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    Publico

    3.9 (609 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Order Publico Takeout or Delivery

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    PUBLICO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Publico

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    Puffy waffles a la carte
    Chad A.

    Came here for brunch with my wife and I. Prices are quite reasonable, food is tasty and original, and our server (April) was great. Really the only thing I could gig the place on was that all chairs were barstools, but that also means people don't hang out all day and you can go here for lunch after church without a 45 minute wait. Actually, we had no wait time. While I don't drink, their selection of alcoholic drinks is extremely comprehensive, I think it would impress most. Definitely worth going as they offer a military/veteran rate as well :) Enjoy!

    Cynthia E.

    Had a great time at Publico! The staff was festive and friendly, and it was nicely decorated for Christmas. I really enjoyed my meal, which was the Ube bubble waffle with fried chicken. It also had plantains and kimchi - an interesting mix of menu items! This was part of their brunch menu. overall, everything was delicious! I also got the pineapple mimosa which came with a rubber ducky on top. All in all, everyone enjoyed their meal. My only issue was that the kimchi came on top of the waffle which made it extremely soggy and kimchi flavored. So I couldn't eat the whole waffle. It also had some of the sauce from the plantains on the waffle as well. So I would say to serve the waffle on a different plate in the future.

    shrimp poke bowl

    the food was so terrible. Our bao buns were burnt, and you truly can't call them poke bowls if they have just two pieces of shrimp in it... really disappointed and even the prices weren't justifiable for the experience. Nice atmosphere though and staff were kind.

    4x2$ Medeteranian Tofu )delight)
    Jack R.

    Taco Monday, chef special: Medeteranian Tofu. Vegetarian & Vegan Heaven right here in river city. First rule of best places - see Fight Club.

    Manchurian Scorpion taco
    Donnie F.

    Sunday Funday in full effect so I decided to take the wife to Publico ... unfortunately the air wasn't working and the wife was not to thrilled ... for my app I ordered the Spicy Turkey Gyoza ... they were bomb .. wish they had a dipping sauce but they were fresh and very flavorful and they weren't over fried and they aren't spicy lol ... for my meal .. I ordered the Manchurian scorpion that has real scorpion ... the Bang Shrimp ... and the Hot Honey Yuzu .. it came with a side I got the plantain from my wife's order and personally ordered fries... didn't plan on drinks but order the Spicy Cantaloupe Cooler because of the mezcal ... Up first the Scorpion taco .. first and foremost if you don't like spicy don't order lol .. not season as much as I wouldn't liked but it's not bad ... up next the HotHoney ... once again no wow factor .. the honey was good but it was missing the hot :( .. they say 3rd time the charm .. and it was the bang shrimp was AWESOME.. flavorful and seasoned .. my personal favorite.. our waitress was also very good considering the air wasn't working lol ... lunch DT is always good over being able to see 5 points in the day time lol iykyk... I will be bacc now that I know to order ... till next time

    Tostada salad
    Amanda P.

    This was the first time I came back to publico in over a year and I had a great experience! There was a 30-45 minute wait on a Sunday night when we came, but it went faster than I thought. I honestly forgot about how wide of a range the menu is, there really is something for everyone here. I had the trio and tostada salad. The salad was amazing, super filling and I loved the salsa. However, I do think there is better queso in town, so next time I'd love to try a new appetizer. All in all I think this is definitely a great place to come to with a group of friends, especially this time of year since they are all decked out with christmas decorations and have fun christmas cocktails!!

    Nacho fries and Santa!
    Raymond M.

    Great atmosphere! Next, the food we had today tasted wonderful! Finally, Mia was a WONDERFUL server which was helpful since we stopped by today for our first ever visit to Publico. She made sure to explain all of the food and drink options to us, had a great attitude, and made sure we had everything we needed. Here is a picture of the Nacho Fries next to a lovely Santa mug. The picture doesn't do justice. I was dipping jalepeños in the base because it was so tasty!

    Fried cauliflower
    Adrianna S.

    Great spot in 5 Points. Large outdoor area with some games like Jenga and Connect 4. Service was great- friendly and fast. On Thursdays, they have pitchers of beer for $15. You get about 4 beers out of it. Food was good. Not amazing but good. They have some fun tacos. Salad and cauliflower bites were lacking in flavor. Could have used more dressing or seasoning on the salad. But lots of outdoor seating and a great spot to spend a nice afternoon or evening.

    Bar area
    Tania M.

    We were thrilled when we stopped into to Publico to check it out for dinner. The decor and ambience is awesome. We were greeted and sat right away. Everyone we encountered was so friendly and welcoming. Our server was fantastic. We ordered a couple of tacos and a burrito. Delicious! The menu is full of drink specials and lots of yummy options. We will definitely be back!

    Tsai-Anne J.

    Any place that has a server that is super aware of what is gluten free is a win for me. I love the atmosphere here. The tacos I had were good especially the birria. The margarita was also great. My friend really enjoyed her ramen but not the seltzer she chose.

    Birria quesadilla and House Kimchi

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    The Food it's good, the atmosphere and the service are great they have a nice outside are. We had a great time.

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    Page 1 of 16

    Ask the Community - Publico

    Where can you buy the coconut ghost chile sauce? Or, does anyone know the brand since they don't make it in-house?

    you can buy it at publico! they have packaged hot sauces you can buy individually.

    Hi! Is there a kids menu? Or will the kitchen accommodate making a plain burger or taco?

    There are some kid options. When we went my kid got a cheese quesadilla.

    View All 4 Questions

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    Kao Thai Cuisine - Crispy Brussels Sprouts

    Kao Thai Cuisine

    4.1(206 reviews)
    1.0 mi
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    This was my first time eating at Kao, and as someone who absolutely loves Thai food, I was really…read moreexcited to try it. The atmosphere was amazing, a cozy quaint spot in a what seemed to be a great part of the city. The bar was nice and overall decor of the restaurant was eclectic without feeling overdone. Our server (I believe her name was Havvy), was pleasant as well. We started with the crab rangoons and spring rolls. The crab rangoons were a 10/10, and the spring rolls were solid as well. I'd definitely order both again. I ordered the pad kapow, which is my go-to dish I like to start with at any new Thai restaurant. The presentation of the rice was really cute and the dish itself was rich and full of flavor. My husband ordered the pineapple fried rice with beef, it was phenomenal, just as flavorful and satisfying. We ordered cocktails as well, which were made perfectly, and since it was our anniversary, we treated ourself to the coconut cake. After the first bite, I wasn't sure about the cake, but by the second bite I was SOLD. If you're looking for a laidback, non-pretentious spot to enjoy a great meal, cocktails or even just a small bite, I definitely recommend.

    KAO is a nice little date-night spot right off Main Street. It's "fancier Thai" kind of like Basil…read morewhich is located in Forest Acres. How did it hold up? Pros: - Fair prices (it is considered "fancier") - Fun cocktails - Food was great - Seating was nice and spaced out (not super close to anyone) - Cons: - Food Menu was typical for Thai I'd overall recommend KAO. It's in a great location for downtown (super close to the beginning of mainstreet) and it's a fun little date night. I had the drunken noodles with chicken and my date had shrimp/chicken padthai. They were both really solid. Not like...amazingly phenomenal, but a really tasty dinner. I recently went to 929 and was glad to not be sitting right beside someone. It was nice to be able to have a conversation without hearing other people's.

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    Kao Thai Cuisine - Dining Area

    Dining Area

    Kao Thai Cuisine - Pineapple Fried Rice

    Pineapple Fried Rice

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    Antai Asian Dining

    Antai Asian Dining

    4.3(158 reviews)
    10.2 mi
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    My wife and I tried Antai Asian Dining for the first time on a Friday night, and we were seriously…read moreimpressed. From the moment we pulled up, the exterior set the tone -- very clean and inviting. Even with the Friday night rush, the hostess was warm and welcoming and got us seated quickly and efficiently, which we really appreciated. Our waitress was outstanding. She was attentive without being overbearing, checked on us consistently, and helped guide us through the menu with great recommendations. We started with the lobster spring rolls and a salmon roll. The spring rolls were crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and packed with large chunks of lobster -- not skimpy at all. The salmon roll was some of the freshest sushi I've had in a long time. For my entrée, I ordered the walnut shrimp. The shrimp were gigantic, perfectly cooked, and the sauce was so good I literally slapped the table. No shame. We will absolutely be back. If you're looking for great Asian fusion with excellent service and fresh ingredients, Antai delivers.

    Pros: Appetizers came quickly. Food was all delicious. Shrimp were clean and large in the Pad Thai…read more Orange chicken was enough to share. Cons: Terrible parking with very narrow spaces. Appetizers came quickly, but entrees were delivered only to 4 of the 6 people, leaving the other 2 waiting for over 15 minutes without food because sushi wasn't made in a timely manner (they weren't even that busy when we sat down). We asked for some accommodation and th3 waitress said that they wouldn't adjust the bill. I asked for the manager and she said she'd get him but she knew he would say no. Manager eventually came out and said, "I'll see what I can do." Don't leave your customers hanging like that. He ultimately DID make an adjustment to the check, so that was good, but the process to get there was unecessary.

    Photos
    Antai Asian Dining - Great spot. Good food, attentive service. This will be a 'spot' for us when we're in the area.

    Great spot. Good food, attentive service. This will be a 'spot' for us when we're in the area.

    Antai Asian Dining - Caterpillar Roll & Shrimp Tempura Roll

    Caterpillar Roll & Shrimp Tempura Roll

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    Miyo's - Godzilla Tempura

    Miyo's

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    This is the best Asian food I've had in Columbia so far. I consider myself a Hot and Sour soup…read moreconnoisseur. They have the best I've ever had. I lived in California before moving here so I've had my share of Asian food. Good and bad. This is also one of the few places here that serves moo shu. Very, very good food.

    A friend and I went here because she had seen some comments on Columbia foodies about how great the…read morefood was. We came in last minute and it was packed. But we were able to get a table fairly quickly. We ordered the Vietnamese spring rolls, which by far for the highlight of the evening. The sauce is addictive and I could have eaten three orders of these. My friend ordered the spider roll and I ordered the volcano roll and the Palmetto roll. The Palmetto roll had honey on it, which I didn't think about but the sweet mixed with the fish was not my thing. The volcano roll was absolutely delicious but know that it's pretty heavily covered in the mayo and eel sauce so if you don't want a ton of extra calories, you could ask for it on the side. My friend spider roll was super fishy. I'm glad we went, but not sure that it would be worth a trip back. The restaurant was clean and nice, but the bathroom has seen better days and there was blood on the walls so it was just really weird. Luckily went to the restroom at the end of the evening. So it didn't impact my appetite.

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    Miyo's - Inside dining room

    Inside dining room

    Miyo's - Palmetto roll

    Palmetto roll

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    Goat's - Mussels and frites

    Goat's

    4.5(197 reviews)
    0.1 mi
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    The bar is everything I look for from a cocktail bar - spacious yet cozy, dark with enough light to…read moreread what's in front of you, and quality drink. The cocktails were the star of the night - ranging from $11 to $13 - both their classics and house creations were well balanced and worth trying. Table service was provided with attentive wait staff who weren't overbearing. The only miss for the night was the food. While certain items like the fries and the Brussels sprouts were great, other items like the burger and duck tacos didn't hit the mark with a burger that was too dry and overly charred and the tacos which were too gamey and could have used a some more acid. For a drink I'd certainly visit again, but would likely pass on food.

    We came here for dinner and drinks on a date night. The environment is nice and cozy and when you…read morewalk in you see a beautiful dessert display! We of course had to try a slice of peanut butter cake. My husband loved it (he picked the dessert). I picked our drinks and they have an excellent drink variety. We started our meal with the queso tots and they were delicious! Wiped them out! I ordered the lobster mac and cheese and he got the philly cheesesteak. He absolutely raved about his sandwich and said it was the best he ever had. I wouldn't order the lobster mac again but it was presented beautifully. I look forward to going back and trying the mussels. I saw many of those orders coming out and definitely looked so good! Great spot to check out for drinks, desserts, and a bite!

    Photos
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    Goat's - Brussels sprouts

    Brussels sprouts

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    Publico - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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