Mediterranean Café
Lexington: 327 W. Main St., 356-6294 Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Mon-Thu 5:30-9 p.m.; Fri-Sat 5:30-9:30 p.m. Opened by the brother of the Mediterranean Tea Room in Shandon, the Mediterranean Café brings the same authentic and reasonably priced cuisine to Lexington. Menu includes Greek salads, tabbouleh, hummus, baba ghannouj, falafel and the usual gyros, pita wraps and kabobs. On some Saturday nights, restaurant offers live music. Private dining room available. ¢-$.
Mediterranean Tea Room Shandon: 2601 Devine St., 799-3118
Mon-Tue 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5:30-8:45 p.m.; Wed-Fri-11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Wed-Sat 5:30-9:45 p.m. Menu includes a wide selection of traditional Middle Eastern food such as hummus, baba ghannouj, falafel and tabbouleh. Specialty dish is a kofta kebob, which is a combination of lamb and beef mixed with parsley, celery and spices. Entrees include chicken, lamb, beef, vegetarian dishes and a variety of nightly specials. ¢-$.
Zorba’s Family Greek Restaurant
Harbison/Irmo: 6169 St. Andrews Rd., 772-4617 Mon-Thu 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Harbison/Irmo: 7320 Broad River Rd., 749-7000 (Express location) Sun-Sat 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Longtime Columbia institution serving Greek salads and pizzas (try the ‘Zorba’s Special’ version of each and you’ll be hooked for life). Generous portions, family friendly atmosphere. Live Greek music on Thudays. greekband.com/zorbas.htm. ¢.
M Fresh File photo
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Yumilicious
Orange Leaf
Forest Acres: 4710 Forest Dr., 782-0077
Mon-Thu 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun 1 p.m.-10 p.m. Banana fro-yo! Wedding cake fro-yo! Pomegranate fro-yo! Cotton candy fro-yo! Gummi Bears! Chocolate syrup! Hooray! ¢
Lexington: 5086 Sunset Blvd., 359-0003 Self-serve Texas yogurt chain with a variety of zany, tasty flavors and more than 30 toppings. Free Wi-Fi and Wii! ¢.
Paradise Ice
French
Five Points: 701-B Santee Ave. , 771-2222
Downtown: 1627 Main St., 251-3311 Sun-Thu noon- 6 p.m; Fri-Sat noon-8 p.m. Fancy some Italian ice or handmade organic custard? How about a cup of locally roasted Turtle Creek coffee? Welcome to Paradise Ice.
Sweet Cake House
St. Andrews-Dutch Square: 7001 St. Andrews Rd., 749-9668 Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. -6 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m. If it’s dessert you seek, check out the cakes, pastries and other delectable goods, including birthday cake by-the-slice; you can order special occasion cakes here, too. But Sweet Cake House also serves sandwiches, deli salads and breakfast treats like turnovers and strudels. sweetcakehouse.com. ¢.
Tutti Frutti
Lexington: 5454-A Sunset Blvd, 358-0355 Mon 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Tue-Sun noon-10 p.m.
Vista: 1205 Lincoln St., 260-1917 Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat 10 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun noon-10 p.m. Flavors galore — from your basic chocolate to fun stuff like taro and pumpkin pie — rotate through this fro-yo-emporium.¢
Yoghut
Downtown: 601 Main St., 386-9786 Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Forest Acres: 5424 Forest Dr. #120, 250-2580
Mon-Thu 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun noon-9 p.m.
Crepes and Croissants
Downtown: 1465 Sumter St., 462-4779 Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-3 p.m. A real French creperie in the heart of downtown Columbia? Oui, c’est vrai. Choose from a variety of creative savory and sweet crepes, in addition to savory tarts, croissants, salads and a few French desserts. The Nutella-filled crepe is rather amazing, and the Paris crepe is a classic. ¢
Shandon: 2702 Devine St., 252-0356 Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Casual authentic Greek restaurant that’s been around since 1987. Offers takeout and delivery, Devine Foods is as good a genuine Greek-Mediterranean restaurant as you’ll find anywhere, and the prices are reasonable. Great Spanakopita. ¢-$.
Grecian Gardens
West Columbia/Cayce: 2312 Sunset Blvd. , 794-7552
German Huller’s Black Forest
Greek Boys
Harbison/Irmo: 380 Columbiana Dr., 781-0026 Mon-Thu 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat 11:30 a.m. -10 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Started by New Jersey German-American transplants (and sausage-making experts), this authentic German restaurant features all the sausages, schnitzels and spaetzle you could ever wish for. Buffet features specialties plus salad and dessert. $
Julia’s German Restaurant
Northeast: 4341 Fort Jackson Blvd. , 738-0630 Tue-Fri 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; 5-9 p.m.; Sat 5-9 p.m. Old-fashioned, home style German comfort cooking. From bratwurst to schnitzel, Julia’s has you covered. Bring a healthy appetite and love for all things Deutsch. ¢.
Mon-Thu 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
40 freetimes |
Devine Foods
Mon-Thu 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Greek restaurant boasting particularly fresh, well-made bread. Signature dish is the pasticchio, which the chef accentuates with such extra seasonings as cinnamon and bay leaf. Good place for large groups. ¢-$.
Harbison: 278 Harbison Blvd., 993-9434 Sun-Thu 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Frozen yogurt with fresh toppings; coffee drinks, smoothies and parfaits. Rotating original flavors include maple bacon doughnut, thin mint cookies and pomegranate raspberry tart. ¢.
Indian Greek/ Mediterranean Bombay Grill
Price ¢ avg. entrée < $10 Key $ avg. entrée = $10-15
$$ avg. entrée > $15
Downtown: 1469 Sumter St., 771-7618 Mon-Fri 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. This downtown lunch spot describes its fare as “Greek with a Southern twist,” though it’s hard to say what’s so Southern about the place besides the sweet tea and the availability of chicken salad. Really, though, it’s sort of irrelevant: people crowd in for the burgers and the gyros, mostly — and crowd in they do, every weekday around noon. Try the Beef Souvlaki Platter or Blackened Pork Chops, which arrive super fast and are easy on the wallet. greekboyssc.com. ¢.
Main Street Café, Bar and Grill Lexington: 131 E. Main St., 808-5886
Mon-Thu 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Fri 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sat 5-10:30 p.m. (bar open later all week) Intimate casual dining specializing in Mediterranean European cuisine, including gyros and spanakopita. Their souvlaki uses pork tenderloin and a twist on a classic Greek marinade. Serves pork chops and ribeye steaks, too. ¢-$.
St. Andrews/Dutch Square: 245 Bush River Rd., 772-5121 Mon and Wed-Fri 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5-9:30 p.m.; Sat-Sun 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5-9:30 p.m. Closed Tuesdays. Featuring a range of South and North Indian dishes, as well as a handful of Indian Chinese entrees, this Boozer Shopping Center one-stop satisfies vegetarians and omnivores alike. Diners can choose between classic standards like Chicken Tikka, Lamb Vindaloo and Channa Masala, or sample less common fare such as the fenugreek-seasoned Methi Chicken or Baingan Bartha, which pairs baked eggplant with tomato, onion and spices. The South Indian dosai (stuffed savory crepes) are not to be missed. No booze; serves Halal meats. $.
Delhi Palace
St. Andrews/Dutch Square: 542 St. Andrew’s Rd., 750-7760 Sun 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Mon-Thu 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10:30 p.m.; Sun 5 p.m.-10 p.m. This much-loved Indian restaurant offers a buffet as well as traditional menu items including rich curries, biryani and a range of Indian breads. Savvy enough to please afficionados and newcomers. delhipalace.ms11.net. ¢-$.
Dreams of Bombay
Five Points: 817 Harden St., 661-8405 Sun-Thu 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10:30 p.m. Features a classic Indian buffet, with all the chutneys, pickles and raitas your heart could desire, plus a modest assortment of vegetable curries, pakora, naan, chicken curries and more. Menu features tandoor oven breads, kebabs, shrimp vindaloo and more. $.
Panjabi Dhaba
St. Andrews/Dutch Square: 1201 Bush River Rd., 798-8011 Mon-Sun 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5-10 p.m. Best way to get a sampling of its traditional Indian menu is to try the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet, one of the best in town. Offers plenty of vegetarian dishes, too, and specializes in Northern and
Summer 2012 | free-times.com