Pawleys Front Porch

I had the Wadmalaw on a pretzel bun and it was a good burger but not great. Nothing special really — ground beef patty, chipotle BBQ sauce, fried pickles, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion and cheddar. I don’t know that I would call this place the best in Columbia. When I think best I expect a really good classic burger, a couple of the favorites that aren’t norm and then some really tasty, eccentric/​creative burgers but that’s just personal preference. Everything on the menu seemed to be your standard burger joint stuff.
The service left much to be desired which is why I give 3 stars instead of 4. They were not that busy though the place wasn’t that empty. However, my server didn’t seem to be too concerned with attending to me. I know I was a table of one and servers tend to think that means less tip so why really bother. However, I always tip 20−25% on my meal if the service is worth it but you still have to earn it. The server was attentive to all her other tables even the ones she had on the front porch. She didn’t even bother to ask me if my meal was OK or if I needed anything else until I looked like I was finished eating then she finally came over and I was able to ask for some extra sauce and a to-​go box. The only positive was that my drink was refilled but I honestly I never really drink much anyways.
Don’t know that I would be back. Not only because of the service. I usually have cravings for burgers which means I want a really good one when I do have a craving and I just wasn’t all that impressed. Especially not for the 20 mins it took me to get downtown.

Ride people and below average food. Only reason I went was the fact they were listed as pet friendly. Was told to sit at the Barr and wait d for 20 minutes and was ignored. Asked for a menu and after a sigh of disgust she said she would get the bartender. May be a great place for college kids to get drunk on Saturday night but I would avoid for meals

We had the Bar-​b-​q Chicken Nachos first. Very tasty but a little cold. Ordered the Caw caw burger which is so yummy, it had a fried green tomato on it that was to die for! Happy hour from 4 — 7 every night, had a Mich Ultra for $ 2! Overall, I’ll be back.

If you’re looking for a burger bar in Columbia this is the go to for many townies and tourists alike. The burgers were on food network so they’ve got some hype, but I’ve found them to be hit or miss depending on when I’ve gone. My favorite so far was the Edisto burger. The jelly/​caramelized onions and cheese combo is heavenly. Can’t help but think about all the calories I’m consuming as I eat here.

3 out of 4 in my party said it was the best burger they’ve ever had. Sweet potato fries, fries with chili cheese dip, and onion rings were great, too. Service was good. 4 stars because there is practically no where to sit while waiting for a table.

I wish this place lived up to the hype :/
I read so many lists with Pawley’s at the top, so I made an effort to visit before leaving Columbia. The service was great-​standard southern hospitality. But, I felt like I went out of my way to get a burger that was good, but not worth the travel nor the build up. It was overcooked for my liking. The meat was very lightly seasoned so tasted bland. If the toppings were put on a better made burger, I would rate this a lot higher.

How have I not been here before? In my previous trips to Columbia, I always wanted to go, but never made the trip.
I ordered the pickle chips as an appetizer and they were the shizz. Sliced thin the way I like them and deep fried with some sort of seasoning on them. With a large portion of ranch which is always much appreciated! I also ordered the Isle of Palms burger that had pimiento cheese and jalapeño bacon on it. Whoaa buddy, this thing was massive and delicious. The burger tasted like it came off a charcoal grill and had that great charcoal flavor to it. The jalapeño bacon definitely added some serious punch to it too! Can’t forget the hand cut fries. they were a good recommendation by the waiter (I was between those and the onion rings).

The food here is really good but the service we had today was AWFUL! Our waitress was very rude and she gave me the feeling that she hates us somehow. She passes by our table a few times without finding out drink need to be refilled. She brought our appetizer without giving us the fork. We had to wave at her to ask for folks and she didn’t seem sorry at all. Every time she came to bring our food she seemed to avoid looking at us. Also when we finally finished we waited 10 minutes for her to bring the check. Another 10 minutes for her to come back and pick up the money and another 10 minutes for her to bring back the changes. We dined in at around 2:30 so it wasn’t really busy so I don’t understand why she’s behaving like that. Even if it was busy it’s your job if you can’t handle it maybe you should just quit. She ruined my weekend mood and she ruined my lunch. Even though the food was good I didn’t eat much because I was so mad at her.
After all, I do recommend this restaurant for the delicious crawfish tail taco and other food.

I saw this restaurant on Diners, Drive-​Ins & Dives and decided to check it out. The place was as good as I thought it would be. It was hard to select from the menu which burger I wanted to try; they all looked good. My girlfriend and I ended up choosing the Kiawah Burger and the Fripp Island Burger. We each tried both burgers and they were both very delicious. The burgers are also huge and are very filling. I really liked that you can choose to dine inside or outdoors. This is a place I would definitely come back to.

Liked this place
The Chili was good as was the crawfish app.
The burgers are a must however I wish they were a bit flatter rather than such a high burger just easier to eat… I had the CAW CAW — very good
Staff was great and plenty of beers on tap.
Will return for more

A very popular place in Columbia, probably because of their fame from Diners, Drive-​ins, and Dives. The burgers are very yummy and filling. I always get sweet potato fries with my burgers. Every time I get a burger I always get it on a pretzel bun. I should try something else but I just love all their burgers on the pretzel bun.

The food and the wait staff was wonderful however the bartender Billy was awful. He should have been working instead of watching the ball games. He was very ugly and rude.

I’ve gone here twice now and it’s really just an average food place. They try and do a little too much with the burgers and they end up being impossible to eat. I did like that they had a pretzel bun option but it was hardly noticeable with the pile of toppings. The three stars is for having a good beer selection and a neat patio with an outside bar. I would come back here again for drinks only, but there are a lot of better restaurants in the area.

Delicious (and huge!) as usual! I had the caw caw creek on chicken but the group favorite has always been the isle of palms… yum, stuffed! So crowded, so be prepared to wait, but worth it!

I probably experienced one of the worst dining experiences here. I’ve been here twice before and the service was fine, but not the last time. First, we started our order at the outside bar so that it would be ready by the time we got a seat outside. They ended up being out of the beer that my boyfriend really wanted that day but that wasn’t a huge deal. After finding that out the bartender gave us the beer menu again and proceeded to walk away for 15 minutes.
Upon returning he asked us what we wanted to drink and then we said we could order our meal now too. He then took our order and about 20 minutes later our table was ready. As we sat down we waited for about 15 minutes when our waitress came up to us and said that they lost our order so we have to reorder. So we did that and then had to wait over 30 minutes to get our food. It was just ridiculous since it wasn’t horribly busy at all. After this experience I will not be returning.
If you do come here I recommend getting the sweet potato fries, they’re pretty good, and their burgers are pretty good. They’re not worth the wait though. Also, if you do come here I recommend sitting outside.

This is one of the best places to get a good hamburger in town. They have some really great choices of burgers, and different buns also to pick from.
Of course.,… (I’m a plain Jane). I just get a plain hamburger with Lettuce, Tomato, and Onion. But it was extra yummy.
Their fries are amazing. I love good French fries!
I’ve also been to the Pawleys Front Porch in Charleston also. It’s a great place too.
The service can be a little slow, but I’ve always gone at a busy time. I’m looking forward to coming back for another burger.

Guy Fieri got it right with this place. Although I wouldn’t call it a Diner, a Drive-​In, nor a Dive. This is a casual restaurant serving gourmet burgers with a great selection of craft beers. Nice patio out front, booths and a large bar inside.
The service is a bit laid back but the food is the star attraction. Lots of different burgers made from fresh ground chuck roast. Se of the combinations are a bit quirky but there is setting for everyone. Lots of deep fried apps and a few salad options. But the burgers are the stars.
This is now my go-​to spot when in Columbia.

We walked into Pawley’s after reading pretty good reviews on Unilocal.We arrived at a pretty busy time and had to wait about 30 minutes for a table. We had never been there before and were admiring all the burgers as they were walked past our noses. We were finally seated and it still took several minutes before a server acknowledged us. After being taunted by everyone else’s food, we ordered fried pickles and our meals as soon as she arrived. They arrived quickly and we dug in. We noticed immediately that the batter was way too salty, but as we were hungry we continued to eat them. It was a nice crunchy starter, that would have been great if we were drinking beer, but we all were being health conscious at the moment with water.
Our burgers arrived about 10 minutes later. I had the veggie burger with french fries. The burger was delicious, but about halfway though I realized the bun had no flavor and tossed it to the side. The caramelized onions and mushrooms were the major flavor enhancers. The fries could have used a couple more shakes to remove more of the oil before they were plated. Other than that, they were heavily seasoned. I enjoyed the seasoning, but my friends felt they were too salty for their tastes.
The service was pretty good. The hostess needed to purchase a smile, but our server seemed genuinely excited to be working.
So, overall a pretty good place. I’d go back if others were going, but wouldn’t be my first choice for a burger.

Really underwhelming for how big of a deal people make about it. In my opinion there is absolutely no reason there should be an hour wait for this place. Sure it was on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives — but that surely doesn’t mean that it’s the best thing that ever happened to Columbia.
The service was good, the burger was pretty good but it wasn’t enough to me to deserve all the accolades. I’m not sure it’s even in the top three burgers I’ve had in Columbia.
There’s definitely a novelty in going, the food is good but I don’t think it’s worth all the rants and raves; there’s nothing special here.

Fried green tomatoes are my favorite! This app was stacked with crab meat and blue cheese. I usually hate blue cheese — BUT…this was really a little amount of blue cheese. (Bleu? Blue? who cares?!) — it wasn’t over powering at all. The meaty tomatoes were fried and stacked like a work of art… and the crab meat was stuffed in between like a perfectly layered cake. the stack was also drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette! Took it to the face — you bet i did. The tomatoes were big, the crab meat filling was meaty, what more can you really ask for? It was delicious.
Mahi-​mahi fish tacos! Best i have ever had :) grilled, fresh and they even put a generous amount of cabbage. As i looked around while biting into my tacos — i couldn’t help but stare at the humongous and delicious looking burgers that was being placed on other people’s tables. I would definitely come back here again — and try the burgers as well!!! :)