The 10 best restaurants to eat at on a budget while in Columbia for the Gamecocks NCAA game
If you’re a basketball fan, Columbia will be the place to be on Friday.
The University of South Carolina women’s basketball team will host the first NCAA Tournament game of the season at the Colonial Life Arena at 4 p.m. on Friday. The No. 1 Gamecocks will play No. 16 Tennessee Tech.
While there will be many locals who will attend, plenty of out-of-towners will likely turn out for the big game. However, for many, traveling to see a basketball game isn’t cheap. Besides the tickets, there’s gas, food and maybe even hotel costs to consider.
And it’s not like anything is getting cheaper. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, the cost of all items increased 2.8% over the last 12 months. That includes food, which rose 2.6%, shelter at 4.2%, and electricity at 2.5%.
Tripadvisor can help you find a few cheaper food options, at least.
The online travel company, which collects user-generated content and compares retailers and restaurants, has plenty of data on what residents think are relatively inexpensive and good places to eat in Columbia. And a visit to the website shows rankings of the best ‘cheap eats’ in the city.
The ranked, relatively inexpensive restaurants are a good mix of options, from Mexican to country food and deli sandwiches.
Below are the 10 highest-rated ‘cheap eats’ restaurants in Columbia to try while you’re in the city for the big game.
#1 The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli
- Rating: 5 out of 5 (339 reviews)
- Type of cuisine: American cafe
- Address: 2617 Devine St.
Owner Jody Kreush started the deli with her son, Richard, after years of food industry experience accumulated around the country. She found success making sweetbreads in Hawaii, managing a food truck in Pennsylvania, and crafting solid deli sandwiches in New York and New Jersey.
Customers can choose between an original cinnamon roll for $3.95 or one of several specialty rolls at $4.95 apiece, including apple cobbler, black pepper bacon maple glaze, and banana foster, to name a few.
Meanwhile, a mini cinnamon roll comes with each sandwich order so customers can still share in the restaurant’s namesake without having to commit to an entire roll.
#2 Real Mexico Restaurant
- Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (433 reviews)
- Type of cuisine: Mexican
- Address: 2421 Bush River Road
At this Mexican restaurant, you can get classic quesadillas, fajitas, and tacos, or you can choose from a selection of specialty burritos. There’s the California burrito, filled with carne asada, avocado slices, pico de gallo, and rice and beans. Another option is the diablo shrimp burrito, filled with shrimp sautéed with spicy chipotle sauce and rice, rolled in a flour tortilla, and topped with queso sauce, avocado slices, and a side of sour cream.
#3 Menkoi Ramen House
- Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (106 reviews)
- Type of cuisine: Japanese, Asian
- Address: 1004 Gervais Street
Like the name suggests, this Japanese restaurant specializes in ramen dishes. Do you want some spicy ramen with pork? They’ve got it. How about ramen with chicken? Yep, got that too. If you’re in a noodle/soup kind of mood, this is definitely a place to check out.
#4 Cantina 76
- Rating: 4 out of 5 (207 reviews)
- Type of cuisine: Mexican, Southwestern
- Address: 1301 Main Street
Cantina 76 is a Mexican-inspired restaurant and bar with five locations in South Carolina, two of which are in Columbia. Get yourself a Peruvian shrimp taco to balance out the drinks. The place is a lively, popular hotspot downtown, but if you cannot find a spot inside, there’s usually some outdoor seating available.
#5 Lizard’s Thicket
- Rating: 4 out of 5 (424 reviews)
- Type of cuisine: American
- Address: 818 Elmwood Avenue
Lizard’s Thicket got its start in Columbia more than 40 years ago and now has 14 locations. It focuses on traditional South Carolina home cooking, offering many choices, from steak and eggs and country liver pudding to southern fried catfish, hamburger steak, beef stew, or chicken and waffles.
#6 Lizard’s Thicket
- Rating: 4 out of 5 (194 reviews)
- Type of cuisine: American
- Address: 7411 Nates Road
No, this is not a mistake. Lizard’s Thicket is apparently so popular that two of its restaurants made it into the top 10 list. Like the other spot, this location offers the same menu items. What we didn’t mention earlier is that Lizard’s is still owned and operated by the children and grandchildren of the couple who founded it, Anna and Bob Williams.
#7 Bernie’s Chicken
- Rating: 5 out of 5 (38 reviews)
- Type of cuisine: American
- Address: 1311 Bluff Road
This long-time popular restaurant is best known for its delicious fried chicken. However, the restaurant also has a limited breakfast sandwich menu with choices like egg sandwiches and fried bologna. Bernie’s also offers other lunch and dinner items like hamburgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches.
#8 Andy’s Deli
- Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (46 reviews)
- Type of cuisine: American deli
- Address: 2005 Greene Street
Andy’s Deli has long been an iconic part of Five Points. The deli offers an array of mouthwatering sandwiches such as Andy’s Special, which is a combination of roast beef and turkey between two layers of melted Swiss cheese and sprinkled bacon bits. Or perhaps you’d prefer the R2D2, which includes roast beef and kosher pastrami with melted Swiss cheese served hot on a sub roll with a special sauce on the side.
#9 Groucho’s Deli
- Rating: 4 out of 5 (76 reviews)
- Type of cuisine: American deli
- Address: 611 Harden Street
Groucho’s Deli opened in 1941 in Columbia by Harold “Groucho” Miller. This chain now has delis peppered across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Groucho’s has always been known for its sandwiches, including the Apollo Dipper, a sub roll filled with hot ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese melted together with your choice of sauce. Then there’s the STP Dipper, which has a special blend of roast beef, turkey, and Swiss, melted with bread crumbs on a fat sub roll, also served with your choice of sauce.
#10 Tacos Nayarit
- Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (21 reviews)
- Type of cuisine: Mexican
- Address: 1531 Percival Road
Tacos Nayarit began life as a food truck but has since grown to be a go-to spot for tasty tacos in the city. Traditional street tacos are among the restaurant’s most popular offerings, but customers also enjoy other dishes, such as the Tacos de Birria y Consome, which provides griddled beef and cheese tacos and a full-bodied soup for dipping.
This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
