New Orleans Riverfront Restaurant, 121 Alexander Road: January 2010 30 comments
To this point the website for New Orleans Riverfront Restaurant is still up and says the place was founded in 1996, which means it lasted about 13 years. Somehow during all that time, I never managed to make it over there. Of course my memories of New Orleans itself are that I generally ate Italian there aside from the obligatory beignets at Cafe du Monde. Still the Riverwalk at sunset was so picturesque when I went to take these pictures that I wish I had taken a Saturday afternoon lunch or two on the overlook. Offhand, I can't think of a restaurant in Columbia with a better view. (Though you could argue for The Top Of Carolina, I suppose.)
(Hat tip to commenter Steve.)
30 Responses to 'New Orleans Riverfront Restaurant, 121 Alexander Road: January 2010'
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I agree with O'Relily. Im the article about its closing an "expert" predicted that it won't be long beforesomeone grabs the spot.
What I think was the death knell is that the last several times I had been there, the service was poor. Add that to a rather pricy menu and you are not going to last long in this burg.
Tom
3 Feb 10 at 11:06 am
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The only time I went there was about 7 years ago when I got married. We were looking for a place to have our rehearsal dinner and loved the view. They weren't very accommodating. So we decided on another place. They only wanted to offer us their back room and when we asked about the part with a view they didn't seem like they wanted us to use it.
Mr Bill
3 Feb 10 at 1:38 pm
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I drove by here on Saturday (2/27/10) and there was a crew that appeared to be removing all of the furniture from this restaurant. They had several vehicles and half the parking lot was covered in tables and parts of booths.
This is an ideal location for a restaurant, so I wonder how long it will be until something else moves it.
Matt
1 Mar 10 at 10:52 am
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This was a Joe's Crab Shack once, wasn't it? There is at least one now in Greenville, SC, maybe Woodruff Rd, can be seen from I-85, close to a restaurant that was once in the train station close to Green's Liquor(what was that?). A lot of places through the years close in Columbia, and I assume they are closed nationally, only to find out otherwise. Fresh Market, Old Country Buffet, Boston Market, Sticky Fingers, Smokey Bones, etc. Anyone remember a buffet called McDuffys or McGuffeys that had a huge slowly rotating steam table that would be half in the kitchen and half in the dining area at anytime, so they could reload it easily? I know I remember on in Greenville, and maybe in Columbia.
JBL
1 Jul 10 at 2:04 am
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No, the Joe's Crab Shack was further down the river towards the Blossom Street bridge. You could see it just off to the right as you went towards Cayce. It was demolished when the current housing development there was built.
I think the buffet you're thinking of was "Duff's".
Mike
1 Jul 10 at 4:55 am
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Duff's Smorgasboard was on Broad River Road. I think there is a women's fitness facility located at the same address, if it is not closed.
Jonathan
1 Jul 10 at 8:35 am
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There was another one at the old Woodhill Mall.
Mike
1 Jul 10 at 9:08 am
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I think there was a Duff's on Decker, too.
badger
1 Jul 10 at 10:42 am
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The Duff's on Decker eventually became the Olive garden next to the Red Lobster on Decker. At one time it was a nightclub called Studabakers.
Tom
1 Jul 10 at 12:00 pm
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The Duff's near New Orleans was on the northeast corner of Knox Abbot Drive and State Street, in the Parkland Plaza parking lot. Not sure if it's completely gone -- underneath the Bank of America building -- or if it was the little brick building next to the bank.
Dennis
1 Jul 10 at 1:55 pm
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Thanks. Duff's. I always thought that big giant rotating steam table buffet was neat.
JBL
1 Jul 10 at 3:38 pm
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The restaurant in the train station close to Green's was California Dreaming, my wife remembered. Is it still open?
JBL
1 Jul 10 at 6:03 pm
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There are apparently some issues with the building. Sewer or water issues of some type.
I was told the owner was going to try and sell it as is and if that didn't pan out they were going to raze the structure and put a office type building there.
While it is a good view it's not necessarily a great location.
I think the asking price was around $2mil. That would require quite a brisk business to make that mortgage payment.All this is second hand information and should be taken as such. Though the source is fairly reliable.
Jeff
1 Jul 10 at 6:05 pm
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I only went there once. It seemed like it was difficult to find how to get in (like many places in Columbia). The food was not that good for the price, but this was ten years ago.
Becky
20 Sep 10 at 2:42 pm
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I drove by there today (7/3/11) and it appeared to be open again.
Jerry B
3 Jul 11 at 10:15 pm
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I remember the food being pretty nondescript and the service not so great the one or two times I went there. And no po-boys? I know that may be cliche, but still...
Blaine
17 Aug 11 at 9:01 pm
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No, Jerry, their signage is still up, but the restaurant is still closed.
Payne
23 Aug 11 at 11:14 pm
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I went there with my wife about 8 years ago or so because I thought the location was great. We wanted to sit outside but they said we couldn't because the section was closed so we had to sit inside. I only went there that one time but the service was poor, the food was bad an expensive. I was surprised they stayed open as long as they did.
Justin
17 Jun 12 at 4:29 pm
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Some kind of activity going on there, it appears. Don't know whether they're trying to spruce it up to market it, or because they already have a new tenant.
badger
29 May 13 at 10:05 pm
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According to Eva in the Free Times, it's to be an "event venue".
ted
30 May 13 at 1:33 am
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tonkatoy
7 Jun 13 at 7:23 am
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Interesting - it's a pretty good concept on paper. Let's hope they can work it out. There really needs to be a more 'upscale' live music venue on the W.Cola side of the river. No dis to New Brookland Tavern, I spent my share of nights in there, but it would be nice to have functioning restrooms in a club...hahaha!!!
Homer
8 Jun 13 at 2:41 am
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I was a fixture at NBT in late 95, early 96. It was in staggering distance of where I lived at the time.
tonkatoy
10 Jun 13 at 6:44 am
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@tonkatoy - in those days I was doing rotations between NBT, Rockefellas and the Elbow Room. Whoever had the most interesting sounding band, that's where I was. I've got some really scary pictures from that era!
Homer
11 Jun 13 at 2:03 am
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I usually left when the bands started up. Waaaay too loud for me.
tonkatoy
11 Jun 13 at 6:39 am
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That's the was I was when I used to hang out at Group Therapy. Happy Hour was cool, playing music from the 60's-80's and most everyone was my age. I would leave when the college kids started pouring in and the hip-hop started blasting from the speakers.
Homer
11 Jun 13 at 11:49 pm
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I totally understand tonkatoy's departure as the band started because I don't handle loud music very well...to the point that I've been turned off by Abercrombie & Fitch (which is no longer) and Hollister playing their loud music when I'd go walking Columbiana Centre...
Andrew
11 Jun 13 at 11:58 pm
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I totally understand tonkatoy's departure as the bands started because I don't handle loud music very well...to the point that I've been turned off by Abercrombie & Fitch (which is no longer) and Hollister playing their loud music when I'd go walking Columbiana Centre...
Andrew
11 Jun 13 at 11:59 pm
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Well, NBT is a small venue and usually the drums overwhelm everything. Add to that I have 'dog sensitive' ears as a friend put it.
The only folks I remember from NBT are Julie the bartender, some guy named Crow who always dressed in a black hat and duster, and his room mate that we just called 'the Rolling Stones Guy.'
tonkatoy
12 Jun 13 at 6:34 am
13 years is a great run for a restaurant. Its like "dog years".
I was always amazed with the proximity to the Capitol and the State Museum, the river, and the Reiverwalk they didnt choose a concept more towards the history of Columbia. More of a regional flair instead of New Orleans. I can picture some consumers stayting away becuase they say "I dont like cajun or spicy food" without actually knowing the menu offerings.
This is truely a unique restaurant location. I think if this site was in Charleston or Ashville, you would see a concept offering fresh produce as well as catfish, trout, bass, and other fish combined with BBQ and steaks. Old picturs of columbia and Lexington and etc.. A "signature" restaurant for the area. With all the hotels and etc.. just across the bridge and all the tourism to the museum and Edventure as well as the popularity of the Riverwalk, its seems like a prime spot.