Just moved to Columbia, SC, and just randomly decided to see if there were any Hawaiian restaurants…read morein the area. To my surprise, Surfin Aloha popped up in my Yelp search! Being from O'ahu, I was so excited about the plate lunches on their menu! I was warmly greeted, and my bf and I ordered the chicken katsu and the kalua pig. The gentleman at the counter spread the Aloha spirit by having giving us a spam musubi and our Hawaiian Suns on the house! I must say, that the food was soooo ono grinz!! Reminded me of back home! Will definitely be coming back here instead of having to drive to Augusta, GA for local grinz! Amazing food and customer service. A hoi hou Surfin Aloha!!

I was really disappointed with this meal and the overall experience. As someone who comes from a…read morelarge Samoan and Polynesian family, I have a strong appreciation and understanding of what Hawaiian-inspired food should taste like, and unfortunately, this missed the mark. The macaroni salad was incredibly bland and tasted like it had little to no dressing. A good Hawaiian-style mac salad should be creamy, flavorful, and properly seasoned. This one lacked the texture and taste that make it a staple of the cuisine. The steak was overcooked, under-seasoned, and seemed to rely mostly on sauce for flavor instead of having the seasoning and preparation built into the meat. Hawaiian-style food should be about balance, flavor, and proper technique not just adding sauce at the end to compensate. The drink situation also added to the disappointment. None of the fountain drink machines were working, and we were only offered canned soda. When I asked if there were any alternatives, such as lemonade or iced tea, for customers who don't drink soda, I was told no options were available. Having a few non-soda choices is a basic expectation, especially when the main beverage system is unavailable. The cleanliness of the restaurant was another concern. Several tables and chairs appeared not to have been wiped down, and the windowsills needed attention as well. These may seem like small details, but they are the things customers notice when they walk into an establishment. Cleanliness and attention to detail are a big part of the overall dining experience. If a restaurant is going to offer Hawaiian-style cuisine, it should take the time to learn authentic recipes and techniques or work with people who have genuine cultural knowledge and experience preparing these dishes. Hawaiian and Polynesian food has a rich history and deserves to be represented with care and respect. I hope they take this feedback as an opportunity to improve, because the concept has potential, but the execution needs significant work. The food, cleanliness, and overall customer experience need more attention before I could recommend this place.

New pho spot for me? I think so!…read more I ordered the summer rolls and the combo pho (eye of round steak, brisket, and meatballs) as well as the summer rolls. The rolls? Fresh. The peanut sauce? Mouthwatering. But yall, this pho? PHO-NOMENAL! I came here because my new Thai spot is closed for two weeks and really needed a soupy vibe. Pho is one of my top soup-style dishes (panang curry if I'm going Thai) but the Southeast Asians have they stuff down PAT! This pho is some of the best I've had (I grew up around a large Vietnamese population so I promise im not just another white boy pretending I have something new and improved, lol) The building is SO cute inside, very posh. Unassuming store front. But the service was top notch and the vibe is gorgeous and calm. Much needed after a long day at work!

44 states. 41 of them I've tried pho, and only 5 are on my go-to list. I have added this lovely…read morestop to the list! After venturing here 5 times over the past 3 years, I've dubbed this my go to for the midlands. Every time I have come in whether to order the Pho tai (steak pho), Pho tai sach (steak & tripe), or the Pho Dac Biet (beef combo) The broth & meat texture has not waned. The broth boasts all the vital & signature notes of anise, garlic, rock sugar, cinnamon well simmered & rendered beef bone stock, onions, cloves, & a perfect amount of salt to marry each ingredient to compliment and layer the dish. Pho is a complex but beautiful symphonic bowl of soul that speaks in every sip, slurp, bite, chew. If a restaurant is not putting out a bowl that is exactly the same each time, it's best to move on to somewhere more consistently passionate. I long to be closer to this business that pushes a cart with works of art piping hot in authentic, bold, absolutely award winning manner.

The real deal! This…read moreis hands down my favorite Thai place in the Columbia region. I went on a whim last week and was incredibly impressed. The traditional Thai artwork and atmosphere inside was so cool. The woman who served me was incredibly attentive (owner maybe?) and kept filling up my diet cokes (I might have a problem but mind ya business!) and I so appreciated it! I ordered the spring rolls which were HUMONGOUS. I also ordered my favorite Thai curry, Panang, and was blown away by the flavor set. The prices were wonderful, the service was great, and the atmosphere was fabulous. So thankful to find this place - I will be back!

This place used to be one of my go-to's for Thai food and it still is sort of. I went by today and…read morehad some coconut soup, spring rolls along with some chicken rolls. I really don't know what the deal is but it seems like they are slipping lately. The coconut soup is watered down and basically has no rich coconutty flavor, the spring rolls were marginal, but the chicken rolls were pretty good. Don't get me wrong. I love Thai food... Good Thai food. Service is fine and the lady is polite but short. The ambience is okay. I have seen a steady decline in the quality of food at Thailand restaurant. It's disheartening.

Goooood Very good fried rice chicken and the tres Leche was…read morealso good. Thank you it was good

Love this place! The fried rice is my favorite but every dish I've had is delicious! The owner is a…read morechef from Peru and the food is amazing!

I had been hearing good things about the Little Bee and I am so happy I had the chance to check…read morethem out. The prices were reasonable, the customer service was excellent and warm. The food was delicious! The ambiance put me in mind of a coffee shop/ Panera bread. Great place to go for lunch with someone or alone to get work done.

I placed a carry out order on the way through town. There is a large selection of items but I…read moresettled on the spicy ahi which was yummy and a larger portion than I expected. It was made fresh so it took a little bit but it was worth it. The restaurant and restrooms were very clean and service was courteous.

This is one of the best restaurants in West Columbia. I love the ginger rice dish with chicken. So,…read moreso good. I hope this place becomes and stays a staple because I will need my fix every two weeks or so!

Food was wonderful and the spice was in point. I don't eat meat and they made sure to accommodate…read morefor that. The Thai tea was a bit too sweet for me but otherwise an amazing experience

Legit Thai food with sophisticated edge - they now do Friday and Saturday limited menu and no…read morereservations / but great food

I made a reservation at Baan Sawan Thai Bistro at 8 for Valentine's Day after hearing good things…read moreabout it. We were confused when we arrived because it was more like a house than a restaurant, but the interior was nicely designed like a small Thai restaurant. Our server was knowledgeable about the menu and I ordered the shrimp tom yum soup and fried tofu pad thai, while my partner ordered the three flavored duck. The tom yum soup came out and it was lackluster. The flavor wasn't bad, but it wasn't as sour or flavorful as other tom yum soups I've had. There were maybe 2-3 baby shrimp in the bowl and they were overcooked and rubbery. After the soup, it took forever for our food to come out, close to 35 minutes. When our food finally came out, the duck plate was beautiful and I was surprised to see wide noodles with the pad thai. The flavor of the noodle itself was good but a little dry, and you could tell that the fried tofu had been pre-made and was just sitting out. It was not warm or crispy and I was disappointed after having to wait that long. Although the duck was delicious! To top it off, our server took soooo long to attend to us. We would see her talking at the bar with other customers while waiting to get a to-go box, waiting to get our check, and then waiting to pay our check. We were there for an unnecessarily long time and it made our patience wear thing. The food was good but not the best. Service was terrible so we probably won't be coming back.

Not a fan. It's serviceable though. The coconut soup came broken instead of smooth. It's not very…read morecreamy, more sour. The calamari was consistently overcooked. The massaman beef with great. Their spice level 4 is about 1/4 a habanero. If a disk says it's naturally spicy, add a extra level to it. E.g. a spicy dish w/spicy level 3 or actually a spice level three. Either way, they keep the place clean and their service is fine. But yeah, the calamari, in our soup, curry, and fried were all horrid. Very rubbery, e.g. they are very overcooked.

This restaurant is very unassuming in a strip mall - but do *not* underestimate it!…read more The interior ambiance is very cute, warm, and clean. We got our food to go, but staff was super friendly. And most importantly, the food was absolutely delicious and authentic. Portion sizes are great for the price, it was fresh, and flavorful! Although I was only in town visiting a friend, she regularly gets food from here and I 100% see why. We'll go again when I visit her next!