A Columbia restaurant not far from USC has closed its doors. What we know
A restaurant that specialized in Vietnamese sandwiches that was located near apartments popular with University of South Carolina students has closed its doors.
Banh Mi Boys, which was part of a small chain that started in Louisiana, has shuttered its location at 625 Whaley St. in Columbia. That’s right across from The Mills, the sprawling apartment complex in the Olympia neighborhood that’s home to many USC students.
“We want to sincerely thank you for the past two years,” Banh Mi Boys Columbia announced in a weekend Instagram post. “It’s been a journey full of ups and downs, laughter, sweat, and yes, even a few tears. We’ve had the honor of meeting incredible people and learning more than we ever imagined along the way. Our goal from day one was to bring bold, vibrant flavors to the community and offer something new to the local food scene.”
Banh Mi Boys opened on Whaley Street in June 2023. The shop offered Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, including the grilled pork banh mi, which came with char-grilled lemongrass pork, pickled carrots, jalapeños, cilantro, cucumber and a buttery spread. They also had po’ boys, egg rolls and more.
The closure of Banh Mi Boys is not altogether a surprise. The restaurant announced back in December that closure was a possibility if it didn’t find a new buyer.
Though Banh Mi Boys is exiting the Columbia scene, there are several places in town to fill your banh mi cravings, including Paris Banh Mi in northeast Columbia, Little Bee Bun Mee in Cayce and Pho & Banh Mi in West Columbia.
This story was originally published August 4, 2025 at 12:00 PM.
