“Around the world in eighty days?”
How about around the world in 33 restaurants? Columbia is home to a diverse culinary landscape — family traditions, ethnic recipes and proud international heritages converge on these locally-prepared plates with worldwide flourishes. Travel far without purchasing a plane ticket by checking out some of our favorite international restaurants.
Listings in this guide are not related to paid advertising in Inside Columbia Magazine. The ICM staff welcomes information from restaurant owners and managers about new establishments or changes to the current listing. Contact us at insidecolumbia@mailzimmer.com.
Highlights
Tortilleria El Patrón
Mexican
$
A hidden gem tucked away on Vandiver, Tortilleria El Patrón is known for its handmade tortillas and authentic Mexican dishes. The carryout menu includes tamales, chicharrónes, carnitas, flautas and more mouthwatering family recipes. It’s Columbia’s first fresh tortilleria, where customers can purchase flour and corn tortillas by the stack, made daily. Warning: once you get them fresh, you’ll never go back to mass-produced, refrigerated grocery store tortillas again.
Ocha Noodles and Ramen
Thai-Japanese Fusion
$$
A robot might deliver the bowl to your table, but the family recipes behind Ocha Noodles and Ramen are unmistakably human. This small ramen shop on Grindstone is the ideal rainy-day lunch stop. Their bowls range from traditional: ramen, donburi and curries, pho or soba, to the unconventional: sweet Thai yellow curry, barbecue pork and wonton noodles, or sticky mango rice for dessert. Whether you’re craving sweet, savory or spicy, Ocha is ready to serve cold and hot soups and an entire fridge of specialty teas and Japanese sodas to try.
Pasta La Fata
Italian
$$
From pop-up to prosperity, Pasta La Fata in the Arcade District is the quintessential spot for good-old-fashioned, real Italian dining. At the counter, order fresh pasta, sandwiches and rotating specials like pork shoulder ragu, capriccio, sausage and broccolini cavatelli — all made from scratch. From the freezer, take home small-batch sauces, lasagna and meatballs. In the pastry case? Cannoli, Grandma La Fata’s Italian cookies, layer cakes, bombas … the authentic Italian dishes at Pasta La Fata put the CoMo in Lake Como.
Beet Box
Middle-Eastern
$$
This Middle-Eastern bakery and eatery on Fay Street marches to the beet of its own drum. After opening in 2022, Beet Box upped the scales on Columbia’s Middle-Eastern dining scene with shawarma, curry, falafel, lamb koobideh and delightfully-unique desserts. Plum housemade pop tarts, black garlic biscuits, sticky toffee pudding … wash down one of Beet Box’s signature desserts with a tahini caramel or saffron latte, and you’ll have a new favorite sweet treat.
Full Guide
| Bangkok Gardens Thai $$$ | Delia’s Mexican Grill Mexican $$ | La Calle 8 Café Hispanic $ |
| G & D Steakhouse Greek $$ | Dada Döner Turkish $ | Syrian Kitchen Middle-Eastern $$ |
| House of Chow Chinese $$ | Honduras Restaurant Honduran $ | Curry-osity Indian $$-$$$ |
| Gori Ki Rasoi Indian $$ | Taj Mahal Indian Cuisine Indian $$ | Fuji Japanese Steakhouse Japanese $$ |
| Bamboo Terrace Chinese $$ | Pho Quan Viet Cuisine Vietnamese $ | Jina Yoo’s Asian Bistro Asian Fusion $$-$$$ |
| Sophia’s Italian $$ | Günter Hans German $$ | Cafe Poland Polish $ |
| Jerk Hut Jamaican $ | El Jarrito Mexican $ | Los Comales Mexican $$ |
| Chinese Wok Express Chinese $ | Kampai Sushi Japanese $$-$$$ | La Terraza Mexican $$ |
| Endwell Taverna Italian $$$ | Szechuan House Chinese $-$$ | Hokkaido Ramen & Sushi Bar Japanese $-$$ |
| Mahi’s Ethiopian Kitchen Ethiopian $$ | Abbey’s Swahili Delights Kenyan $$ |
