Looking for Southern cooking? Here’s a guide to the best soul food in the Midlands
If you’re hunting for a new eatery with down-home cooking, we made a guide for you that includes hidden gems and centerpieces of the Southern dining scene.
From vegan soul food, food trucks or upscale dining, there is a soul food restaurant in the Midlands for every preference.
Soul food originated in the southern United States during slavery when African Americans created the style of cooking using “leftover” and “undesirable” cuts of meat and vegetables, according to African American Registry. The term “soul food” was coined in 1964 by Webster’s dictionary.
Here are our recommendations for the 11 best soul food restaurants to try in the Midlands:
Big Boy’s Original Smokehouse, 8604 Farrow Road A, Columbia
From smoked wings to brisket, Big Boy’s ”puts that smoke on everything,” according to its motto. If you’re going to Big Boy’s, some finger lickin’ menu options include the $6.99 beef brisket sandwich and fries or the $14.96 turkey wing dinner.
Staying for dessert? Try a quintessentially Southern butter pecan cake slice.
Open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Big T’s Barbecue, 2520 Congaree Road in Gadsden and 7535 Garners Ferry Road in Columbia
We promise this list is not just barbecue, but we wouldn’t be mad if it was. Big T’s is another great Columbia barbecue joint because of its slow, pit cooked chicken, pork and beef with a side of collard greens. Don’t forget to try the fresh lemonade or the hash (pork gravy) over rice.
Big T’s homemade barbecue sauce is so good it’s available at local Walmarts and Piggly Wigglys in the Midlands.
Open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Food Gallery, 3702 River Drive, Columbia
For those who can’t make meatloaf like your grandma, Food Gallery has you covered. The menu is short and sweet and covers all of the soul food bases: excellent fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and potato salad.
Every meal at Food Gallery is sold with gravy and rice AND two sides for under $11.
“Food Gallery Restaurant has long served up foods originated from traditional slave and Southern cuisine, including oxtails, stewed turkey wings, collard greens, pork chops and cheese and macaroni. Anthony Taylor opened the Food Gallery in 1991 in a small store at 3702 River Drive. located in downtown Columbia, a predominately African American neighborhood. Anthony had been inspired by his mother, Minnie Taylor,” according to the restaurant’s Facebook page.
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and until 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles, 7001 Parklane Road and 1260 Bower Parkway, Columbia
There’s always a line to this restaurant for a reason. Kiki’s opened in 2012 and has been a Columbia staple ever since as the first restaurant dedicated to serving chicken and waffles.
Kiki’s menu says “best soul food in town,” but you have to decide for yourself. If you do visit Kiki’s, the chicken and waffles are a must-try and come with a choice of two crispy, seasoned chicken wings or breasts to choose from and a fluffy Belgian waffle.
Owners Kiki and Tyrone Cyrus have even hosted the likes of former NFL player Deion Sanders, President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Coach Dawn Staley.
Check the restaurant’s website for hours of operation at the two different locations.
Lizard’s Thicket, 14 locations
Chances are if you’ve been to Columbia, you’ve at least driven by a Lizard’s Thicket if you haven’t eaten at one. The restaurant is a Columbia staple.
Lizard’s Thicket is an old reliable source of soul food cooking in the Midlands. Since 1977, Lizard’s Thicket has served an array of “country dinners.” We recommend the country fried steak or the whopping piece of fried flounder.
Lizard’s Thicket is especially good if you’re craving Thanksgiving food months before November— the turkey and dressing Sunday special and squash casserole can take you back to grandma’s kitchen.
Open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Mr. Bunky’s Market, 10441 Garners Ferry Road, Eastover
Going to Mr. Bunky’s is like walking back in time to an old country general store. You can find a convenience store and a hardware store in the market, alongside the restaurant.
In 1981, Bunky Carter purchased the building and turned it into a mercantile, meat market and ice cream shop, according to the store’s Facebook page. Eleven years later, Carter added the restaurant that serves a meat and three lunch for $8.95. We recommend trying the catfish.
The restaurant serves breakfast Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and lunch and dinner from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Esther’s Soul Food + Kitchen (formerly Capital City Kitchen and Grill), 631 Promenade Place, Columbia
Esther’s Soul Food and Kitchen will open in August 2021 with the same soul food favorites and some Philadelphia classics.
Chefs Richard Conklin and former Hell’s Kitchen contestant Kenneth McDuffie are opening the restaurant together to combine both of their cooking styles, which were learned from their grandmothers. McDuffie will bring classic Philadelphia hoagies and Conklin will serve up Southern food like macaroni and cheese and fried chicken that was well-known at the Capital City restaurant.
“One thing in the African American community is, you don’t mess up the potato salad, you don’t mess up with fried chicken and you don’t mess up the macaroni and cheese. If you do, just get out of the kitchen and don’t come back,” said McDuffie.
Mr. Friendly’s, 2001-A Greene St., Columbia
If you’re looking for a more elevated dining environment and “new Southern” menu options, Mr. Friendly’s is the place for you. It’s located in the heart of Five Points and first opened in 1995.
Mr. Friendly’s is only open for dinner because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but will open again for lunch soon, according to its website. The restaurant has a rotating menu depending on what foods are in season, from pan roasted North Carolina Red Drum with grits to Mr. Friendly’s famous house-ground meatloaf.
During the spring, we recommend trying Mr. Friendly’s soft shell crab and a glass of one of the more than 300 wines on the menu.
Open for dine-in or takeout Tuesday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 9:30 p.m.
Family 1st Cafe, 5100 Two Notch Road
The family-run food truck specializes on Southern comfort food, covered in cheese. You can usually find the yellow truck parked near Marathon Gas Station on Two Notch Road.
Look on the truck’s Facebook page to see its hours and location and what it’s serving each day. The menu can include lobster tail plates, crab leg trays, gizzards, loaded baked potatoes, wings and chili cheese fries.
Southern Seafood and Diet, 2237 Charleston Highway, Cayce
This restaurant opened in 1996 serving fried fish sandwiches on white bread with secret sauce. You can still find the straight-forward menu at its new location in Cayce, and you can buy the Ole Southern Secret Sauce on Amazon.
Don’t forget to order a side of the hushpuppies at this Columbia mom and pop shop.
Open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
A peace of Soul, 2338 Main St., Columbia
A Peace of Soul in Columbia offers a rotating menu of Southern favorites like fried “chicken”, collard greens and macaroni and cheese, all without any real animal products.
The vegan kitchen, formerly known as Lamb’s Bread, is acclaimed for its cooking that makes the authentic-tasting soul food without the, arguably, most important part— meat. It’s been featured on the Food Network and Buzzfeed.
We recommend looking out for the chicken and waffles when they serve it, or trying the Nashville hot crispy fried “chicken” sandwich, but you really can’t go wrong at A Peace of Soul.
Open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Here are 26 other great soul food restaurants to add to the list.
- Maurice’s Piggy Park
- Blue Marlin
- Alleana’s Southern Kitchen
- Big Bull’s Bang’n BBQ
- The Gold Den
- Greedy Rascals
- Garners Ferry Seafood
- Indulge N PTS
- Laboo’s Finest Turkey Wangz
- Little Pigs Barbecue
- Mr. Seafood
- Ms. B’s Southern Soul Food
- Mynt Chophouse 75
- Palmetto Seafood Company
- Railroad BBQ
- Noisy Wings
- Perfectly Plated Cafe and Catering
- Seasoned with Soul
- The Crab Shak III
- andCHICKEN
- Two Notch Bar and Grille
- Von’s Southern Diner
- Golden Wings
- Roy’s Grille
- True BBQ
- Carolina Buffet
Did we miss anything? Email reporter Laurryn Salem at lsalem@thestate.com if your favorite soul food restaurant is not on this list.
This story was originally published May 6, 2021 at 12:12 PM.
