This place is mostly a bar. Not many tables. Extensive selection of whiskeys in every style priced pretty high. Their beer selection is extensive and also a little steep. They did have a $4 special on a certain bottled craft beer. For dinner, I started with a deviled egg, it was fabulous. I then had a pulled pork sandwich which was pretty good, but not the best I've ever had. Not real smokey and pre-sauced. I also ordered the southern poutine. It was awesome. Hand cut fries, covered in bacon gravy and cheese curds. Large portions on everything. read more

Sidebar On Main - Pulled pork sandwich and southern poutine. - Bars Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

I had returned around August-September of 2018, again to visit my folks, and I came here again. It was a little livelier this time. There were some folks around my age(42) and younger there, so I was able to converse with them about the developing downtown area and other happenings. The manager and the other staff were engaging and recommending different types of local area beers which were awesome. I had the Barbacoa tacos and they were the joint. If I could've gotten away with being a glutton I would've ordered 4 more but I wanted to keep it cool, ha ha...the decor was still awesome and they actually had a nice crowd on the outside seating area this time around...this is my favorite spot in Sumter now...every time I come home I will be sure to hit this place up...you guys rock!!! read more

I ordered the chicken plate and the husband ordered the fried bologna sandwich. The chicken was tender, moist and flavorful. I wanted another quarter. The sandwich - perfect blend of meat, cheese and BBQ sauce. The decor and atmosphere is fun, industrial and vintage. Service was a little lacking. Banana pudding was delish. read more

After attempting to call in an order about 5 times unsuccessfully because they were not answering their phone we decided to just go over to eat. While we got our water and orders placed relatively quickly, we sat for over an hour after ordering without receiving even our appetizer. Our waitress did not come to our table at all during this time to let us know they were running behind or anything. We ended up leaving (mind you I have never walked out of a restaurant for bad service) and went to J'Ogrady's which was also very busy and received our appetizer within 5 minutes of arriving. Sad to say this place went downhill fast, we will not be going back which is very unfortunate because we previously really liked the food. read more

For there being so little in the area, this place was awesome. Best pulled pork sandwich ever eaten with an extensive list of beers. Awesome place to stop for southern food and drinks, but there isn't a lot of table space so get there before the crowds if you want to eat. read more

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Love this place! Come with your kids and get some drinks! Lovely BBQ and spirit selection. Waitstaff is very attentive and friendly. I got the bbq sandwich - pulled pork on a brioche bun - and absolutely loved it. My husband got the Burger of The Month, which is a Bacon Burger at the moment and said it was the best burger in Sumter. Coming back tonight for Wing Wednesday! read more

Nice place with a rustic feel. We stopped in while our vehicle was getting serviced at a dealership nearby, and we were not disappointed. They had a good menu and very friendly staff. read more

Sidebar On Main - Bars Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

Decent brunch menu, good drink specials. Ordered brisket hash. Outdoor patio was a great option for the warmer winter weather. Definitely will be back. read more

Sidebar On Main - Outdoor, sidewalk patio - Bars Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

Husband and I always make it a point to come here once a month at a minimum just to try their burger of the month. The brisket egg rolls are amazing! Brisket anything is a win here. Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Casual and upbeat atmosphere. read more

It was nice they were open during the current COVID conditions. Unfortunately the food was expensive and less than spectacular. The service felt forced, perhaps they were stressed. read more

No longer carry the brisket egg rolls. Out of four meals three were cold and inedible. The chips and queso, though the chips were burnt, were the only half decent thing. read more

I've been here twice and everything I've gotten has been good. The menu is not overly priced and the food is hot. Staff is nice. I would recommend this place and I would go back. Far better than the Hamptons! read more

Everything on the menu is a YES! The brisket nachos are awesome. The shrimp, wings, turkey panini, sweet potato fries, hush puppies...I mean literally everything is really good! My sisters want to eat here every time they come to visit! The drinks are refreshing as well. The blueberry bourbon smash is my favorite! read more

I have tried so hard to want to support local in Sumter. This restaurant was fabulous a year ago as we moved from a major city in the U.S. Not sure what has happened, but it's progressively declined in service. Tonight was my final try. Our service was pretty awful. Waited patiently for quite awhile to even order. The server was not attentive in the least even after I had gone inside to look for someone to take our order...and I was actually very patient in my request. This restaurant could be thriving. I want places like these to succeed in downtown Sumter! If they are run like this, I'm afraid it will not survive. Food was fine---I love their hand-cut fries. Bad service=no repeat customers. read more

UPDATE: We gave this place another try to see if things had gotten better. The service was actually much better this time around. The waitress was very attentive and checked on us often. However, the item I wanted from the menu online was not available and I was told the menu changes often. It's annoying that the website is not updated to reflect that. So I just ordered the Southwestern Spring Rolls and Corn Hushpuppies. They were just okay. The Corn Hushpuppies were mostly bread with a few kernels of corn. You get 5 per order. They were pretty large. The Spring Rolls were decent, you get 3 cut in halves so 6 total pieces. I added a star for the better service but the food is really not great. I realized I wasn't missing much and will probably not come back again. Nice atmosphere for drinks at the bar with friends though. PREVIOUS REVIEW: My BF and I visited a couple of weeks ago for a late lunch. There were only 2 tables occupied and 2 employees working. When we walked in, no one greeted us even though they looked at us. We stood at the front waiting for some kind of acknowledgement. About 2 minutes later the lady behind the bar told us to sit anywhere we wanted. We chose the back table. She brought us menus and took our drink order. I requested water and she brought a glass bottle to the table. My BF ordered a plain burger and I ordered the smoked chicken plate. The food took a little longer than I had expected (since the place was so empty) but was decent when it arrived. The chicken was juicy and the hush puppies were pretty good. The reason for the low rating is due to service and cleanliness. The waitress was apparently sick (not sure if it was a cold or sinuses). She kept blowing her nose behind the bar and I never saw her leave to wash her hands before she came back to our table. While waiting for the food I felt something biting me so I went to the bathroom. Something small and black jumped out when I lifted my shirt. I had bites all over the top part of my chest. I suspect it was a flea. (I don't have any pets and I didn't have any issues before I walked into the restaurant). Also, I noticed both the guy and the lady picking up the glass bottles from the other tables as people left and filling them up in the sink at the back of the restaurant (in plain view) without washing them. I'm sure no one drank directly from the bottles but I would think they would still clean them after each use. The food was good but I would not eat here again. The place is nice though and I would consider coming back for drinks at the bar. I'm disappointed because there are so few options in Sumter. I was hoping this would be our new fave spot. Maybe it was just an off day for them. read more

Quite a bit disappointed. On a rare date night the hubs and I sat down on the outdoor patio during an equally rare not sweltering Summer's evening. Our server was very attentive for the first half of our visit but literally disappeared with the sunset for the second half of service. There was only one server for the packed outdoor patio and everyone seemed to be waiting- for beverages, food, checks, etc. Hubby had to go inside and track down someone to bring us our check after we waited 15 minutes past finishing our meals and drinks with not a server in sight. I was impressed with their booze selection and tried two new beers that I really loved. But the food, gah, the food!!! So bad. Any southern establishment ought to be ashamed to serve a chicken sandwich of such low caliber. It was a rubbery, tasteless cut and thinner than anything served at McDonalds. My shrimp lettuce wraps were chilly, blandly pickled sad shrimps with a purported spicy sauce that in actuality had no spice. The hush puppies though? Perfect. Large and perfectly fried. It's like the chef spent a decade as a fry cook and has no idea how to pull off the main menu here. Very disappointed. Not sure we will be back unless something draws us downtown for a beverage. read more

I was only in Sumter for a day and a half, and saw this place on Sunday and was really disappointed they were closed. Luckily we time to come back on Monday, and I'm very glad I did. Four of us each got the brisket sandwich, and we all thought it was one of the best we'd ever had. I particularly enjoyed the mustard based bbq sauce I put on mine. The sweet tea was also excellent. I'm not sure if I'll ever be in Sumter again, but if I am, I know where I'm having lunch. read more

What a great find! Superb food, great cocktails, and an extensive beer list. Bourbon cocktails to start were outstanding and refreshing on warm summer afternoon. I loved that I found some local IPAs that were perfect with my food. One based on a server's suggestion was very good. The food was outstanding...slow smoked meats turkey and brisket were perfect in the nachos and a brisket sandwich to die for! Excellent and friendly service and a nice outdoor space make this a gem in a soon to be budding downtown! Don't miss it! read more

Nice industrial style decor....the bar staff is friendly...a nice spot to sit & drink wine and watch the day....a little pricey on the wine & spirits. I would come back. read more

Sidebar is a fun little place to go have dinner and a beer. We love the fries. They have a great selection of beers. Nice outdoor seating, great atmosphere and friendly, attentive service. Great place to go for casual dining. You will not be disappointed in their menu and beer selection. read more

Meh...it was ok at best. I got the smoked chicken and to be honest it was a bit dry. I also had the Cole Slaw and it's not anything you can get at your local grocery store. For the price, I had much higher hopes. The bar has an abundance of drink options even if you don't like bourbon. read more

Service is seemingly effortless! Coming from someone in the food business that's a big statement. I have thoroughly enjoyed the sidebar. Ridiculous collection of bourbon! Chicken and waffles is no joke! I highly recommend! read more

Happened by this place and felt right at home, even brought the dog a water bowl. Service was outstanding did not wait for anything and food was wonderful. read more

Love going here for a great selection of beer. And the food is good also. Have tried just about everything in the menu but the pulled pork nachos is my favorite. More like a flat bread pizza. Great gathering place for friends and family! read more

This place was absolutely amazing. We had the ribs and brisket. It was truly the best I have ever had. The Moon pie dessert, brought back memories of my childhood. Fantastic!!! I can't say enough about this place. The décor alone is worth checking out. Out bartender Grey was wonderful and very welcoming. This place is a definite must when you are in town. I will admit that I am tempted to load up a cooler to bring some brisket and ribs back to Illinois. Unbelievable food. read more

Sumter needs more places like this. Great atmosphere, good food, good drink selection. Could use a few larger tables, but otherwise a nice casual bar-type place for drink and food. read more

Finally a local restaurant in Sumter with character, extensive drink menu, and decent Southern food. Brisket sandwich was delicious and the rib basket was generous. The hushpuppies are large and not too greasy. The service is wonderful and was flexible with my inability to settle on a beer. We will definitely be back. read more

Sidebar is a great new place in downtown Sumter. Great beer selection, excellent food, and top notch service. Hope to see more like it in downtown in the future. The only real downside is that there is limited seating. Usually can find a table or place at the bar, but it can easily get packed. Portions are not huge, but it is really good food. read more

Seems like a nice place trying hard to attract a quality crowd in a depressed area. City needs to clean up the block if it expects to grow its customer base. Outdoor seating is a plus but would benefit from enclosing from the pedestrian traffic. Food was of expected quality. Good luck. Hope it works out for you. read more

I must say I am very disappointed with this establishment. I've eaten here on several occasions and with the food and service have been pleased. Today, however I took my boss and another co-worker (their first visit ever) and the service was horrible, the waitress was not on point at all and the food was not appealing. We sat down at the table about 1:10 p.m. and did not receive our food until 2:10 p.m. with no apology for the lateness and our drinks were flat and tasted as if they had been left out all night long. My boss ordered a burger and paid extra to have an egg cooked well done on top of the burger, but he received a half cooked burger with a raw egg on top. When it was brought to the waitress attention, she made a smart remark that "it didn't look like anything was wrong with it to her and that the egg was not raw" No effort to apologize or even try to resolve the issue, so my boss just scraped the raw egg off of his burger and ate what he could in the few short minutes that we had left of our lunch. I was very displeased with how my guest were treated after I had put this place on the top of my recommendation list for them to try. Of course their response to their first visit is that they will never return to the establishment and at this point I won't be either. I do realize it won't make a bit of difference to them because they will still make their money at the end of the day but for me it's about the quality of service and how you handle your customers. read more

This place is pretty awesome. They have a huge beer selection and great food. The menu isn't huge, but there is something for everyone. They even have adult milkshakes! My only wish is that they could do something about the flies in the outdoor seating. They have seating close to the street and people didn't seem too bothered over there, but the seating right in front of the door has a major fly problem. read more