While we can’t officially claim that there is a chill in the air here in Columbia SC, according to the calendar fall has arrived and we have the menus to prove it. Local businesses have broken out the pumpkin spice, soup pots, apples, pie pans and more in celebration of the changing season. From breakfast to dessert, embrace autumn in Columbia SC.
Coffee
The best days start with a little treat, and these coffee shops deliver with their fall flavored sips. Over on Devine Street, Azalea Coffee Shop is serving the Finish Line, a white chocolate pumpkin spice latte, and Piecewise is creating a cornucopia of drinks including a smoked maple bourbon cortado, macadamia cider and a spiced plum tea. Grab a spiced brown sugar latte from Bitty and Beaus while down in The Vista or a classic pumpkin spice latte from Curiosity Coffee in NOMA. Spotted Salamander is known for their delicious desserts, so when they turn those into specialty drinks, you know it’s going to be good. This year they’re pouring warm mugs of pecan pie lattes and peanut butter chai.
Food:
Savor autumnal bites from these Columbia region restaurants. At smallSUGAR, pastries rotate day-to-day, but we’ve spotted pumpkin cheesecake danishes in the pastry case.
For lunch, make your way to Spotted Salamander for apple salads, gravy-soaked warm turkey sandwiches and some of the best chicken and dumplings you’ll ever have the privilege of trying. Finish it off with a slice of Dutch Fork pumpkin pie or apple cinnamon cake with toffee butter cream, just to name just a few of their delightful desserts. More fall lunch options are available at Crave Artisan Market. A butternut squash apple bisque or roasted red pepper smoked gouda bisque, served alongside grilled cheese is a must this time of year. They also know their way around the dessert menu. Make sure you save room for a slice of pecan tart.
For dinner, Tombo Grille is a favorite among locals and visitors alike. Folks are flocking to this Forest Acres restaurant to enjoy duroc pork chop and chicken pot pie. Meanwhile over at The Hollow, one of The Vista’s newest dinner spots, fried pumpkin ravioli and cranberry-pomegranate bruschetta have graced the menu. If you’ve never had the treat of enjoying Korean BBQ, MOA’s fall special is the perfect excuse. The Bloomin Brisket Platter, A5 Waygu Bibimbap, or the Korean-American BBQ platter will leave you feeling full and happy.
Just a bit farther down Main Street, the James Beard Award winning restaurant Lula Drake has your fall cravings and wine pairings ready. Enjoy a vegan mushroom ragu with Dorsia Pasta Co. radiatore and fresh verde paired with Ratti Marcenesco, 2019 Barolo. They also have a delicious pickled pear & beet salad with freshly grown farms lettuce, roasted beets, pickled Asian pears, gorgonzola crumbles, toasted pepitas & apple cider citrus vinaigrette.
Beer:
There’s nothing like fall to make you want to crack open a cold one, even better if it’s a local brew. Out in Lexington, Hazelwood pours their marzen style German Oktoberfest and Angry Fish has a honey pecan porter on tap this time of year. Columbia Craft’s Van Dayumm features spice and clove but keep an eye out. They have several other seasonal brews ready to launch this fall. Savage Craft is jumping on the pumpkin trend with their pumpkin ale and Steel Hands is using the best of what SC has to offer to make their pecan brown ale.
Cocktails
If you’re more of a cocktail person than a beer drinker, there’s still plenty of fall sips to be had. Boku, known for their pan-Asian dishes and 
playful cocktail offerings has added a the Smoky Harvest margarita, Pecan Pie Martini, and Jack O’ Fashioned for the season. Across the street, order a Sweata Weatha, The Hollow’s take on a pumpkin spice espresso martini. Nostalgia fills the glasses at Hendrix with cocktail Grandma’s Kitchen, featuring bourbon, cinnamon and apple. For a drink that will take you back to roastings marshmallows over a bonfire, MOA’s Campfire in the Bayou is just what you need.
Market on Main is serving up all of your favorite fall flavors from their M.O.M.s Apple Pie Martini to a pumpkin spice latte. The caramel apple margarita or the pumpkin-tini are just a few must try sips on the Publico menu this fall. Hometeam’s Game Changer and Irish Coffee are always crowd favorites, but this time of year, their updating the frozen cocktails with a pumpkin spice twist.
Coming Soon: There’s plenty more where all of this came from. Smoked and Burnline will release new cocktail menus on October 21st and Hampton Street Vineyard will launch a new fall/winter menu in late October/early November. The War Mouth patio with their fire pit is the perfect setting for a autumn meal. Keep an eye out for their new fall cocktails and desserts.
Enjoy these seasonal menus in Columbia SC while they’re here! For more dining ideas, check out our restaurant page.
