Vacation is finally open! It's so wonderful coming here with friends and enjoying open air when it's warm out! There's so much parking since it's right by the Mall. The bartenders are very fast and Payton gave great recommendations! The vibe is laid back & I love the ambiance and strong lights here! I also love getting free chips & salsa! There's something on the menu for everyone. Can't wait to come back! read more

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This place has a ton of potential, but severely understaffed. Had a 6pm reservation before a show at Merriweather PP. The place was packed and the hostess tried her best, but we were eventually sat at two rocking chairs at 6:25. Not ideal to eat, but at that point, we took what we could get. We ordered food and drinks about 10 minutes later. Food came relatively quickly, but drinks took 30+ minutes, not an exaggeration. The waitress was super friendly and apologetic, but you could tell everyone who worked there was stressed. Food should never come before drinks, but it's next level when you're done your food before they arrive. Don't take reservations if it's going to be a free for all and you can't honor them. Just roll with a first come, first serve policy. Also, they need a manager/floor general on concert nights. Too much chaos in a place trying to exemplify "chill," but someone overseeing the floor at a high level could've kept things moving and assisted overburdened wait staff. Finally, move the host stand to a better location. It's in a super awkward spot, so a lot of folks are forced wait in tight quarters right next to people who are seated. Great concept, but needs some upgrades in management and logistics, especially on concert nights. Will I go again? Maybe, but with tempered expectations. Hopefully they'll staff up and get things corrected. read more

Finally checked this place off of my list! We arrived on Sunday for brunch. The patio was enclosed and warm which was great for this cold winter day. They had a great music playlist that we were jamming to. Our waitress was nice and even offered to turn up the heaters when we originally go there. Our food was delicious!! Great portions. The French toast skewers were unique and delicious. The breakfast burger was super filling. I can't wait to return in the warmer months to experience the patio again and potentially watch sports games on the big screen tvs. read more

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Super fun place! Love that Columbia has a bar / place to drink and chill. Vacation is located right outside of food market and offers a great list of cocktails, other drinks & food. The place has a cute vibe and a great place to hang especially on a summer day. Went we went, the place was pretty empty, so the service was very fast. We brought our dog too and they were very cool about it, even brought out a water bowl & a pup cup for him. If you are in the area and looking for a cool hangout spot with adult beverage, Vacation is the spot for you! read more

Vacation Columbia & Chill - Poutine fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Sunday afternoon at 93°, with upbeat music, sets the vibe. With shade and ceiling fans, it felt comfortable. The food was tasty. Only two doggie bags because we wanted to save room for dessert. The wait staff was attentive and kept our water glasses full (it became warmer outside). We'd been to the food market, same owner, and appreciated the chill vibe at this sister restaurant. read more

I actually had a lot of fun at Vacation! Love that the Columbia mall area has incoming traffic of bar scene - it was definitely lacking before. We had a weeknight family outing at Vacation - brought our dog and a kid and were very welcomed. They brought our dog water and pup cup!! So sweet. Husband ordered beers, I got a cocktail. We ordered poutine appetizer that came with fried mac and cheese. Drinks were great, food was yummy! We thought their prices are very reasonable given how nice their ambiance is. Service was also fast, great. We had such a fun time at Vacation and will certainly be back again! The only downside is that they offer happy hours just at the bar. Wishing they could change that in the future! read more

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I didn't get to take more pics of the actual place because it was kinda packed.. I don't like to get others in my pics/vids and post them on the internet. The space itself is super chill and cute! It's like an outdoor patio and bar. It DEF gives a vacation spot and I love that. The atmosphere is nice and so is the staff. The food is subpar though I had the fish salad. I know, it's just a salad but salads can be BOMB! This salad tasted like they empties a bagged salad and fried a piece of fish and threw it on top. My sister had the smash burger tacos.. it just gave SUPER bar food. Cute spot, but you would be there for vibes/chilljng and not for dining. read more

Vacation Columbia & Chill - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Unfortunately the TikTok hype was wrong here. Just go to the Food Market instead (same ownership I believe). The pepperoni cups were swimming in ranch, bread was soggy, very oily. The ribs were a bit bland, not a lot meat on the bone. Meat was tender however! The garlic toast was barely toasted. I just would skip this spot, sorry to say. The saving grace was the orange creamsicle was absolutely delicious. read more

Vacation Columbia & Chill - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

The location is nice when the weather is nice. Great option for cocktails and after work happy hour. The food was a miss for me. The Birria Tacos were missing something and tasted sweet. I did like the melted cheese but they were mostly just tacos with jus on the side not authentic Birria. The Cobb salad looked great but every single bite had a bitter piece of lettuce to the point where the salad was just not enjoyable. I would return for drinks but will manage expectations on the food. read more

Vacation Columbia & Chill - Birria Tacos - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Fun idea! Love some good food in a chill environment. Bar, high tables, normal tables, loungey spots ...a thoughtful, dedicated space for dining al fresco. I thought it was a little pricey for "upscale basics" but I suppose its affiliation / proximity to Food Market makes sense, then. Would definitely go back in the spring/summer, not sure how this place will feel / operate in the colder months. I guess we'll see! read more

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The food is great here and the staff is amazing. This is a great spot to eat when the weather is nice outside. The honey jerk wings were pretty good. I really enjoyed the coconut sauce for the shrimp. read more

Overall: fun and unique new spot for Howard county, loud music, happy hour only at the bar and communal table, good service, cute outdoor ambiance, and okay food with single stall restrooms I love the different seating options and vibes of this place. We don't have many other spaces like this in Howard county, so I'm glad it's here. Our service was great. Personally i don't like when you have to sit in a certain area to get happy hour deals. We were with older grandparents and my 2 year old son so sitting at high tops was not the safest for our party. The menu and food were fine, not near as good as The Food Market, but was slightly upscale pub fare. read more

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Vacation and chill has been in my bookmarks for a while now and I was psyched to finally try it out. It's tucked away in a plaza next to The Food Market in Columbia. This place really does have a chill vibe to it. It can easily be on repeat for the rest of the summer. I like the open air concept. Looks like one of those bars outside on a resort. Really cute. We arrived around 3 PM on a weekday, so it wasn't packed and a few people were seated at the bar. Grabbed a seat at the bar and was immediately greeted by the server. It was initially sunny out so it made sense to have a slushy. They had two flavor option available. One that was a mocha type flavor and the other was margarita. I settled for the margarita and added guava and prickly pear for flavor. Just take note that they are alcohol based. It was pretty good and, I finished it before my meal arrived. I ordered the fried fish basket. Wow! Fish and chips can be a hit or miss for me. Most of the time, a miss. But this was the best tasting fried fish I've had in a fish basket. The fish was fried to a beautiful brown crust and was well seasoned. And you really get a lot of food with that order. Garlic bread, a heap of fries, coleslaw, and a pickle, served with tartar, and cocktail sauce. Also ordered the crab dip potato skins. Listen! The food was sooo good and I had extra to take home. I'm already planning my next visit to try something else on the menu. The service was great also. It did start raining while we were there, but they put down the patio enclosure. So it worked out. read more

We had dinner here on Friday night. Our server was Holly, she was very attentive. We had the crab potato skins, bbq platter, and poke platter. The only issue was that the appetizer only arrived about 2 minutes before our entrees. The service was fast and the food was wonderful. read more

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We were looking for somewhere to eat a late lunch/dinner on a Saturday and Googled places in the area with bars and this spot came up with 4+ stars. It is outside but has overhead heaters which are really nice especially for someone like me who doesn't take much to get cold. The service was great and the waitress didn't overwhelm us but also kept an eye out. This place is right across from Columbia Mall but kinda hidden behind the building where The Food Market is. The food was really good. We had the burger, brussel sprouts (amazing, I didn't taste any bacon but the sauce is super yummy!), the fried shrimp basket and chocolate cake. The drinks were excellent too. We will definitely be returning here soon! read more

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LOVED THE CHANGES! Went tonight for my bday and had the best time. The guava marg was PERFECT.As was the service. Yes it changed to Mexican but they have so many more vegetarian options!!!! I loved the old vacation menu, but this one has so many options of things I can eat! Hope they dress the place up for Xmas like last year and I'll be back!! read more

I went during happy hour, the calamari tasted a little burnt but the mocktail was really good. I would get another round. It tasted like a mojito. Our server was accommodating and my party enjoyed the chicken tenders and shrimp. They were split on the salad one person really enjoyed it and the other thought it was subpar. The restaurant was pretty full even on a rainy day and I would say it's well suited for casual outing with friends perfect for summer. I've been here before and I didn't really enjoy my experience and I think this place is best suited for happy hour. read more

Vacation Columbia & Chill - Lime basil mocktail - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Awesome atmosphere, great cocktails and appetizers. We shared an order of calamari. The patio also has an outdoor lounge setup, very trendy and comfortable. Excellent on a beautiful day! Weekends are very busy. If you make reservations specify that you want seating in the outdoor patio for Vacation. Otherwise, they will seat you inside the restaurant of the Food Market. It appears there is a separate Hostess stand for Vacation. read more

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New spot next to The Food Market. All outdoors. To start, it's really pretty. There's a bar and there' a lounge section. The food is good, but the star might be the cocktails. I highly recommend the Woah-Se (rosé, Tito's, lemon juice, agave, ginger, watermelon purée). Excellent service. See you on the patio! read more

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What a fun space! In the summer, it is completely open. They have fans going and you really feel like you are on vacation with the breeze! In the winter, they enclose it and have heaters. They have beautiful decor for the holidays and it is such a nice place for a girls night out or a date night! read more

Vacation completely redid their menu with La Marketa food and it is notably inferior compared to their old menu that was a regular favorite and among my most recommended restaurants in Howard County (and we love Mexican and Mexican-inspired food, just NOT this execution). We've been avoiding coming back here since the Marketa popup, waiting for the change back. But we're told this is now permanent. They also got rid of brunch and have permanently closed Sundays! When we tried to visit for brunch today (which had retained some of their old menu during the popup) we found out they also complete got rid of brunch, all Sunday hours, and now all they serve is sub par Mexican adjacent food. We redirected to a different Mexican restaurant today. I'm super sad to be losing such a regular favorite. read more

I was very close to giving Vacation five stars. The atmosphere is very nice, and the food was pretty good. We went on a Friday evening, so it was very busy, and we were told it would be about a 45 min wait which was fine. We decided to go to the bar while we waited. This is wear they lost that fifth star. It took at least 12 mins for any of the multiple people behind the bar to even acknowledge me. Not take my order, but just say "I'll be which you in a second". I can see they're busy, but they can also see me standing there, so am acknowledgement is to much to ask for in my opinion. I will say when the drinks finally came they were very good. read more

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Got the cinnibon and lemon ricotta pancakes they were absolutely terrible was just cream cheese and cinnimon on thin bad tasting pancakes and the lemon ones were bland as well. Not coming back. food market was super busy next door much better option. We went to vacation at 12 and were the only ones there should have known it wasn't good. Decent service read more

Our server, Mike, was so fun and amazing. He was quick to serve us and cater to anything we need. We will be back! :)

Ok, so we went to Vacation just outside of The Food Market by the Mall this past weekend for dinner. Being outside with it being cooler out, we weren't sure if it would be cool but they had the place wrapped up and the heat was on so it was nice and cozy inside. The concierge, wait staff and even the Manager Sean, were professional and attentive throughout the evening! We had the same female waitress in the past and we like her. We ordered specialty drinks from the menu, both were hot toddy drinks with Crown Royal Apple. The wife got cranberry and I got mine with apple cider. Both were great and good sized drinks! They came out quickly as well! For apps we got the crab dip which was large and filled with lump crab meat and the Brussel sprouts which are always amazing here! There seemed to be a newer little mustard type sauce, not overpowering, on the Brussel sprout plate which added even more flavor. I also got the Nashville hot wings. They were good, although could use some more heat, although you can ask for hot sauce (see below). For our entree we both got the salmon dish which came with some grilled cauliflower. It was great as well. The salmon was covered in a tasty sauce, which we thought took on a gumbo type flavor. As with all my fish, I requested hot sauce, and as odd as this is, that hot sauce, was awesome! I don't know what kind they use or if they make it, but it really made that salmon and even cauliflower pop! I think they should just offer this as a standard little condiment with the fish. We also love their hand cut fries so got them as a side and they are always hitting. It makes you wonder why any restaurant uses frozen fries. Outside of Canopy, Walker's Tap & Table, Five Guys, Burger Fi and Vacation/Food Market, it's hard to find fries of this quality. We were offered desert, but were too full at that point. We also like how they use mini paper plates for sharing apps that are made of non-bleached recycled paper. The to-go boxes are also made of non-bleached recycled cardboard instead of nasty styrofoam or plastic. Will definitely be back! Also it's a great spot to meet up with folks coming into town for a concert as Merriweather is directly across the street. And ask for that hot sauce!! read more

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Ambiance and music is great. Had happy hour appetizers and drinks. Wings were bland and didn't seem fresh. Drinks were okay...ruined an old fashion by filling it with ice chip ice. Sent it back and all they did was add another shot. We decided to leave shortly after. Service was good. read more

The music is good. They should be ashamed of themselves with the food they serve. For it to be a "sister" restaurant to The Food market it definitely leaves much to be desired. Thru must've meant step-sister. We had chicken tenders and fries and fries shrimp and fries. Both were underwhelming in terms of flavors, the fries were mostly overcooked and dense inside. I'd come back for a cocktail and then eat dinner at The Food Market. read more

Nice place to go get a bite on a Friday night. From what I remember most (if not all) of the seating is outdoors which was nice in the summer but not too sure if they'll change it up when it gets colder. Drinks were good too. I had a fraperol spritz which was yummy. Not too sweet. I got the cluckin blue salad which was a nice huge salad. Only downside were the big ole hunks of blue cheese. It was pretty good though! read more

Stopped by for happy hour on a surprisingly cool Tuesday in August. They were kind and offered people blankets if they wanted. A nice touch. We tried all the happy hour food offerings and they were all superb except for their pita-nachos, which were merely OK. Our favorites was the pastrami dog and the wings. The wings were amazing, so crisp. Happy hour food was typically $3 to $4 off the regular price for the item on the menu. The drinks were good. They had a good mix of cocktails, wine, and beer for a few dollars off each. The orange crush was quite good and my friends liked the bourbon that was on special. Vacation & Chill is operated and located outside of Food Market and is priced accordingly. However, I didn't spend more here than I would at Cured or Offshore Collective, so for downtown Columbia, it's appropriate. The quality is excellent. read more

Food was delicious! They didn't not skimp on the BLT. Cup of corn was a fan favorite for the table. Service was quick. Ambiance had a chill vibe with good music that you c wasn't too loud. read more

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Good food, fast service, and nice outdoor atmosphere with a fun vibe. Some of the options are also on the food market menu but it's much easier to get into Vacation read more

I have been to The Food Market many times (check out my review for them) and have always enjoyed their food. This "restaurant" is located right in front of The Food Market and has the same chef however has a different vibe and menu. Intended to be an outdoor restaurant it is enclosed when the weather is not favorable. Since it was my first time there, my family and I decided to try several dishes to taste test. We ordered the donuts, burger, fried shrimp, mushroom omelet and pepperoni cups The sweet potato and pecan donuts were light and not overly sweet which we liked. The fried shrimp and the bacon cheeseburger were both delicious. The mushroom omelet was very good however slightly under done for my taste. And the stand out for us was the plate of pepperoni cups. After tasting this, I am on a mission to recreate this at home. We will be going back and I would definitely recommend this restaurant read more