OT: Closed Restaurants

[king ward]

I just remember them having exceptionally good steaks. I don't know why it didn't remain open longer. It could have been due to the fact there just wasn't much demand after football season. But gosh, most people will drive forever to get a good steak.

Back in those days, there wasn't much going on along Bluff Road when football season was not in progress. It's still very commercial/industrial, but the landscape has changed some out there with apartments and such. The steaks at the Gate House were really good but the area was unappealing, which is putting it generously..

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

Back in those days, there wasn't much going on along Bluff Road when football season was not in progress. It's still very commercial/industrial, but the landscape has changed some out there with apartments and such. The steaks at the Gate House were really good but the area was unappealing, which is putting it generously..

But, the landscape has changed a lot since my first game at W-B in 1971.

 

[JohnnySurfin]

Chappy's

 

[USCLaw85]

Over the years restaurants close down, especially a few years back. What’s the 2 or 3 restaurants you wished you could eat at today that no longer exist?

In Greenville, I miss the Rainbow Drive-in on Poinsett Hwy, and John Paul’s Armadillo Oil Company on Frontage Rd. Columbia had a John Paul’s when I was at USC, but it was nowhere near as good as the one in Greenville.

The Epicurean on Main Street in Columbia. Loved their Shrimp Island de Scorpios ? I think it was called,

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

My crowd that I attend games with now (pretty sure we will be starting back up this year) always tailgate and have for years. We never eat at a restaurant except if it's a noon game we will stop and eat breakfast in Chessnee and then go on down to the stadium and tailgate.

But what I'm getting to is there even a nice restaurant at the stadium to eat if fans so desired? I'm not aware of one.

 

[Carolina4]

The Biscuit House

Heck yea. I used to eat at the one beside the stadium all the time. Breakfast was always a choice between there or Bernie’s on the way to the office. Their chicken biscuit was huge. And delicious. Smoked sausage was awesome. Dixiecrat was awesome. Sometimes I’d eat breakfast twice because I couldn’t decide...

 

[redrogers]

Have not seen Vella’s mentioned. Is it still open? A good buffet for cheap back in the 90s!

 

[importcock]

In Scranton, SC....Country Cousin's BBQ.

In Cola....the cafe at Tapps.

Also....whoever said Sub Cabin was spot on. Truthfully, the best closed restaurant in the Midlands.

Totally agree about Country Cousins and just so you know they are now open in Olanta SC. C.J. Haselden who is the son of the founder of CC runs it. His dad who ran the original one died in a house fire allegedly from smoking in bed. I've only eaten at the Olanta location once and while it was really good I don't think it's quite to the level of the original..

In Lake City David's Drive In, (changed to David's Restaurant when they widened 52 to 4 lanes), had absolutely the best bacon cheeseburgers ever, hands down. It's been closed for quite a while now. (maybe 15-20 years) and I've still not found a burger to compare to David's. Interesting trivia about David's. If you've eaten there you should remember this. His menus didn't have prices (until later when he was forced to). If David rang you up you would never pay the same thing twice for the same exact meal. He would look at your check and start adding aloud, like "let's see, 150, 65, 85, 'bout $4.75 buddy". If his wife rang you up it was always done correctly. Just curious, does anyone else remember this?

 

[CockofEarle]

Yep, I had forgot about that but many of the hot dog / hamburger places back in the day had payin off pinball. Which unfortunately started many kids off on the road of gambling.

Freddie, if you only had read what was posted on the machine> "For Amusement Only"

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

Freddie, if you only had read what was posted on the machine> "For Amusement Only"

I know that was on all of them in those cafes in the mill villages. LOL!

 

[stevestrat2]

Columbia :

The Parthenon (@ 5 points) - pepperoni and mushroom, greek salad & a beer

Vella's Deli (someone mentioned above)

The Pizza Boat - (I think was on Divine)

Wendy Ethels- for beer & general sleeziness

DSP (Down Stairs Plaza) - but only if I were still a college freshman

 

[CockofEarle]

I know that was on all of them in those cafes in the mill villages. LOL!

they were everywhere......I amused myself mostly on augusta rd.....btw it wasnt n the biblical sense although it was behind closed doors!

 

[76gintcock]

In Columbia, the Elite Epicurean.

Lord, that place closed years ago. But I did love it. We would go there for lunch during long trials at the nearby courthouses. That was back when I helped with jury trials. I haven't seen a jury since around 1990. But I've spent lots of time in court.

 

[76gintcock]

Little Barbecue Hut on Rosewood. $3.95 buffet.

That's the same folks who run Little Pigs out on Alpine Road. The owner died a number of years back.

 

[76gintcock]

Gaust Hause der ellie’

I think she reopened out at Clemson and Sparkleberry.

 

[76gintcock]

Anyone remember Lum's? Oversized hot dog and cold draft beer. Come to think if it, both were oversized. Was in the Andy's Deli building I believe.

That's right. It was where Andy's is now. We used to go there on Monday afternoons late after Concert Choir rehearsal. I usually just got a basket of fries and a beer. I was legal. The fries were great. But I found a huge batter fried cockroach in the basket one night. It turned me off of the place.

 

[Horseshoe 04]

I think she reopened out at Clemson and Sparkleberry.

I know there’s one in Prosperity but I have not visited.
She was very cool & rather experienced in her years

 

[sclawman77]

SIAP-here's a great site for Columbia closings. Theres an alphabetical listing of old businesses throughout Columbia. Brings back a lot of great memories.

http://columbiaclosings.com/wordpress/?page_id=12315

 

[luv2hear2001]

Vella's is still open. The Ribeye special was a gameday tradition for a bunch of us Carolina Band folks.

 

[vehemon]

Yes, we have one up here in Raleigh now too. Smack dab in the middle of the NC State campus, about a block off Hillsborough Street. Kind of neat to have a piece of Columbia up here. They even have some discreetly placed Gamecock paraphernalia in the restaurant.

Heh, nice.

One thing that sucks to the one off Park road here in Charlotte is that they upped the cost of each sandwich by 1-2 because of the location.

Still worth it instead of having to drive to Fort Mill to get a All Turkey Apollo and 45

 

[USC92EEPE]

In addition to many listed, Rupert's Wings (he had a place off Forest Drive before 5 points), The Orient (Decker, Louise was from Hong Kong), and Gulfstream Cafe, Garden City before Cali Dream folks bought it.

 

[luvmygamecocks]

Big Al’s Downstairs where you could eat one of the best hamburgers in Cola while playing a game of pool. Al was an icon to the USC students in the 70’s. Also Cogburns for a great reasonably priced steak and baked potato.

 

[king ward]

In addition to many listed, Rupert's Wings (he had a place off Forest Drive before 5 points), The Orient (Decker, Louise was from Hong Kong), and Gulfstream Cafe, Garden City before Cali Dream folks bought it.

Gulfstream was never as good as Sara J's - not for the money. JMO.

 

[CockofEarle]

Gulfstream was never as good as Sara J's - not for the money. JMO.

is Gulfstream closed!!!

 

[USC92EEPE]

Gulfstream was never as good as Sara J's - not for the money. JMO.

My aunt and uncle had a place on the water right across from Sara J’s. Very good and 20 years ago was the best value in the area. Fantastic shrimp and seafood plates. I still say Gulfstream around 93-94 was among the best places in the area. And yes more expensive. And it was not the same after being bought out.

 

[stevestrat2]

My aunt and uncle had a place on the water right across from Sara J’s. Very good and 20 years ago was the best value in the area. Fantastic shrimp and seafood plates. I still say Gulfstream around 93-94 was among the best places in the area. And yes more expensive. And it was not the same after being bought out.

We have been going to Gulfstream for years on our beach week. We have started going to Franks at Pawley's pretty regularly too, And Chive Blossom.

 

[king ward]

is Gulfstream closed!!!

No, it's not closed. But ownership change has yielded inferior output. I always thought Sara J's was better. It's definitely better now.

 

[JohnnySurfin]

Parklane seafood

 

[coolcock2001]

SIAP-here's a great site for Columbia closings. Theres an alphabetical listing of old businesses throughout Columbia. Brings back a lot of great memories.

http://columbiaclosings.com/wordpress/?page_id=12315

I dropped a cool site too but people just go right past suggestions and keep talking

 

[sclawman77]

There is a Po’ Folks in St Petersburg, FL if you are ever close.

Used to love their popcorn shrimp as a kid. We went to the one off of Bush River rd on the side of Boozer shopping center.

 

[Bubbaglide]

Freddie and COE. I will bet you had a meal at Capri's once or twice. Stone Ave then Augusta rd. I went to school with the Palanza brothers whose mom was the recipe lady for Capri. Carolina HS 71. Freddy. Did you know and of the Harbin boys ? Hanky and Booger

 

[Hodie Snitch]

Carrie Nations - Florence
Sky View - Florence
The Sandpiper Seafood - Lumberton (not sure if still around)

 

[76gintcock]

Let's go way back. Captain's Kitchen on Decker. I'm talking 1960's and 1970's. Our mom loved that place. Daddy liked it well enough. We would all eat fried seafood and lots of it. Mama, on the other hand, would order steamed oysters and just fill up the shell bucket through the hole in the table. She was a happy little lady.

She died in early 1985 of cancer. She was 64. I still miss her every day. She never met my wife and kids.

Captain's Kitchen closed and eventually reopened as Zorba's. It was open for a long time. We ate pizza and Greek food from Zorba's for many years.

 

[king ward]

Let's go way back. Captain's Kitchen on Decker. I'm talking 1960's and 1970's. Our mom loved that place. Daddy liked it well enough. We would all eat fried seafood and lots of it. Mama, on the other hand, would order steamed oysters and just fill up the shell bucket through the hole in the table. She was a happy little lady.

She died in early 1985 of cancer. She was 64. I still miss her every day. She never met my wife and kids.

Captain's Kitchen closed and eventually reopened as Zorba's. It was open for a long time. We ate pizza and Greek food from Zorba's for many years.

I mentioned the Captain's Kitchen. When my wife and I were newlyweds back in the early 1970s, and didn't have very much money, we hit that place as often as we could. It was a real treat for us. Sorry about your Mom.

 

[Forever Fowl]

The College Corner ( maybe spelled with a K ) on lower Main had the best open faced hot roast beef sandwich smothered in gravy. But I was so broke at USC I often ate at Cornell Arms Cafeteria. In 1968 you could get their student special which was two veggies, chopped steak and roll for $.80. The College Corner closed when they built the law school and moved to Bluff Rd and became the Stadium Restaurant. I ate there for years until it closed. Loved that place!

 

[Forever Fowl]

Freddie and COE. I will bet you had a meal at Capri's once or twice. Stone Ave then Augusta rd. I went to school with the Palanza brothers whose mom was the recipe lady for Capri. Carolina HS 71. Freddy. Did you know and of the Harbin boys ? Hanky and Booger

When I was in HS we thought we were so adult cause Capri's on Stone Ave. would sell us wine with a pizza.

 

[Forever Fowl]

In addition to many listed, Rupert's Wings (he had a place off Forest Drive before 5 points), The Orient (Decker, Louise was from Hong Kong), and Gulfstream Cafe, Garden City before Cali Dream folks bought it.

How could I forget the Orient and it's gourmet Chinese food. Always ordered the Bird's Nest. I remember Rupert's atomic wings and it seems like he also had a place on Rosewood.

 

[Forever Fowl]

That's the same folks who run Little Pigs out on Alpine Road. The owner died a number of years back.

I'm so old I remember eating at the Little Hut on Rosewood sitting next to and conversing with Paul Dietzel.

 

[rphcock]

Shealy's on Assembly
Remember going there as a kid