#7 Texas A&M vs South Carolina... Night game, should be fun regardless.
Would love to hear where to go, eat, drinks, etc.... Thanks again in advance!
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#7 Texas A&M vs South Carolina... Night game, should be fun regardless.
Would love to hear where to go, eat, drinks, etc.... Thanks again in advance!
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Oof lol
Slim pick'ems in today's world lol... Only visiting places I haven't been that are allowing fans (bonus if they sell beer in the stadium)... trying to schedule these trips around Hokies games too.
Was thinking Austin, TX for the WV/Texas game but according to my co-worker who lives in Austin, all the bars on campus are boarded up.
Eat/Drink: Bourbon quality food, quality bourbon.
As far as having fun in Columbia...I mean its kinda a shit hole. 5 Points is where the student bar scene is, it's pretty nasty and I lived there right after college. The Vista is more the young professional area. a couple cool bars there like Flying Saucer.
Looks like Flying Saucer is closed but where it is located on Gervais St, was the area I kinda looked at for other bars/restarants that seem to be open.
Well that's a bummer I loved that place they had a ton of craft beer. The Tin Roof isn't a bad spot to hangout usually has music, it gets a mix of college students and young professionals. My normal route when I lived there was to Drink a few at flying saucer and walk over to Tin Roof.
Stay at the Hilton in the Vista if you can. There is also a Hampton there. Pearls is a good seafood joint (they have a couple around the Carolinas). There is a world of beer that is pretty cool.
All in all Columbia is a pretty big shit hole but the Vista is the nicest part. Gameday is pretty fun, I have always had a good time.
It's been almost 10 years since I lived there but Pawleys has great burgers, Mr Friendly's and Motor Supply have good food as well.
I live in Columbia and after four years I don't think it's a shithole but to each their own. I second Motor Supply. Good good food and drinks. Colas is nice too if you want a little upscale. If you like dessert bars Kaminsky's (attached to Pearls) is a cool place for desserts and drinks. Craft and Draft downtown has a good selection of local craft beers. The Main Suite is a neat spot. They have a golf simulator and other adult games. Three breweries I like to hit are Columbia Craft (small but near campus), Steel Hands and River Rat are much bigger and have live music a lot. River Rat is walking distance to Williams Brice. The Soda city market on Main St Saturday mornings is fun. Still not back to normal but tons of local produce, good food and crafts with vendors set up over 3-4 blocks. I live in the NW side by Lake Murray but I have an extensive bourbon collection if all else fails haha.
This is what I miss the most about Cola (Cayce). Top notch beer and brewery set up. They opened while I lived there and I went pretty much once a week since their soft opening.
Shithole may have been a little harsh but as far as cities go Columbia is kinda not one that I would say people should visit and after 2 years there I don't think I'd ever chose to live there again, there are definitely parts of downtown that are nice and a lot of the surrounding area is nice.
'Other' adult games??
I've been wanting to do a road trip like this. I'll do it in the next few years. Are you doing it solo or with friends?
How many schools / games do you plan to hit?
It's def been really fun... lucked out both of my first stops in Oklahoma State and Tennessee... Oklahoma State I met this guy who owned a merchandise store and had a private deck up top where a small group of his friends would tailgate. Told him my story about this college football stadium tour and then later invited me up to his private deck and tailgate with his friends. free food and booze, it was great, plus 5 minute walk to stadium.... In Tennessee I met this guy at a bar on Friday night waiting for his wife, they ended up inviting me to their table, paying my whole tab (over $100 easily) because he knew the owner and then offered to chill on their boat on saturday after the game.
To answer your question, def going solo... Recently single, but regardless, IMO it's more fun to go solo for this kind of trip since you have more freedom and flexibility to do whatever the fuck I want. Plus much cheaper. It's been so easy to meet people (see above), but I usually have no problem chatting up and meeting people randomly.
I am trying to go to as many as possible stadiums this year.... Usually try to go every 2 or 3 weeks. I plan on doing this for many college football seasons to come
That's awesome. I do a lot of solo travel myself and love it, flying by the seat of my pants. Will plan on doing some of these trips in the coming years when games return to normal.
Went to wedding down there last summer. Can't remember the bar, but it's rooftop and you gotta go thru a hotel lobby to get to it...but it's separate from the hotel? Idk, it was a really weird, sober wedding experience and just an odd blur of a weekend. The city itself is...yeah, not anything to write home about. Campus, same.
All that to say, Bryce-Williams looked awesome (from the gates...they wouldn't let us in for a photo). They have cabooses lined up behind one of the endzones (like they have behind the home field side of Cardinal Stadium at Louisville) and for high roller tailgaters and they seem equally awesome. I've always wanted to get to a game down there see a night game and see/experience "2000" and Sandstorm. I remember UGA went in there a few years back and just from the broadcast I thought I could turn the volume off and still hear that crowd from SWVA lol
I believe the rooftop bar is at the Sheraton at Main and Washington, two blocks away from the statehouse. The Vista, Gervais Street west of the statehouse, is the high end Restaurants and bars. Five Points, east of campus, is the college hangout. You want to try a pub not in those areas, try War Mouth in Cottontown, off Main north of Elmwood.
(edited for the directionally challenged. The Vista is down towards the river from the statehouse, but it is west)
You're right. Rooftop bar there is decent, and they also have the old bank vault bar in the lobby. That's my hotel of choice when I'm there, mostly because it's stumbling distance from Bourbon.
Oh nice, I am at the Holiday Inn Downtown, so its literally buds up again the Sheraton
Bourbon is a great place downtown. Really good food and a massive whiskey list. They also do brunch.
Motor Supply Company is probably the best restaurant I've been to down there.
River Rat is the only brewery you need to go to, and you absolutely need to go there.
Bourbon is pretty good so I'll echo that.
If you're willing to travel a little out of downtown, there's a great Mexican restaurant just off of I20 called Real Mexico. It looks like an old gas station and it may be missing a few letters from the sign but don't let that discourage you. Also recommend Henry's on Devine as a place to get a cold beer and not be assaulted by college kids in 5 points. Backstreets is also on Devine and has a solid menu and good beer selection.
BBQ suggestions: Hudson's or Doc's are personal favorites. Hudson's is out toward Lexington on 378 but it's worth the trip. Doc's is right behind the stadium and near River Rat brewery. Palmetto Pig is also good, albeit less so than the other two (in my opinon; Clarence Thomas loves Palmetto Pig and who am I to disagree with the guy who doesn't appear to miss many meals?)
Cheap greasy pizza: Dano's on Rosewood or Village Idiot.
Burger: Pawleys, Burger Tavern, Rockaway Athletic Club (the pimento cheese burger is their specialty)
Definitely get a burger with pimiento cheese! Oh man, now I need one...
I have a son at USCe, and have been a down a few times for games or to visit. He will be at the game. I wanted to add my two cents, but Heuplek and foreman917 already said everything I would have added. Vista area is more downtownesque while the college area is 5 Points - I liked the Blue Marlin and the burgers at Pawleys. Soda City Market on Saturday mornings. I thought the Home2 Suites in Downtown was a great value. Be careful about the Air BnB's - some are in neighborhoods that are the opposite of nice not very far from downtown. Most places serve a good selection of local beers, so you can skip the breweries if you are in it for the beer instead of the scene. Tailgate at the fairgrounds if you can.
Bourbon on Main Street - Great food, great cocktails, extensive Bourbon selection. If you happen to be there around happy hour during the week they have for $10 a beer, a Bourbon, and a burger.
War Mouth is up farther north off of main. Great farm to table and amazing cocktails. If you are there in the afternoon make sure to stop by Cottontown Brew Labs which is next door. They have a great rotating selection of beer.
Southern Belly in 5 points is your go to for BBQ. They only do sandwiches, but it's the BBQ in town. I suggest the Southern Belly which comes with Alabama White Sauce. If you're really hungry make it a "Wookie".
Brunch - Sakitumi (sushi restaurant that brought in the best brunch chef after the restaurant he was working at closed), Tazza (outside of the downtown area), Publico (I haven't been in a while and I'm hearing not as good of things about it lately with a change of menu), The Grand (wasn't a fan of their food until recently, but it was really good 2 weeks ago & they have a cool setup with bowling alleys), Hampton Street Vineyards (a little upscale, but was there last Saturday and it was on point).
Random places to check out:
Hendrix - rooftop bar on Main Street. Drinks and food are pricey, but it's a cool vibe to check out.
Market on Main - mostly outdoor, but another good atmosphere.
Breweries: Downtown are Columbia Craft and the previously mentioned Cottontown. Also, there's river rat (near the stadium but beer isn't as good as the other two) and there's The Hangar (beer is ok, but the vibe is cool with it being and old Airport hangar turned bar).
If you're looking for anything else I haven't covered, just ask. I live in the downtown area and frequent the places I mentioned. One last thing - I saw Tin Roof mentioned, if you're being cautious at all about Covid I would stay away. They've removed occupancy rules and it's back to a madhouse in there.