A popular Columbia Japanese steakhouse closes after 49 years. Here’s what we know
A Japanese steakhouse that had been on the dining scene in the Columbia area for nearly a half century has closed its doors.
Yamato, located at 360 Columbiana Drive in the Harbison retail area, is now permanently closed. There is a sign hanging in its window notifying customers of the closure, and the Google listing for the restaurant tabs it as being permanently closed.
“Regretfully, we are now permanently closed,” a phone recording at the Columbia Yamato said on Sunday morning. “But, we thank you for allowing us to serve you for 49 years. Thank you and have a blessed New Year.”
A note on Yamato’s website says it initially established a restaurant in Columbia in 1975. An entry on real estate site LoopNet notes the building at 360 Columbiana Drive was built in 2000.
The company also has a restaurant in Myrtle Beach, which remains open.
The Columbia Yamato was a Japanese steakhouse that specialized in hibachi offerings, with chefs cooking meals at the table right in front of customers, often making for a joyous dinner-and-a-show type of environment.
The shuttering of Yamato was the latest in a recent trend of longtime Columbia area restaurants closing their doors.
For instance, Jin Jin Chinese Restaurant, which had been located at 469 Sunset Blvd. in West Columbia for 29 years, bid farewell in early December. “We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support, loyalty and companionship throughout these cherished years,” Jin Jin said in a parting Facebook post.
Also, Village Idiot Pizza closed its location at 4517 Forest Drive in Forest Acres in December. The closure came after the property where the restaurant was located was sold. The Forest Acres shop had been there since 2009. Meanwhile, the Village Idiot locations in Five Points and on Whaley Street remain open and franchising efforts continue for the company.
River Rat Brewery, located at 1231 Shop Road, closed its doors on Dec. 30. River Rat was one of Columbia’s first craft breweries and had been open for 10 years.
And Al’s Upstairs, a West Columbia Italian restaurant with views over the Congaree River, closed its doors in late December after a 44-year run.
So, just between Yamato, Al’s Upstairs, Village Idiot Forest Acres, River Rat and Jin Jin, that’s a combined 146 years worth of restaurant experience that has exited the Columbia dining scene since December.
