Could a Midlands restaurant see the Keith Lee effect? With so many new dining spots opening across Columbia, it’s tough to know where to start. Luckily, fellow Soda Citizens and traveling food influencers are sharing their favorite bites online, racking up likes + views. Here’s a quick look at local foodies shaping our dining scene.

Americasfoodiecall | Byron Thomas, the man behind AmericasFoodieCall, shares his favorite meals, from Lucky’s Sports Shack burgers to The War Mouth specials, along with bites from his travels. Follow for a mix of comfort food and adventurous eats.
Theaprilblake | From sharing recipes on her site to trying out dishes at new restaurants like Aroma of India, April Blake's insightful captions will have you hopping in the car to try something new.

Bonelyss_wing | This account finds some of the best eats across SC and New York. Speaking of which, this lobster roll from Prohibition looks like a must-try.

Colatownfoodieandfun | One of the longest-running foodie accounts, scrolling through this Instagram will have you wanting to try a new dish or an old favorite. City Editor David here, I’m eyeing the grilled cheese and tomato soup from The Gourmet Shop.

ColaSCFinds | This account recently visited Camon, a longtime sushi favorite of locals, and the dining recap video racked up 185+ thousand views. Not just food, this account often shares festival and event videos.

David_mcnamara | Over the past seven years, David McNamara has uploaded ~4,000 photos to Google, garnering 250+ million views. He was the first customer at The Golden Spur, the new spot we shared with you last week in our News Notes. If a new restaurant opens, David McNamara is likely already there.

Gocola | Lynn Luc loves Cola, and you can tell by following her GoCola account. She’s always on the move, trying new foods, popping in at events, and documenting it all to give the ones scrolling on their couch a little FOMO.

Hangrygamecock2.0 | Drew Thompson’s HangryGamecock account was hacked at 10.5 thousand followers, and like a great pizza, he’s building it back up from scratch. This account is a go-to when you’re looking for a local sweet treat + a hot slice of pizza.

Keefandjess | They don’t often stop in Cola, but when they did, it was at Zesto in West Columbia. This is a great account to follow if you’re trying to keep up with backroad bites in small towns across the Pee Dee.

Kenwalkertherealtor | This is Ken Walker realtor and here he’s over at Village at Sandhill trying Yu Noodles. With 59+ thousand followers, each video shines a light on both new + established restaurants including a few dishes in each video.

Living_cola | Jam and CeCe will take you out to eat at Columbia's newest restaurants, like El Vago Mexican Kitchen, to show you the vibe of the place. Then, they'll take you along on their trip to the spa — sounds like a dream day.

Thecolaguide | From the latest openings and videos from events to posts sharing some local favorites like City Limits Q and Spotted Salamander, this account is a great way to keep up with what’s going on around town.

These aren’t the only accounts doing numbers. Brandieboo90’s video on Tik Tok offering a glimpse of Paris Bánh Mì has 263.6 thousand views, while JordanTries, a traveling food influencer account, has racked up 49 thousand views of his review trying a Rush’s burger for the first time making him want to rush back for more. His caption, “Rush’s makes some elite food.”