When your parents, or any close family or friends, come to visit you in Columbia, it's undoubtedly a time of joy — but it can also be a time of stress, especially when they expect you to plan their dining itinerary.
The truth is, there's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to a parent-friendly restaurant. However, Columbia's dining scene has something for everyone, and your parents are no exception to the rule. Keep reading for a roundup of the best spots to take your parents, with tailored recommendations for meeting their — and your — needs.
For the early birds: Cafe Strudel
Cafe Strudel's Cinnamon Pancakes.
If your parents are up for beating the morning rush, West Columbia's Cafe Strudel, which opens on 7 a.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. on Sundays, is a fitting parent-friendly breakfast option. For the out-of-towners, or anyone craving a Southern breakfast, Cafe Strudel offers the classics — including shrimp and grits, chicken biscuits and "Lowcountry Hashbrowns" with fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese. Those who prefer to eat a bit outside of the box can order the cinnamon pancakes, short rib eggs "Bene" with gouda mornay or French toast on Hawaiian pineapple bread.
For the kids at heart: Transmission Arcade
Smothered fries at Transmission Arcade + Bar.
This Main Street arcade-bar hybrid is perfect for when your parents are craving some spicy, messy bar food with a side of old-school pinball.
Menu offerings at Transmission include bold twists on southern classics, like "Big Cat" egg rolls filled with smoked pork, collard greens and macaroni and cheese. Their famous fries are vehicles for everything from cheese sauce, eggs and gravy to five-spice banh mi pork and hoisin sauce.
In between bites, you can catch up with your parents over a selection of more than two dozen arcade games. With late hours, Sunday brunch offerings and live music, Transmission can be the main event, an after-dinner activity or a midnight snack while your parents are in town.
For the sweet tooth: Ally & Eloise
Made-from-scratch macarons at Ally & Eloise.
With locations on Devine Street and Forest Drive, Ally & Eloise Bakeshop locations feature weekly rotating express menus to satisfy your parents' sugar cravings. Stop by during their morning hours for a breakfast of champions, or in the afternoon for an after-lunch dessert. Sweet offerings include sweet and savory scones, French macarons and their famous "Hodge Podge" cookies, which feature peanut butter, chocolate chips, toffee and oats. During the month of May, Ally & Eloise is also offering pizza by the slice — so you might be able to kill the lunch and dessert birds with one stone.
For the health nuts: Good Life Cafe
Good Life Cafe is a healthy eating and plant-based eatery off Columbia's Main Street.
Parents in the market for a lighter lunch should check out Good Life Cafe, which offers a wide selection of salads, smoothies and bowls. The restaurant leans plant-based, with vegan flatbreads and sweet potato burgers, but their locally sourced menu also features a host of poultry, fish and dairy options. For those who like to eat their meals in between two slices of bread, there are enough sandwich and flatbread options to not feel confined to leafy greens. This is the perfect place to introduce your parents to acai, or to enjoy some appetizers and entrees with global influences — including Mediterranean pizza, teriyaki salmon and fettucine Alfredo.
For the Europhiles: Black Rooster
The formerly self-proclaimed "Frenchish" restaurant Black Rooster in West Columbia now features Italian dishes on their extensive, local menu, making the restaurant a great fit for parents in the market for pan-European food. At this freshly five-year-old restaurant, you can start your meal off with escargots and arancini and end it with creme brulee and panna cotta. Italian and French cuisine marry in the entrées section with dishes like steak frites, French-onion-style royales, chicken parmesan and miso scallop picatta. If you're looking for a sit-down meal but are dining with diverse tastes, you'll have a good chance of satisfying all parties at Black Rooster.
For the control freaks: MOA
For parents who like to take matters into their own hands, no restaurant will be able to offer them more agency than MOA, which lets guests grill their own Korean barbecue meats tableside.
Unlike most Korean barbecue restaurants, MOA lets you dress up your table with as many banchan (sides) as you want — and only the ones you want — including kimchi, corn cheese, steamed egg and pickled daikon (Korean radish). Mavens can choose from a selection of soy-marinated meats, spicy jjigae (stews) and rice and noodle dishes, while entry-level KBBQ parents can keep it simple with one of MOA's pre-made meat combinations. MOA's menu is packed with vegetarian, gluten-free and pescatarian options for even the pickiest of parents.
For the party animals: Cantina 76
Tacos, nachos, chips, dips and margaritas at Cantina 76.
If your parents are up for a late night on the town or are looking to experience an award-winning Columbia happy hour, Cantina 76, with locations on Devine and Main streets, is a hit. Familiar Mexican flavors meet Southern specialties with dishes like BBQ brisket tacos, red beef chili enchiladas and jalapeño coleslaw. Seafood lovers can delight over four different shrimp taco offerings, including Peruvian-style with sweet sesame chili sauce and "Surf 'n' Turf" with steak and fried shrimp. For the night owls, Cantina 76 is open until 9 p.m. on weekdays and Sundays and 10 p.m. on weekends, but if your parents are looking for a good deal — and to call it an early night — they can enjoy weekly rotating happy hour specials from 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays.
For the ones picking up the tab: Motor Supply Company Bistro
Diners eat at Motor Supply Company Bistro.
If you — or your parents — are in the market for an upscale dinner, look no further than Motor Supply Company Bistro, which features locally-sourced global cuisine with a rotating menu. Newly appointed Executive Chef Thomas Hardenbergh is ready to impress guests with a rotating menu of dishes like diver scallop ceviche with ginger and chili oil, wild-caught shrimp with cavatappi and fennel bechamel and summer vegetables with a coconut and onion gravy. Motor Supply's dessert menu, which has featured lemon basil bars and clementine cake, packs the same inventive punch. The price range here might be a bit higher than other options on the list, but it'll undoubtedly be a meal that you and your parents won't forget.
