A True Southern Gem in Sumter Simply Southern Bistro absolutely deserves all five stars. Every time I walk through the door, I'm greeted with warm hospitality and the kind of service that makes you feel like family. The food is consistently outstanding--fresh, flavorful, and made with real Southern heart. Whether it's their perfectly seasoned entrées, the homemade sides, or those desserts you can't say no to, everything tastes like it came straight from someone's kitchen who knows what they're doing. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, perfect for a casual lunch or a relaxed dinner. You can tell the staff takes pride in what they do, and it shows in both the service and the quality of the food. Sumter has plenty of places to eat, but Simply Southern Bistro stands out as one of the best. If you want a meal that hits the spot every single time, this is the place. Highly recommend. read more

The food is ok. The menu items are kinda weird takes on southern dishes. It's like they are trying too hard to be different but southern. The prices are way too high as well. It's crazy expensive and that makes it not worth it imo. They could definitely lower their prices but it's like they are trying to be some place that only "high society" people go. read more

What a gem! Located in a small strip mall. Food is excellent. Try the She Crab soup. Absolutely delicious. You will want seconds. Clean and quaint. Service is very attentive. We will definitely be back. read more

Excellent! The staff were attentive and friendly. There wasn't a long wait and the food was to die for. Every bite was soon good. I can see why the place is so busy. I wish I lived closer. I will stop by next time I'm in town. read more

This restaurant is located in Sumter in a little strip mall. It gives off a diner vibe with the setup of booths and tables. Service was quick and accurate. Now for the important part, the food! Delicious! I had the Cranberry turkey melt with cucumber and tomato as a side. The turkey was full of flavor and thickly sliced. The bacon on the sandwich was crispy and everything else on the sandwich tied it all together, so every bite was full of flavor. Cucumber tomato salad had tons of crisp Cucumbers and juicy tomatoes. Husband had chicken and biscuit ( half size). He stared chicken was juicy, and the sauce made it even better. He had the fried mac and cheese as a side and that crispy, creamy, and delicious! He did say that he was glad he only got the half portion as portion was large and filling! We also tried the key lime cake and it was amazing! We will definitely be back here when we pass through this way! read more

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Local family owned with consistent service and food. Always a great menu along with weekly specials. Last week we had corn ribs for a starter and oh my goodness! Delicious! read more

Good food and great service.highly recommend this place .price is reasonable . Always clean and orderly

The food menu had something for everyone's palette. Starters, salads and soups, full plate dinners and sandwiches. I opted for the Turkey Cranberry melt on toast and a side of fried green tomatoes. The bread was toasted just right, the turkey plentiful, bacon crispy and the cheese nice and gooey, it tasted awesome. The fried green tomatoes were nice and firm inside a light seasoned coating. The sweet mango chutney was a nice compliment and offset the ever so slightly greasy tomatoes. My dining companions opted for the boneless pork chop, mashed potatoes and farmer's salad; turkey breast dinner, baked sweet potato, green beans; all looked delicious. Service was great and give it a 9.9./10. Not perfect as our waitress forgot to tell us her name. That said, she was delightful and very accommodating. A very clean venue with that small town homey feel. Definitely will go again and highly recommend you give it a try No photos as we were too hungry to take any. Lol read more

Food was amazing. Had the fried porkchops with collards. My husband had the crab cakes. Food was amazing. Staff was extremely attentive.

Omg just omg The best homemade food I ever had The prices were so cheep for all that food at buffet you have to try this food you won't regret it. read more

Simply Southern Bistro - Southern Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

Used to be our go-to favorite Friday date night location. It Has taken for EVER to get our food 2 times in a row now. We eat early before any crowd is in (if there ever is a "crowd" we don't see it) and it still takes forever to get our food. Our food got there before the appetizer tonight. They also took off the best salad they had on the menu and the fries used to have a tasty bbq flavor dry seasoning and now they are boring. Sadly won't be back anymore. read more

Pretty good, just a lot of food so come hungry. Daughter and I were in the area and went for an early dinner pretty average service but good food. read more

Simply Southern Bistro - Southern Fried Pickles - Southern Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

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Amazing restaurant, attentive staff, excellent food. Nice local place to eat. The dill salmon, fried macaroni and cheese, and sautéed vegetables are to die for. read more

Service was great! We rolled in about quarter till three so we were just about the only patrons. My wife had their signature cheeseburger. It was quite large and she enjoyed it. One daughter had the crabcakes; the other daughter had a salmon entrée. Everyone except me had their sweet potato fries; they were a hit! I had their Mexican salad. It was OK, but for the price I was expecting something much larger. If you're looking for fast, friendly service and middle of the road food, the bistro delivers! Sorry no pics! I wasn't intending on giving a review. read more

The food and service has improved from what used to be hit or miss. The staff is friendly and accommodating. The hours are hit or miss. If the open sign is ON, they are open. Like Willy Sue's, I wish there was a consistent bottled wine list. We usually order the Dark Horse Chardonnay, it's ok for the price point. The options are limited and list is not always accurate. read more

I was excited when I saw their advertisements for smoked oxtails. While waiting, someone from the kitchen talked about how good they were and that they were "fork tender".... She must've had a different batch because mine are TOUGH! They're extremely overcooked!! They are seasoned rather nicely.. They have some barbecue sauce (which I've never had on oxtails)... maybe I'll try something else on a different visit... these are not worth $23! Picture is the portion size! read more

Stopped for lunch. Had brisket, shrimp poboy, greens, Mac and cheese and cucumber salad. Everything was very very good and the service was excellent read more

Food was very good, Service was excellent, Casual atmosphere. Menu has a nice selection. read more

Simply Southern Bistro - Fried Seafood Platter- Flounder, Shrimp, Oysters, Mac & Cheese, Squash - Southern Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

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I took off my sunglasses upon walking in, and for a second, I l thought about turning around and walking back out. Physically the restaurant doesn't scream "Soul food!". I decided to try them anyway. Full fried pork chop entree Prime rib sandwich was good, though the meat could have been a bit more tender. The mushrooms, au jus, and fries were great. Seafood platter with flounder, shrimp, and extra shrimp since oysters were all gone...the batter is delicious. and all were very well seasoned, hot and crunchy! Everything was delicious Ma. read more

This is THE best she crab soup I have ever tasted. I am an Indian person, so I brought my husband from Iowa to taste and he is in love with this soup. read more

Simply Southern Bistro - She crab soup. - Southern Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

Don't recommend for the price, quality, and quantity. The server, Max was prompt and polite but the food did not measure up at all. I ordered the Southern Pie with fried mac and cheese. The fried mac and cheese was ok, lil too greasy because the serving cup had a thin layer of grease at the bottom but over all, mid-tier. The southern pie was a complete let down, not inedible mind you, just flavorless. It's a cup of pan fried ground beef, sautéed onions, and corn with a scoop of seemingly instant mashed potatoes on top covered on cheese. Sounds good, right? Nope. The meat was flavorless, I added as much salt as to enhance the flavor and not taste like salt. To illustrate in your mind, it had the flavor of a elementary school lunch. I'd be willing to try again but honestly, not impressed with all the high level reviews. To add, they only have beer and wine and no cocktails. read more

Simply Southern Bistro - Southern Pie with Fried Mac & Cheese - Southern Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

Had a delicious lunch today here with great service as well. Our table had the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, the Prime Rib Dip sandwich and a Salmon dinner. All were very good ! The Buffalo Chicken sandwich has a batter, not breaded. Makes a big difference, and the honey buffalo sauce was memorable. They also put an extra chicken breast to the side of the sandwich, which was very generous and appreciate. Having that for dinner. The salmon was perfectly cooked and came with seasonal vegetables zucchini squash julienned with onions, mushrooms and some spices. It was a stand alone great feature on its own. This is a very good food casual, friendly restaurant. read more

This is easily the best food I have ever eaten. You can taste the love in every bite. So much flavor and well done southern comfort food. I had the special- Brisket Mac'n'Cheese and shared an appetizer of friend pickles with a coworker. We struggled to decide what to eat on the menu because everything looked so good. The wait staff was impeccable and described how the foods were cooked (making them sound even more appealing). I'm in the area for work and didn't really know anything about this place, but let me tell you.... I'll be back multiple times before I have to go home next week so I can have more items from the amazing menu. read more

Simply Southern Bistro - Southern Fried Pickles - Southern Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

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Clueless why this has such high reviews. Questions I had for my waitress about the food were left mostly unanswered, nor was there any interest in finding those answers. It was 3 dollars more to replace a side for a side salad, chose to do so and was given an incredibly small salad (very fresh though), didn't make any sense why the side salad would cost so much extra. Ordered a 10 oz ribeye medium rare, received a well done steak that was clearly overcooked, probably due to the fact that it had to be the thinnest ribeye I've ever been served, there was no way that steak was more than 5-6 ounces. The server didn't come check on me until I had eaten most of my food, so I let her know my honest opinion, she asked if I wanted a new steak but I did not have time to wait for another plus I ate most of it anyways. No apology, no adjusting ticket for the inconvenience, will never eat here again. read more

My husband and I were driving through Sumter,SC at dinner time and decided to yelp it for a place to eat. Picked Simply Southern Bistro and I'm happy we did. My husband got prime rib sandwich and mac and cheese balls. He said the sandwich was delicious. I ordered the roast turkey, cranberry sauce, cheese and bacon sandwich and fried green tomatoes. Both were very good. The fried green tomatoes were the best I've had for a while so was kinda disappointed there were only 2 slices. We got coconut cake and banana pudding cake to try later so will have to let you know! Our waitress was very attentive. read more

As soon as we walked into the restaurant, there was an old house smell. However, we were greeted by a very nice gentleman upon entering the restaurant. He made us feel very welcome! It was southern hospitality at its finest! Our waitress was very nice and pleasant. Unfortunately, there was no fabulous ambiance in the restaurant. We wanted to order an appetizer, but there was a lot of fried food...which, I must admit, fried food is southern for sure! My husband and I shared a sandwich. It was OK, nothing super memorable. They were out of the bottle of wine we ordered from the menu, but the waitress did offer something similar. They were out of straws for our water. I heard the waitress almost ask the table next to us if they wanted dessert, but then she stopped herself to say, they were out of dessert. Not sure what all this means, but I definitely expected more based on the reviews! read more

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Food has always been phenomenal when I've visited Simply Southern Bistro. Service is spot on in a very comfortable atmosphere.

At best 2stars. The Food: Bland Bland Bland The Staff: Extremely nice and friendly. This town has limited options but I wouldn't pick this one again. read more

Good service. But....no real options for vegan or vegetarian diets. Maybe they will consider options to provide a more inclusive menu.

The food is good. I do not recommend the grits. They were incredibly thick dry and unseasoned. Large chunks of undercooked onion made it hard to eat. Other menu options were good. I do suggest they paint the walls, or at a minimum wash the walls and decor. This should be done on a regular basis. Especially in a restaurant. Servers are great! read more

I have dined here a few times for lunch. The alligator bites are my favorite. The duck sandwich is delicious as well.

Well it started off kind of rocky. I called ahead for a pick up order. I was told it would be 15 mins. I thought perfect timing! It will take me 15mins to get there. Got there and had to wait another 20 mins on my food. Not a good look. Seeing that the place was not packed. The waitress was extra sweet about it. Hospitality was good while I waited. The place was clean. The traffic flow is not bad as they have a separate entries for dining in and call in orders. From the looks of the picture of what I ordered. The wait should be worth it right... I ordered the Sheppard Pie with fried Mac and cheese balls. When I say. It was not worth the wait. I got the meal. And maybe I have never ordered Sheppard Pie to go in a restaurant but it was not right. The ground beef was very hot. The mash potatoes was cold and the two slices of cheese on top was cold. Although with the mix together was a pleasant taste, Needless to say the presentation of the meal was not good. My fried Mac and cheese balls were cold. I had to warm them when I got home. I just was not pleased with my meal. Oh but the red velvet cake, I would pay another $6.50 for a slice because it was beyond flavorful. Kudos to the baker of the cake. Good customer service and the dessert saved this trip from being a 1. Hope it was a fluke. read more

Simply Southern Bistro - Southern Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

The food here is really good (especially the salmon with dill sauce and the pimiento cheese burger.) The biscuits are excellent. The interior is ok - just linoleum floors, vinyl booths, and some tables. If you're looking for a place where the locals go, this is a good option! read more

We came here based on the reviews and were not disappointed. We asked first for the hush puppies and were told they were out of the maple butter, so we accepted plain butter. When the order came, our server said they mixed up some maple butter for us! That's service! They even gave us extra butter. I ordered the fried pork chop with sautéed veggies and Mac and cheese as my sides. The veggies were more steamed than sautéed, but they were crisp tender. The pork chop was crunchy and tender, and the gravy full of flavor. The Mac and cheese was very good. He enjoyed his grilled chicken sandwich, though the portion of fries was pretty small. read more

What an amazing place to eat in a small quaint town. For appetizers, we had fried oysters, fried green tomatoes and fried pickles. All were amazing. For a main course I chose the half order of shrimp and grits which may I say was plenty and I'm not sure what the full order looks like, but I was a little scared. My girlfriend had one of the specials which was a country fried ham, and that was also cooked to perfection moist not dry like most places. We strongly recommend this place. Amazing food at great prices. read more

We are from the north and wanted to find hardcore southern food - look no further - this place recommended by local bar tender at hotel we stayed at - my picky daughter even liked it - which is a plus! I had the boiled shrimp with smoked sausage and cheesy grits - incredible - try to find that in Indiana - zero chance! read more

Simply Southern Bistro - Boiled shrimp with smoked sausage over grits! - Southern Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

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Had lunch there today best pulled pork hash and rice you will ever eat absolutely amazing and the smoked cabbage took the meal over the top.

First, I'm not a typically high rater; 4 stars is good. Always on the lookout when traveling for good but quick food, other than the typical fast food places. On a visit to Sumter, saw this place and decided to try it. Good choice. Good menu selections, not bad prices, decent customer service. A little off the beaten path but not too hard to find. Bottom line, good place and wouldn't hesitate to go back again. read more

This was our 2nd visit and our 2nd time loving it! The food and the service was great! My mom is usually a handful but our server Megan knew just how to take care of her and make her smile! The hamburger steak could have used a little more onions and maybe some mushrooms but my dad cleaned his plate so it must have been good! As for the seafood pasta and pizza? Chef's kiss! So delicious! I highly recommend this place and will definitely be back. read more

Simply Southern Bistro - Hamburger steak on mashed potatoes (also a side salad you can't see here), seafood pizza, and seafood pasta - Southern Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

My wife and I were driving around Sumter when we decided to check out a new place for dinner. I found Simply Southern Bistro on Yelp and we headed over to the restaurant. From the outside, it looks nondescript. We weren't sure what to think but headed in anyway. As I read over the menu, I was tempted by every item I looked at. It was truly a case of everything sounding delicious and intriguing. We started with an order of the smoked duck and sausage wontons. WOW! What a fabulous start to our meal!!! We were served a total of four wontons and each of us would consider ordering multiples of this appetizer to make a meal out of them. My wife ordered the Pimento Cheese Burger with a side of fries for her entree. I went with the Pork Belly Burger and a side of fried okra. The portion sizes were nothing short of huge. I struggled to finish my meal and my wife had plenty of leftovers for her lunch the next day. Our server, Anna, was a true professional and on the top of her game. She made sure we were taken care of throughout the entire visit. We will most definitely return to Simply Southern Bistro in the future. read more