Absolutely best crunch roll and quesadilla I've ever had in my life! Always good service and an awesome outdoor seating area when the weather is nice. read more

Order a Casamigos margarita! you won't regret it, Carly is awesome and the guac is even better

Excellent food and atmosphere, and a great location! Some of the best tacos in Cola. I love the layed back yet sophisticated layout. Definitely a great place to bring a date. read more

Probably one of the best Cubans I've ever had. That being said the host staff was a bit brisk and even though we had a reservation had given away our table. Still would recommend! read more

Wow, holy cow, wow. Start with unending fresh hot, delish chips and trio of fresh salsa, guacamole and queso; move into a burrito with shrimp, rice, other phenomenal additional ingredients I can't recall and you are IN HEAVEN! My teenage son ordered the BYOB burger and fries and kept nodding in the affirmative how much he loved it. We also ordered a beef burrito with lettuce and other ingredients that was simply fantastic. No beer or alcohol this trip but we can't wait to return! read more

Last night we had one of the worst experiences I've had at a restaurant. I've worked on multiple wait staffs and the disrespect that was shown by managers Kelly Rye and Jamie Smith was a sad display of professionalism. We walked to Publico with a group of about 20 and after waiting for a table of 8 we were seated and the other members of our party elsewhere. We were not allowed to get any alcohol and given no explanation as to why. We spoke with both Kelly and Jamie and after a short condescending conversation directed towards our moms they left the table with nothing resolved and no reason as to why given. To make matters worse, every other member of our larger party seated elsewhere was served! Following the issue, both Kelly and Jamie were standing about 10 feet away from our table and were staring at us making our moms feel extremely uncomfortable. We payed for our appetizers, tipped our waitress well (she was awesome and caught in a bad position with no support from her managers), and left. This was my moms first experience at this school and as a senior I was extremely saddened by the experience. The thing that has me most disappointed and I know this for a fact is these managers sell underage kids on a nightly basis but will not serve my 50 year old mother who wanted a drink? Do not take anyone to Publico who you would like to impress, sadly including your parents! read more

Love love love this place! Drive all the time from Sumter just to eat the amazing tacos and burgers, not to mention their killer drinks. I also love their ghost pepper hot sauce, spiciest I've had in a long time! read more

The decor was great and the menu looked so promising. But, alas, this place is a bust. Two stars are for our server who was kind, attentive, and able to gracefully move through the tightly packed tables. The beer was good, but that is hard to mess up, right? My tacos? They were just sad. Based on the menu descriptions I was expecting flavor bombs. But, they were limp, soggy, and flavorless. I travelled in Vietnam and was excited to see a Banh Mi taco on the menu. And it came with pork belly?! Score. But, the pork belly somehow was cooked to the point that it had no flavor or richness. And there were none of the other tell-tale flavors of a banh mi in play. The other taco I tried was the Gochujang shrimp. Exciting! I love Korean food and keep a big tub of gochujang (a spicy, sweet, and salty fermented chili paste) in my fridge. My taco, however, had no sign of gochujang. Was it supposed to be a sauce that was left off? Did I receive the wrong taco? Was the cook just thinking about the sauce while tepidly grilling the shrimp? I'll never know. For both of the tacos, all of the ingredients just collapsed into each other. I didn't make out any distinct flavors. Did I mention that the tacos are all on flour tortillas? :( I had high hopes for this place, but it just bummed me out. read more

Things have changed for the better at my last visit. They are bottling their own hot sauces now one of which is a coconut ghost Chile. Want spice. Now you have it. The food seemed to have been stepped up too as the tacos were better than we remembered. Of course, having had horrible food at white duck taco may have just made it seem that way. I still think that for this type of fusion Mexican, it is the best in Columbia. If you ever get to Atlanta, go to Taqueria del Sol for the original creators and best of this type of food. You will wait in line to order for a while, but they are the original and the best by a mile. read more

Really enjoyed this place! Went on a Tuesday and had the 2 tacos and a side for $10 deal. The vegetarian avocado taco was amazing as was the tofu taco! The chef here is on point! Great beer selection and our server Laura was awesome! I will definitely be back to try all the other menu items that sounded delicious. I also want to try out the gorgeous patio next time with this beautiful fall weather. The inside was noisy but that was because people were having a great time read more

Publico is my favorite restaurant in Columbia! On my last visit our server was Maddie! She was so friendly and helpful! I'm looking forward to trying the new CBD drinks on my next visit!! Great atmosphere and music! read more

Came for drinks and dinner with a friend! Everything was so good and super fast! Our server Maddie was so sweet and friendly! Will definitely be making trip back!! read more

The management of this place is absolutely terrible. I keep coming back because the food is good but this will be my last time. It's not worth it. The manager with short purply colored haIr is so rude and not helpful at all. read more

We were super impressed! First of all the service could not have been better! We went on Taco Monday! The tacos shrimp, chicken, and carnitas were stuffed full of favorable meat. The hot sauce on the tube is really really good as well. We are only visiting for a week, but we want to come back before we leave, and try other things on the menus. read more

I wanted to rate this restaurant because I was so impressed with my waitress. Her name is Madysen And she was just so sweet and made my experience they are very nice. I will definitely come back again. Also great ambience and super cute bar. read more

Well this place was ok. Not bad but not particularly good. I got the chopped salad and the tuna poke taco. The chopped salad would have been good if it had a more flavorful dressing. It was just kind of bland. It did have Bok Choy in it though which I really liked, it added a good crunch. The tuna poke tacos tasted mostly like the avocado spread they put on it. I did have a good margarita though and the beer selection is top notch. Don't be afraid of flavor and salt is all I'm going to say!!! Good idea just mediocrely executed! read more

Stopped in for the eclipse because they looked interesting. Ended up having an amazing meal. The Spicy Tuna Roll Burrito was amazing. The tuna was super fresh, the bok choy was crunchy, and the flavours were super well balanced. I got it with the street corn which was perfectly cooked and well-seasoned. Their cocktails were great and they also had a large selection of beer and cider. Bartenders were super quick especially for how busy it was and were nice and friendly. Would definitely recommend to anyone. read more

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Not thrilled about my experience here. It's a really cool place with a great location is why they get two stars. The prices on the other hand are unreal. We ordered two Local craft beers that we order everywhere and when we got the check we noticed the beers were 7 dollars a piece!!! No prices on the drink menu so I had no idea how much it was setting me back until I saw the bill. My girlfriend and I ordered an appetizer and ate a couple bites and was not impressed at all. Only time I'll return is if I win the lottery to be able to afford more than a drink. read more

the bartender katie is the best employee here. as i frequent this place i get to know more and more people and yet katie is still my favorite 10/10 service, personality, and charm read more

Not a bad 'beer and burger' pub. The beverage selection is very extensive, the service was diligent and attentive. My burger was very good. Fries were a bit weak but okay. read more

Publico has great beer, wine and taco selections, and It's run by super cool people. This is going to be the new spot. I'm so excited

The best place in 5 Points. 54 beers on tap, outstanding fusion food. Tacos, with shrimp, fresh veggies. Outstanding.

Love this place and now one of my regular stops when I crave a Margarita. The base mix is perfect. Fusion tacos are excellent. I can't wait To try the Ramen. The bar staff and servers are young, fun, and attentive. I definitely recommend you try this spot but avoid the 5-Points "frat-tasting" hours. read more

Food Was Great, The Atmosphere Was Even Better Definitely Will Come Again Next Time I Come To South Carolina.

I give this restaurant two stars because it's new so I'm hoping it'll get better, but as of now....I will not go back. More salt! I went with a big group and was seated within 30 minutes. The menu is big and offers a lot of options. There is also a big beer menu. I had a margarita which just tasted like bottled sour mix. We started with guacamole and salsa and chips. Honestly the guacamole was the worst I've had. I don't think they added any salt or lime. Same goes for the salsa. The chips were good though. However o had to ask for salt and my entire table used it to add some flavoring to their meal. When the tacos came they looked great! However, when it came to eating, everything tasted bland and needed salt. Not a single person was happy with their food and we are a pretty easy to please group. I had the tuna poke and cilantro lime shrimp tacos. The only flavor I tasted was jalapeños on the shrimp taco....I love spicy but it is HOT! I also got Mexican street corn or elote which is one of my favorite things, And again...totally lacked any flavor. I was really disappointed. Will definitely not go back. Service was ok for a busy opening night but nothing special. I will go to cantina 76 or anything other taco place (even Taco Bell) before this place. read more

Publico is such a great restaurant with a very cool aesthetic! I love the nachos and green chili chicken taco and highly recommend both of those! I love the beer and how they always have a beer of the day! Their margaritas look delicious but they seem a bit overpriced:-/ so I haven't gotten one of those yet. Very nice server! read more

So good! The tofu taco was great (and I'm not even vegetarian)! Get Kristen to wait your table, she's so helpful and nice!

Recently went to publico for lunch with my boyfriend. I had the bulgogi ramen and he had the farmhouse burger. Everything was amazing. Our server Cole was attentive and personable. Definitely recommend Cole as your server, and the food was amazing! read more

I really, really wanted to like this place: fusion tacos in sleepy Columbia? Sign me up! Sadly it's a disaster, with sub-par prepackaged ingredients and poor execution. A few low-lights from a weeknight trip when it was bursting at the seams: Started off with chips and salsa, since they claim to have freshly fried chips. They were not freshly fried, and I'm 99% certain the chips are from a bag... though I guess it is possible they set out to replicate chips you can get at the grocery store? The salsa tastes like a puree of tomato, sugar, and salt. There is no spice whatsoever, not even a hint of cilantro. Again, I'd be shocked if this wasn't from a jar. The assortment of tacos was a complete bust. Not only are the proportions for the various fillings off, the corn tortillas were awful: weirdly chewy and cold. Cold tortillas. At a taco place. The side I ordered was the Mexican street corn. I grew up in California, and love corn on the cob doused in spices and crumbly cheese, dripping butter and piping hot. At Publico it's served ice cold, straight from the fridge. Ever had ice cold corn on the cob? Me either, but it turns out it's disgusting. Weirdly the place also does burgers and fries (as if Five Points need more of that!). Can't comment on the burgers, but saw the fries come out for other people a few times and they were limp and clearly from a freezer bag. The beer list is extensive, but could use some work. There's really no excuse to have 11 of your 50 taps be IPAs/double IPAs: when you've got Stone IPA, Hopsecutioner, and Bell's Two Hearted, having another 8 IPAs is a waste of lines. read more

Great outdoor seating. Very shady in the evening. Tacos are good. Service was good even though it was packed. Big selection of drinks and tap. Tuna poke is not Hawaiian authentic but who cares if it taste good. However, bulgogi beef ramen should not have been served. Broth tasted like watered down bland pickled cabbage water; noodles were soba and not actually ramen and eggs were so soft that the yolk disappeared into the broth. The beef itself was delicious. Overall this place was good. read more

definitely come on a monday! $2 tacos are to die for!!! the tofu taco might've been my favorite. and they give so much meet especially on the carnitos taco!! the pork belly was such a flavor experience and was absolutely delicious. the green chicken chile one was also amazing and was even better when topped with the mango hot sauce. the original might've been the best "normal" ground beef and cheese taco i've ever had!! definitely would recommend! also eddie the waiter was so nice & fun!! read more

Food is amazing! And such a big variety of flavors and mixture of ethnic food. Also a variety of craft beer, which was cool to try from a different state! read more

Easy to become a weekly regular. Clean, consistent, fun. Food portions are great along with prices.

Finally! Lost in a sea of burger joints and chains, Columbia has been in desperate need of a unique, fresh dining experience. Publico to the rescue! Serving a menu that's a fusion of Korean and Mexican paired with a great selection of beers, it's worth the trouble of finding a parking place in 5 points. First, the beer: They have a great selection of taps that include a large selection of breweries in the Carolinas. Our waitress was very knowledgable about the selections and gave me some recommendations to create a flight to try. Second, the food: We started with the chips and trio of guac, queso, and salsa. Really good. I had the Bulgogi beef tostada and my wife had a shrimp po' boy taco and a pad thai chicken taco with a side of Mexican street corn. Again, unique and really tasty flavor combinations. In my opinion, they also were the right size. Some places try to compensate for quality with quantity, but no need for that here. We didn't make it to dessert, but maybe next time. Finally, the staff: Friendly, knowledgable, and helpful. What more do you need? read more

The rate that publico has gone downhill this past year is incredibly upsetting. Publico has gone from one of our top favorite restaurants, to serving the worst meals we have had in a long time. We were excited to try the new menu but it proved to be extremely disappointing. Everything from the stale chip appetizer, to our entrees being not properly prepared. Each person at our table got different types of tacos and each one was awful. I ordered the flash bang shrimp taco, which used to be a favorite, but came out (45 minutes later) with TWO shrimp, leading me to ask the waitress if the kitchen forgot one and her embarrassingly replying, "Sorry no, we changed the taco." Our food was over salted to the point that it was almost inedible. Our servers were excellent, however, something definitely needs to change with the chef / kitchen staff. The one star we are giving is for our great server. read more

Great atmosphere, eclectic drink menu, decent food. I went here with some girlfriends for Sunday brunch. They offer tokens for the drink menu on Sunday mornings. Buy one drink, get one free. Ordered the S'mores latte. Holy moly amazing! Then got the blood orange mimosa with brunch. I ordered the steak and eggs taco to eat. Was just okay. Slightly to spicy for my taste, but the egg mad it pretty good. Had a bite of my friends shrimp and grits, which were amazing. Definitely ordering those next time! The monkey bowl, French toast, and biscuits were also big hits at our table! read more

We had a great experience here! It was Taco Monday, $2 tacos and $4 margaritas. Our favorite tacos were the fried avocado taco and the pork belly taco. Also: for an appetizer, the chips and queso was the best we've ever had! read more

I don't know where to begin... Let's start with service. My friend and I ordered the Publico Margarita and it was disgusting so our server Jesse, took it back and brought us the regular one. My friend requested no salt. Well when he brought it back, guess what? YEP salt. So she said oh I wanted no salt. He said oh just drink around it and kind of giggled and walked away. My friend kept the peace and didn't say anything and just let it go. I thought surely he's joking and going to bring her another. Nope!! Although very friendly his serving skills need some fine tuning. Let's discuss the food. We ordered the bacon WRAPPED jalapeños. Nope not wrapped, tiny and disgusting. See review below from another person that describes it the same way. We also order nachos. Nope. Not good. She and I ordered one taco each. Nope no flavor. Mexican corn was soaked in water with no flavor. They need to go to NYC and have the real deal from the Mexican restaurants there. Our other two friends ordered the burger. DELICIOUS!! It's sad that you visit a Mexican restaurant and the best item on the menu is a burger. I'm Sooooo disappointed. I'm in the service industry and frequent lots of restaurants around the world and have never written a review before. But I decided to this time in hopes that it will help this restaurant get better. It's so cute on the inside and in a perfect location. But the quality of food and service are in need of help. Because we didn't eat our food there, we left and went to Top Dog, another new restaurant, for drinks and apps. Julie, our server, was AWESOME! Ordered nachos and they were delicious!! Tasted like nachos and this was a sports bar. I hope they take these reviews and learn from them. read more

I recently discovered this place and enjoyed it 2 nights in a row! The menu is unique and tasty and the atmosphere is top notch! The craft beer selection is phenomenal and offers quite a few local choices. read more

Soooo good!! LOVE the Sangria's! I can't say enough about this place - Amazing food and Amazing drinks!! Great and unique menu for Sunday brunch. Perfect Happy Hour spot as well. read more