautifully. My camera messed up the first time. So, I used that as my excuse to order another one, and the server said, "Whoops, sorry, it fell in." I was disappointed, but I laughed it off and will return and possibly get another one then.   There was a 12-hour braised beef short rib special with blue cheese butter, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and collard greens. It was magical. No exaggeration; it was good! Everything complimented each other so well. I'm so glad everything turned out well. I definitely enjoyed my experience. read more

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A dear friend took me here to celebrate my birthday. I hadn't been to Mr Friendly's in a number of years, so I was looking forward to the evening. Our server, Lindsay, was great and My cocktail, the Friendly 75, was a solid 10. But the food was so disappointing. Earlier in the week, I had been talking about a chef I'd once worked with - he had the habit of not tasting his food. The steak special had zero flavor. Same for the mashed potatoes and side vegetables. The fried shrimp appetizer, while good, was nothing special. I really do wish I were writing a glowing review, but I suppose now I remember why I've not been here in years. read more

Chef curated menu (nightly specials plus standing favorites), locally sourced ingredients, extensive wine, beer, and spirits selection, attentive friendly service. Great lunch and dinner service. The only possible downside is noise volume. If this is an issue, ask for a table outside. read more

In town for the day. I was able to get a 5:15 reservation called 10 minutes before opening. Host was very friendly. We loved everything. The ambiance, food and customer service were all fantastic. I will definitely visit again when in town. read more

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I like the vibe and the ambience of this restaurant, it is busy, but keeps the local vibe and offers great service. I made a reservation, but decided to sit at the bar because there were seats open, and I was by myself. The bartender was great, she was very attentive and my food came quickly and was very hot. The rock shrimp appetizer had sesame-soy cucumbers to give it an Asian flair and they were delicious. For dinner I got the fried chicken with ham gravy and collard greens. It was good as well although had a bit too much breading for my taste, and there was an ingredient in the fried chicken. I did not particularly like. However, it was prepared well and I will just try something different next time. There is parking behind the restaurant and down the side, it is a bit tucked away on a side street. They also offer valet parking. read more

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Dinner Saturday 10-29-22 was excellent. Reservations were for 6pm. Great service by Lindsay. Food was well prepared and came to the table hot and fresh. Appetizer fried green tomatoes were really excellent. Wife had the Mahi-mahi which she raved about. I had the Catfish which was excellent. Reminded me of the catfish they serve In Arkansas at the catfish houses they have on every corner. The star of my dinner was the collard greens they served with my catfish. I have NEVER eaten any collard greens that I enjoyed eating.....until tonight. My wife is a collard greens perfectionist and everyone her family loves them. She was shocked I ate all of them except a small taste so she could try to replicate them. The only thing I didn't like was the credit price vs the cash price in the bill. Who carry's around a couple hundred bucks with them except financially well off rich people? (See photo) Great dinner and can't wait to come back. read more

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I have tried only the cheesecake. It was really good and I ordered ahead online. The servers are friendly. The seating space is small but it is a cozy feel to the dining area. The food that people ordered looked really good. read more

Service was great. Food was good. Nice atmosphere. Had the fried Rockfish, catfish po boy and fried chicken sandwich. Large portions.

I have eaten here at least 3 times in the last 10 years when visiting Columbia or passing through and the name and and the quality of dishes makes it easy to remember. They always have a great assortment of dishes and as well as I can remember I have got the buttermilk fried chicken entree every visit. This visit I ordered the zucchini fritters with tzatziki sauce and cous cous for an app which was a great and tasty starter. I followed that with my tried and true favorite comfort food; buttermilk fried chicken with Tasso ham gravy mash potatoes and collar greens. Ample portion of all parts of the meal and everything tasted as expected, The bartender and one of the servers helped me select my appetizer and provided great service. I was even asked by one of the managers midway through my meal how the meal was which shows they take pride in making great food that pleases their customers. This place has always been a warm and inviting place for locals and travelers. The staff are very conscientious of the customers and do their best to provide great service. Mr. Friendly's remains on my short list of must eat places in Columbia. Thanks! read more

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Always great food and wine to select from. I have been going there since they opened and still the best!!

All entrees we ordered were very flavorful. This included the Caesar salad with fried oysters, Friendly salad with salmon and Mustard Grilled Chicken. Service was very good as well. Unfortunately we don't live nearby so we can't return. read more

One of the original Columbia fine dining establishments still left open. Ever changing menu based on seasonal ingredients. Have some of the best soft shell crabs when in season. Locally owned and ran. read more

Simply amazed by this spot. Wonderful staff, exquisite southern food. Pretty sure they paid very cool local folks to come and talk with me at the bar while I was alone on a business trip. read more

Mr Friendly's New Southern Cafe - Fried Chicken. Somehow, it was better than the term "Fried Chicken" - amoung humanity's greatest achievements - can adequately convey. - Cafes Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Tasked with coordinating a Birthday Dinner for a very special someone (for what ended up being six people), I knew exactly where to turn. Mr Friendly's has been a tried-and-true staple of the SC Midlands for many years now. I do enjoy branching out and trying new places and things, however there is something to be said for the old cliche, "if it ain't broke..." -- and Mr Friendly's went above and beyond the towering bar they have already set for themselves. Greeted by warm, welcoming, smiling faces, we floated to our waiting table. To say the service we received was impeccable would be an understatement. From the initial reservation to the satisfied stroll out the door, everyone agrees this experience was exceptional. Absolutely A++ on: cocktails, appetizers, salads, soups, entrees, and desserts. Everything was absolutely top notch as usual, including but not limited to STILL THE BEST FRIED OYSTERS IN THE WORLD. I said it. Fight me. There is one drawback to dining at Mr Friendly's, however - the fact that every meal in life cannot be this good. Caution: Mr Friendly's may ruin other dining experiences for you. Proceed at your own risk... read more

Mr Friendly's New Southern Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Visited here for my birthday dinner with a great man. The waiter was very attentive and nice. I got the rib-eye steak and it was amazing. Perfectly cooked and I loved the mashed potatoes and asparagus it came with. The mushrooms could've been cooked better, but still tasty. Then i had the salmon croquettes, they were alright. Would definitely go again! Wish their menu was a bit bigger and more wide spread. read more

Mr Friendly's New Southern Cafe - Ribeye steak Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes asparagus - Cafes Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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I had dinner here when I was in town for training nearby. Someone recommended the restaurant and a friend and I walked over. This was almost a year ago so I can't remember what he ate, but I had a pre-fix meal with an appetizer featuring pumpkin, a salmon entree and a delicious key lime pie for dessert. This is a cozy home-town style place. Service was good. I plan to go back next time I'm in town. read more

The fried shrimp appetizer was tasty, but the breading kept falling off. I enjoyed the fried chicken and the salmon very much. Mixed drinks were well made. Service was on point. Bathrooms were clean. Ambience is a bit loud. Adequate parking. The only serious complaint I have is there is no sign out front, so it can be hard to find. I would eat here again. read more

If you are looking for fresh local fare in the Capital City, then Mr. Friendly's delivers. The seasonal menu, daily specials, and craft cocktails are always delectable. This restaurant never disappoints because the offerings are consistently flavorful and cooked perfectly. The impeccable service and valet parking add to the charm of Mr. Friendly's. read more

Mr Friendly's New Southern Cafe - Fresh flounder, grits & collard greens. Pork tenderloin with cherry compote & fried green tomatoes. - Cafes Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I'm not impressed overrated! I dine out daily & I've had much better other places. Wow. My food is mediocre. My server Amanda has an attitude. Ambience is nice. I am factual. Don't like negativity, however from the onset was not the best. Even the bread was hard crusty.My meatloaf burnt on the edges. I don't plan to return. Just not a pleasant dining experience. read more

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One of my favorite places for fried chicken and succotash! The pimento cheese and bread points is always a great way to start a meal. The manager is extremely nice and was able to put together a vegan option for my wife. The complementary bread basket and butter cheese is delicious. The fried green tomatoes stole the show on our most recent visit. Overall a great experience read more

Mr Friendly's New Southern Cafe - Vegan dinner made special by the chef - Cafes Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina