family restaurants

I%26#39;ll be in Columbia in May with 7 other members of my family. Looking for some family restaurant suggestions that will have something for everyone. Thanks!

family restaurants

This board doesn%26#39;t get much traffic but I%26#39;ll chime in and recommend California Dreaming. You can read my review of a recent 2 wk. stay in Columbia for some other restaurant info here:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g54184-i750-k12322鈥?/a>

I%26#39;d recommend anyplace we ate but I think CD would be more convenient for a family since it%26#39;s very roomy and has a nice variety of food. If everyone loves seafood I highly recommend Bonefish Grill but they%26#39;re rather pricey.

Also, if you have any time for something besides the meal, here%26#39;s a go-list I put together...there%26#39;s a lot of family friendly things here:

tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i12209-Columbia鈥?/a>

BTW, you can check out CD%26#39;s menu here:

http://204.202.243.44/califdreaming/cd-columbia/cdcola-menu.html

family restaurants

if you are going to columbia you definitely need to check out Lizards Thicket - they have a website with a list of locations and example menus.

If you are downtown, the Devine Street area has some great places that are smaller more casual restuarants like Devine Foods (Greek), Mediteranean Tea Room, Za%26#39;s Brick Oven Pizza. Down Devine Street towards Five Points is a restuarant named Harpers and they have a great ';American Bistro'; menu wiht a little bit of everything, including great salads and hamburgers. While California Dreaming is fine, the acoutics can make it loud. SakiTumi is a new place in the vista and it is supposed to be great as well. Also in the Vista is Liberty Tap Room. For great food, and a wonderful place to celebrate, is Diane%26#39;s on Devine.

Where are you staying?

Yesterday%26#39;s (http://www.yesterdayssc.com/) is a great family restaurant in Columbia, SC. We have been there many times and have never been disappointed.

I%26#39;ll mention a few places that my extended family enjoys, in various categories. These are locally owned places, chain restaurants are pretty much the same where ever you go so just ask if there%26#39;s one you have in mind.

For reasonably healthy food, we like Fran%26#39;s which is on Forest Drive about a mile off I-77 and near the intersection of Trenholm Road. They have a ';meat and three'; type menu where you choose an entree and up to three side items, plus cornbread or bran muffins. They tend to cook with less fat and salt and with fresher ingredients than similar places although they are not organic or ';health food'; per se. About six or seven bucks a person and they are open lunch and dinner M-F plus Sunday lunch, closed on Saturdays. Sort of the anti-Lizards Thicket, if that means anything.

Our favorite moderately upscale ';bistro style'; (meaning casual but with tablecloths) is Moe%26#39;s Grapevine, also about a mile off I-77 but the Garners Ferry Road exit rather than Forest Drive. It%26#39;s on Rosewood Drive a block from Garners Ferry. As the name might imply, it%26#39;s predominantly Italian or at least Mediterranean style cuisine. The owner is also the chef and he makes IMO the best Maranara sauce in town plus the daily specials menu always has a wide variety of wonderful dishes. His pizzas are to die for if you like a thin, crispy crust with fresh ingredients. Some veggie options that are excellent and he particularly does well with veal dishes. And of course any kind of pasta, lasagne, etc. you might want. The entrees are mostly in the $8.95 to $14.95 range although there%26#39;s the occasional Surf and Turf or something that is higher. He also bakes his own signature cheesecakes and tiramisu.

On the West Columbia side of town we often visit the Grecian Garden on Hwy 378 about a mile off I-26 and maybe 10 minutes from the I-20/I-26 major interchange. It%26#39;s casual, family oriented and IMO the food is consistently very good but a level shy of Moe%26#39;s Grapevine. Quick service, wide menu of Greek style items. The roasted chicken is truly excellent. Side items are sort of minimal and nothing to brag on, usually green beans and a basic salad. Good pizza, decent steaks, very good deserts although perhaps not made on site (not sure). Similar prices to a couple bucks cheaper than Moe%26#39;s.

Finally, the ultimate family outing. There%26#39;s a small chain of restaurants called the Original Pancake House (one in Columbia, a couple more in Charlotte, maybe one or two others) that is very popular with families. All sorts of breakfasty items as well as very good soups and sandwiches. Check out the Bird of Paradise which is a fruit and chicken salad plate (excellent chicken salad BTW) put together to resemble a large bird. Kind of cute. It%26#39;s right across Forest Drive from Fran%26#39;s. Not expensive, gets very crowded on weekday mornings.

All of these are in the corridor between basically the airport and the Fort Jackson area. That%26#39;s where we spend most of our time and we have enough restaurants close to home that we seldom travel to the other parts of town in search of good food. Hope this helps!

OH, and I definitely second the Yesterday suggestion. Always good.

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