Graphite was a wonderful surprise and a standout dining experience in Columbia. I love that the restaurant's name is a nod to the building's history as a former schoolhouse, which now beautifully houses both the Principal Hotel and Graphite. Both feel like elevated, unexpected gems in a small town. I ordered the fried chicken dinner with the half chicken portion, and it was absolutely delicious. The chicken was juicy and flavorful with perfectly crispy, crunchy skin. The service was excellent, and our waitstaff was friendly, attentive, and welcoming throughout the evening. The restaurant itself was clean, comfortable, and thoughtfully designed. The restrooms were also spotless and well maintained. It is clear that a lot of care goes into every aspect of the guest experience. My only minor criticism is the size of the drink glasses. Once ice is added, there is not much room left for the actual beverage. My parents found themselves needing refills more frequently than they typically would at other restaurants. It was not a major issue, but slightly larger glasses might make things more convenient for both guests and staff. Overall, we had a fantastic experience and will definitely be back. Graphite is a true hidden gem that offers great food, excellent service, and a unique atmosphere. read more

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Service was good but bartender should have seen that we eat very little of the food and left the go container because neither one of us wanted to take it home and throw it away.... Being observant is part of great service... ambiance has a lot to come desired way to many young teenage girls running around...not what I'd expect for a couple of drinks and $100 tab! Been there three times drinks are always good but the food has been subpar every time! Had three appetizers stuffed portabella mushrooms I'd give a 3 no taste, Mac and cheese bites dry and tasteless a 2 (bought some at schnucks a few weeks ago and they were much better) the steak skewers maybe a 2.5 had so much what they called pesto which looked and tasted like wet grass, once we removed the wet grass the steak was over cooked but well seasoned... My suggestion would be to hire a new chef and decide a direction or speciality focus (Italian, American or gastro pub and stick with it! Sorry but third strike you're out, we won't be back! Until we hear you've made some major changes! read more

We received excellent service from Molly!!! So glad we had her! The food was delicious! Love the decor of the restaurant! It was our first time there! We'll definitely go back!! read more

Had another great meal here but the is time it was lunch. I opted for the salmon Sammie- a wise choice I must say! It was yummy with the aioli on a brioche bun. The salmon was again cooked to perfection. Evidently the Reuben sandwich is delicious too. They serve a side with the sandwiches. I got fruit; a good sized serving of fresh fruit. Chips are also house made if you prefer those. Our service was great. It is such a cute place- this time I sat on the bar side vs restaurant side. read more

Graphite - Bar side looking towards entry door - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

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Good stuff first - excellent service! The best dish was the brussel gratin. Shaved sprouts roasted with herbs and cheeses, served with crostini. On to the rest: It's a brunch spot for corporate America. Mainstream decor. Mainstream layout. A lot of the menu items (breakfast potatoes) seemed to be right off a *insert popular food distribution company* system. The pancake was flat, dense and greasy, and tasted more like flour than pancake. No salt, sweetness or crisp. Also, between having a patio and a hotel bay, they do need a few UV lamps. read more

Let start with the good stuff. This new beautiful restaurant opened in January 25. Great atmosphere for that special celebration or date. Stephanie was our waitress and she was so accommodating, was able to answer all our questions about the menu items and was an absolute pleasure. The drink special was excellent. We were a table of 6 and everyone enjoyed their meal and had a good time. Many ordered the French onion soup and really liked that. Unfortunately, I ordered the pasta primavera and it was overly salty. The side Graphite salad was original and tasty. Complimentary rolls. The pasta primavera with no protein added was $29 which was one of the lowest items on the menu, $7 more than the online menu lists. In my opinion everything was overpriced. We had a good time, but I don't think we will be back because of the prices. read more

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Have been for breakfast and supper now. Both times have not disappointed. It's a new restaurant in Columbia IL tied to a hotel in an old grade school complex that's been renovated into a great venue. Nice clean restaurant. Great menu options with a play on school names for drinks/meals. Service is generally quick and pleasant. Food has been great both visits. Would definitely recommend. Especially the Crème Brûlée read more

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Food was excellent. Servers could have had more training in a restaurant of this quality, cost and caliber. Very pleased with the quality and taste of the dishes. Drinks by bartender were also of good quality in preparation read more

Wow! We stopped in to try their brunch after it was recommended by a few friends! I love how they have everything decorated, it feels very upscale but still inviting! I tried the bourbon pecan French toast and an espresso martini, they were absolutely wonderful!! I also got to sample the deans list breakfast, which was also delicious. I am looking forward to returning for lunch/dinner to try the rest of the menu! The prices were fair for a good breakfast, it was not more than any other breakfast spot in the area! read more

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The service, food and ambiance is perfect for a quality night out. It's a great addition to Columbia to celebrate special occasions or treat yourself. Our party of 9 absolutely loved our experience and food! Highly recommend ordering the French onion soup. We can't wait to return to check out the new patio. read more

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Great fast and friendly service. I would say the best biscuits and gravy in town. Definitely a spot worth checking out. I will be back. read more

Graphite - Biscuits and gravy, double shot cappuccino, wonderful peaceful view. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

A welcomed restaurant in the Columbia/ Waterloo area. Upscale in menu choices, service, ambiance and yet very comfortable setting. Came for dinner with friends from St. Louis and they were happy and impressed with their experience here. Looking forward to breakfast, brunch here another time. read more

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EVERYthing was wonderful! The cocktails were DELISH, the food was SO tasty, and the service was great!!! The ambiance is wonderful, and you can learn a bit of history before entering the restaurant. It's definitely not a cheap place, but well worth the money. Classy, yet not stuffy. Well worth checking out! read more

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Lovely brunch topped off with a shared crème brûlée This is a true gem in our home town read more

Graphite - Dessert!!!!! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

We have been to Graphite on three occasions, and the food and drinks have been consistently impressive. Delicious appetizers (cheese curds), soups, and salads all with fresh ingredients. Gnocchi and salmon were great, as were the steak and potatoes. Fun cocktail menu with school theme or seasonal theme! Service is always friendly and wait staff keep you informed. They even brought out a special dessert for our friend who was celebrating a birthday. We showed up with a party of five on a Wednesday night (without a reservation, not knowing there was a steak special and that it would be crowded!) and we were still seated quickly and given a choice of booth or table, inside or outside. The booths are large and comfortable. I will say that one downside of the outdoor seating area is the nearby dumpster, which is only separated from the patio by a partial wall. When we visited during the summer months, we were able to smell it and for that reason opted to eat indoors instead. (The waiter was very kind & understanding about our need to move though.) Overall, we love this place for a night out with friends & plan to keep coming back. read more

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Graphite is a great upscale dining option & wonderful addition to our local restaurant scene. We were very impressed with both food & beverage offerings. Bartenders & hostesses were super friendly! read more

Graphite - Creme brulee - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

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We had breakfast here on the patio ( the dining room is super nice, but the weather was so nice)! Margo was our server- she offered great recommendations. We loved the Blackberry Brie croissant with thick cut bacon! It was delicious! This is a great place! Go out of your way to stay at the principal hotel and visit graphite for breakfast , lunch, dinner or a night cap read more

Graphite - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

Went here for our anniversary. What a wonderful little gem!! Service was friendly and excellent!! Food was served to order and very good!! Recommend the Spinach Artichoke Dip. Both the pita bread and dip were served warm. Very good choice!! Steaks were well cooked and the roasted potatoes were very good!! Ambiance was cozy and cute. Didn't know they had a patio but, when we go back maybe we can eat outside. Highly recommend!! read more

What an amazing spot just across the river! We had blue crab dip with some Home made saltines that were like grown up cheez its. YUM. Sara had a mocktail with berries and lavender lemon while I had a pretty perfect old fashioned. Oh man we split a fried chicken dinner with the creamiest potatoes and green beans and a bay scallops over lemon risotto with charred leek and blistered tomatoes. UHHHH... salivation maximum. Wednesday nights they have a steak and bourbon special I need to check out! Great ambiance and the server and hostess were extremely helpful and fun to interact with. read more

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Great service and good. It's pricey but good for a special night out. Will definitely go back.

This was our first time going to Graphite Restaurant. The food was amazingly delicious. Our serve was friendly, attentive and very good at her job. I definitely recommend you come to Columbia, IL. and experience this delicious menu. read more

We had lunch on a Sunday and we all had sandwiches. Everyone enjoyed theirs and mine was the chicken caprese sandwich and it was delicious. It was not very crowded but it took us a while to get our food. read more

I honestly took a few days to write this review to gather thoughts about the experience. We went there for brunch - that was a great experience. Great service, yummy drinks, and food was enjoyed by adults and kids. The sever was great about giving feedback on drinks and meals to help us decide what to order. We went back for dinner - that just wasn't amazing. We expected it to be like restaurants in St. Louis that locally source their dishes - some extra flair and better service is expected for the price that is paid. It just didn't start out well and never got any better. We were not given menus and our drink order wasn't taken until we asked if we had a waiter/waitress. Someone else took our order and assured us our server would be right over. It took a long time again until someone came to take our order. We had to ask for drink refills because our server never came back to check on us. The worst part was when my husband did not get the meal he actually ordered. They accepted responsibility for the mistake and did give us a replacement meal to take home and complementary dessert, but by that time, we were just done and wanted to leave after a long, lackluster experience. Probably won't go back because service means so much to us - especially give the cost of the meals. read more

When we arrived, we were seated promptly and our outdoor request was granted. Our server--Amanda--greeted us warmly and was a fantastic addition to our Graphite experience. She was kind, knowledgeable, and prompt throughout. We started with the fried calamari--which was delicious the "but" is that there was as much fried kale on the plate as there was calamari. Portion size for the price was unfortunate. The caesar salad was terrific with a nice touch on the anchovy. For our meal, we enjoyed the filet (decent but overpriced, particularly again for the portion); the fried chicken (fantastic and recommended); and a burger (it was a burger!). Drinks were on the pricey side but fine. We concluded with their version of Gooey Butter Cake which was quite tasty. Overall, recommended but bring your wallet. It was expensive enough to consider this an "indulgence," perhaps not for the value but worthy of a try. read more

Our service was great and food was delicious! I loved my Caprese chicken. Light but the pesto gnocchi made it more filling. They just changed their drink menu to Fall-I enjoyed my Apple Mule. A little on the pricier side, but great for a special occasion. read more

Our first trip to Graphite - we live in Columbia, IL and visiting a new restaurant for the first time in your small home town is always very exciting. We took a party of 8 (a challenging size party) out for my daughter's 24th birthday. Where to begin.... First off, the staff - everyone we met was super friendly. We sat at a large table, the silverware, glassware and dishes were all quality, weighty pieces. We ordered appetizers - Brie, toasted ravs and calamari were all good and tasty. The toasted ravs seemed a little light in number - there were only 4 ravs. They were big, but few. The table orders ranged from filets, to ribeyes, to halibut to chicken pot pie. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal. I had the ribeye and I liked it, but it came with a demiglas sauce on it, which wasn't bad necessarily, though I wish I would have read the menu better. The sauce probably isn't necessary, as I am a believer that good steak should stand on its own (maybe just me). So, from and service and food standpoint, all was good and satisfying. We enjoyed the ambience of the place, which was busy (it was Saturday night). The furniture, decor and lighting were all quality and satisfying. It was a little loud - so maybe some changes to dampen sound would be recommended. The absence of the 5th star is mainly due to price. I was the guy handling the bill and was not necessarily upset that there was an automatic 20% gratuity for a party of 8. But....the ribeye was not a $60 meal. It was maybe a strong $40 meal, as one can have a better ribeye for half the price at Tucker's across the river (Tucker's probably puts a lot of pressure on places that attempt to be upscale steak places). I was thinking that I would get out of there for $500-$600 for a party of 8, but I was at $700 (required tip included; I gave a little more as the waitress did a good job). I will go back, but maybe not with 8 folks and probably will order down on the menu a bit and save my steak appetite for Tuckers. read more

Graphite - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

Sunday brunch. The wings were outstanding! Worth the trip over the river. Would like to go back and try lunch/dinner

We sat at the bar. Great atmosphere and our service was exceptional! Delicious food! We really enjoyed our time at Graphite! read more

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Food,service, and ambiance were great. Definitely recommend. It's the nicest restaurant in town

Chris our server was great. Very attentive. My husband had the Cajun pasta and I had the Salmon. Both very good. The after dinner drink of a dirty martini was the best! We sat on the bar side for the first time and it was just as good as in the dining room. read more

Food was good very pricey for Columbia Illinois. Service was excellent. I Went in expecting to order a salmon dish and they changed the menu. Very disappointed so I couldn't order anything else. The menue they had when they first opened was spectacular. Why change perfection. read more

Excellent Brunch! Attentive service and fun booth to seat our family of 6. Highly recommend.

Great food, drinks, and live music on the patio when it's nice. They do great specials and include local businesses like Stumpy's/Old Monroe. read more

The Caesar salad was delicious. The appetizer with Gruyère cheese and bacon Brussels needed a more fondue like texture. The real disappointment was the salmon the risotto was so salty and the rest of the dish had very little flavor. For a birthday dessert I would have preferred something other than a slice and bake cookie. I really wanted to love this place and hope they improve. Looks tasty but needs work. read more

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We had a 6:30 reservation for a party of 6. We were not in a hurry. We ordered drinks and 30 minutes later we had our drinks and were ready to order dinner. We ordered and that is when everything went south. It took an hour and a half to get our food. Tables that were seated well after us were served before us. The manager came by our table twice and the waiter once to apologize for the delay. The food finally came. It was steak night and the steak was mediocre at best. A lot of gristle and no flavor. The manager came by and offered to comp desserts for the delay. We ordered desserts and coffee. My coffee was a cup of hot water, no coffee. When we received our bills, only one dessert was comped for our table of 6. Will not be going back. I gave them a 2 because I don't blame the waiter for the incompetence of the manager and kitchen. read more

What a delight to discover Graphite for a late breakfast! From the extensive coffee selection to the French-inspired menu, this place is certainly a cut above your typical restaurant. A Bellini with breakfast is a treat! The menu prices are perfectly acceptable for the food and ambiance and service . I will certainly be back, and I look forward to sampling their dinner menu. read more

The atmosphere was wonderful. The food was delicious. Service was exceptional. We loved it and will recommend and return. Thank you.

Good was good. Waitress was friendly and businesslike. The atmosphere was very relaxing and the place settings were very nice b

First time to Graphite. Party of 11. Our server Brie was incredible. We never had to search or wait for her - she anticipated each person's needs. The food - not your ordinary fare. Food was truly exceptional and memorable. I had today's special of Mahi-Mahi. Best ever. The restaurant itself is brand new with a very nice ambiance. Cannot say enough good things about it. Will definitely be returning read more