With all the fuss about bathrooms, how do some in Columbia actually compare?

We’ve been hearing a lot in the news about where people can and can’t use the bathroom.

North Carolina’s House Bill 2, or the “bathroom bill,” says transgender people can only use the bathroom that corresponds to the gender on their birth certificate. It’s spurred heated debate, a directive from the Obama administration, and multiple lawsuits.

South Carolina Sen. Lee Bright, R-Spartanburg, sponsored a bill that mimicked HB2, but that bill is dead for the year.

Still, it got us at Go Columbia thinking more about bathrooms. How do bathrooms around Columbia compare? Are the men’s and women’s restrooms really any different? Which ones are ritzy, and which should be used only in gastronomical emergencies? See our findings from six spots around town:

The State House

Let’s start where Sen. Lee Bright’s bill began. It’s no surprise the restrooms at the State House are nice. Really nice. There are granite countertops galore and roomy stalls. Oh, and they are clearly marked “Men” and “Women.”

The Whig

The Whig doesn’t have designated men’s and women’s bathrooms. There are just two unmarked doors at the end of a dark hallway that happen to have toilets behind them. And some cool doodles.

Oak Table

For a posh spot, the Oak Table’s bathrooms don’t disappoint. The stalls are extremely tall and made of dark wood. The decor is sparse but sophisticated.

Art Bar

Naturally, Art Bar bathrooms are works of art. They’re colorful, covered in writing and drawings, and not all that clean. But that only adds to their charm.

Finlay Park

In a word, frightening. But hey, at least there’s toilet paper.

Jake’s On Devine

The bathroom’s at Jake’s are simple. Tin doors and brick walls. And oddly, they smell really good.

Poll: America split over bathrooms

This story was originally published May 27, 2016 at 9:51 AM.