The nearly next-door space, which formerly housed Blue Flour Cafe and includes an attached patio, will be used as waiting space for the frequently packed downtown restaurant.

On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Ricky Mollohan moved about the Mr. Friendly’s New Southern Cafe dining room, hauling a box of wine.

Lil Duck Kombucha is growing. The West Columbia shop will open a cafe that features health-focused food to pair with its large range of fermen…

A national Black Restaurant Week campaign has come to South Carolina for the first time this year.

For the past 14 months, South Carolinians have flocked to food trucks, with indoor dining restricted for the bulk of that time.

In its purest form, the burrito is a tortilla and fillings — bean, rice, protein of some sort and whatever else — wrapped together to make a c…

Every Monday in Columbia is officially Meatless Monday, thanks to a city proclamation in partnership with Let’s Meat Less, a local organizatio…

So you’re taking a trip to Columbia and want to know what to do? Or, perhaps, you’re simply a local who is looking for a refresher on things t…

Imagine 40 pounds of chicken, roughly 215 individual wings, in their pink-white, bumpy skin and pearly bone glory, waiting to be heated and th…

Soft shell crab season is here. The typically fried, but sometimes seared, dish comes in a wide range of forms, from simpler sandwiches to che…

The latest offering from West Columbia’s Primal Gourmet Kitchen + Market is a mocktail series that will change from week to week based on seasonal ingredients.

The thin crust of the toasty, buttery baguette gives way to a thick, juicy and lightly charred cut of juicy pork belly.

Before the pandemic, Mollie Schmolze would often avoid most local shops and restaurants if her young son was with her. Her now three-and-half-…

In the last week, Columbia diners could have experienced a cider and chocolate pairing at the bottle shop Craft and Draft, and nabbed tickets …

Free Times has compiled a list of five recommendations from local shops to seek out in lieu of a similar offering at Starbucks. 

$19. Indah Coffee. 2238 Sumter Street. 803-708-0275. indahcoffee.com 

Soda Citizens need not limit themselves to the sandwiches that everyone else can eat.

Bruce Miller compares owning and working at Groucho’s Deli to the NBA and his favorite team, the Charlotte Hornets. No game, no day at work is…

In the early months of the pandemic, Josh Fabel toiled attempting to sell his five-year-old Winnsboro farm’s wares, like tomatoes and squash, …

Easter rests in a strange place in the pantheon of holidays.

6 percent ABV. $9.99 for a six-pack at Green’s. ($6 for a pint at the brewery.) steelhandsbrewing.com.

Marinated for hours in herbs and spices before being threaded onto wooden skewers and baptized by fire, the tender chunks of meat simply burst with flavor. 

Marinated for hours in herbs and spices before being threaded onto wooden skewers and baptized by fire, the tender chunks of meat simply burst with flavor. 

Cathy Cosby was among the countless people who lost their job at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was a weird experience,” said Lauren McAlexander. “I didn't have an appetite, I wasn't hungry. It wasn't fun to eat, because I couldn't ta…

The Columbia Food and Wine Festival (put on by Free Times' events team with the help of a variety of partners) has announced a May return.

Marinated for hours in herbs and spices before being threaded onto wooden skewers and baptized by fire, the tender chunks of meat simply burst with flavor. 

A fitting wine for our current pre-spring bout of crisp weather. There’s lots of bright citrus in the nose and throughout as you drink along with the slightest bite of pepper.

Columbia restaurant owners are praising the passage of a $28.6 billion federal restaurant grant fund that was signed March 11 by President Biden.

In January, nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the downtown outpost of local coffee roaster and cafe Indah Coffee experienced one of its …

The fundraising event has been a hit since its debut six years ago, and now the organization Carolina Together is set to host its first version of the event since it purchased the rights. 

A fitting wine for our current pre-spring bout of crisp weather. There’s lots of bright citrus in the nose and throughout as you drink along with the slightest bite of pepper.

When WACH Fox Sports Anchor Mike Uva informed his thousands of Twitter followers that Bojangles had mistakenly served him a Cajun Fillet with …

Marinated for hours in herbs and spices before being threaded onto wooden skewers and baptized by fire, the tender chunks of meat simply burst with flavor. 

Longtime Columbia chef Henry Griffin is out at the local suburban restaurant group Happy Fork and, along with him, the steak-focused Griffin C…

Columbia bar owners are anticipating a strong first weekend without the alcohol sales curfew that was lifted on Monday, with some expecting sa…

A survey of South Carolina restaurants show that despite the pandemic appearing to be on the wane, the detrimental effects on the hospitality …

Social media influencers arrived as fast as social media came online, attracting attention to restaurants, businesses and products with pretty…

The thick noodles come topped with a heap of pungent sauce consisting of ground pork with aromatic red chilis and green onions, alongside finely cut red bell peppers, and serves as ample coating for the entire dish.

Jarritos come in a variety of fruity flavors, from the pedestrian lemon, lime and strawberry, to the more tropical tamarind, guava and pineapple.

The Family Fresh Mex food truck was in operation for more than six years before its owners were ready to open a brick-and-mortar location.

Columbia restaurant and bar owners were largely pleased with the news that Gov. Henry McMaster’s 11 p.m. alcohol curfew will be waved starting…

At 38, Richard Pellerano left his business career for a vocational baking and pastry program at the Robert Morgan Educational Center in Miami.…

The leafy, tannic flavors from the double-steeped Orange Pekoe black tea layer in perfectly, keeping the sweetened condensed milk from overwhelming the beverage, and leaving behind a smooth aftertaste that will keep you going back for frequent quick sips.

Cocos and Beer's El Molcajete is a titanic feast that can fill an entire serving plate with plenty left over.