It’s a good time to be a foodie 🍱

Columbia’s dining scene is no longer stuck in the “Where should we eat?” loop. Here are 20 restaurants that opened in 2017 to put on your 2018 bucket list:

🍽 COA | 823 Lady St. | 💰💰 | This new upscale, authentic Mexican eatery (sister restaurant of the popular Salud in Camden) is seriously becoming a new local hotspot. Try their street tacos and get one of their 20+ fancy tequila cocktails. 🍹

🍽 1801 Grille | 1801 Lincoln St. | 💰💰 | Affordably upscale American food in a pretty setting – plus a patio that has roll-up, garage-style doors for warm weather. Go on Wine Wednesday for deals on vino, and get the crawfish deviled eggs and crispy brussels.

🍽 Tallulah | 2400 Devine St. | 💰💰💰 | Family-owned eatery that sources fresh, local + seasonal ingredients for their eclectic dishes, offering vegan + vegetarian options, too. Trust us, it’s on point. Bonus: Read this interview with Chef Russell Jones.

🍽 Freshe Poke | 1102 Huger St. | 💰 | In Hawaiian, “poke” means “to slice or cut,” which is the concept behind Freshe Poke’s customizable sushi bowls. Choose your base, protein, mix-ins and whatever else your heart desires (seriously, they even have Cheeto dust).

🍽 The GRAND on Main | 1621 Main St. | 💰💰 | Perfect for kicking back with friends. Part-bowling alley, part-restaurant, part-bar – how could you go wrong? Try the filet marsala, or go for some elevated bowling alley food and get the loaded sweet potato fries.

🍽 Zombie Donuts | 650 Lincoln St. | 💰 | Build your own donut or choose from tons of other options, like maple bacon or lemon coconut. 🍩

🍽 Indah | 2238 Sumter St. | 💰 | Indah serves high-quality, handcrafted coffee, and they even offer roastery tours so you can get the full experience. You can also catch them at Soda City every Saturday.

🍽 Black Market Tavern | 2303 Devine St. | 💰 | A twist on a classic pub vibe with elevated bar eats (it is the sister restaurant of The Kraken, after all). Plus, they have an insanely cool logo.

🍽 Hampton Street Diner | 1840 Hampton St. | 💰 | A classic 50’s diner-feel with even more classic diner food. Their hash browns look so good.

🍽 Brookland Brunch | West Columbia Riverwalk | 💰 | 121 Alexander St. | Not a restaurant, but this riverside Sunday brunch event (hosted by West Columbia’s Brookland development + Soda City) offers food from tons of well-known, local vendors.

🍽 Duke’s Pad Thai | 904 Knox Abbott Dr. | 💰 | This noodle bar quickly became our new lunch spot during the cold-weather months. Try their Drunken Noodles or their Pad Thai Fried Rice.

🍽 Duck Donuts | 702 Cross Hill Rd. | 💰 | Made-to-order donuts with endless combinations.

🍽 Poke Bros | 2009 Greene St., # 102 | 💰 | Build your own poke bowl or choose from a signature combo bowl made with sushi-grade ingredients. 🍱

🍽 Curiosity Coffee | 2327 Main St. | 💰 | Small coffee bar inside Vino Garage wine + beer shop (best of both worlds) that offers rad signature + seasonal drinks, like the Cold Brew Dirty Chai, plus locally-made scones + tarts.

🍽 Urban Cookhouse | 3000 Devine St. | 💰💰 | A franchise that uses fresh ingredients, supports local farmers, caters and has a drive-thru… is there anything they can’t do?

🍽 Ripper’s | 2112 Devine St. | 💰💰 | Everyone already loved brunch at Jake’s, but Ripper’s – the new farm-to-table collab with Chef Joe Cardinale – has made it even better (because cronuts). For happy hour, try one of their po’ boys or a burger. 🍔

🍽 JJ Tea House | 601 Main St., Suite D | 💰 | Authentic tea house with a huge selection of milk tea, noodles and rice dishes. Also walking distance from UofSC’s campus.

🍽 Pot Smoker BBQ | 931-A Senate St. | 💰💰 | Traditional, Southern BBQ joint expanded from North Augusta. Try their pulled pork plate. Plus, you’ve gotta love the name pun.

🍽 Peebles Seafood + Wing Shack | 1332 Rosewood Dr. | 💰 | Peebles offers really interesting specials, like all you can eat crawfish and mussels on Mondays and Tuesdays. Their Facebook page is also meme friendly, which is always a good sign.

🍽 Henry’s Cayce | 2108 State St. | 💰💰 | The third location of a Columbia favorite. Great for burgers and beer or brunch.

As a college student living on limited funds, Freshe Poke is quickly becoming my new local favorite. It’s not too far from campus, it’s amazing, and the fact that the bowls are really Instagram-worthy doesn’t hurt either. 🍱 🤳

I’m also super stoked for Lexington’s new Cafe Strudel to (hopefully) open up by the end of February. Y’all already know I’m trying to be first on the waitlist. 😎
Did we miss a new restaurant? Let us know by replying to this email.

–Nicole