Garcia's Mexican Restaurant / Roadhouse Grill, 215 O'Neil Court: 1990s 13 comments
This real estate report says this building was built in 1986 -- I would have guessed a bit earlier than that. I was first aware of it when it was a Garcia's Mexican restaurant. I'm pretty sure that this was the spot anyway, though the facade was different (the real estate link says the place was remodelled in 1996..). As I think I've written somewhere, Columbia has a hard time getting and / or keeping "national" Mexican chains. We never had a Rio Bravo, Chevvy's, Chi-Chi's or On The Border, and we lost Garcia's and Don Pablo's. El Chico seems to be the only one that sticks. To be fair though, I think the whole Garcia's chain has fallen on hard times, and they closed their Myrtle Beach location several years ago.
After Garcia's the place became Roadhouse Grill which was sort of a Western place like (but not as good as) The Texas Roadhouse on Two Notch, but that didn't last long either. After that I think the building was empty for several years until it's most recent incarnation as a Bingo hall.
UPDATE 13 May 2010: Just for grins, here's the old Garcia's building in the Kroger plaza off of US-17 in North Myrtle Beach:
13 Responses to 'Garcia's Mexican Restaurant / Roadhouse Grill, 215 O'Neil Court: 1990s'
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Mr. Bill
28 Apr 09 at 12:14 pm
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I was part of the PMSC gang that was banished from downtown to Blythewood in '85, and Garcia's immediately became a favorite long-lunch place and happy hour stop. WONderful spinach dip and Pollo Fundido.
Dennis
28 Apr 09 at 12:33 pm
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Fried Ice Cream was awesome.
Mr. Bill
28 Apr 09 at 12:52 pm
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Garcia's Pollo Fundido was incredible. One of my all time favorites! It seemed like it was always busy. Wonder why it closed.
jjt
28 Apr 09 at 4:23 pm
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The problem with chains is that they usually build their own buildings bringing in more overhead that "cheap eats" cant cover in smaller cities. Most of the successful Mexican restaurants take over an old pizza hut, move into a strip mall, or an old Quincy's... this lets them charge cheaper prices.
Don't make fun of my theory : ) Admit it, its true. It would be interesting to find out what was in Eric's San Jose before they were there.
Alex
29 Apr 09 at 9:30 am
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You mean Eric's San Jose on Garner's Ferry? I think it was a Western Steer or Western Sizzlin' Steak House.
Dave
29 Apr 09 at 10:26 am
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Yep. Eric's San Jose on Garners Ferry was a Steer until it closed in '87. I think some years earlier than that it had a different name. D had been planning to open a location in that building, so I was told, in the early '90s, but it never happened. It just remained vacant until the mid-90s when San Jose moved in.
badger
29 Apr 09 at 11:28 am
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I recall, having had friends that worked at this Roadhouse Grill, that the management was especially crappy to its employees. Discrimination was alleged, as well.
Jeff
3 Jun 09 at 2:39 pm
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For a little time after Garcia's closed, and before Roadhouse Grill moved in, it became the "Rio Grande Crossing."
badger
10 Jun 09 at 8:26 am
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I used to eat at the garcia's in high school. and I worked for the road house and the management was pretty crappy.
tim
25 Jun 09 at 4:04 am
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This place looks abandoned now.
Jeannette
5 Apr 16 at 9:31 pm
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I worked at Garcia's one summer between semesters at USC. Friday and Saturday nights were very busy. There was always a wait.
Jeff Myers
16 Sep 18 at 10:29 pm
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When I lived in Columbia, S.C., which was the year 1986, I would eat at Garcia's every Friday night. They had the best sizzling steak fajitas (that they brought from the pan to your table) and the best strawberry daiquiris. Have never found a Mexican restaurant that even compares to that one here in Sacramento, CA.
I loved that place