We visited our child in Columbia and went to Publico with her and her friends. The food was DELICIOUS and our server,Parker was beyond fabulous and attentive. Next time I come back, I will be going back and making sure I only go on a night Parker is working. read more

Our server Parker went above and beyond to meet our needs and make our night the best as possible. We loved the food and having such an outgoing and friendly waitress put this place over the top! read more

While visiting friends they took us to Publico Saturday morning before a Carolina game. Lots of televisions and a cool looking space. We all selected something different for drinks and they have a big selection. The rotating beer of the day for $3 was a steal and these aren't cheap beers. Mine was Westbrook One Claw which happens to be my favorite local beer anyway. They have a great hot sauce selection and the food was delicious. read more

See all

The salsa was not good, they were out of QUESO, and guacamole tasted store bought. Our food was mediocre and took forever. not coming back unfortunately. barely saw our server. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Columbia for a perfect combination of excellent beer, great food and a great vibe (indoors or out back.) I recommend the Publico burger or either of the pork tacos! Awesome. read more

The back patio was amazing! The umbrellas provided plenty of shade. They were quick with human and dog water. They had a vegan menu for me and an adorable "very important puppy" menu for the fur friends. We were just passing through Columbia and am so happy we stopped here. I had the tofu taco and it was delicious. So delicious that I forgot to take a picture! read more

See all

I've been here about 3 or 4 times. This is a great place for Taco Tuesdays. They're located in 5 points so it's convenient to walk around the fountain and shops afterwards. Parking can be tricky on weekends and when they're busy. They have an amazing casual and kinda hipster modern decor. We were seated immediately by our server Cole, who was very helpful in recommending us some beers and food. Since it was a Wednesday, they had one dollar off on local beer. They have different specials for food and drinks on the other days of the week. The beer we got were the River Rat and White Chocolate, which we loved. For our food, we ordered the 5 tacos and 2 sides for $20 special. They also have a special for 2 tacos and a side or 10 tacos and multiple sides. Our tacos were the Taco Poke, Yakitori Chicken, Sweet Belly Pork, and Carne Asada with plantain and french fries as sides. They served them on a huge silver platter with the sides in the middle so the presentation was amazing. My favorite tacos were the Taco Poke and the Sweet Belly Pork which were just full of meat and flavor. My least favorite was the Yakitori because it tasted a little dry to me. I highly recommend this place for the tacos and amazing draft beer selection and I'll be back again for Taco Tuesday soon. read more

See all

Love it here! The inside is adorable and the outside is even better. Service was great, everyone I interacted with was super friendly and helpful! The food is really good, sort of a hip, American spin to Mexican food. Guacamole was delicious and the jalapeño margarita was definitely one of the best if not the best I've ever had, I will definitely be back!! read more

See all

Solid spot with a nice outside scene. Drinks are good but some are overpriced. The house marg is the way to go! We sat outside and the food was a good. Will visit again for the drinks. read more

Publico - Shrimp Burrito - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

See all

I along with a group of friends decided to book a reservation to experience their igloo dining option. While the igloo option was definitely unique the food just wasn't good. Rarely do I like posting a lackluster review for a restaurant, especially during this time when small businesses are struggling. Yet, the food was not good and everyone in my party left completely unsatisfied. As someone who has grown up tasting a wide range of foods I was excited to try this fusion restaurant and was left disappointed. read more

Publico - In back (left), chicken quesadillas, in back (right) chicken and puffles, in front shrimp and chorizo quesadilla with a side of fries - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I appreciate that they have a vegan menu. I had been looking forward to trying their tofu poke but found it bland--mostly unflavored rice. Nice location and good service for my pick up order. read more

Food was really good, but of an overwhelming menu but everything on all corners was a hit. Loved that they have an entire vegan menu as well as a small menu for pups. Outdoor seating was awesome. Loved the beer garden vibe outside. Definitely a good spot read more

Publico - Cauliflower bites & house sangria. the igloo setups outside are so fun. Absolutely love this spot - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

The service was good and the margaritas were very good but the food was so horrible. We got the chips and queso to start. Chips were really stale and queso was watery. I got chicken and puffles. The puffle was days old and not joking had dirt on it. The chicken was awesome though. My wife got three tacos: the shrimp taco was good, fish taco was a soggy mess, and banh Mi taco was meh. read more

Food was good . Our server Parker was so helpful w picking food . She was attentive , polite and just all around a great waitress . Highly recommend this place read more

brunch menu too confusing. chaquilles must mean nachos-i was not really digging it to be honest. fancy drinks were cheap so that's a plus. around the table the margarita served in a real pineapple rind was pretty cool and the avocado toast was said to be delicious. live and learn. had u called this dish nachos i would have known to avoid it-frankly nachos is a sloppy bar entree, not a brunch thing. read more

Brussels sprouts for an appetizer are to die for! Their margs are good too. I wanna try everything on the menu. Great place for date night or the fam. read more

Publico - Brussels Sprouts - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

This is a great restaurant. Loved the friendly environment and you can tell it's genuine great customer service. The waiter I got was oh so kind. I will go again just for how nice he was. I'm not from the area and I grew up with the mentality that if the people serving the food are not good then the food will follow and I can gladly say the people were lovely. The food - so gooddd. You must try the cauliflower bites! Those are rocking my world! I definitely will come back just for those. Now the going to the entree. I got the shrimp and chorizo quesadilla. Not really what I expected but it still fine. I think the cauliflower bites hit it outta the park and exceeded my expectations for the whole meal. And then once u got to the entree it wasn't as good. I will try something else next time. Overall, lovely food and service. I WILL be coming back and I may bring a friend or two next time. read more

I absolutely love coming back to my college town and visiting Publico. The food is delicious and consistent and the service is awesome. Will W. was our server this Sunday brunch and he was so energetic and passionate about our experience here at Publico. He was timely, anticipatory and knowledgeable about the menu. We were checked in on by the owner and two managers....it's always a team effort and it shows. Thank you to Publico for being such a consistent staple in the 5 points Columbia area. You complete every visit back home!! read more

Publico - Shrimp and grits, avocado toast, hash browns - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

This is my favorite restaurant in Five Points at USC! Our server Adrianna was awesome!

Awesome place! Awesome food! Please ask for Amanda A. She took excellent care of us!! We are visiting from out of town and suggested what we'd try and Everything was delicious!!!! read more

so fresh and delicious with a variety of fun drinks and food items. Our waitress Finn welcomed all my dad's silly questions and jokes. She was a great server and made everything perfect! read more

I absolutely love the drinks here. They are made strong and definitely worth the price. I love that you are able to get the tacos on a lettuce wrap. They also have amazing food and drink deals and specials throughout the week. They have a huge open patio area so this place is great for groups or if you want to just grab a drink outdoors with a friend or date. This place is definitely one of my favorite places to grab drinks in Columbia. Although it's in five points, there are a lot of young professionals that come here for food and drinks as well. Love the environment. The only downside is besides the tacos, the rest of the food is pretty alright. I got the teriyaki bowl once and it wasn't too special. Wasn't sure who I was able to talk to about possible menu item ideas. Definitely recommend this place if you're looking to get good drinks though! read more

Great atmosphere and the perfect patio to get lunch and play some corn hole. Food and service was great!

I just ate at Publico this week. The atmosphere is super chill. I love the aesthetic on the outside and inside of this restaurant. Very inviting and just has awesome curb appeal. The hostess was very friendly and so was the wait staff. We were sat pretty quickly but no one came to take our drink order for about 10 minutes. I really like the Latin Asian fusion idea but I feel like as awesome as these dishes read on the menu the few that I had were lacking. Not saying they were bad just saying they could've used a bit of tweaking. I feel like some of the flavors were off. My opinion is if the chefs revise some of the recipes they would be knocking the ball out of the park. read more

Our service and food were great, but it was so incredibly hot in the restaurant. I was in town visiting family and we decided to stop by, and it was almost hotter inside than it was outside. I felt so bad for our poor server who was running around and looked like she was going to pass out. We ended up cutting our meal short and just grabbing the check because it was so uncomfortable. read more

We loved Publico! The atmosphere and food are great! Nicole, our server, was most helpful and very patient with our grandchildren who had a hard time deciding what to order. I highly recommend Publico! Ask for Nicole - she's awesome! read more

Publico has a great menu and many vegan and vegetarian options. There really is something for everyone. The drinks are excellent! I love brunch there but it can be crowded. It's popular for good reason. Casual ambiance and excellent food. read more

Great service from Maddy N. The Juevos Rancheros were great too! Not to mention the spicy grapefruit Bloody Mary.

Great food and even better customer service by our bartender Caroline 10/10 will come back

Great beer, great food. Caroline at the bar was excellent. Couldn't have gave better service. It's simply impossible. Overall a great start to my stay in South Carolina. read more

This place has a nice open industrial atmosphere. We wanted a beer and burger. Unfortunately, all the taps were down for some unexpected CO2 repair, so we had bottled beer instead. The burger was huge and the perfect size to share. Service was very good as well. The manager rotated among the tables checking on everyone. read more

I've now been here to eat as well. Had the sambal burger, which was very good. Cooked just how I ordered it (medium rare) and the toppings went very well with the meat. Bun was also good. No complaints! Co-worker was also happy with his burger. Beer options still quite good. Overall, no complaints. Recommend if you're in Five Points. read more

Amazing food and great service!! I ate here 3 times while at a conference for work. The tostada salad is the best!

Had Peruvian white fish crevice, bulgogi and Vietnamese Noodle. Food is just alright but the service is good. Place is busy and busy as always. I dig it read more

Publico - Peruvian Pescado - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I live in a nearby neighborhood and it's a great place for some of our neighbors to get together for a dinner. Seating is great indoors and out. Service is very good too... There were hiccups in the beginning, food was inconsistent, but it's ironed out now and a great place to go. Is it a 5 star restaurant? Maybe on its best day... but it's at least a 4 and deserves a bump in the ratings. read more

Couldn't wait to dig in!! Everything was delicious and the sangria was amazing! Cassidy was our server and she was on top of everything, definitely coming back again read more

Publico - Vietnamese thai noodle salad - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Queso is awesome! Make sure you order some! Lots of unique taco options and pretty fun idea to have a margarita flight. read more

Publico - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Lindsey R was our server. I mention her first because notwithstanding how fabulous the food was she was the highlight of our evening. She was incredibly attentive, knowledgeable and so friendly. I was in the service industry for many years so I know how difficult a job it is. She is one of the best I've ever had! In addition, the food and drinks were phenomenal. I highly recommend the spicy beef ramen! I would eat here every night if i lived here! read more

First and foremost, Kelsey was the absolute best server ever. Friendly, bubbly, and super attentive. Her recommendations were on point. The menu was difficult to choose from because it had so many great options. Fun place, fun atmosphere. read more

Laken was wonderful and so attentive! I met a friend who lives out of town just for some drinks and she still checked in on us and treated us wonderful!!! I've always had wonderful experiences here! read more