I've always wanted to try cola's so I was really excited when our friends invited us for dinner. Reservations were at 7, and they said they were getting the table ready so we could wait at the bar. We got some seats for 7 people and ordered drinks. Our bartender was very attentive and quick. I got the lemon drop martini and it was so good. It wasn't too sweet and had a hit of tartiness. I think we waited about 25 minutes before our table was ready. We all looked at the menu online so we knew what we wanted and ordered. For appetizers, my bf and I got Bloody Mary fried oysters which were a daily special for about $21, fried calamari was $19, and entrees I got the spice rubbed chicken and sweet potato and he got chicken Parmesan. My friends ordered Brussels sprouts, fried deviled egg and the flounder. First off those were some of the best oysters I've ever had and they were so big. I don't really like Bloody Mary so I didn't try the sauce but I did dip it in the sauce that came with the calamari and it was so delicious. The calamari was cut thin so it mostly just tasted like breading but good seasoning. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the spice was there, it had a hint of cinnamon or nutmeg that I liked and paired well with the sweet potato with pecan butter. The pecan butter was so nice and crunchy texture from the pecans. I wish there was more of it . The chicken Parmesan was good but the breading kept falling off so the binding was not done well. The deviled eggs were just okay. I didn't get much flavor so not something I would order again. Lastly , I typically don't like Brussels sprouts but these were fried with some type of chili sauce and it was delicious. I'd definitely order that again. The only downfall was how long it took for our food to come. Also our waitress didn't offer dessert at the end so I completely forgot about it! I ordered the crème brûlée to go. (It's my favorite dessert) in the container they put it in, it seemed like it wasn't enough but when I opened it , it was more than I thought, especially when I think of it in the ramekin. It wasn't overly sweet and super creamy . Overall it was a nice experience. read more

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Normally Cola's is five stars. Last night was the exception. Date and I decided to try the southern fried deviled egg topped with...I don't know...mushy egg salad maybe? Wasn't any evidence of a shrimp. My fork could not pierce the egg and it flew off the plate. Giggles. Date was smart and picked up egg with fingers and took a bite. "This is horrible" he choked out. Let me also add this was a first date and I chose my the restaurant. Can't go wrong with Cola's to make a great first impression. Oops. Dates filet mignon was cooked to PERFECTION! The mashed potatoes were, well, mashed potatoes. Plated food was not garnished in any way to make a WOW moment. Just saying not much of a presentation. BBQ Glazed Salmon was overcooked. Served on a bed of arugula. Where was the pear chutney, grits, garlic spinach described because it wasn't on my plate. We both agreed we had to share a crème brûlée. Love to crack the top of the caramelized sugar! No crack. Been sitting around awhile. Oh well, It tasted good. Service was great. Restaurant beautiful. Am returning on Thursday evening with friends. My choice again. Hope the food experience goes much better! Take the eggs off the menu. read more

I had the opportunity to visit COLA on a recent business trip. We didnt make reservations and just walked in. We found out that currently they are still limiting seating and they didnt have a table available for about 1 hr. I guess it would have been best to make an appointment. However, the hostess checked the bar and found seating for us. The bar offers full dinner service and that's what we did. The bartender was busy, but very friendly and worked hard to keep up with our needs. She did explain that they are short staffed because of the current employment issues so we stayed patient and did what anyone would do, ordered a drink of course. We started with the Pimento board and it was great. The pimento cheese was a little spicy and it had a nice selection of breads, pickles and pickled beets. Very good. For dinner I chose the fried pork chop and not only was it great, but it was huge. It came with collard greens and Mac n cheese. I knew I was up for a challenge, but I ate evry bit of it. Overall our experience was very nice, the food was very good and the staff was very kind and helpful. I look forward to future trips in my next visits. read more

Cola's - Fried Pork Chop, collard greens and mac n cheese - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Went here for date night. My boyfriend got the whole flounder that was flash fried and had like an oriental orange sauce on top, it was amazing!!! That was a standout dish I would get next time. Service was also great. Would go again. read more

A had a great experience at Cola's. I enjoyed every dish, and the service was great. We had someone walk in from downtown, and the manager gently and quickly helped with the situation. It it's very interesting that this place used to be a Coca Cola factory. The exposed brick is timeless and elegant. I had the salmon, pull pork egg rolls, oyster Rockefeller, and braised beef. All dishes tasted amazing and the serving size was perfect. Desert is a must as well. I will be back, especially for date night. read more

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We had tried a couple of fine dining places on prior trips to Columbia. We had not eaten here, though, and it was just a short walk from our hotel. I made a reservation a few weeks in advance for a Friday night after 6 p.m. It appeared that there was parking nearby, though we did not utilize it. We arrived a few minutes early and only had to sit on their large couch for less than 5 minutes while they prepped a table. The interior of the restaurant is almost all brick, with semi-industrial type fixtures added. As the name implies, it was apparently built inside a former cola bottling facility. There were no windows in the large room where we dined, but it was well lit. The restaurant has a full bar and a good wine list. We ordered drinks, which arrived soon. Unfortunately there was no bread to snack on. We placed our order and waited. The salad may have been slightly delayed, but it didn't seem that significant. Our server apologized and I think they comped that. The salad, featuring poach pears and cheese, was quite good. My wife liked her trout when it arrived. I had the filet, which was cooked well and tasty. We split a chocolate brownie dessert which we also enjoyed. If you are up for somewhat of a splurge meal, then this place is definitely worth considering. We had no complaints! read more

This is a spot we have wanted to try for a while, and a reservation is an absolute must. Our dinner was excellent. We started with the BBQ pork eggs rolls. The first bite is like *wow*. There are several tempting choices for appetizers, but I highly recommend these. For our entree, I went with the pork chop. Oh my word. It comes with collard greens, Mac and cheese, and a "Granny Smith apple" gravy. This isn't your grandma's fried pork chop. It was cooked perfectly and the apple gravy was just amazing. The collards had a hint of heat and the macaroni cheese was also surprisingly good. Hubby got the whole flounder, and he was very pleased. It came with a side of linguine which was kind of meh. Basically buttered noodles with some veggies, but we brought it home to our toddler. I don't know if they substitute side items, but I would ask in the future. We rarely get dessert, but decided to splurge this time and we went the Brownie and Coffee ice cream. It was simply divine. The portion sizes overall I felt like we're generous for an upscale restaurant. My only critique is related to service. We weren't greeted when we entered, and we were a bit early for our reservation. The host never even looked up and said we could wait at the bar. Additionally, the restaurant was practically empty so I didn't really understand why we had to wait, but regardless it was an off putting way to start the evening. Overall good experience, our server was Allison and she was very sweet. Definitely a spot worth checking out. read more

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Cola's is a solid 4-star experience. I was a bit put off by the fact we had a reservation and had been sitting for 15 minutes to be seated for our reservation only for some people to walk in and get seated immediately. We arrived early, and the other patrons walked in and were seated immediately. It wasn't an overlook as the hostess acknowledged the error, but still felt a bit of annoyance. Huge first world problem of course, but we were hungry! Service was great and Kevin was super nice. He was a chill individual who could handle my humor and inability to decide on what we wanted for our meal. The funny thing about this is after we had placed our orders, my fiancé and I switched plates because I was not able to handle the spice of my shrimp and grits dish. It was enjoyed anyway as my fiancé really liked it. I ended up with the salmon filet that was over bed of grits itself. The grits were delicious and totally made the meal. I also ordered the beet salad and him a caesar salad. I will be honest, I was expecting more beets and less arugula, especially for the money you're paying for it. Table bread complementary, but we asked for the grilled bread. It was a win and a must. Parking for Cola's is in a paid lot next to the restaurant or street parking. This is in the center of downtown and near the government buildings. It was a bit clogged with cars and traffic, so I would just try gaining parking in the lot next to it to spare yourself a headache of searching for a spot. read more

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This place is awesome!! I had the beet salad and black cod. They were simply amazing. I sat at the bar and had a great experience. read more

Cola's - Roasted Beet Salad - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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From the time we walked in we were made to feel welcomed and appreciated. Waitress was helpful, friendly, and kind. The food was all amazing. We really enjoyed the fondue Brie appetizer as well as everything else! This was a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving with our daughter. read more

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Called six days in advance to inquire about a large party reservation. I spoke with Whitney and was told the manager would call me back the next day. Never received a call, instead I called back myself on the third day, spoke with Whitney again and was told they were booked. I could have spent these last few days finding another venue instead of waiting on word back from you - really unprofessional and disappointing when I wanted to bring a group of 20+ people to your restaurant and spend thousands of dollars. Get your act together. read more

So our family came for Thanksgiving dinner since it was yet another year of restricted travel for safety precautions. We were seated minutes within our reservation time, the staff was friendly and attentive and immediately greeted us and put in drink orders while we waited for the other people. The traditional dinner was good, the dressing was savory, the turkey was seasoned well. My only disappointment was not being able to choose between sides. I am not fond of plain mashed potatoes and would have preferred two helpings of one of the other sides as well as a preference for dark meat over white turkey meat. The blueberry mojito was great. While the Brussels sprouts were surprisingly tasty, the egg rolls were dry. I will be returning on a regular dinner night to try some of the other things like the deviled eggs and the braised beef. read more

Really liked this place. Looking forward to the next time. Good service and gorgeous food. The staff was friendly and helpful. Time of food from order to table was reasonably fast. As appetizer we had the shrimp and risotto cake. The shrimp were plump and the cake was crispy on the outside and creamy in the inside. From there we moved to the roasted beets salad. It was delicious, the mandarin vinaigrette the star of the dish. Highly recommend the cornmeal crusted flounder and the chocolate torte. read more

Cola's - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Been to Columbia many times and always wanted to come here. I heard good things about this place. This place met every expectation. We arrived and didn't have a reservation but were able to sit at the bar. The staff was super courteous and efficient. Ordered a glass of red wine, not a bad start. For the appetizer we ordered a risotto cake with shrimp and it was delicious. Very balanced, tangy, overall a great appetizer. We followed it with a beet salad and man, it was on point. The arugula was fresh, the beets were perfectly roasted and sliced, and the orange vinaigrette was the bomb. For the entree we ordered the cornmeal crusted fish with a potato, corn and bacon hash. The flavors once again well balanced. For dessert we ordered the flourless chocolate torte and it did not disappoint. Not dense at all, a soft and juicy bomb. The place is super pretty inside and super clean! read more

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Very nice restaurant and super professional staff. The place was spotless I recommend the pork chop collards and macaroni and cheese. I recommend this restaurant the manager was nice he visited each table. The food was hot and delicious! read more

Cola's - Fried Pork Chop, collard greens with macaroni and cheese - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

We went to Cola's at the last minute as we live in Lexington and seldom venture across the river.I was delighted they had an Albarino wine from Spain, not your normal Columbia wine list. We had excellent appetizers of calamari and brussels sprouts. My husband loved the Chicken Parmigiana and brought home the leftovers for two more meals. It was a gigantic portion. Our friend had the trout and not a morsel was left on his plate. Our other friend loved her crab cakes, and I loved the shrimp special. We will definitely return and save room for dessert next time. read more

We ordered the Shrimp and Risotto cake along with the fried deviled eggs as appetizers. They both were amazing! Our main course was the Pasta Primavera and the Mahi and Gnocchi. Everything came to the table hot, seasoned and plentiful. Our server Sarah gave great suggestions and made sure we had everything we needed. The Restaurant has an open, spacious and airy feel to it. We were seated by a factory window that when it's warm out they sometimes open it. I will definitely go back! read more

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Food was delicious and presented well! The atmosphere was inviting and relaxed! The best part of our experience was our server, Taylor D! She explained the dishes in detail and attended to our requests! We will definitely be coming back and will be requesting Taylor again as our server!! read more

Wow! Delicious! This was my first time at Cola's and I already can't wait to go back! The only problem was deciding what to order, everything looked amazing! Several options for Pescatarian diet like mine! Awesome portion sizes so you really feel like you get bang for your buck. Highly recommend ‼ read more

Cola's - Mahi-Mahi, Shrimp, and Polenta! - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Visiting from out of town and Cola's had been recommended by a friend. Service was good, ambiance was ok (we like smaller more cozy restaurants) but the food was mediocre at best. The brussel sprout appetizer was overly sauced and way too sweet. We forgot to ask for dressing on the side of our salads (beet and pear) and again, both were so sweet they were almost inedible. Who needed dessert after consuming so much sugar with our meal? Ugh. I wouldn't eat here again. read more

Excellent place with delicious food and fantastic service. There's a lot of really great options for both surf and turf. My favorite item was probably the fries - it was like a fancier steak and shake fry with less salt. I was a little disappointed because my burger did not have pimento cheese in it, although the menu said that it did. Of course, I didn't realize this until I was long gone. I didn't get to touch my burger because I ordered too many appetizers and got super full. The crab bisque is incredible and each spoonful has crab meat in it, unlike other places that skimp only the lump crab. The calamari was really good and well done, but if I had a complaint, they don't have the best part of the calamari which is the part that actually looks like little baby squid. They only have the little ring pieces but the breading is delicious and the dipping sauce pairs perfectly. It is definitely worth the one hour drive from Augusta. read more

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First time here it's been on my list forever. Friend had her birthday dinner here. Upon arrival women's bathroom was out of order. Would have to use the men's restroom . Eventually it was back in order. Food wasn't great at all I had the spice rubbed chicken with greens and Mac. It was so dry and tough. The Mac had no flavor I didn't try the greens. The mussels were very sandy gritty the drink tasted great. The table had very underwhelming views of the food. Everyone had nearly full boxes of food to go. Server was nice and pleasant no problems with him. I wouldnt go back glad I tried it mark it off my list read more

Cola's - Mussels and hendrix gin cucumber Martini - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

We were unable to get reservations at another popular restaurant, so decided on Cola's. We were not disappointed. Our daughter was taking me out for my birthday (she did tell them it was my birthday dinner) so my expectations were high. Cola's is conveniently located on the corner of Assembly and Gervais street. The parking lot is small behind the building, but there was ample street parking on a Monday. I came in after I parked the car and was greeted warmly by the host. The masked waiter appeared not long after we settled into our booth. We ordered a few drinks, and put in an appetizer and entrée order together. The waiter was very attentive, and always seemed to be around when we needed him. We had two appetizers: fried okra bites and Brie with raspberry fondue . The okra was crispy and nicely seasoned. Brie was different from what you might expect. Consistency was soupy. I had my heart set on the braised beef and luckily it was available. Our other entrée choices were spice rubbed chicken, mahi-mahi with shrimp, and filet mignon. While my braised beef might've been a little fatty for some, it was cooked to perfection. There was a rich gravy involved and the meat was extremely tender. The only other thing that would have made it better would be some nice wild mushrooms. It was served with two scoops of cheesy grits and sweet carrots. My wife raved about her fillet. I was able to get a bite from her and yes it was super tender and super tasty. It was cooked to perfection. And all of us ended the meal with a delicious chocolate torte! I highly recommend Cola's. The service was excellent; the food came very quickly. Staff was very friendly and the atmosphere inside the restaurant is pleasant! read more

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Great experience-the garage doors were open to create a wonderful indoor/outdoor feel. Excellent food and great service.

I think this is a Columbia staple now. I personally like to sit at the bar and get cocktails and dinner as opposed to sitting at a table but it's great either way. read more

Filet is killer and the drinks are cute! Love the vibes of Colas and the service is always up to par. Definitely make a reservation!

Sat at the bar for 15 minutes and watched others be acknowledged and served in front of me. Had to wave down the bartender for a drink. Ordered a basic French 75 and their special cola 76 drinks arrived without garnish...I noticed others at bar had garnish...I asked the bartender where was the garnish she said she wasn't thinking about it. Worse part is when I went to the manager to complain she made excuses. Probably won't be back here. Not because of garnish but lack of Customer service and consistency in drinks and customer services for patrons Continued as the night went on more problems arise from what is deemed as "casual" fine dining. We were never given water like other patrons received, never even asked. And also our drinks were served without a napkin under like we were animals. For me it's not asking for much but to treated like anyone else that would sit at the bar. My partner and I received the worse service and wouldn't go back despite our food being phenomenal. read more

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We are newer to the area and have been trying new restaurants. We have not been overly impressed by any of them so far. Until our dinner last night at Cola's. What a great atmosphere, food was on point and our waiter Greg was phenomenal. He had great recommendations and was very knowledgeable of the menu. This helped make the experience exceptional. read more

Get the shrimp and risotto appetizer. It may be the best thing I've ever eaten, and I didn't want to stop eating even a moment to pause and take a picture. Whoops! Ariana was an excellent waitress and the manager was very welcoming. Food was exceptional and fairly priced. read more

Cola's - Mexican Spiced Pork Chop with corn chutney and chipotle bacon Mac and cheese - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Amazing food. I'm glad the owner kept some of Garibaldi's famous dishes. Amazing place to have a birthday with girlfriends. read more

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Colas never disappoints Food, service all great We love eating there Colas never disappoints Just a pleasure to eat there

Enjoyed myself at Cola's! The mojito was the beat that I've had in a long time. Try to make a reservation as they stay busy but there is seating at the bar!! read more

Cola's - Fried Pork Chop - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Food was good, ambiance not as good as the past, service was not special at all. This used to be a go to spot for special occasions, but I don't think so any more. read more

Service was great and we were seated promptly at our reservation time. Food came out in a reasonable amount of time. read more

Cola's - Korean Pork Chop and fried rice. - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Soooo I really wanted to love this place.... We were in town for a girls trip to see a show at the arena downtown and decided the menu at Colas was right up our alley. We were greeted by a lovely hostess and asked if we had reservations. We didn't, but there is always the bar and that's what she says as well. So we go to the end of the bar for four seats and immediately we were "tossed" 2 menus by a bartender who sauntered off to the other end of the bar. Another bartender asked what we wanted to drink and I asked for two more menus. It was obvious they were not happy we were eating at bar. So I thought it would be a good idea to spend more money and tip well. We ordered 4 appetizers and two alcoholic beverages as well as other beverages. Their attitudes did not change. No smiles, no friendly attitude. Nothing. The original dark haired bartender kept both her hands in her pockets and paced back and forth like a prison guard over the other 2 bartenders with a scowl on her face. She reprimanded one bartender for not putting a garnish on a drink and the bartender quipped back she was not finished. The dark haired bartender went back to hands in pockets not speaking to anyone unless spoken to. Not one lady was smiling. The food was mediocre. I had the trout with potato hash and did not care for it. The best was Brie Raspberry Fondue and Deviled Eggs! read more

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Best filet in town!!! Always cooked to perfection and full of flavor. Can't wait for our next visit!! It's never been a disappointment!!! read more

Cola's - The filet!! - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Got lucky with no wait. Out of towners from visiting football team. Read Yelp reviews and thought we would give it shot. Beautiful upscale swanky decor. Really nice. Huge tables. Precisely set. Attention to detail here is stunning. A little loud but its ok. A lot of moms and dads taking kids and roomies to a nice dinner. Meagan took great care of us. Beet salad with orange vinaigrette was a score. Not overwhelmingly orange or dry. The fried green tomatoes with bacon and lettuce with ranch. Yes, could eat it all day. Glazed salmon was good. Braised beef was killer. Carrots good. Big surprise was the mashed potatoes were a little chunky until I ate a bunch and realized its GRITS! And it was great. My southern living was moms instant grits. I hated them and swore off of them. These were creamy and had the "gravy" from the meat. Food coma. We took home a toffee cheese cake and they put it in a container complete with all the little containers. Chocolate, caramel and toffee. So good but so thoughtful. Two salads, two main dishes ( and leftovers) and a huge desert for 85$.. I could bet a long wait time happens here as nobody's in any hurry to eat and run. Saw black tie folks coming in for desert, short skirts and makeup, jeans and no socks and moms and dads. If we come back we will come back. read more

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Showed up without a reservation so we sat at the bar, which my wife and I really don't mind doing. We were debating between ordering a few appetizers or just getting entrees. Bar staff was extremely friendly and suggested we order two appetizers and share the founder entree - something we hadn't thought of. We did as he recommended and really really enjoyed it. We try calamari every restaurant we go to (that has it) and both agreed this is some of the best we've ever had. The oysters Rockefeller were also very good, but a tad expensive in my opinion. The flounder lived up to the hype and was a delicious, unique dish. Would definitely recommend! read more

Cola's - Crispy Calamari and oysters Rockefeller - New American Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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We are visiting South Carolina from Seattle, WA. Cola's was one of the top-rated restaurants in Columbia walking distance from our hotel. We were looking forward to our dinner at Cola's on Tuesday evening. My husband and I both ordered cocktails - him a strawberry mojito, me a raspberry lemonade. When I tasted mine it felt like there was no alcohol in it. So I waited several minutes for our server to come back to check on us and told her about it. I wondered if it was maybe the non-alcoholic kind that she got me since it was called lemonade. She said they don't have a non-alcoholic kind and they measure all their pours. I said ok and decided to order a glass of wine or something. She came back a few minutes later and offered to make it stronger. I said yes and thanked her. She brought me a shot of their raspberry infused vodka and it was fine after that. We then ordered a couple of appetizers- pimento cheese board and fried green tomatoes. Both were excellent. We wanted to have a nice long dinner and we didn't know how big the portions were. So we wanted to order our entree a little bit into our appetizers. We were asked at least 4 times if we were ready to order our entrees. We finally got a little annoyed and decided to order an entree to get our server off our back. We had the shrimp and grits. It was delicious. For dessert we had the lemon and blueberry cake with mascarpone cheese. The mascarpone cheese was spoiled - it was extremely tangy and seemed fizzy in a fermented kind of a way. The cake was doughy and lumpy. We were sad that a mostly nice dinner had to end on that note. We did not inform our server after our experience with her. Then the bill came and I saw that she had charged me $7 for that shot of vodka she had got me for my cocktail that did not taste like it had any alcohol in it. She had made it sound like it was complimentary and they were trying to fix my drink. So we ended up paying $18 for a mediocre drink. I asked her about the extra charge and she told me it was for the extra shot I ordered. I did not. It was offered to me. Anyways we did not make a fuss, paid the bill and left. But our experience did not leave a good taste literally and figuratively. That night both my husband and I had an upset stomach and it us took us about a day of our vacation to recover. (The table next to us had ordered the exact same cocktail as I did and had the exact same reaction- they called it non-boozy.) read more

Great date night spot. Food is great and a nice selection on the menu that I think most people can enjoy. Drinks are very good. Service was top notch. If you can choose, sit in the main area. Sometimes you'll get sat near the front or back and there's no music and can't get a little dull? I'd put this on par with private property in Lexington, with a little more upbeat vibe. read more