In what some students have called 'the coolest room on campus,' USC has made use of its newly opened beverage lab this semester. The space allows students to have hands-on learning for crafting cocktails, brewing beer and tasting coffee.

Nathan Vaughan, who most recently led the cocktail program at Black Rooster in West Columbia, will take over at the upscale eatery along Spears Creek Church Road on April 10.

Grant McCloskey, a prominent Columbia bartender, will leave Ratio, the upscale Peruvian tapas restaurant he helped open three years ago to lead the cocktail program at The Hollow, a new wild game restaurant that opened in the Vista.

2 Gingers, a popular Indian restaurant on Bush River Road, has been fined three separate times by the state's health department over the last six months for repeatedly failing to meet food safety regulations.

Drake's Duck-in, Columbia's longtime fast-casual chicken joint, will reopen its iconic Main Street location March 21, after nearly a year of renovations.

The days of notoriously laggy internet that forced café-goers to depend on cell phone hot spots are over. The coffee shop, which came under new ownership at the beginning of this year, has a new internet service provider.

Compton's Kitchen, the Southern food restaurant that served well-loved breakfast and lunch options for nearly five decades, has closed.

The Hollow, a wild game restaurant in the Vista, is set to open March 4. Here's what to expect when it comes to food, drinks and atmosphere. 

Drake's Duck-in, an iconic Columbia chicken sandwich restaurant, will leave its temporary location on Hampton Street as it prepares to move back to longtime location on Main Street. 

Fulmer led the restaurant, a staple in the city's food scene and one of the first restaurants to open in the Vista, since 2014. He announced his departure in an Instagram post Feb. 14. His last day with Motor Supply was Feb. 11.

The five-day event, spanning from April 24-28, will feature a dozen events like a food truck outing at WECO Bottle & Biergarten and a family-style picnic featuring some of the city's most prominent chefs.

Dubbed "the Oscars of the food world," the prestigious James Beard Foundation awards gave nods to three restaurateurs in the Midlands. 

Rockaway Athletic Club, the iconic Rosewood neighborhood bar, has sold its last Pimento cheeseburger. The restaurant officially closed its doors Jan. 18.

Rockaway Athletic Club, the iconic Rosewood neighborhood bar, has sold its last Pimento cheeseburger. The restaurant officially closed its doors Jan. 18.

Each January, a handful of restaurants across the state recognize and participate in South Carolina Restaurant Week, put on by the state's restaurant and lodging association.

Henry's of Cayce, a laidback sports bar and burger restaurant in Lexington county, will close after seven years in business. The restaurant has three locations in the Columbia area.

Around Columbia, some restaurant owners travel for the sake of bringing back ingredients and traditions from other regions to the capital city — all with the intent of diversifying how and what their patrons consume. 

Columbia received three nods for prestigious James Beard Foundation awards this year, the first time in the city's history. A slew of new restaurants opened and fast-food workers made their voices heard. 

Always wondering where to take your friends to dinner? Here are the five best places in Columbia for dining out with a friend (or multiple). 

This year, like every year, our writers reflect on the dishes that stood out, ones that transcend memory itself and take hold in a more permanent place, where we routinely dream of getting to try them again for the first time.

As Black Rooster shifts to Italian, here's why and what it means for the city's dining scene. 

Black Rooster, the modern rooftop bar and restaurant just across the river in West Columbia, will shift from its "French-ish" cuisine to Italian food at the beginning of January.

What does the closure of River Rat mean for Columbia's beer scene? Plus, a food show features Chubby's Burgers, a new Mexican eatery in Elgin and a state lawmakers wants an investigation in the rising cost of liquor liability insurance.

The Food and beverage industry employs 12 percent of Columbia's workforce — many of whom see restaurant work as a viable, full-time career instead of a transitory space. 

If you're looking for holiday themed bars to check out in Columbia, we've got you covered. Whether a low-key bar with a Charlie Brown-style Christmas tree is your thing or you like the ritzy, over-the-top lights, you're bound to find one you like. 

One of the capital city's longest running breweries, River Rat, will close after 10 years in business. It'll become one of the last of the original micro-breweries in Columbia to close down.

Village Idiot Pizza in Forest Acres, a location of the well-loved regional pizza chain, will close.

Chef Hector Sanchez, who's worked in Columbia restaurants like Bourbon and Hampton Street Vineyard and owned The Bodega Kitchen, has moved to The Aristocrat and taken over the kitchen of the low-key cocktail bar.

What started as a temporary closure at Alodia's Cucina Italiana, a neighborhood Italian eatery in Irmo, has become permanent following months of uncertainty and backlash for the restaurant's owners.

Upscale restaurants and casual neighborhood spots have opened this year. On the horizon, local folks and popular brunch chain companies alike have set their sights on the city. Here are 5 eateries that opened this year and 5 that are set to open soon.

Scott Hall is a chef, caterer and outspoken advocate for queer issues in Columbia. He sat down with Free Times to talk Bone-In's closure, toxic politics and his love of color theory.