Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Columbia

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Columbia? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

The Retreat at Ridgeway: Lake Wateree Dining

4.9

4.9 (124)

$30 and under

Southern

Colonel Creek Landing

About the restaurant

The Retreat located on Lake Wateree in Ridgeway, South Carolina is inspired by celebrating family and the community. This scratch kitchen showcases locally sourced, seasonal ingredients in their cozy lake front restaurant. Chef Blake Hartwick's approach and belief in representing local farmers drives the refined southern cuisine served at The Retreat. The southern charm extends through the whole restaurant as Heather's dedication to exceptional experience will provide you with a warm welcome in an elegant, yet relaxed atmosphere paired with attentive service. Menu items that have remained on the menu since day one, Hickory Smoked Pork Chop, the Retreat Burger, and Buffalo Cauliflower.

Top review

Nancy

Dined 3 days ago

We love The Retreat! Always great food, lovely atmosphere and a favorite place to eat!

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Experience

3 Courses for 29 Our Holiday Restaurant Week

Bistro on the Boulevard

4.8

4.8 (893)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Irmo

About the restaurant

Exciting New American Restaurant & Full Bar featuring casual neighborhood atmosphere.
FRESH FOOD PREPARED FROM SCRATCH. And nightly Chef Specials too!
Large covered patio for outdoor seating.

Various Live Entertainment on Weekends, Thursday Night Live Jazz,
Trivia Tuesdays!

Top review

Greg

Dined on Nov 11, 2024

Greeted warmly at the front and they pulled up my reservation immediately. We were seated right away and our waitress greeted us at the table. Everyone seemed to enjoy their jobs and it showed in their actions / service. The food was outstanding. Overall we had a great experience and would recommend you check it out yourself.

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MOA Korean BBQ & Bar - Columbia

4.8

4.8 (226)

$31 to $50

Asian

Columbia

About the restaurant

Welcome to MOA, downtown Columbia's exclusive destination for authentic Korean BBQ dining. Our upscale establishment prides itself on delivering an unforgettable culinary experience, where the vibrant flavors of traditional Korean cuisine meet the highest quality ingredients, including our signature dry-aged beef. Sit back and relax as our dedicated service team expertly handles the grilling for your table, ensuring every bite is perfection. Join us for a memorable dining adventure at the only Korean BBQ restaurant in downtown Columbia, where every moment is filled with warmth, flavor, and genuine hospitality.

Top review

Emilie

Dined 6 days ago

We got the tier of meat that was the least expensive for 4 people. We had plenty. and it was excellent. We discussed going in the middle tier but what we got was excellent. We also ordered edamame and calamari. We were stuffed. The sides are small but there is plenty of food because they bring so many to try. It was fun to taste all the different Korean flavors. I asked which were spicy and he told me so I avoided those. The cheesy corn was a great side as was the salad. We got the cheesecake and the pastry that had Uba (purple sweet potato) It was okay, if we had known there was a citrus option, we'd have done that. The biscotti option was sold out. It was an expensive night out but we will definitely be back for a special occasion. Great birthday for my 27 year old daughter. Service by the son of the owner and sometimes the owner himself was excellent. Definitely will be back.

Chophouse of Chapin

4.7

4.7 (1026)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

Chapin

About the restaurant

Chophouse of Chapin is an upscale steakhouse located in Chapin Commons - featuring aged steaks, delicious desserts, a large selection of spirits & an in-house wine sommelier

An in-house Tallow aged steak - a Chef selected ribeye encased in rendered steak trimmings, then aged for 60 days and handcut to perfection. The Chophouse has a full bar with a wide variety of spirits hand selected by our award-winning bar staff. And an on-premise Wine Sommelier that will help pair your menu selection with the best wine from our extensive menu to please your palate.

Top review

sharon

Dined 4 days ago

Steak was very salty. Tough steak tidbits in salad

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BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - Columbiana Station

4.6

4.6 (230)

$30 and under

American

Columbia

About the restaurant

Time counts at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse. Since our humble beginnings back in 1978, we've continued to refine our brewhouse experience to make BJ's a place where you can make the most of any meal. We want BJ's to be a place where the moment you leave is the moment you plan on coming back. We pride ourselves in our craft and attention to detail. Our guests come here for our award-winning handcrafted beer. They come here for the Southern California twist we've put on the Chicago-style deep dish pizza. And they come here for our Pizookies®, our world-renowned dessert. But above all we know people come here to make their good times better. So in many ways we haven't just crafted a brand, but a mindset. And our guests are the reason for this. And it's because of them we're continually striving to make sure every moment they choose to spend with us counts. Welcome to BJ's, a restaurant with a Brewhouse soul.

Top review

Kristen

Dined 1 day ago

Excellent bar food. Husband, 13yr daughter and myself. Great and family friendly atmosphere. We had the parm crusted chicken and while good it was really not as described-would have loved more flavor in the almost non-existent lemon sauce and the tomatoes were not sun-dried. Nicely cooked thin chicken breast slices though. The honey roasted Brussel sprouts were excellent!!. The prime rib sub was really good with the highlight being the creamy horseradish sauce and slaw…We will order the Bbq wings again, no question. The spaghetti and meatballs were a hit, although note that the serving size was HUGE (leftovers ✔️). All in all we loved the place and our waitress was wonderful.

Kao Thai Cuisine

4.4

4.4 (416)

$31 to $50

Thai

Columbia

About the restaurant

Our menu offers modern Thai eats that are commonly found on the streets of Bangkok as well as a mix of creative pan-Asian and Asian-American fusion dishes that are fresh and exciting. With a rotating menu of specials, we hope to continuously bring new flavors and dishes to the Main Street District!

Top review

Russell

Dined on Nov 4, 2024

Excellent food, service and location. I will be a repeat customer.

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Iron Hill Brewery - Columbia, SC

4.4

4.4 (383)

$30 and under

American

Columbia

About the restaurant

Welcome to Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, where you'll find fine handcrafted beers, creative yet informal cuisine, and friendly, attentive service in a casual, upscale atmosphere.

Top review

DaveVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Excellent food. Great beer! Will return.Highly recommend.

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Prohibition - Columbia

4.4

4.4 (96)

$31 to $50

American

Columbia

About the restaurant

Prohibition Columbia opened in the spring of 2024 and is brought to you by the same team behind Prohibition Charleston, which opened in 2014, and Repeal 33 in historic Savannah, Georgia. While many of the food and drink items can be found at all three locations, special considerations have been made to tailor a unique experience in each city.

As part of the ever-growing Main Street District, Prohibition brings innovative cocktails, eclectic cuisine, and live music to the heart of Soda City.

Top review

Carol

Dined 3 days ago

Fabulous food and Holiday Drinks. There beautiful Holiday Theme set the mood. Outstanding atmosphere and most Important was our Gracious ,cheerful waitress she made the evening. We have Been here before and definitely be here again.

Cork and Cleaver Steakhouse

4.4

4.4 (43)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

Lexington

About the restaurant

Join us at Cork and Cleaver Steakhouse, where we pride ourselves on our unique offerings and commitment to quality. Our House Dry Aged Steaks are a true labor of love--aged for 30 days in our own Dry Age cooler, hand-cut to perfection, and featuring show-stopping Tomahawks that will leave you speechless. Pair your meal with a selection of over 140 rare bottles and a curated wine list of 60 hand-selected varieties. And for seafood lovers, our menu delights with Crabcakes, Seared Ahi Tuna, and Shrimp Fra Diavolo.

Brunch on weekends features indulgent options like Eggs Benedicts and savory delights like Shrimp and Grits. Wash it down with mimosas for the perfect brunch experience!

During Happy Hour, enjoy half off our wine selection and Buffalo Trace specials. Explore our upgraded spirits collection, including the sought-after Weller collection, for a truly elevated experience.

Join us and savor the flavors that will leave you craving more!

Top review

Tracy

Dined 5 days ago

Excellent food, huge portions and the service was great!

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