Table Crumbs: 5 Columbia restaurants for going out with friends

Over my two years writing about food in Columbia, I've been asked in multiple ways what restaurants in town I recommend. It depends, I always say. 

Are you taking your parents out to lunch? Going on a date with someone new? Maybe with someone familiar? Are you looking to drop a pretty penny, or is the budget tight at the moment?

There are a ton of factors that go into choosing where to go eat, obviously. And depending on the situation, some restaurants make more sense than others. So, this list is for when you're going out with either one friend or a group of them. These places are quiet enough to hear your friend across the table but not so quiet that everyone else can overhear the gossip you're going to spill. They're modern and upscale enough to make you feel fancy, but have reasonably priced-items that won't break the bank. 

Coa Agaveria y Cocina

823a Lady St. • (803) 851-5965 • coaagaveria.com

Over margaritas and salsa is the quintessential place for catching up with friends and divulging what you should probably be telling your therapist. Coa Agaveria y Cocina, with its sleek, dark interior, offers an upscale feel with an impressive menu of Mexican cuisine and possibly the best margarita in Columbia. The eatery is on the pricer side. Ordering a Pollo Tampiqueño ($22), a side of rice ($4) and a margarita (~$11) will run you $37 before tip and assuming you don't order a dip starter. With plenty of vegan options and happy hour deals, it's a great place if you're on the hunt for a fancier night out. If you've got a group of more than 10 folks, call ahead for a reservation. 

Black Rooster

201 Meeting St. • (803) 724-2853 • blackroostersc.com

With the French restaurant soon switching to a focus on Italian cuisine at the beginning of 2024, it's likely Black Rooster will still be a great place to catch up with one friend or meet with a group of them. When the weather's not cooperating, reservations can guarantee you a table in the modern dining room. On nicer days, walk-ups are available for the upstairs patio with scenic views of downtown Columbia. This West Columbia joint will offer unique pasta bites in the new year, along with weekly pizza specials on the rooftop. During happy hour, which is Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.m., the Royale burger and the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich are $10 along with a handful of drink specials. And added bonus? This restaurant is open on Mondays, making for the perfect early-week meet-up. 

The Hoot

2910 Rosewood Dr. • hootcolumbia.com

The new Rosewood neighborhood bar comes from service industry veterans who've worked at or owned places like The Whig, Curiosity Coffee and Drip. If you know anything about those three places, they're inviting and a popular spot with locals. The Hoot, which opened in the summer of this year, aims to become another place like this. With an entirely plant-based menu and a plethora of quirky cocktails, this bar is one of the few in town that's low-key enough to easily have a conversation with a group of friends. The small space is cozy and warm, with eclectic decor centered around owls (get it? The Hoot). A Hoot sandwich ($13), a side of tater tots ($5) and a cocktail ($10 or so) will run you an easy $28, before tip. Take a look at their Instagram (@hootcolumbia) before heading over, as the bar regularly hosts events like trivia and dancing classes.  

Bar Gran Sasso

2002 Greene St. • (803) 764-7104

For a more intimate or fancier night with one friend or a smaller group, hit Bar Gran Sasso. The Venetian-style wine bar in Five Points has a menu about as small as its physical space (at only 30 seats), but it changes often and there's usually not a single menu item that you can wrong with. Mainstays like the Concetta's Meatballs will run you around $12 and are a perfect appetizer to split with friends. With a rotating food and cocktail menu, you'll likely not have the same experience twice. The restaurant is being renovated and currently temporarily closed as of early December, but you can stay updated on when it'll reopen through Instagram, @gran__sasso.

Hunter-Gatherer at the Hangar

1402 Jim Hamilton Blvd. • (803) 764-1237 • huntergathererbrewery.com

With its high ceilings and massive windows, it's no wonder Hunter-Gatherer remains one of the few original breweries in Columbia to keep its doors open. Located in an old airport hangar in Rosewood, the brewpub offers a variety of beers along with a food menu that doesn't stand out on paper, but rather through a solid execution from the kitchen. The thin, crispy pizza is an impressive offering from the decades-old brewpub — offered with gluten-free crust or vegan cheese as needed. An 11-inch pie will run you anywhere from $13 to $15. The massive space with first-come, first-served seating means it's an optimal place for bringing a large group of friends without worrying about finding a table big enough. 

Other Food News You Might've Missed

Dome Dining: It's become all the rage these days, it seems. Clear, igloo-style shelters for diners to sit inside of while they eat to protect them from the extreme heat or frigid cold are coming to another Columbia restaurant. Upper Crust, known for its wood-fire oven pizza, teased dome seating "coming soon" in a Facebook post Dec. 24. 

Winds in the east: A change this way comes to 929 Kitchen & Bar. The modern Korean fusion restaurant, which opened in April 2018, will temporarily close to make time for renovations from Jan. 2 until mid-February, the eatery announced on Facebook Dec. 24. 

Moving on up: City Limits Barbeque, the once-food-truck-turned-permanent-location that serves Texas-style barbecue received two mentions in Eater, a national food media website. The barbecue joint with a new permanent home at 1119 Methodist Park Rd. in West Columbia was chosen by two food contributors with the website as one of best new restaurants of 2023 in the Carolinas. 

Last week of River Rat: Well, it's official. December 30 is the last day that River Rat, a longtime brewery and taproom in Columbia, will be open. The brewpub announced in early December that it would close its doors after a decade in business, making it one of the last original breweries to close in the city.