Arabesque

An obvious Columbia staple that just by driving by you wouldn't think much of, but once you step…read moreinside you feel it. The connection, community, and comfort. You feel the local love and familiar faces of those who frequent. Being off Devine, so parking, although not as bad as other areas, still is a little challenging, but it's so worth it. I went at lunch, and it was busy; however, the service was welcoming. Again, it was a feeling of comfort and nostalgia. The menu looked like it had a lot of good options. We ordered the salmon special, which came with rice and a green salad. The food didn't take too long at all. Everything looked fresh. It almost took me on a mental trip back to Greece and how fresh those ingredients were. I should have captured the after picture of the plate. I ate every drop. Everything was so delicious, from the salad to the rice with the juices and sauce from the salmon seeping throughout. The salmon was so delicious. It was like grilled yet cooked to perfection and full of flavor and extremely tasty. Even my lunch partner enjoyed every last drop of their food. Needless to say, I'll be back to enjoy more. Also, the prices were pretty decent for the portion. I was very pleased.

I went to this place because of the reviews. I had a gyro and my mum had a Greek salad with…read moregrilled shrimp. The tomatoes were the cheap Walmart Roma tomatoes that need at least a week of ripening before they are good to eat. The lettuce was clean and fresh but that was it, it barely had any seasoning or dressing. Horrible. We had to wait quite a bit which would not matter if the food was good. The pita bread was probably store bought or just made cheaply. I know it is Columbia, and I have given up expecting great quality restaurants, I know the standards are pretty low here, but this placemos bad. Service was really good and the waitress was nice and polite.

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Grilled Chicken Breast Platter

Sahara On Main

4.3(118 reviews)

1.8 mi

This place is awesome! It is a must stop if you are looking for delicious mediterranean food ,…read morehospitality and great service. From the moment we stepped inside we were treated like family or close friends of the owner. The owner works in the kitchen but greeted us at the counter and helped answer all of our questions. He is extremely passionate about his food and you can tell he takes great pride in it through every delicious bite. Due to covid , they have limited staff and no servers but their dining room is still open. We thought we would be picking our food up at the counter. Nope, the owner graciously served us and would not accept anything less. The owner apologized for the way covid has impacted how they do business (which he did not need to do) and he was overall just a very genuine and pleasant guy. He even offered us complimentary damascus bread and baklava. Here's what we tried: -Damascus bread and hummus - the damascus bread was light and crisp with sesame seeds sprinkled on top and drizzled with olive oil. It was a perfect pairing with the hummus. The hummus was some of the best I have ever had. Creamy , with a hint of paprika. -Chicken, kufta and veggies special over yellow rice with a Greek salad. Flavorful, tender and delicious!! It was so good. The owner also brought us some tzatziki sauce and a spicy tobasco based sauce. Both sauces complimented the meats well . The owner asked us how we liked the spicy sauce to which we replied how great it was and he then brought us some to take home. It's delicious so definitely order some on the side! -Baklava - this heavenly Baklava combined honey-soaked layers of flaky phyllo pastry with chopped nuts. It was very good. You gotta try this place - you will not regret it. Everything about our dining experience was perfect and I will be back every time I am in Columbia!!

I think one of the best Mediterranean restaurants Columbia has to offer. I've been a frequent diner…read moreof this place for years while I resided downtown, but now that I'm a little ways out, it's a treat to dine here, but still really enjoy their food nonetheless. I've always gone with and recommend the chicken kebab. It comes with about 4-5 pieces of grilled chicken, yellow rice, vegetables, and side of tzatziki sauce. The grilled flavor of the chicken just mixes so well with the rice, so having that clean "chicken & rice" meal while maintaining the awesome flavors. The menu is pretty diverse, despite Mediterranean being their speciality. They offer other American dishes like burgers or even pizza; never tried them though, but options are there to diversify. Right now due to Ramadan, their hours are adjusted for dining in, so they stop seating people around 7:30pm. To go orders are the only option; not a big deal for me though. I highly recommend people to try this place out if they haven't; seriously a solid 4 star dining establishment!

Turkish fatayer

Parking for the custom.

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Baklava is a Middle‑Eastern dessert. It is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts...

Falafel King by Bombay Grill

4.3(72 reviews)

1.2 mi

Falafel King is a small restaurant attached to a gas station at the corner of Harden Street and…read moreGervais Street in Columbia SC. It's been here for a few years but I'm not a regular customer. I ordered the King Special pizza and King side salad. The salad was very fresh and flavorful with a nice crunch to it. The pizza was one of the best I've ever had in my 58 years. And the service was very friendly, the restaurant clean and bright. I highly recommend you try it out. I was the only customer here throughout my entire meal from ordering, to eating, to posting this. All during lunchtime on a Monday. So this small business needs a resurgence of customers.

Delicious. Ordered through a delivery service and the food still arrived hot and fresh…read more Build-a-plate lets you customize to your liking. Spicy feta is a delightful flavor mix served with pita pieces for dipping.

Front counter

Build your own plate. Chicken schwarna, hummus

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Not sure what to do with this bread

Boeshreen

4.1(175 reviews)

5.2 mi

I recommend! Food…read morewas hot and fresh. Service was prompt and they keep the restaurant clean! Lunch special was fulfilling and I have plenty more left to eat for later. The menu has plenty of options for the entire family!

1st time. Maybe. 2nd time. I'll keep trying. But the 3rd and 4th attempt for delivery shows…read morewhomever is in the kitchen cares zero what so ever. Undercooked meat. Messy plates. Wrong orders. No attention to any request. Do. Not. Order from here. Incredible awful service. Repeatedly.

Diner

6. Gyro Combo Platter lamb

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9. Wings Combo Platter

Green Olive Restaurant

3.8(126 reviews)

1.8 mi

Lamb and chicken kabobs were excellent. Good helping of rice and veggies. Service and staff were…read morenice and helpful. Would go again if in the area.

Food is okay, I won't say it's "delicious". But what really upset me is the service. The servers…read morethere are just horrible. I had to wait 15 minutes to get a side of hot sauce. I could have finished eating within 15 minutes before getting what I asked for. I get it, you might be busy, but if you can't handle multiple tables at the same time, then don't do this job. I always tip, but this is the first time I didn't leave a tip for a server.

Mixed Kebab (Chicken & Lamb) which I took off of the skewer.

Gyro platter

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"tabouleh" couscous not bulgur wheat

NoMa by Al Amir

4.5(137 reviews)

2.8 mi

Great wings! Good people and food. Found this place looking for some real chicken! I will be back.read more

It's hard to find authentic Mediterranean, but here it is!! The hummus and eggplant / Damascus…read morebread was a favorite of the whole table. The schwarma was very mild, tasty.... Not quite as spice filled as I have had before but still yummy and would order again. And I didn't get a photo of our pizza because they were inhaled too quickly! The handmade crusts and red sauce were some of our favorites in all of Columbia.

Front of restaurant

Sampler

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Beef kabob, also delicious!!

Gervais & Vine

4.0(239 reviews)

2.4 mi

Beautiful way to start a long weekend on the patio at Gervais & Vine. This month's special wine…read moreflight is from Argyle in Oregon - a delight. The wine menu for the flight is actually embedded with flower seeds! Also enjoyed hot goat cheese dip, fingerling potatoes, Spanish meatballs and scallops. Everything was fresh and tasty. Sitting on the patio is a unique experience. We encountered a slight tilt, many overly load mufflers and some delightfully well behaved French poodles. Service was kind and attentive. Already looking forward to our next visit.

Great food and service. Nice wine selection. The place has a very cozy feeling and is easily…read moreaccessible. Highly recommend.

Gervais & Vine

Spicy Shrimp Gambas

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Crispy Fingerling Potatoes

Pitas

4.3(93 reviews)

1.7 mi

Today was my 4th or 5th visit for lunch woth coworkers. The staff are always very friendly and they…read morework together to get your order taken and food served quickly. The portions are plentiful and the food is delicious, true to Greek cuisine. It is always very busy when we are here at lunch, and that is a great indication of how good this spot is.

Cleanliness: 5 Quality of food: 5…read moreQuantity of food : 5 Customer Service: 5 Location/ Parking: 5 Reservations: N/A This greek restaurant is situated on Taylor Street in Columbia. This a solid dining experience. The menu offers a wide variety of delicious and mouthwatering starters and main courses that will appeal to everyone. We ordered their gyro platter and their lamb platter. Everything we ate was fresh, delicious, andexquisite. The chefs are clearly using the best quality ingredients to produce dishes that are simply delightful. @noirvedanaturals

Pita platter with Greek salad and fries

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Halal International

4.5(31 reviews)

5.7 mi

i don't remember the name of this dish but i know it's lamb something. i don't even usually leave…read morereviews but my God this food was so good. yallllll it's tender, seasoned perfectly, and a huge portion. and it's all cooked to order. i didn't get the guys name who helped me but he was taking orders & cooking and he helped me pick what to order. 10000/10, i will definitely be back.

Tried Fasha Tuna for the first time. It was delicious. These folks knows spices. Lamb soup is nice…read morealso. An open mind leads to a happy belly.

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EMPTY PLATE SHOULD TELL YOU ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

Arianas Greek Restaurant

4.1(168 reviews)

5.2 mi

NOT a genuine Greek restaurant - seems like a front for something else. Only about 10 tables. No…read morebread came with the entrées, nor salad. The spanakopita was not real spanakopita. It was horrible. The potatoes were three chunks on the plate as a full serving. Ordered the salads extra and they were very small. There were two specials listed on the board and neither one had a price posted. The price was $24. This was lunch. Out of four people, only one enjoyed their food. Keep going. Looks like there's a genuine, good, busy well rated Greek restaurant down the street

Not sure if is good or not. Tried to eat here for lunch on Saturday said it was open but doors…read morelocked and dark inside. Maybe hours need to be adjusted.