We loved our food. I had the flash bang shrimp taco (great with mango hot sauce) and a bbq chicken taco. The fries were moderately salted and crispy. My boyfriend had the Sambal burger, which was well done. I'd say it could've been less well done because it was a bit dry. The drinks were on point too! The Mule and the Raspberry Paloma. Our waitress Sally was very informative of specials. So we got the bang for our buck! Only downside is we waited for our food for 10 minutes. If only we were suggested to get an appetizer. read more

The service here was terrible. That alone, I will not be coming back. We were sat and not greeted for 20 minutes. Our drinks took forever, our server didn't know what we ordered by the end of the night. The manager also cut my dad off after his third beer and their reasons were unjustified. I came here for my friends birthday and it was a huge let down. If I could 0 stars, I would. I work at a restaurant, I understand how things work and this was plain terrible. read more

Delicious flavor, unique food offerings and friendly staff. Outdoor "backyard" dining option works great to stay COVID-careful. The menu has good variety but I love to go there and enjoy a margarita, chips with salsa, queso, and guacamole or some yummy tacos. read more

In addition to the great food choices and some of the best tacos we've had, the atmosphere and service was fantastic. Highly recommended! And, Carly is a phenomenal server . read more

Went for brunch for the first time and loved it! The drinks were so delicious and had beautiful presentation. I got the s'mores cold brew and the spicy grapefruit jalapeño mary, both were amazing and it was buy one get one free. I got the steak and egg tacos to eat, which were also so yummy. To top it off, our server Tori was the best! She was so sweet, bubbly, and very knowledgeable about the menu. Definitely ask for her if you come in! 11/10 experience and will 100% be coming back! read more

For a couple beers and meals with app for 2.. $50. That's pricey for what we got. My wife's burger was cooked right but bland and greasy. My bahn mi had some flavor but where is the pork. Doubt i had 3 ounces. The 3 buck beer and edemame were good but not worth the meal. The other couple with us orders were screwed up multiple times to boot and am counting that in this review. For the price I expect a lot better. In all its a 2 star for the food and price. Minus a star for screwing up multiple orders for our table. Big pass for us. read more

visitong columbia, was recommended to try publicos. food was awesome, everyone had fun, Parker was a grearlt waitress! will ne back for sire. read more

Good food. Good atmosphere. Queso is awesome. The jalapeno margarita was so so yummy. Tacos on point, fusion of different flavors. Enjoyed it a lot. Hunter was our server, he was attentive but not intrusive. Deff will be back. Great experience. read more

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the food we had BUT the service, food, atmosphere, drinks, and overall experience was AMAZING!!! Our waitress, T'Mya, was very attentive. She made recommendations, provided helpful feedback and was quick to deliver. She kept our glasses full and also made our FURbaby feel welcomed. Our libations consisted of the Plant-based Burger with a side of Grits, and Huevos Rancheros and BOTH were amazing!! Different from the usual indulgence but much appreciated on our pallet. Thank you for this awesome experience. read more

First time we have experienced taco Monday at Publico. We thoroughly enjoyed it. The fried avocado and traditional tacos were delicious. We sat outside in the back--the weather was perfect, tables were spaced appropriately, servers were wearing masks, and our server Peyton was awesome! We plan on making Mondays at Publico a habit! read more

Fun atmosphere for all ages! Food, TVs, beer, wine and delish housemade sangria! Tacos, burgers, salads and more. Something unique for foodies and solid standards for the die hards. The cocktails are original, handcrafted and very tasty. I look forward to coming back during my my next trip to Cola! read more

Publico - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Went to Publico while in town. It was a great place to stumble in on. My luck held and it was Taco Monday, so my companion and I got some of the carnitas, lime shrimp and chicken tacos. We also got chips and salsa with guacamole and a couple of the local beers. read more

Got seated right away mid-day on Saturday. Waited 10 minutes & never had drink order taken. They weren't busy at all. 4 different waiters walked all around us & completely ignored us. We walked out & will never return. read more

After l the first visit to Publicos one of the partners, Stan, came out to talk about our experience and we expressed our concerns and he successfully persuaded us to give the food a second chance. This time we tried the Chilaquiles and El Guapo. The El Guapo is your run-of-the-mill beef burrito, not bad, but not life changing. The Chilaquiles, however, had a good amount of flavor and many different textures. If ordered, best to eat quickly because tortillas get soggy soaking up everything. Beer variety is huge and staff was great, much credit to Stan for convincing us to come back. Definitely worth a visit to try something new. read more

Publico - Chilaquiles - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Great atmosphere. Good choice of food. The service was attentive and friendly. We had a great time and will be back ! Good choice of beer also ! read more

Solid beer list and okay as a sports bar for college students. But food quality is poor so if you want food warm or appropriately salted, look elsewhere. read more

Amanda Abdow was the best server ever in my life no one compares it doesn't hurt that she is so good looking too i will definitely be back

The service was wonderful, Mary Grace was an awesome waitress. Food and drinks came out promptly. The entire staff was friendly. There's a different theme each day of the week. I highly recommend sitting on the patio! read more

I love coming here any day of the week as the specials are amazing! Service is always friendly and attentive. The food always comes out hot and fast. The patio is great spot with great seating and the inside has plenty of tvs! Perfect spot to take friends and family to read more

We were driving from St Pete to Asheville with our dog Truman and decided to try Publico for a late lunch. Our server Danielle was very friendly and attentive and the food was fantastic. We both ordered the tacos; I had the short rib and shrimp and a side of plantains. We treated Truman to the peanut butter and dog bone from the dogs menu and he of course loved it! read more

Publico - Short rib taco, shrimp taco and plantains - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Awesome place that is one of a kind. Affordable tacos and drinks. Quesadillas are awesome! The veggie ones are a surprise delight! BBQ and shrimp are also really good. Worth a try if you're looking for a chill and affordable place to eat for the evening. read more

Publico - Won't regret ordering these bad Boyz! - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

We ordered take out on a Sunday night. Very sad to report that nothing we ordered was good. I used to love Publico but the dishes have changed... the off the cob street corn was just canned corn mixed with Mayo / cheese / too much lime. The edamame was dry and had none of the flavored salt I remembered. The salad came with no dressing and the kale was grainy.... and the tacos were an unfortunate soggy situation. Sad that I won't be returning :( read more

Publico is absolutely killing the game in Columbia! Their brunch menu consists of a couple specialty dishes (nothing plain or boring on this menu) that are sure to please and fill you up. Their fusion style of food is interesting, refreshing, and delicious. I ordered the huevos rancheros. The meal came with black bean cakes, sunny side egg, and home fries. Everything was cooked perfectly and was generously portioned. There was quite a wait to get a table but it was well worth it. The waitresses and hostesses were very nice and helpful, even though they were slammed with customers. The owner even stood up, thanked us all for being there, and announced the new Atlanta Publico opening- talk about a family atmosphere! I would highly recommend Publico. read more

I had an amazing time, the food was amazing. My server Mae was outstanding. Wish I could leave a 6 star review!

Used to love this place, and especially for brunch. We came here for drinks one night (USC students) and were denied based on our IDs. I'm going on 22 and the manager took our IDs to the back to check them, which I completely understand. She then sent our poor server back to tell us to leave, rather than come back herself. Probably won't be coming back again after being treated like this. read more

Put simply, the food is okay, the service is okay, the ambience is okay. This was my second time coming, and I thought the food was awful the first time, but I waited almost two years to come back. It was fine this time. It's super crowded, the server was nice but they were busy, and things lagged. Probably won't come back. Overall, a little bummed by the experience and money spent. read more

Publico - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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It is a popular restaurant, they have many different kinds of food, from South America to Asia. I like my chicken but my husband did not like his hush brown. read more

Publico - Chicken and Puffles - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Great service from Finn!! Loved the food and drinks! Would give it 5 stars if the wait for the food wasn't so long but it might have been something we ordered. Who knows. Overall great atmosphere and loved the games on the tables. Will eat there again when I'm back in town. read more

The vegan options are lovely! I love there is a separate menu. Also, Katie (Katherine Pa) was a great server this past Sunday night. She dealt with a lot of menu questions and was excellent the whole time :-) read more

I went to publico last Sunday for brunch and got the avocado toast and split a mimosa pitcher. I was very disappointed in the avocado toast that I paid $10 for. There was barely any avocado and it seems like they are making budget cuts and the first thing to go was the quality of the food. I did like the mimosas pitcher but that is hard to mess up. The server was great but food was lacking. read more

Publico - Avocado toast - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

We went on Saturday and got marg pitchers for $20! The margs were amazing and the food was great as well.

Quick and did the job. The shrimp quesadilla was great and they seem to be very clean during covid, which I greatly appreciate!

Our only regret about this place is that we didn't stop in until our last night in town. Definitely the most unique food we had in Columbia. The portion sizes were just right - we didn't have any leftovers, but we ate every single bite. Being a vegetarian, they already had a lot of options, but the bartender said they could make basically anything vegetarian for me! They have a lot of beers on draft, and even wines and a mead! And to top it all off, they have a dog menu, so we were able to take treats home to our dogs. read more

Once again, Publco never disappoints. Had to get a visit in on our trip to Columbia. Service was great ( thanks Madison!!) and so were the fried avocado tacos. Love this place!!! read more

Undercooked meat!!!. Not happy. I asked for my burger to be cooked medium but this is what I got instead. I took two bites and threw it away. I could have gotten sick! read more

Publico - "Medium" cooked burger - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I've been here twice in the last two weeks. They have this amazing 5 tacos and 2 sides deal that I share with friends. I ordered the classic taco, shrimp tacos and fish taco and my pescatarian friend got a shrimp and tofu taco. All of it was very good. They also had a sweet street corn side which was good as well. It could have been a bit more spicy but that is just my personal taste. They hosted a group of my 20 friends and they were very accommodating. I'm so glad that they have outdoor Seating read more

Publico - Flash Bang Shrimp, Taco Classic Taco, Off Cob Street Corn, Agedashi Tofu Taco, - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Great service! And good margs. Laken was a great server and very helpful and informative.

Being a Catholic in the south during lent is sometimes a bit challenging. I thought shrimp and grits would make a fabulous Lenten meal, but had trouble finding a place that offered it without other meats. I was pleasantly surprised when I read what was included in the shrimp and grits from Publico and didn't see any meat products (see photo). I ordered right away! When it came and I began eating, I was quickly disappointed as I bit into a sausage (or perhaps another pork product that was mixed in). Had this have been advertised correctly, I would have gladly chosen another item. Please update your menu. This was otherwise very good and I would order this on any other day other than a Friday during lent. read more

Publico - Shrimp and grits - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Great atmosphere, great drinks, and great staff. They are a wonderful place if your out for a dinner date, but not wholly friendly to folks with kids. The place is always pretty busy and service is always pretty consistent. Go if you want some unique food options to challenge you pallet or get their classics to keep it simple. read more

Great atmosphere and Adrianna was the best! Will definitely be back. Also, mimosas pitchers was HUGE!!