Meh. Super loud, average tacos (kind of adventurous menu... kind of) with flour tortillas, unappetizing sides including mushy fries, few veggie options. Our server made very little attempt to scream over the din, and the bartender seemed overwhelmed enough that I didn't order a cocktail. Mediocre, but hopeful that they will improve the food to be on par with the beer list... Might give it another go in a few months. read more

Great for quick tacos and beer after work. When it gets busy (weekend nights) the service is a little questionable: I once sat at the bar island for 15 minutes without being able to get a server (I walked). Another time I was being served food & drinks at the bar and my bartender literally disappeared-no,wait-isn't that them having a drink on *this* side of the bar? Hmmmph..... If you go during the week more than likely you won't have these issues. The overall menu is nice. The two tacos + a side for $10 is a deal however the tacos can be hit or miss (Tofu tacos needs help-Avocado Crunch, Cilantro Lime Shrimp is good. Tuna Poke-what's the point?) The drink menu is varied but they don't have all the prices listed. I ordered a glass of sangria($7). It was a little weak; for $7 shouldn't it have more of a kick? I've been here about a dozen times and I'll return. I just have to be careful about what to order and when to go. read more

I like this place it's fairly popular my favorite day of the week is Monday where they have taco Tuesday and their tacos are absolutely delicious read more

Place is awesome for brunch and drinks. 50+ beers on tap, and Ask for Katheryn she makes a mean Bloody Mary. read more

Publico - Katheryn's Bloody Mary - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Dis place da shit. They got fancy ass dranks to impress da white women. I have not eat here yet but all da peeps eatin seem happy and shit. Four stars! read more

Publico - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Ordered Quesadilla with no jalapeño, but they served me it with salsa verde with jalapeño in it, on top. I also ordered some kimchi which was the most disgraceful excuse of kimchi I've ever seen in my life. This kimchi was literally like week old coleslaw, not at all like kimchi as it is supposed to be. My entire table was shocked to see it and we all tried it to confirm it was just terrible coleslaw. I was very disappointed and honestly embarrassed to have to be like this isn't really kimchi at all.. So when I asked the waitress about it and was like "This isn't really kimchi and doesn't taste well, with my heritage and all, I was really disappointed with this." and the waitress asked me "Oh so what's your heritage" almost questioning my judgement. (I'm chinese btw and she seemed quite shocked with that answer) but once she was told she did clear the bill of it. All in all that kimchi is definitely not kimchi. The quesadilla was okay though I had to scrape off the salsa verde cause of the jalapeños.. read more

Publico - The "Kimchi" Coleslaw - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I have eaten at this restaurant twice, once outside and once inside. I love the Chicken and Puffles! It's Publico's unique touch to the southern chicken and waffles. Another must try is their margarita flights! Some really great margarita combinations to try. I have also tried their tacos which is more of what they are known for. Really good as well, but I personally like the Chicken and Puffles most. They have nice outdoor seating and also offer a dog menu so feel free to bring your four-legged fam. read more

It was amazing!!! The service was great and our service was great!!! The server was Brenden and he was awesome!!! He was very attentive and made sure we were okay!! He was great!! 10/10!!! Best service ever!! read more

Obsessed with this place! The vegan menu has sooo much variety. You can't go wrong with their tofu tacos.

One of my favorite spots in town for a chill evening with friends. Love their Guac dip and the wide selection of beer.

Taylor M was amazing! We had so much fun! The deals are great 10/10 recommend. Make sure you get in early, there's a line. Thanks!

Killer Tacos, excellent beer list, specials, great craft cocktails, fun vibe and friendly service. Pretty much a go to almost any time. Happy hour dinner or late night. Brunch is delicious and drinks are 2-4-1 on Sunday Funday. read more

Food is good but there just always seems to be one item that disappoints and almost ruins the entire order.

A good taco goes a long way. Ambiance was great. Beer selection was plentiful and menu was inspired. Muy bueno. read more

Publico - A good taco goes a long way. Ambiance was great. Beer selection was plentiful and food menu was inspired. Muy bueno! - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Stopped by tonight for drinks. Owner and Manager came over and asked how things were going. Asked if we were eating but we already had and just came for drinks. After speaking with them, we will come back for dinner. Have to say that Mead is very tasty and this is the only place we know to get it. read more

We met family on Sunday morning for brunch there. 4 adults, 2 kids. Wait wasn't too bad (about 35 mins) but it was prime time Sun brunch time. We got to sit in the back area which was FABULOUS. Lots of space, great for kids and generally a fun vibe. First, let me say that our server, Kelsey, was great - friendly, communicative and welcoming. I appreciate that last part bc a) we had a 7 and a 10 yr old with us and b) 2 of us are vegans. Food was very good. The cauliflower app was really delicious. Loved that there was something for all 6 of us - 2 meat eaters, 2 vegans and 2 kids. The blood orange mimosas were excellent. It's our new favorite place to meet up at in Columbia! read more

The food was very good! We got the 10 tacos and 5 sides and the six of us split it!! my favorite was the bulgogi beef . Thomas also was the best server!!! he was so kind and even tried to remember all of our names!! great atmosphere read more

My party all got tacos because that is what was recommended. We ordered the shrimp, Yellowtail, carne, and carnitos. The carnitos was flavorless, good thing they put peppers on top. The yellowtail was warm (warm raw fish, anyone??) and lacked any seasoning. The shrimp was the best, but the carrots of the taco were highly pickled and the flavors did not mix well. Salsa lacked seasoning as well. Seems like the place is known for their drinks; maybe that distracts from the low quality food. As the highlight of the experience.... I woke up that night with a stomach that was not happy and ended up throwing up. read more

Love! Food is good and the servers are great. Everyone was very friendly and made helpful suggestions. My husband and I are definitely becoming regulars. read more

My family and I had a lovely experience at Publico! The food was amazing and so was the service! Our server, Payton, was very friendly and efficient! Would definitely eat here again! read more

Took a while to get seated but worth the wait! Nachos are huge and beer is good. There was quite a bit of people there but the food came quickly. read more

4 stars for beer, 2 for food. Went on a busy Thursday. The wait was longer than the 30 min we were told but the hostesses were attentive and the delay was from people lingering at their tables. The beer selection was great and the recommended Southern Tier IBA and the Imperial were worth the visit and helped pass the time. We had taco assortments. I really liked the tuna poke but the pork belly was not as good as I expect. In excusable to have gummy, cold tortillas. Not hard to step up your game and find a source for high quality taco shells... When your main dish is tacos! Check out what Mineiros uses in Charleston. read more

Service was good. Food was pretty good. Wasn't especially memorable but it was good. I'd probably be more excited if I was a beer drinker. They have a lot on tap. read more

Publico - Good times - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

We stopped for lunch on a trip from Fripp Island to Charlotte. It was Sunday brunch time and the brunch menu looked fantastic! I opted for a "savory Bloody Mary" to drink, and it was one of the best bloody Mary's I've had. I also had the two tacos and a side for $10 special. I went with the cilantro lime shrimp and pork belly tacos and the street corn as a side. Everything was delicious! I'll definitely go back next time in in Columbia! read more

Publico - Two tacos and a side for $10. Pork belly and cilantro lime shrimp tacos with Mexican street corn as the side. - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Had a few drinks and tacos the other night. Liked the watermelon and strawberry margaritas. Our server, Yianna(?) was very attentive. Great service. Super fun atmosphere, will be back soon!! read more

Best margs in town. Such a fun place and the outdoor seating is perfect for social distancing!! Great spot to go on a bumble date or just a girls night!! read more

Love the food here! It's inventive and definitely random with the mix of Mexican and Asian fusion, but it somehow works! The drink selection is amazing with a ton of different local and southern beer/cider selections. They also have great mix drinks that are different and fun! It's not good for big groups because the wait is horrible but with small groups it's great. Also a little bit pricey for certain items. read more

I ordered the shrimp burrito and I have to say that was hands down the absolute worst burrito I've ever had. Two pieces of shrimp and the rest was all sticky rice. Very disappointed in this menu item and even more disappointed in how the managing staff addressed the issue. AWFUL BURRITO. AWFUL MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT. I expected better as a loyal customer. I hope y'all will figure this out. Best of luck! read more

Please bring back the sweet belly pork taco for every Taco Monday! The best taco on the menu and the reason I come.

In my opinion, Publico has one of the best bar menus in Columbia! While a little sweet, splitting a flight of margs between friends, is the best way to spend a Thursday night. Since first opening, Publico's food has gotten so much better! I tend to stick to tacos, and I'm never disappointed. read more

This place is an absolute joke. While I was there I saw a table spill water all over the floor not to be cleaned up for 30 minutes; a manager tell a former patron that he couldn't find the credit card he had called her to come pick up. He told her he was just too busy and that there were 5 or 6 cards in his office he would have to dig through once it was a little less busy. It wasn't that busy. And oh he made her wait 30 minutes to tell her this. Never mind the poor service we received. Seated...15 minutes later we get water an hour later our drinks Oh and finally when taking the last bite of our food we got the napkins and utensils we requested Bottom line : unless you're a broke college kid don't go here read more

The food was great, loved eating outside. Peyton was an amazing server. She was knowledgeable, fast and efficient.

Went for the poke bowl while the rest of my party ordered tacos. The watermelon margarita was so yummy! It tasted just like summer. Everyone left happy and full. Great service, good food and fun place to spend a Saturday. read more

LOVE THIS PLACE! In my opinion, better then other taco places in the area. The tofu taco is always a crowd pleaser and is also vegan from what I've heard! :) Always a smiling server and great food. read more

Such great food and our server Payton was the best!! I got the steak and egg tacos, highly recommend!

We had a great time here while visiting Columbia! Mae was an awesome server, and answered any questions we had, as well as was super attentive. Highly recommend Monday's $4 margs! read more

1 star for great beer selection 1 star for good customer service And 1 star for good atmosphere/cute decor Like most of these reviews though, I was disappointed with the food. I brought a friend from out of town here and I wish we had gone somewhere else for dinner and then done drinks here bc their local beer selection is great. Started with the chips and guac- the chips were warm and salted, but the guacamole was a letdown - no spices, there were a few diced tomatoes in there I think, and a lime, which helped a bit. I'm all for simple, but this came across as boring. We both got tacos - the four tortilla was soggy and the flavor generic to say the least for a fusion taco place. Overall I'd say Columbia needed a place like this, but if they want to be relevant, they need to step it up in the kitchen. read more

Just tried this new place with a friend and I was extremely impressed. The decor was really unique and a perfect setting for five points. It effortlessly combined a dining atmosphere with a stop in for a drink hometown spot. There was at least 30 taps with a lot of local beers as well as popular craft beer favorites like stone IPA and guiness. The prices were very competitive. I got their fusion taco deal, 2 tacos and a side for $10 (or 5 with 2 sides for $20). Their taco of the day was similar to a Cuban sandwich and by far my favorite. Melted in your mouth. The portions are very generous, much more substance than the tacos at tin lizzys. Service was also fantastic. Both bartenders were very up on the menu and beer selection and super friendly. I highly recommend it and can't wait to go back again! read more

Publico - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Horrible bartenders. Ignored me while serving everybody else. I sat at the bar today, July 5, 2021, for 5 minutes while this chicky-po bartender served everybody who already had drinks and food before even acknowledging the fact that I was sitting there. She never offered me water or even a menu. No wonder good employees are hard to find. Publico has hired from the bottom of the gene pool. Don't waste your time or money. read more

Great service from Brendan and Payton!! The food was amazing, but the service was even better!