How have new Columbia restaurants in 2023 fared on Google, Yelp reviews? What people are saying
Following a wave of new business openings in 2022, several highly anticipated eateries have come to Columbia since the start of 2023. Here’s how diners have reacted and rated them so far according to reviews from Google and Yelp.
The Dragon Room
The Dragon Room is a restaurant and bar that serves as the latest frontier for Columbia restaurateur Kristian Niemi, whose Bourbon and Black Rooster restaurants are already popular on the Midlands dining scene.
The restaurant opened this summer at 803 Gervais St. and features a menu with delicacies from an array of Asian nations and regions.
Of 32 Google reviews, the eatery has received a 4.4 out 5 stars. Yelp reviews were unavailable.
“Great soft-opening and wonderful food options,” said Google reviewer Richarld Kozinski. “Still growing. Will probably update my food review once the kinks are worked out. Picked a large spread of meals and drinks which were great! Spent a bit more between the two of us to really try a wide variety. Looking forward to returning.”
Banh Mi Boys
Banh Mi Boys is a small restaurant chain that started in the New Orleans area before opening a new location in Columbia in June. It’s located at 625 Whaley St. suite C.
That’s about a mile and a half north of Williams-Brice Stadium, across the street from sprawling Olympia Mills apartment complex.
The shop specializes in Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches and has a number of them on the menu in Columbia. One of them is the grilled pork banh mi, which comes with char-grilled lemongrass pork, pickled carrots, jalapeños, cilantro, cucumber and a buttery spread.
With 12 reviews on Yelp, the eatery has received 4.3 out of five stars.
“They made my sandwich just as I asked , all the meats with cilantro and the butter spread,” said Yelp reviewer Rick T.
Little Bee Bun Mee
This spot, which serves Vietnamese sandwiches and other offerings, opened its doors in July at 904 Knox Abbott Drive in Cayce. It is the latest offering from owners Chris and Noi Souvanna, who also own Duke’s Pad Thai, which is right next door to Little Bee.
Of the eight reviews garnered on Yelp, it has a five-star rating.
“This new spot in cayce is right next to dukes pad Thai and it is fantastic!” Yelp reviewer Julie R. wrote. “The owner is super sweet and came out and asked us how we liked our meals. We got the bulgogi cheesesteak which was amazing on this awesome crusty French bread and the Hawaiian Mac. So good! Definitely give this place a try!!!”
Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant
Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant is a company headquartered in Pennsylvania, with locations across the U.S. Its cuisine was brought to Columbia in June, located at to 945 Sabal St. The brewery is in the BullStreet District, just west of Segra Park baseball stadium.
The eatery and bar has attracted more than 20 reviews on Yelp since its opening, and it has a 3.4-star rating.
“The country schnitzel was very good,” said Yelp reviewer Jane Y. “The brewban was also good. Sweet potato fries were cold and they removed them from our bill. Took a little while to get served but the waitress was excellent. Really enjoyed the beer.
Dave’s Hot Chicken
Can you handle the heat? If so, you might want to check out Dave’s Hot Chicken, which opened earlier this year at 4601-A Devine St. in Columbia. The chain offers chicken tenders and sandwiches with various levels of spice. The hottest is “reaper,” and the restaurant asks customers to sign a waiver before getting that one.
With 23 reviews, the restaurant has a 3.9 rating.
“I’ll start by saying the place overall is very nice,” said Yelp reviewer Nataline H. “The establishment was clean and the workers were friendly, however, I don’t think I knew what I was getting. The chicken has a Nashville hot taste, thanks to my daughter for educating me.
“We waited for 10-15 minutes for our food so we knew it was going to be hot. Wrong. Our fries were lukewarm and best and sandwich wasn’t much warmer. Nevertheless, we ate it, but for $25 and no drinks, I’d pass.”
