The food and drinks they served were all great. The beef tartare in particular was very fresh and honestly some of the best I've had. My only critique is the price. I felt like it was slightly overpriced compared to the average (West) Columbia market for what you get. The waitress was pleasant and she did a great job handling our orders. The restaurant is placed in a fantastic location. You get a view of Meeting St and of the bridge heading into downtown. The inside seating was a lot smaller than I expected so I would definitely take the rooftop whenever possible, but I don't believe the rooftop is open for reservation. read more

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Cool restaurant with rooftop. Went on a chilly October day. Sat upstairs in bar area with plastic covering that kept us warm but blankets available if need be. No kids menu on site but I had it on the website. Son had buttered noodles, husband had veal Milanese and loved it. It was on mashed potatoes. I had risotto which was delicious but very rich. Went hungry and was full 1/3 way through. App menu had changed seasons while there and we had the ricotta which was awesome. Nice place probably really cool when it's warmer out. My cocktail was rich, not too sweet, strong and awesome: crime of passion read more

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Went to Black Rooster for Restaurant Week and had three courses for $39. The Cauliflower Bisque with Chili Oil was creamy and flavorful with the perfect touch of spice from the chili oil. The Bolognese Bianca was really flavorful and filling, and the Turtle Cake for dessert was delicious, with the pecans on top being the highlight for us. We sat at the bar, which had full service, though it's right by the door so it got cold, but the bartender was attentive and very friendly. The dishes were unique, well-made, and tasty, making Black Rooster a solid choice for Restaurant Week. read more

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Upscale Italian restaurant located just off Meeting Street with ample parking to be found in two free public garages within walking distance. Restaurant has a great interior decor and a spectacular rooftop bar with one of a kind views from the west of downtown Columbia. Menu items are primarily Italian yet each has a unique twist. Unfortunately, black rooster did not live up to my expectations. I felt that many of the dishes were over seasoned and the proteins were poorly cooked. For this evening visit, we started with escargot, and the arancini special. The escargot was perfectly cooked and the sauce just brought it to the top. The arancini special of the night was a summer squash and onion purée... truly unique spin on a traditional Italian dish. Our entrées, however, did not hit the mark. While the plating of the Veal Milanese was a site to see, it was disappointingly overcooked. The risotto of the night was a summer squash and okra. While the cook of the risotto was perfect , I found it to be over salted and spiced to the point that I couldn't really even eat it. Service was also a bit disappointing, especially considering it was not busy the evening we were there. All in all a bit disappointed with tonight's experience. read more

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Stylish Italian-Southern dining with rooftop views Black Rooster is a gem just across the bridge from downtown Columbia -- a sleek, modern space with a cool mid-century vibe and one of the best rooftop views in the area. Whether you're grabbing a cocktail upstairs or sitting down for dinner in the dining room, the atmosphere feels upscale without being stuffy. The menu leans Italian with a Southern twist. Highlights for us included the arancini (crispy, cheesy, and full of flavor), the mussels in garlicky broth, and the rigatoni with house-made red sauce. There's also a nice mix of French-inspired dishes and steaks if you're not in the mood for pasta. Drinks are creative and well-balanced. The rooftop bar has a fun cocktail list, plus a good wine selection that leans French and a few local beers on tap. Great spot to catch the sunset with a drink in hand. Service was friendly and attentive throughout -- even on a busy Friday night. The staff made great recommendations and kept things moving at a nice pace. Pro tips: Make a reservation if you want a table in the main dining room, especially on weekends. Rooftop is first-come, first-served and worth the wait. In short, Black Rooster delivers great food, great drinks, and great views. Perfect for a date night or a relaxed dinner with friends. read more

Black Rooster - Italian Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

Came here on a recommendation and it was really good. The roof top bar area is awesome but we ate in the main restaurant. Cheese board to start rocked and the main courses were all pretty amazing read more

Black rooster is always insanely delicious. This is one of the best restaurants in Columbia 100%. I was worried when they switched from French to Italian that escargot would be off the menu... thankfully I was wrong!!! Our server was super fun and sweet this night as we were celebrating my birthday and it was restaurant week! The vibes were great and it was packed inside. People know that black rooster is the place to be on the weekend for great food and drink!! read more

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Excellent friendly service, amazing craft cocktails, delicious food! Love the ambience and will be back the next time I visit Columbia! read more

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Black Rooster is definitely a great place to celebrate or have date night. There is free public parking close by and the corner location beside the river walk is beautiful. We had a corner spot in the dining room and it was a beautiful view of trees and outdoor foliage. The room was bright and airy. Our food was delicious. They have pretty large, shareable portions. So, while the prices are higher, you can share or save some for another meal! Finally, the service was awesome! Ashley was our server and she was super sweet and took great care of us as we celebrated my mom's retirement! I highly recommend dinner! After we went to the rooftop for more drinks and dessert. read more

Black Rooster - Across the street-river walk view of the bridge - Italian Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

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OMG eat here!!!! Food fantastic, roof top view lovely and service at the bar was stellar!

Had the best dinner, as always! Loved the new autumn salad and the waitress was very helpful answering questions about gluten-free options. She made sure the salad didn't have the breadcrumbs to help accommodate. The gluten free pasta was wonderful! read more

Black Rooster - Autumn salad - Italian Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

We ordered Black rooster through DoorDash because I didn't feel like going out and I will be honest, the pictures on DoorDash didn't do the restaurant justice because I was scared to order lol. My bf got the chicken Parmesan and I got the linguine frutti di mare. When it got here, first off, the food looked amazing. His chicken parm looked fresh and the tomato sauce looked freshly homemade and he said it tasted like it too. The chicken was cooked perfectly. My pasta was so amazing. The pasta was cooked perfect, the flavor of the sauce was chefs kiss. It was creamy and it was spicy! I was not expecting that but it gave it so much flavor. Idk if it was shallots in the sauce but I could have done without that and I wish they had peeled the tail off the shrimp because I hate when restaurants leave it on in a pasta or rice dish. Other than that, it was so delicious and flavorful. The seafood added a perfect texture and the little bacon bits in there gave it a nice saltiness. He also got a kid's fettuccini just to try and it looked pretty good, it didn't look like there was any seasoning on it but I guess for kids you don't want to put much on it. I give the food a 9/10 and I will definitely visit the restaurant in person to try other things as well. read more

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Perfect for a nice evening out with friends. Salads are pretty big so you can order two different ones and split and try more of the menu. Everything was very good at last sitting there. read more

Staff was very friendly, had great recommendations! The rooftop was nice and the downstairs bar was too. We tried each others dishes and they were all soo good! Can't wait to go back! read more

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After a rough start with another restaurant turning us away an hour before they closed, we called ahead and spoke to Ashley at the Black Rooster. She was super friendly on the phone and invited us to come on by. We got even luckier because she took care of our table. She went above and beyond to make our experience memorable. We really enjoyed the appetizer special that evening, arancini with fall flavors. The show stopper was the steak frites entree. Steak was perfectly cooked and salted. It was my first time trying beef tallow fries and they were so good! We sat outside because we had our pup, it was very calm even though there is a main road nearby. There is a free parking lot half a block away too. Nice wines by the glass and extra points for serving San Benedetto sparkling water.Great spot for a more explorative Italian menu and of course, excellent service. Thank you Ashley!! read more

My expectation here may have been unrealistic. I was expecting fine dining in a quiet, romantic environment. But that's not here. Its industrial design with messy kid art on the wall. The clientele were young single professionals that have aged out college bars. The men are pretty much just starting to bald, and the women seem to have makeup caked on a few inches deep... thar be cougars afoot. So all that equals a drunk, noisy environment bouncing off the walls. The food was a solid ok. I ordered the filet mignon medium well, and maybe they heard me say medium rare. Im not the kind to send things back, so thought I would try and it was good... but $20 good... not $50 good. My wife fared far worse though. The veal was seriously burnt and tough and was more akin to a cracker barrel country fried steak but over done. Verdict= if youre in your early or mid 30s and trying to impress a date or having a sex and the city Cosmo moment... this might be your place. For me. Not sad I went, but not going back. read more

There aren't enough words to adequately describe the love i have for this place. This was our third stop as I took my friend out for his bday. We had actually planned to stay for a drink and then go to Goat's but the ambience and the friendliness of Blake on the rooftop took over so we stayed. Although they did not have escargot, the vealbirds and OMG! I would go back just for this! For dinner we ordered the scallop piccata and the Royale w/cheese! These were somehow even better. Thank you so much for everything and all of the suggestions! The views from the rooftop were great as well. read more

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I don't typically write reviews, but this experience had great potential, Unfortunately it fell short. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan plate, and while the chicken was satisfactory, the pasta was very disappointing, lacking moisture and featuring a metallic-tasting sauce, which seemed to have been microwaved. My wife was also less than impressed with her Veal milanese, which, although flavorful, resembled a German dish made with red cabbage and mashed potatoes, rather than a traditional Veal Milanese we have enjoyed at various Italian restaurants. This, too, missed the mark. Despite the numerous positive reviews, I was underwhelmed. Our waitress, however, was pleasant and attentive, providing good service. We may come back and try the roof top, for some drinks, and maybe an app, but not expecting to go back for dinner for the time. read more

Black rooster is soooo cute! I love the rooftop vibes, especially during golden hour. That's when we went. It is an Italian restaurant, and everything I saw looked AMAZING! I got the steak frites and it was so so good! We sat at the bar, and the bartender chatted us up all night! It was amazing! The drinks were delicious, even the mezcal tequila. The orange cheesecake was fluffy and divine! I will definitely be back! read more

Black Rooster - STEAK FRITES - Italian Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

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Second visit here. First visit no tables were available and we sat at the bar and had a great dinner about a month ago. Last night we ate with friends. Reservations 8/16/23 Wednesday night for 7:45. We showed up with our party at 7:30 and they seated us right away. Good service by Leila. Kitchen did a great job helping getting the food to the table as soon as it was ready (I suspect they are trying to avoid heat lamps, nice touch). Nice bottle of wine. Our appetizers and entrees were all very good and seems well prepared and hot when it arrived at the table. I had the pork schnitzel and it was very tender and probably one of the best I have ever had. .....need to find out how the upstairs dining area looks and best time to get a table. I think they are first come first served? Will be back! read more

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I came here with my boyfriend for dinner. We sat at the bar. The bartenders are really attentive and super nice. We started off with the cheeseboard, which had made options for cheese, but liked all the accoutrements that come with it. I got the Caesar salad and the chicken, which was OK but the chicken was a little dark for my liking. My boyfriend got the chicken Parmesan, which he loved and it was a huge portion so definitely would recommend that I got a Hugo spritz and he got red wine. Definitely a really fun place for a date night or a girls night. read more

Staff is great, they were friendly and attentive. The Arancini was as well, nice crispy outside with a chewy (in a good way) center. But man, the Steak Frites were rough. Gristle in every bite, I got tired of trying to dissect the steak about halfway through and gave up. Requested medium rare, got a cold red center (rare). I'm sure their Italian-style mains would've been fine, but don't bother spending over $40 on an inedible cut of meat and fries. read more

We were a large party of 13 and we sat on the rooftop deck near the bar. Music was fun and enjoyable. I had the watermelon burrata and arancini. It was fantastic. The only one in the group who was not happy had the risotto. Service was great and the food came out fairly quickly. Would definitely return. read more

Black Rooster - Our table on the rooftop deck - Italian Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

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Went here on date night. Missed our reservations unfortunately but the hostess was very accommodating and offered us two seats at the bar! The service was excellent and the waitress recommended me a nice drink. We ordered a special of seared salmon and steak. Very tasty! 7/10 date. read more

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Service was on point, absolutely zero complaints all around on that. The food was amazing, especially the special blackberry lemon cheesecake dessert they had. I definitely licked the to go box we took the dessert in clean and thought about driving back for 2nds. We had the escargot, ceasar salad, some long name pasta seafood dish, the royale, and the chicken parm. All of them were fantastic, absolutely no complaints. I will say the fries were ok, they were definitely unique though. We sat on the 1st floor, which had a nice vibe to it. I will be back there one day for sure though and highly recommend this place to everyone. Especially those able and willing to pay the price. read more

Food was delicious. It's Restaurant Week here in Columbia. Great rooftop bar and bartender. Their soup is delicious, and the ravioli was very very great. I'll definitely return. With friends. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! read more

Cane in right before closing on a Wednesday night and sat at the bar. They have very friendly and knowledgeable staff. The menu seems to have something for everyone. I opted for 2 appetizers, meatballs and escargot and they were both excellent! The market fish meal seemed plentiful and tasty and my friend really enjoyed it. This was my 1st time here, but I will be back. Unfortunately I didn't take any pics. It was late and I was hungry! read more

Rebecca was phenomenal! We sat in the bar upstairs and she really did an amazing job taking care of us. Will come back and visit when we are in Columbia! read more

Black Rooster - Great new lemon meringue drink - Italian Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

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Good and service was awesome. Really quality entrees with nice variety. So difficult to find a fine restaurant like this in this locale. Bonus feature- it's right across the street from the river walk trail! So you can walk off your meal along the beautiful river. Abundant free parking. read more

Great evening. Roof Top. Music and great food. Friendly service. Order at the bar they give you a number and bring it to your table. Food was fresh and delicious. Recommend for sure read more

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Excellent food & service before they changed from French cuisine to Italian. We love Italian & can't wait to try it. However, it is the Black Rooster so reservations are a necessity but WELL worth the wait. read more

Friendly staff, great menu, delicious food! We sat inside and loved the ambiance of the restaurant. read more

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nice views of downtown Columbia, good menu selection and the food was tasty, bar service was cert attentive, definitely worth a try and a place to wrap up your evening... read more

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The food here has hits and misses. It just depends on what dish you decide on. I ordered a noodle dish with seafood and a cocktail. The noodles still needed to be cooked a little longer. The portion for the dollar amount is also concerning. The service is spectacular and extremely courtesy. They are on top of every situation before you request assistance. Ambiance gives a slightly upgraded pub vibe. read more

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Absolutely fantastic food, drinks, and service. The bartender was a very nice guy and is so good at his job. Came here for my birthday dinner and I'm so glad I did. read more

Black Rooster - Twin Suns - Italian Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

Yummmmmm! We visited on a Friday night and it was pretty packed but we managed to get seats at the bar. I'm Glad we ended up at the bar because the bartenders were awesome and highly entertaining. It helps that they could also whip up some great drinks. All the food that we had was also tasty but the highlight of the night was the lobster tarte that was on the special menu. It was one of the best things I may have ever had. If any of the powers that be read this please add it to the regular menu and I promise I will come get it once a week :) read more

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Recommended that day! I got meatball appetizer and bread with sauce (which really means olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette - not red sauce as I mistakenly thought). Meatballs were tender and the sauce with white sauce - to die for. Loved it. read more

Great rooftop bar with excellent food! This spot is situated right by the river with a view. The bar offers TVs to watch sports. The food exceeded expectations. I got the whipped ricotta, roasted beet salad, and mushroom risotto. read more

Black Rooster - Whipped ricotta, roasted beet salad, and mushroom risotto - Italian Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

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This is the French restaurant to try if you miss the experience of being in France. Chris is our third time back and we continue to return to try every single item in their menu. They had escargot in their menu... can I dare say that it was even better than when I tried them in Montmartre! Simply spectacular! We also tried their Beef Tartare and it was exquisite! If you are in the area and are looking for a genuine experience with farm to table ingredients, choose Black Rooster. read more

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Very nice setting and a breath of fresh air compared to other restaurants I visited. I appreciated the fact that it was a more formal dining area downstairs and a more relaxed atmosphere upstairs. read more