This guide offers just a selection of our city’s diverse culinary landscape. From cozy cafés to fine dining options, this guide will show you several spots to enjoy delicious dishes in Columbia. Dive in and explore a taste of what our vibrant food community has to offer!

Highlights

Teller’s
American, Eclectic
Pricing: $$
This newly-reopened favorite has been missed among Columbians since its untimely closure. This bistro, known for its tasty American fare, shut down after a fire in September 2023. Now, you can return and enjoy wraps, salads and hot sandwiches for lunch. Opt for their dinner entrees such as perfectly cooked steaks, tender salmon or carefully crafted pasta. Their walls rotate new pieces from featured local artists, giving you a taste of Columbia’s vibrant art scene while you dine. Say hello to an old friend by enjoying a delicious meal or a creative cocktail at Teller’s Gallery & Bar.

Goldie’s Pizza
Bagels, Deli
Pricing: $
This breakfast staple is home to authentic, fluffy bagels, hand-made cream cheese and piping hot coffee. Goldie’s has been a go-to in Columbia since 2020; each pastry and bagel is made with attentive love and care. Every bagel sold at Goldie’s is made in a two-day process, kneading the handmade dough to shaping, baking and boiling. Choose from bagel flavors such as tzitzel, sesame, poppyseed and more. Dress up your bagel as a sandwich with pastrami or lox. Not a bagel person? Order from their selection of challah bread, cookies and buns.
ordergoldies.com

Ernie’s
Steakhouse, Breakfast
Pricing: $-$$
The oldest operating restaurant in Columbia, Ernie’s Café and Steakhouse is known and loved by locals, students and visitors alike. Ernie’s opened its doors on Walnut Street in 1934 and has since been providing Columbians with fare that goes beyond your typical greasy spoon. Try their decadent French toast, fluffy scrambled eggs, fresh salads, piping hot soups or steaks for breakfast or lunch. Open seven days a week, from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., you never have to compromise; breakfast and lunch are both served all morning long. If your friend wants a steak and you want pancakes, you’ll both be satisfied with Ernie’s.

Full Guide