Prohibition beat my expectations. I expected it to be gimmicky, but I left pleasantly surprised. I found the atmosphere to be quite space-y (looks great for attending a show or event). The food surpassed my expectations, particularly the red pepper dip. I also saw the teriyaki beef tacos and thought they'd be meh, but they were really quite tasty! Did not order entrees. I would say they should add a vegetarian/vegan entree option (or substitution) (beyond something mundane like a salad)- maybe I didn't look hard enough. The service was good but not anything to rave about. We were there at what seemed to be a relatively slow time of day/week (maybe 20% of the restaurant was full). Nothing bad to say here. The pricing was as expected. Pretty typical. Also, why no champagne on the menu?! Come on guys (lol, again, maybe I didn't look hard enough). So- 4 out of 5. Not knocking it because of any complaints, it's just pretty average for Columbia. Though I do think they deserve higher than 3.6 based on my experience. read more

Prohibition - Red Pepper Dip and a vegetarian salad - American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Our favorite date nights are at a tapas restaurant over the NC border so this was a risk, and paid off in spades. We started with sharing the crab ragoon toast and charred wings, which were perfectly seasoned and not "too charred". We moved onto the hanger steak to split and it was cooked perfectly as well. All dishes were portioned to be able to split and the presentation and taste were off the charts. My husband's IPA and my cocktail were also great pours. The cherry on top was the cherry mouse which we split, but easily could have enjoyed two as it was so yummy. Can't believe we waited So long to come to this adorable hangout spot and will definitely be back. The decorations were perfect and food even better. read more

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A nice casual dining experience. Not crowded at all on a Monday night. Their strength is small shareable plates. My waitress Lauren G very knowledgeable about the menu so I took her advice. I started with a glass of Angels Ink Pinot Noir. I chose a dinner portion of Ostrich and Cavatelli, followed by a smaller appetizer size of Fire Roasted Oysters. The Ostrich was good, although not as complex as I expected. Portion was smaller than I expected for the price. The Oysters (4) were out of this world. Next time I return, I'll go with three small plates. My only other suggestion is expanding the wine menu. They should offer more reasonably priced house reds and whites. read more

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My love wanted to meet our friends here for brunch and it was actually really good. First the restaurant is decorated beautifully. I loved the rustic feel, everything made out of liquor barrels, the lighting top tier. For appetizers, my friend got the crab Rangoon toast, and we got wings and deviled eggs. The toast was really good but I felt like it was one note, it needed something to cut the creaminess. The deviled eggs were so good with the cracklin chicken skin on top and the wings were crispy and flavorful . I think they were my favorites of the day. My bf got the lobster roll which he said was really good. The bun is toasted, the lobster is cold but he said it's not like ice cold, it's the perfect temperature. My friends said the shrimp and grits and chopped cheese sandwich were amazing. Only thing I'd say about the shrimp and grits is that the kale sitting on top like that is off putting. It could have been plated a little better. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of my food because it came out last but I got the grilled steak cooked medium rare and it was perfect ! They did put finishing salt which made certain bits really salty so I didn't like that. But other than that, everything was so good. I'd give the experience a 9/10. read more

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First time at Prohibition & it was overall a pretty good experience. The decor and restaurant set up is really nice and they have a large selection of liquor. A lot of seating is provided and even a little loft area for a private area. The burger that I order was really good! That jam sauce was a great touch. The shrimp & grits unfortunately came out cold and didn't have as much flavor as we were hoping for. The chicken sandwich was also good and filling. Service was awesome, we really enjoyed our waitress. I would definitely come back and give some of the menu options a shot. read more

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The atmosphere was nice and inviting. The barstool was uncomfortable, the height of the feet was odd. The bartenders were nice and helpful. The crudo smelled a bit like fish, and was a bit stringy. The octopus was decent, but was overcooked and dry. The Brussels were delicious and tangy, but I always love Brussels. Both cocktails were delicious, the gin one reminded me of Christmas. 4/5 because of the disappointing crudo and octopus, otherwise great! read more

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Service and seating was quick. Wasn't too busy. Ordered drink which took a while to receive, it was ok; Protaganist Golden ale. Brussels were very good and flavorful but a bit saucy. Street corn tostado was very good and delightfully tasty, could be a meal entree if ordered 2. Space was nice and not too loud but has live music stage which could change the vibe and comfort level. Look forward to trying pork chop in future. read more

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Great late night place for cocktails. Comfortable low light vibe with speedy service. read more

Prohibition - One of my favorite late night spots in columbia, always great to sit by the bar and eat some oysters and fries - American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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I have really been anticipating going to Prohibition . The vibe was completely different from what I thought based on pictures and social media posting. It's more of a tavern style restaurant with a very casual atmosphere. The menu was modified due to the holiday. The customer service was excellent. I ordered the tuna poke tacos. I would not order these again. I feel like there was something missing... maybe a sauce or slaw of some sort. I also tried the hoisin wings, brussel sprouts, and deviled eggs. The brussels sprouts were cooked extremely well, but the flavor and sauce (chilli lime) was not present in the dish. The wings were good. I'm not sure how they cooked them, but they were literally falling off the bone. I am definitely open to coming back after the holidays and trying some other things that I saw on their standard menu. read more

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I have been to Prohibition twice. For context, I went to USC and lived in Columbia for about 3 years after graduating from college. One of my bigger complaints was the lack of bars to choose from outside of 5 points. Obviously Columbia has changed a lot and so we get Prohibition. I no longer live in Columbia but visit pretty regularly so when I'm in town I make it a point to try and stop in I ordered an espresso martini. I enjoyed it because it was a nice balance of coffee and froth. They also had watermelon High Noons as their seltzers, which are my favorite. The service was pretty quick, but I don't know how much this had to do with the fact that my best friend's husband knew one of the bartenders. I have not yet tried the food, so I might have to update my review once I get to. If you like a theme that is heavy on twinkle lights, I highly recommend Prohibition. read more

Prohibition - Prohibition bar during their Christmas pop-up. When I went this past weekend, they were decorated for Valentine's Day - American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Enjoyed our experience here, my husband and I came here for a birthday dinner celebration. The food was good, it was a bit pricey for my liking. We definitely enjoyed the deviled eggs, we enjoyed different takes on foods we love. My husband tried the shrimp and grits, one of his favorite meals. He wasn't used to having tomatoes or spinach in the dish but said it was good. I enjoyed my burger! I loved the decor, my husband and I both love history and vintage items so we were excited to see how they were incorporated.. We had an entire conversation on a piece (the ships telegraph), it's funny how a piece of decor/history can create memories in completely different ways. We also appreciate the Valentines decor, it added a festive feel to the pub. Our server (I wish I could remember her name) was great, she was attentive, provided great suggestions for food and drinks, she kept our drinks coming and definitely made us feel welcome. It was a good experience, we cannot wait for our next visit. read more

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Aside from our waitress who was sweet, our visit there was less than enjoyable. Restaurant almost empty during parents weekend. The manager on staff Thursday night 9/11 does not know how to take care of her customers. Tried telling us these salad were the same size as another we ordered with steak in it. She swore it was the same amount of salad so we asked her for a bigger bowl to show her it was not. Instead of fixing our concern, she brought out a new salad, tossed it on the table, which looked like it was thrown together. A second manager came over and did the right thing. Overall food was average and priced way too high! It's a shame because we were looking forward to having a good time and meal with our daughter during family weekend and the whole experience was just terrible. read more

Prohibition - Same salad. One had steak and the other plain. - American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

My friend took me to Prohibition for my birthday. It just happened that it was during the time they were experiencing the Sippin Santa holiday pop-up. We were so excited to try this place because neither of us had ever been there. We walked in to a beautifully Christmas themed decorated bar with a fun vibe. We were seated upstairs, which gave us an amazing view of all the decor. Haley was our server and was great, offering great suggestions as to what was popular on the menu. We both ordered a drink, an appetizer to share and two entrées. The cheese ball appetizer was delicious! Great flavor but a bit small. My friend got the fried rice with steak and I ordered the chicken sandwich. Unfortunately, I ate a quarter of my sandwich before realizing that the inside of the chicken was still raw. When I flagged down a waitress, Kia, she could not have been more apologetic and said she would get me a new sandwich and the manager would bring it to me. After a few moments, the manager came up to our table with a new sandwich. She put it on the table and I cut it in half to make sure that this one was cooked. this woman said absolutely nothing to me i.e. announcing that she was the manager, apologizing for my raw chicken sandwich, ask us if there was anything else we needed, ask if my friend's food was OK. She did not say one word! She set the plate down and walked away. When I told our regular server, Haley, she was surprised and still very apologetic for the whole thing happening. It was a really fun Christmas experience simply because of all of the cute pop-up Christmas decor. I don't know that I would return for just a regular visit. I certainly will not be getting the chicken sandwich ever again if I do. read more

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As someone said prior, Prohibition is kind of tough to really rate. I joined a dinner party and was really excited to check it out. The atmosphere is cool. It's very vintage. The customer service we received was great. The gentleman was very kind. The drinks were good. The food was just okay. I ordered the chicken sandwich, and it was almost black. Like it was overcooked or cooked in old grease. I can tell that if it was made right, it would have been pretty good. The ranch is delicious. The fries were hot which I appreciated. I will return to give them another run even though I do think they are a bit overpriced for the quality and quantity of food. read more

All I got were drinks, so have to go back there for food. The bartender was awesome and we had a great convo. The ambience is the best part truly, it's the perfect level of dim in there where you can have a really romantic dinner. I got the Manhattan and sat in their lounge area and it was really good! read more

Prohibition - Manhattan and Carolina wren - American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I came here after a long day of visiting my Alumna campus and stumbled upon this place for a couple cocktails. We immediately noticed how because the place is with its niche decor and an area that's very cozy and only for bar service which I thought was smart. He got the Main St. Manhattan and I got the Carolina Wren and we both loved our drinks. We're sad we never found this place when we lived in town because of the delicious dinner menu but we're glad to have given it a try. read more

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Wow! I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. Our server was funny, kind, and engaging. He gave us great suggestions on drinks as well as food choices. Most of the menu consists of small plates perfect for sharing. I started with a Caesar salad with anchovies. Salty and delicious. I then had the shrimp fried rice. This is a larger portion entrée that I shared with a friend. Unfortunately, they were out of dessert that night, so we couldn't enjoy a sweet treat. The restaurant includes larger tables, high tops and also has an upper deck area for seating. As we were finishing our meals, they began to set up for live entertainment. The bar is beautiful and the bar staff creates incredible drinks. I will return every time I am near Columbia. Don't miss it. read more

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This review is based solely on cocktails and customer service. Both were exceptional. The food man, you did not speak to me and maybe that's just because I had other plans for dinner, but it was really nice to sit at the bar and talk to the bartender. He recommended drinks from that cocktail menu and even made me one off-menu. Multiple people from the staff spoke with me and really just made my overall visit enjoyable--I would come back. I've also visited the Prohibition flagship in Charleston. While, this one has a different vibe, it's still nice. There is parking on both Taylor and Main streets. read more

We decided to pop in for a quick Sunday brunch! Upon entry the establishment was clean and aesthetically pleasing! We were promptly greeted and seated upstairs. Our server was nice and pleasant! She recommended the heirloom tomato sourdough and it was spectacular!!!! Fresh, crunchy, salty sweet! Umami heaven!!!! we also got a burger and a bloody Mary. The only feedback I would recommend is that the bloody was pretty simple compared to other brunch bloodies we've had there were no garnishments which takes away from the experience other than that We will definitely be back! read more

Great "tapas" style menu and cocktails with egg whites were on point! Nice location downtown allows you to add this to your pub crawl

Probably the best cocktails you could buy, hopefully one day the food will live up to the amazing bar staff capacity to produce a dignified and top quality product. I will start with what was amazing! Will and Sara make next level cocktails that are spot on, delicious and surprising. Came back after a disappointing dinner the night before just because of what they can deliver in quality and attention to detail. The only reason this review is where it is, is because they started it off with humble deliciousness. The food. ugh. sad. Shrimp and grits were flavorless. Grits were runny, shrimp unseasoned and gravy overly sauced with basic kale to accompany. If you can't cook grits in the south why are you claiming you are a chef. The night priors thai mussels were undercooked, and lacking in any semblance of sophistication. At least the kitchen can grill some bread and toss.... a salad that also lacks creativity... greens, peppers and enough red onion to make sure you are dragon breathing that for hours on end. As a Charleston native I expect from a Charleston "chef". Just cause you came from there, doesn't mean you have the soul and dedication to cook and level of quality that goes with the town label. Try harder. Watch chef. Give a shit what you serve. read more

My friends and I made reservations for a Christmas girls night. The reason being we loved the Halloween experience. We had the absolute worst time!!! The menu was very limited, there are only so many rum drinks people want to drink. The waitress was friendly but the drinks being premixed doesn't allow for customizations and I absolutely hated my drink, I took and sip and immediately tried to send it back. The waitress wouldn't even ask or allow me to replace it. I ordered two appetizers as my entree and the shrimp looked and tasted like the frozen shrimp from Trader Joe's. The Brussel sprouts advertised as crispy were burned and mushy. And I felt sick after eating 4. One of my friends had no food options as a pescatarian who doesn't eat crab or lobster, because they were out of tofu already at 7:15 PM. Such a bad experience to have paid so much and to have looked forward to it only to be disappointed. read more

Prohibition - Brussel Sprouts - American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Prohibition is an upscaled southern restaurant that has a bit of uniqueness with it's tapas and other regional dishes. The place is very beautiful and I love the upstairs which is a bit more private and has a great view of the place. In the evening, there was a band that did covers and original songs and they were so good. The service was also fantastic, and very attentive. Overall the food was very good with just a couple misses. We started off with the crab deviled eggs and the shrimp fried rice. The deviled eggs didn't have much crab to make it stand out but I liked the texture and flavor of the dish overall. The shrimp fried rice was delicious, the best item in my mind, but be mindful it's a tapa dish so you likely won't be full off it. I also ordered the battered cod and fries, I didn't like the curry so I'm glad I got it on the side. The cod unfortunately was overdone and therefore a bit dry. The fries were very tasty! Lastly, the cocktails were delicious as well. The old fashioned was very good and had some uniqueness to it. The Carolina Wren was also tasty. Amazing cocktails but would have expected a bit more flair or garnish for the price. Overall restaurant is a decent 4 and I would come back for the drinks and fried rice read more

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My wife and I created this account solely to share this review. We regretted not taking any pictures throughout our experience, but we both agreed that everything was absolutely incredible from start to finish! My colleagues and I chose this place for our Christmas party, and it could not have been a better choice. The moment we walked in, it felt like stepping straight into a Christmas wonderland, the decorations, the music, the atmosphere... everything was magical. The food, the drinks, and the overall ambiance were outstanding, but what truly set the night apart was the exceptional service. Our server was Sam, and she was phenomenal. Sam was warm, attentive, and genuinely invested in making sure our group had an amazing time. She offered thoughtful recommendations, including some of the best items I've ever had at a bar, and constantly checked in to ensure our party was well taken care of. Her friendliness and professionalism elevated the entire experience, and we can't thank her enough! Between all of us, we sampled almost the entire drink menu. The overwhelming favorites were the Frost Bite and the pineapple cocktail, both recommended by Sam, and both absolutely fantastic. Because of her suggestions (and the overall experience), we're already talking about when we can return. We left the evening feeling festive, full, and genuinely impressed. Thank you for an unforgettable night, and a special thanks to Sam for making it truly exceptional! read more

Incredible service as a big group. Shelby handled our group with the best service. Food was very very good as well. Wings were 10/10 read more

Prohibition - Charred wings - American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

We had brunch here this past Sunday it was wonderful. I had the eggs Benedict simply put top 5 for me. Shout-out to Sam B our server she was wonderful. read more

Really great experience coming here. Came for lunch and it was crowded. Enjoyed a couple of small plates and they really were great. Enjoyed some Street Corn, Grilled 8 Oz Hangar Steak, Fire Roasted Oysters, Ricotta Gnocchi, a Lobster Roll, and a Tart Flambee. Our server was really nice and definitely loved the music. Love this spot for a laid back vibe and definitely need to come back for some live music for dinner! read more

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Right now it's the Christmas theme and it's a great place for a couple drinks and some good munchies and food

Although the food and drinks were pretty good, the service wasn't. We ordered the chicken wings as an app but it never arrived. We ordered a salad as a side for our burger, but she sent it out with fries instead, then charged us additional for a side salad. She also upcharged us to replace spinach with brussel sprouts, but failed to mention the charge when we ordered it. Typical mediocre Columbia experience read more

The food started out looking well crafted and then it went down hill. The crab deviled eggs were delicious put 2nd rnd looked like Helen Keller put it together. Octopus was too charred and extremely dry. Fish & chips, fish was cool inside. Meatballs, naaaw. Bartenders - forgot silverware and napkins, we had to ask. Ambiance was nice. read more

Prohibition's kind of a hard place to rate. Don't get me wrong, the atmosphere is top notch, and the drinks are good enough. However, it is very expensive and the drinks, as well as the service, are hit-or-miss. One time I went, the bartender was too busy flirting with girls at the bar that I had to ask three (3) different times for a glass of water, and I have been charged different prices for the same drinks as well. All-in-all, Prohibition's a cool place and I'm glad it's here in Columbia, I just think they need to iron out some of the details. read more

Prohibition - American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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We had such a great experience here for my friend's birthday last night. The food was amazing and the service was even better. Kierra was the absolute best server! Highly recommend. read more

Food and Service was excellent. Highly recommend. Went in for Sunday brunch. Flatbread biscuits and gravy was amazing.

So I'm giving this three stars because I really like the atmosphere, the restaurant was cute and comfortable. The service was good. The drinks for $15 a piece were tiny. I ordered the short rib hamburger with a side salad and I got a choice of three different salad dressings, one of them was blue cheese and that's the one I chose. I get the bill and there's an extra $0.50 charge for ordering blue cheese on a side salad. That's ridiculous. There was one tiny little piece of blue cheese in that little two tablespoon serving that they gave me. I have never had anybody charged me for salad dressing on a salad. That alone will not make me go back there. The burger was great. read more

First, our server Grace was outstanding. Went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of, despite being very busy. We visited during the Christmas pop up so the atmosphere was a lot of fun. Food is not bad, just average. Expect more for the price. Recommend for a cocktail and app. read more

Our experience at Prohibition was not good, to say the least. We had previously sat at the bar for drinks, which were excellent but expensive. Made 5p reservations, however, we arrived early after a basketball game ended earlier than expected. We were seated at the table at 4:20p and were out by 5:15p. We had a table of 7 and got appetizers, and were inside less than hour. When we pid the check, we added the standard 20% gratuity only to notice later that there is a "large party tax" of 20%, which apparently is the automatic gratuity added for parties of 6 or more. Presenting it as a tax is extremely deceptive. We're used to gratuity being automatically added for larger parties, but it usually says "gratuity" on the bill. Ridiculous. Our appetizers (which were cold) came out with our meals, which I hate. Makes the apps more like sides than apps. The nachos were awful. The wings only came with 4 wings. The entrees from the holiday menu were just ok. The staff was nice, but the restaurant was less than half full, and we did not see our waitress between dropping off the food and getting the check. The holiday decorations were nice, but did not make up for the lackluster food. Would like to try the regular menu, but the food we had didn't make us want to go rush back. There's a good chance we will not go back simply because of the deceitful "large party tax." read more

This is the best happy hour in all of Columbia, hands down!!! Other than trying to find a parking space, This is the spot to go for the best bites and drinks we've found! read more

Stopped in with the family for Brunch. Service was slow and restaurant was empty. More staff then patrons by about double. Had a pretentious vibe for no reason. Not a comfortable environment, bathrooms were very dirty for this level of restaurant. Food was decent. Manager made a rude comment when leaving about my children who were excited to see the fake pig at the entrance. Not going to make it. read more

Went in for dinner, did not realize it was a tapas style establishment.. I was expecting more of a prohibition feel in dress and in music, but music (Muzak) was more towards a top 40's feel and contemporary modern swill, which was not what I expected. Live performer likely came later, but as for what it was I can only speculate. The decor of the restaurant is nice, stills and barrels and prohibition speakeasy feel. Service was attentive overall, plates come out on no particular order and should be considered first available. Crab deviled eggs were interesting, it could have used about half of the sprinkles and garnishes than it had as it overpowered the dish. Pierogi's were not what I am accustomed to, normally I think boiled them pan seared with a little char. These were hard skin more like not boiled, just baked??? Idk. Not my style but maybe others will rave.. again, imho overtopped with garnish. Shrimp fried rice was probably the better of the dishes, avocado sauce was nice, kinda disappointing they dropped the lemon wedge DIRECTLY into a dollop of avocado so when you pick it up it's tactilely not great. The underlay of green beans? was undercooked for my taste, but I'm sure there may be some who like it. Now onto the shrimp... the shrimp was a good size, and topped on the fried rice in a very nice manner of display. Sadly 4 out of 5 had a strong taste of chlorine which happens from time to time with large shrimp.. I ate it all, but it was with some dislike of the chlorine/bleach flavor every time I had a shrimp. The desert was a little too large of a portion, something something double layer pastry cake ala sweet cornbread or shortbread, the consistency felt dry, the crème on top was nice, as was the layer in the middle. The remoulade was ok, but wasn't heavily popping with flavor in my opinion. Overall the experience as a whole was middle of meh. Not great enough to rave about for almost 100 bucks on 3 tapas and 2 old fashioneds and desert. Having read about the companies origins in the south, I was expecting a more southern flair to the food, and I was absolutely NOT expecting tapas style or janky piped in music that did not keep up with the era. I envisioned the music to be more prohibition era speakeasy flavor but it wasn't. Again, while this review may trend towards the negative, I decently enjoyed the experience. But I don't envision myself becoming a regular. read more

My boyfriend and I ate here for date night and we both loved Prohibition. I am vegetarian and they were unfortunately out of ingredients for two of the three dishes that I could eat, pretty frustrating. However, our waitress was very helpful and helped me modify a couple of dishes. I got the Pita Dip and Enchilada Nachos and they were fantastic! Both dishes were incredibly flavorful and perfectly portioned. The service was great and the atmosphere was super fun! read more