Visit these 12 picture-perfect patios in Columbia to savor outdoor dining

In Columbia, there are really just two seasons: outdoor-dining weather and indoor-dining weather. The Midlands area is full of stellar restaurants with options for dining alfresco whenever you start to crave FODO (food on dishes outside). Here’s a roundup of just a few of our favorite spots to enjoy the weather with a side of wings, a cocktail or endless hours of people watching.

MAIN STREET

Hendrix: It’s mighty hard to beat a rooftop view of Main Street at sunset, especially while sipping a special cocktail (perhaps some variety of mule, or perhaps something with cucumber — just thoughts). A rooftop menu of small plates pairs perfectly with the Instagrammable views, but you can also head inside after happy hour to enjoy the full dinner experience. Rooftop seating is first come, first served, but reservations are required for indoor seating.

1649 Main St., Columbia; (803) 834-5132; www.hendrixsc.com. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 4 p.m.-until. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Market on Main: This spacious downtown patio has one big feature most others don’t: That ginormous big-screen TV. It’s perfect for keeping an eye on your favorite sporting event while gnoshing with pals, but if you’re lucky, you’ll catch some live music (which happens frequently). Bring your four-legged bestie with ya, too.

1320 Main St., Columbia; (803) 722-4222; www.marketonmain.com; Open Tuesday-Wednesday 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m., Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.–midnight, Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-midnight, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

FIVE POINTS

Publico Kitchen & Tap: This Latin-Asian fusion restaurant is where you need to be for a number of reasons. While the wood-adorned dining area features large retractable windows to fool you into thinking you’re sitting outside even when you’re not, there’s an actual patio in the back, too. With games to be played and good times to be had, Publico even has a special menu just for dogs, called puppy plates, making its patio one of the best in show.

2013 Greene St.; (803) 661-9043; www.publicokitchenandtap.com. Open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. and Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m.

Salty Nut: A bar can’t go around saying it has the biggest deck and the saltiest nuts if it can’t back it up. Luckily, Salty Nut’s big talk holds up enough to land itself a spot on our list. Late nights on the bar’s elevated outdoor seating area are, essentially, a rite of passage if you went to USC or have visited Five Points more than twice. Is it the best view of Five Points? Nope. Does that mean you’re going to take fewer pictures with your peeps? Absolutely not. So come dressed to stay awhile.

2000 Greene St. A; (803) 256-4611, www.saltynut.com. Open seven days a week, 11 a.m.-until.

Saluda’s Restaurant: If you want to people-watch on the down-low from up on high, Saluda’s patio is your spot. Located above the busiest intersection in Five Points and a Starbucks, you might as well RSVP “BRB” to the rest of your day. Yes, all the reviews are accurate: It’s pricey, but worth every penny. The meals and memories you’ll create here could be enjoyed in the restaurant’s white table-cloth clad dining room, but why? Skip the stuffy atmosphere, and take in Five Points’ best view with an even better meal.

751 Saluda Ave.; (803) 799-9500; www.saludas.com. Open seven days a week, 5:30-9 p.m.

VISTA

Hickory Tavern: This one’s not quite on the beaten path as far as downtown dining goes, but Hickory Tavern’s two-story outdoor seating is spacious, modern and semi-private. Is that the alfresco trifecta? We think it is, especially if you’re into a lively sports bar vibe with a menu that runs the gamut from traditional to signature American pub grub.

907 Senate St.; (803) 765-9280, www.thehickorytavern.com. Open Sunday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.

Motor Supply Co. Bistro: Instead of words, there should just be emojis for this description. Like two hand claps, all of the drinks, the plate of food and the drooling face. You want award-winning food and drinks? Check. Ambiance from the door to the patio? Yup. Seamless seating from indoors to the enclosed patio dining space? Duh. Some people view this location as a special occasion restaurant, and for others, it’s just dinner. We say carpe diem (which loosely translates to “go with someone who’ll split the check”).

920 Gervais St.; (803) 256-6687, www.motorsupplycobistro.com. Open for lunch Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; for dinner Tuesday-Thursday 5-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 5-10 p.m., and Sunday 5-9 p.m.; and for brunch Saturday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Thirsty Fellow: Ranked as one of the best local pizza joints in town, you can have your stone-fired pizza and eat it, too … all on a very popular patio. On the Thirsty Fellow deck, you can choose to sit with friends or set yourself up on one of the bar stools lining the covered deck, just for those who want some peace with their pie. Is it a perfect view? Meh. But does it even matter when you’ve got good weather and great pizza? You’re shaking your head no, which is a solid choice.

621 Gadsden St.; (803) 799-1311, www.thirstyfellow.com. Open Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Closed on Mondays.

WEST COLUMBIA

Terra: This patio is more of an enclosed courtyard, but that just adds to its unique appeal. Located behind a wrought-iron gate, it’s an ideal setting for a dinner date or to enjoy the company of close friends. Stop and smell the fragrant hanging plants and let a soothing fountain lull you into a midsummer night’s dream. Known for his use of local, seasonal produce, Terra’s chef Mike Davis creates new menus frequently.

100 State St., West Columbia; (803) 791-3443; www.terrasc.com. Open Tuesday - Saturday, 5-10 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.

LEXINGTON

O’Hara’s Public House: In the last three years, O’Hara’s Public House has become a mainstay on Lexington’s burgeoning bar scene on Main Street. With dozens of beers on tap and a full menu of Irish food favorites, the spot’s prodigious bar and main dining room are often crowded. But it also has back porch dining, where patrons can cool off with a cold brew on those blast furnace Midlands summer nights.

131 East Main St., Lexington; (803) 785-4025; www.oharas-public-house.com. Open Sunday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Cafe Strudel: It’s not just a West Columbia thing anymore. Cafe Strudel now boasts a Lexington location on S. Lake Drive, and it tends to draw the same kind of fervent weekend brunch crowds as the original spot. The Lexington branch offers a charming porch for outdoor dining, and you can be assured that the venerable Hangover Hashbrowns taste just as good outdoors. The cafe’s bar is also accessible from outside, if you’re thirsty.

IRMO

Liberty on the Lake: Talk about a view! Frankly, Liberty on the Lake’s is probably the best in the bunch. With a multilevel deck facing Lake Murray, it’s worth the 30-minute drive from downtown Columbia. Or skip the car and take a boat, because there’s a number of slips for docking right outside the eatery. Liberty on the Lake has a menu of frozen drinks and American cuisine with unique flair, and for beer lovers, it even has 48 on tap, including its own line of microbrews.

1602 Marina Road, Irmo; (803) 667-9715; www.irmo.libertytaproom.com. Open Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight.

This story was originally published October 24, 2017 at 6:40 PM with the headline "Visit these 12 picture-perfect patios in Columbia to savor outdoor dining."