Wow! I could have sworn I shared a review for Whataburger not too long ago, but I guess not. So let me start off by saying I am from the upstate part of South Carolina, where places like Clocks, Pete's, and Sugar-n-Spice are in abundance and their bacon cheeseburger plates are spectacular. If you are looking for a similar-style burger place in the Columbia area, then Whataburger is it. I enjoy the call-ahead drive-through, and there is plenty of parking. The interior is set up as a counter-service diner. The ordering process, whether in person or over the phone, is easy. Their bacon cheeseburgers do not come close to those in the upstate, but they are good. It is satisfactory in size, and the flavor is tasty. They are definitely a great burger option in the area. I wish the bacon was cooked a bit more. Otherwise, their bacon cheeseburger is pretty solid. Their fries are crinkle-cut and lightly salted. The fries I receive are always fresh. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if I got coleslaw or not. The customer service is nice and undeniably appreciated. read more

What A Burger - a hamburger on a bun - Fast Food Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

See all

Great service hot food and an even delicious burger. I been going here since a kid. Nothing change but the building. I'll Surely be back. read more

Great burger mainstay in Columbia for decades. Their shakes are handmade and totally worth it too! Sit outside at a picnic table and enjoy or inside if you must. read more

Cheeseburgers are always good, fries are cooked well. Quick service. This is our "go-to" place to eat when we are running Saturday errands

Outstanding food. Great chili burger! Will be returning often!! Service was good they were not too crowded. Nice menu variety. Very casual. read more

Definitely a locals place. Clean restaurant with a friendly staff. Great tasting burgers and fries for a reasonable price. This place is better than the franchise with a similar name. read more

What A Burger - a hamburger and french fries - Fast Food Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

See all

Just a fast food burger joint. Not really good, but edible. No better than any other fast food option.

Small joint doing a brisk business for lunch with the local crowd, seemed like everyone knew somebody there except me! Burger was good, griddle fried and served up quick, fries were standard fare crinkle cuts. I took it to go because there wasn't a booth to be had which is always a good sign. read more

I have not eaten here in a long time. If you have not either then it is a must try. Don't expect anything fancy, but the food is enjoyable great Burgers and Hotdogs. The fries are cooked the way I like them. Eat in or to go. They are clean, Polite to talk to, and pretty fast. Give them a try. Remember: I tell it like it is. JH read more

Definitely nothing special about this place. You would think since a burger is their signature dish, you would have a homemade burger and not just a frozen patty that was cooked ok. read more

Was going to go to Zestos but they were packed so we stopped here!! Place was so much better. Ate with my husband, both our burgers were delicious. Tea was great, customer service was amazing. We had funnel cake fries that were very delicious. The only thing I didn't like is the onion rings because they tasted sweet. Maybe fried in the same stuff as the funnel cake fries but this place still deserves 5 stars. Highly recommend. read more

Thought we were going to the chain, lol! When we got here decided to give it a try and glad we did. It is one of THE cleanest old restaurants I have ever been to! The staff is soooo friendly, the food is fresh and hot! We all had burgers and fries and were great. The fries were hot and cooked to perfection, the burger buns were toasted just right and the burger was not a frozen patty! I appreciated all the work they went to to keep this place safe and healthy during the covid outbreak and still allow you to eat safely in doors! Definitely worth a try if you're in the neighborhood! You won't be disappointed if you want a good old fashioned burger. I hear the hot dogs are good too even though I didn't have one but heard lots of people order them:) read more

Looking to eat local and got directions to this place. Typical dairy bar cheeseburgers and fries. The staff is friendly and responsive. Indoor seating was open, clean and well lit, feels like a small town eatery. Worth a try. read more

Awesome food! The burgers are a must! Juicy flavorful goodness. I also got fried livers which were the best ive ever had!

This was not the What-A-Burger I was looking for but I sure am glad I found it. Its small and cozy the staff is very friendly and most importantly the food is delicious. The food had that nice comfortable greasy spoon feel without being greasy. The portions were good the food was tasty. The fried shrimp had a nice crunch and good flavor and the rib eye sandwich was simple but it stands well on its own. The restaurant is small and though well kept you can tell that the years have take a bit of a toll on the facilities. Overall a great find if your looking for a good quick bite to eat. read more

What A Burger - a sign for whataburger burgers - Fast Food Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

See all

I haven't been here in ages, but the burgers are still very good. The young lady taking my order was very friendly. And I swear they have the best French fries of any where else I have ever gone. read more

What A Burger - Sign in front of the building - Fast Food Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

Been driving by this place for years. Good old American classic. Solid burger fries and Pepsi. Low price. Part of the past. Come here for the experience if nothing else. read more

See all

I eat at this Whataburger all the time, and usually when you go to a place over and over again, you are bound to have at least one imperfect experience... Not here. I've never been let down. My food is always hot and fresh, the customer service is amazing. Vegetarians: try a grilled cheese with lettuce onion and tomato. Sooo yummy. Best fries around too! read more

Food is so good. It's like your average mom & pop diner. Food is filling, delicious and reasonably priced. They also have a surprisingly large menu read more

Besides 5 Guys, this is probably the only place you can get a fresh made-to-order burger that hasn't been sitting under a heat lamp. There prices are reasonable too. I usually get a bacon cheese burger, which is around $5.50. You can dine inside, but the location is within one of the low income districts and there are a lot of riff raffs. I usually just pull up to the drive thru window and order. I do not believe this restaurant is affiliated with the What-A-Burger franchise that is national. However, it appears to be a locally owned business that truly cares about serving quality fresh food. read more

A joint with a name like What A Burger is usually a sure thing for hot dog lovers. Any place that's known for burgers is usually smart enough to cash in on the hot dog love. What A Burger is one of the smart ones. A West Columbia institution since 1953, What A Burger is now owned by Jeannie Watts and is still serving up a fast, inexpensive lunch over across the river. What A Burger has a full menu of eats, but owner Jeannie says they're most well known for their burgers. Taking over the old school eatery was something different for her, but two years later she's quick to say she loves it. They serve up chili dogs with chili, mustard and onion, and ventures into the corn dog category with a hand-dipped corn dog. You can add slaw, jalapenos and cheese if you want. Get a two-dog lunch combo (chili dogs or corn dogs), fries and a drink for less than the cost of, say, a Wild Dog and bag of Zapps. Also on the menu: crinkle cut fries, the subject of many a Dog Fight conversation. There have been some pretty heated discussions about what fries are best with what. Curly fries. Steak fries. Shoestring fries. Chili cheese fries. Not that much talk about fries today though there was other stuff going on. Today we had two big firsts in Dog Fight's long, storied history. One, we were joined by our first celebrity judge: Anne Postic, aka The Shop Tart. As if that was not enough, all-around-nice-guy and photographer from The State paper Rich Glickstein was there documenting today's Dog Fight for an upcoming story. But enough of this, let's talk about the dogs. How the Dog Fight went down. Debra: Dog 1: Chili Dog 2: Cheeseburger* Jeff: Dog 1: Chili Dog 2: Chili Amy: Dog 1: Chili, add cheese Dog 2: Corn dog Russell: Dog 1: Chili, add slaw Dog 2: Pimento cheeseburger* Julie Dog 1: Chili, add cheese Dog 2: Corn dog Karolynn Dog 1: Slaw dog (DIY) Dog 2: Corn dog Dean Dog 1: Chili Dog 2: Mustard and onions Dog 3: Corn dog Shop Tart Dog 1: Chili** * Again, it's hard to ignore the beefy goodness when you go to a place called What A Burger. Russell and Debra each enjoyed a burger alongside their hot dog. Which has been ruled fair in a previous Dog Fight. See Mack's. ** Shop Tart took her plain-Jane chili dog to the next level. Removing the bun, she placed her hot dog atop an iceberg salad and added cheese, coleslaw, jalapenos and Country French Salad Dressing. Done throwing up in your mouth? Au contraire. Shop Tart proclaimed it fabulous and ate the whole thing. Not only that, she didn't let the bun go to waste. She sopped the plate clean and attributed the salad's tasty goodness to the layering of cold and warm together. Like you get on a BLT. The Dogs Dean said the meat was good. And most everyone agreed it was a tasty hot dog. Russell said they tasted better than they looked. Julie thought this bun was as good as LuLu's and promptly announced it to the entire place. Jeff's eyes got big and Dean immediately disagreed saying the bun on his was too soggy. Shop Tart said the bun was soft and sweet. That's about when the corn dogs entered the fray. Those that got the corn dogs agreed it was pretty disappointing. Amy thought it was the dense batter which was too doughy and had no discernable flavor. At first, Karolynn thought the odd after taste might have been the oil they used, but then after another bite thought it must be the batter. Dean said he ate the whole thing, but didn't like it. The Toppings Between Shop Tart's salad and Karolynn's slaw dog, there was a lot of DIY action at today's Dog Fight. Amy liked how What A Burger put the cheese under the chili. Usually it's just sprinkled on top. As for the chili itself, most thought the flavor was good and was a good fit for the dog. But to some (well, maybe just Julie) the texture was oddly pate-ish. Jeff explained it clearly by noting that it's "hot dog chili. Just not chili chili." Karolynn gave kudos to the slaw's peppery, sweet taste, saying it was one of the best to date. One place we don't get into very often is presentation. Several reviewers noted that the wax paper wrap added to the flavor of the lunch. It kept is all nice and neat before it went to your belly. The Verdict What A Burger's score definitely got dragged down by the what-a-disappointment corn dog. According to Jeff, Dog Fight Director of Math and Spreadsheet Maintenance, What A Burger landed in the bottom third with a score of 19.06 just behind Hooligan's. The bottom line? You don't have to stick to the burgers at What A Burger, but we'd highly recommend sticking to the chili dog or DIYing yourself up a nice slaw dog. If you want to see all reviews with pictures check out www.facebook.com/theadamsgroup and click the Dog Fight Tab. read more

It's a good, cheap, local burger joint. Every time I've been here, the service has been friendly and quick. It's not gourmet and isn't trying to be (and isn't priced as such). It does very well for what it is, a local, cheap, quick, basic burger place. The one star reviewer may be confused, this is not part of the Texas chain. No need to give a poor review because you didn't understand it wasn't connected. This one has been around for decades, it's not just some knock off. read more

This local favorite has been dishing out joy in the form of food for over 60 years! They have gone through several owners and updates, but the food has remained the same. Great burgers, hotdogs, chicken, seafood, fries and shakes. They even have grilled bologna sandwiches on the menu! Family friendly and packed with locals who know a good thing. Recommended ! read more

More like what-a-shame. I came in knowing this had nothing to do with the popular Texas based chain and still was disappointed. The burger patty was exactly like what you'd get a McDonald's and the fries are what you'd get at a grocery store. My brother and I ordered a cheeseburger, fries and a drink. I got Diet Pepsi which came out the fountain, my brother got Dr. Pepper and he was given a cup with ice and a can of Dr Pepper. Better off going to McDonald's sadly read more

What A Burger - Cheeseburger and fries - Fast Food Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

Good burgers. Friendly service. Good selection. I've eaten here several times and have always had a good experience. Try the Philly cheesesteak. It's awesome. read more

Absolutely great burgers it has this in and out feel. The customer service is quick, fast and courteous to all. They even have a drive threw window with no speaker. No it's not as quick as Mickey D's but if you have a little extra time well with not having to get out of your car. Also you can call ahead and pick up at the window. No need to get out of your car. Only complaint I feel as if the parking lot could look better read more

Burger was dry, very thin patty cooked to death. There's other places to go for a better burger.

They've been around a long, long time. The food never changes - it's always good. Placed an order over the phone to pick up at the drive thru window. The employee charged me way more money than was expected, according to their menu prices on this web site. In fact, he didn't even know there was a web site! Not disappointed in the food, but was shocked to know they were on the web. Told the employee to change the prices on the menu listed here on the web. read more

Kelsea H. stating 804 Meeting St, West Columbia, SC 29169 gets my attention as I have been hooping burgers there since my USC student days. I say if true and have no grounds to question or dough her statement then there is money in this activity of false advertisement but maybe whataburger lacks the ability via lawyers on payroll to fight these want to bee's. I know wonder where the nearest real Whataburger is to my 29210 area and If not close enuff, well open my own fake Whataburger and make the burger cash!!! Just Saying... PS: Absolutely 100% kidding. I am of morality and the above would be very bad conduct:) read more

This restaurant is not one of the chain establishments, thank goodness. And this one has been in business since I was a boy, over 50 years. Good food and good atmosphere. It is short order so your food is always fresh and hot. You will not be disappointed! read more

This is the Virginia based What-A-Burger not to be confused with the Texas bases WHATABURGER.