American comfort food & creative cocktails served in low-key digs with live music & a patio.
Pozzer 22
Burgers at the bar. Our bartenders were Amy and Jeff. Both were exceptional. The burgers were hot and the fries crispy. Now to the stars of the night! You have to try the fried green tomatoes. They look like cheeseburgers. However one bite and wow! The tomatoes are cooked perfectly, moist inside crunchy out. Topped with a sauce that somehow blends with another mild sweet red sauce. Delicious! Bartenders Jeff make a dirty martini 2nd to none. Blue cheese stuffed olives. Try an Old Fashion. Professional Bartenders, Amazing Chef! Great date night spot.
… moreloren bass
The staff were amazing. We liked everything with the exception of the short beef ribs and Mac and cheese. They were great about replacing the dish for us. There was live music, Chris Reed, and just a great vibe the whole night. We were celebrating a birthday and it was a great choice, highly recommend!
Get the fried green tomatoes! You won’t be disappointed. The drinks were awesome as well. I would give it a 4.5 but I can’t give a half star lol
We set a reservation on a Friday night, highly recommend.
… moreRobin
My Husband and I dined this past Wednesday, to celebrate our Anniversary. Our waitress was Anne T, she was absolutely wonderful, from beginning to end. We ordered the fried Oyster appetizer, entrées were Salmon and Ribeye steak, the food was fresh and delicious. Several of the employees wished us a happy Anniversary. This was my 4th visit, each time, both the service and food have been consistent; very good. I recommend this restaurant, ask for Anne T! We will definitely be back.
… moreRon Montgomery
My wife and I went to The Bistro Halloween night. I reserved a table online easily and asked for a table away from the live music so our conversation would not be overpowered. After reserving our table online, I received an email confirmation which also suggested coming in costume. We arrived early and were greeted immediately by the hostess who confirmed our table choice was acceptable and seated us right away. There was a 2 piece blues band playing as quietly as possible and both musicians were excellent. We both ordered the Blackened Antarctic Salmon laying in a bed of roasted cream corn and included a side of green beans. The Salmon was delicious as was the cream corn and green beans. Our server was very nice and engaging and made sure all our needs were met promptly. While nearing the end of our meal, I asked her to bring our desert as soon as she cleared the table and she did just that. The apple crumb topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream was impecable. We shared the desert since we were already quite full. My wife rarely eats her whole meal but this night, she didn’t leave a scrap. During the evening 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes were awarded to patrons in costume and also to the Bistro staff. All the costumes we saw were in good taste and quite well done. Such a fun and entertaining evening at the Bistro!
… moreMatthew Frech
This is the 4th time I have been here. This place has a nice ambience with live music on the weekends and the food is always on point. There’s no such thing as a perfect restaurant without mistakes. At the beginning of our most recent visit, there was a minor one. I had brought my wife and mother-in-law with me. It was nothing deliberate but they went out of their way to make it right, beyond any customer service experience that I have ever had to date. Nick was awesome- this guy genuinely cares about the experience of his customers and the one responsible for the best service. The whole staff has always been great there. The dark haired woman at the bar (I forget her name) is also excellent, along with the guy that I usually see working alongside her- he is passionate about his cocktail perfection. The cocktails from both of them are works of art and always perfectly measured.
I feel like this menu is perfect and I love the specials, to change things up a bit. We have been in the Columbia area for about 2 years and this is our favorite place. We will be customers as long as we live here..
I didn’t really take photos of this visit, but here’s a couple of my previous one.
… moreBob Adams
Busy place on weekend nights. Bartender served up great cocktails before we were seated for dinner. Definitely recommend and we will be back.
… moreElizabeth Ferraro
We had an amazing experience at The Bistro! The food was absolutely delicious — fresh, flavorful, and clearly high quality. The drinks were just as impressive: excellent quality, perfectly made, and a great complement to the meal.
A special shoutout to our server, Annie T — she was outstanding! Her recommendations were spot-on, and her energy was incredible. She made the whole experience even better. We’ll definitely be back and highly recommend The Bistro!
… moreStephaine Pratt
My husband and I decided to give this place a try after it was recommended by a friend, and overall we had a great experience. Bar seats were pretty hard to come by, but the live music created a fun, welcoming vibe while we waited. The staff was very friendly, even though the bartenders were clearly very busy.
During part of our visit, there was a couple seated next to us who were unfortunately a bit of a buzzkill. They were quite rude to both the staff and the manager, and at one point I literally grabbed my husband’s arm because listening to the interaction was making me so uncomfortable. That said, we gained a lot of respect for the manager and staff for how calmly they managed a KAREN AND KEN, some people can be SO RUDE!
Once that couple left, we were able to fully relax and enjoy ourselves. We ended the night with crème brûlée, which was delicious, and the bartenders even made me a fun drink topped with whipped cream and a candy cane—such a nice touch!
Bar seating can be tough to snag, so next time we’ll plan to arrive earlier or make a reservation for a table. The bar does seem to attract an older crowd and a lot of regulars, based on how familiar everyone was with the staff. The live music was a nice addition, and I really loved the aesthetic of the heated patio.
We’ll definitely be back.
… moreRay Clawson
What an amazing place! The pork chop was perfectly cooked and could be cut with a fork. Had an Old Fashioned and a Manhattan while hanging out listening to the live music.
As a whiskey nerd, I really appreciated their bar and they made sure my cocktails exceeded my expectations.
… moreL Miller
Had a wonderful date night at the Bistro. We had frequented the establishment over the years under different management and names but decided to check in with it again. What a wonderful spot for date night! Although there were families there with children it is mostly an adult crowd with one large nice bar in the center of the room and a smaller bar in back. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and music was setting up for later. The waitstaff was wonderful with suggestions and very good about sharing the specials. Super attentive and even had a visit by who I would assume was the e manager for the evening. The food was excellent and cocktail/wine menu had several nice selections. We will definitely be back. The Bistro is one of the few options in Irmo for a nice cocktail and dinner and not be at a “chain” establishment.
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