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Lum's Restaurant / The Shrimper, 1208 Knox Abbott Drive: 2000s   24 comments

Posted at 10:10 am in closing

The Shrimper was a lontime seafood restaurant on Knox Abbott near The Charleston Highway. If you've read many of these closings, you'll know I'm no fan of seafood, so I never actually ate at The Shrimper though I was certainly aware of it.

Apparently not aware enough though, as I didn't really notice its passing until quite recently. I don't have a date, but it was recently enough that many online sources still list it at this address.

The new operation is Brunches which appears to bill itself mostly as a breakfast place. I like breakfast in principle, but not enough to wake up early and it it, so I've never eaten there either. (If I'm going to do breakfast, it's usually pancakes and grits at 2am..)

UPDATE 9 June 2010: Added the 1974 Southern Bell Yellow Pages ad.

UPDATE 9 June 2010: Added "Lum's Restaurant" to post title based on comment and 1970 Yellow Pages.

UPDATE 18 September 2020: Here is a Shrimper cup that somehow came to be in my sister's cupboard:

shrimper_cup_tn.jpg

Also updating tags and adding map icon.

Written by ted on October 22nd, 2009

Tagged with , , , , , ,

24 Responses to 'Lum's Restaurant / The Shrimper, 1208 Knox Abbott Drive: 2000s'

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  1. Brunches is awesome. They have been there at least 3 years and they do a lot of business.

    Don't forget there was a shrimper on Two Notch near Beltline also.

    Mr Bill

    22 Oct 09 at 1:34 pm

  2. This building (and the old Shrimper on Two Notch which is/was an office supplies store) plus Andy's Deli in Five Points are all former Lum's locations.

    Mike

    22 Oct 09 at 4:41 pm

  3. There was also a Shrimper on Broad River Road. At the moment I don't recall what the building is now....

    59 Ford Wheelman

    22 Oct 09 at 5:00 pm

  4. Does Brunches serve Bloody Marys & Mimosas, or is it not that kind of a brunch place?

    Dave

    22 Oct 09 at 5:13 pm

  5. Was/is this building the original LUMS building? I cant remember where it sat, or did someone tear it down?

    Del

    22 Oct 09 at 6:09 pm

  6. My folks used to take me to the Shrimper when I was a kid. I think we must've hit that place a couple of times a month at least. I have fond memories of the place and their popcorn shrimp baskets with hush puppies. I also randomly remember being fascinated by the light fixtures as a kid... globe pendant lights with a sort of textured finish.

    My mom and dad grew up in West Columbia. We lived in Oak Grove, but frequented Knox Abbott where we'd eat at The Shrimper, Chappy's/Cedric's fish n' chips, Maurice's, and that Chinese takeout place that was across from the K-Mart.

    Brian

    23 Oct 09 at 1:33 am

  7. This was a Lums too. I remember a Lums on Broad River road too but I can not remember if it was where the Hooters was or the Frank n Stein was.

    Tom

    23 Oct 09 at 5:42 am

  8. 59 Ford Wheelman,

    Without doing any internet research, I think The Shrimper was located at the Current Game Stop location on Broad River Road.

    Jonathan

    23 Oct 09 at 8:29 am

  9. Thank you. I thought that was about right, but my memory failed me.

    59 Ford Wheelman

    23 Oct 09 at 8:59 am

  10. I think the Broad River location might have been in the "Allergy and Air Quality Center," but I wouldn't swear to it.

    badger

    23 Oct 09 at 9:23 am

  11. Dave - it definitely ain't that kind of place. More like a blue collar "meat 'n three."

    Dennis

    23 Oct 09 at 10:55 am

  12. I loved their popcorn shrimp. Hated to see them go out of business. There is one Shrimper that I am aware of that is still in business. It is on Broad Street in Sumter. Maybe once or twice a year, I will get a hankering for their popcorn shrimp and feel really brave at the same time. At these times, I'll go to Sumter and visit that remaining Shrimper. It has been in business since at least the late 60's.

    Ray Price

    5 May 10 at 2:53 am

  13. The Shrimper, along with the Red Lobster, were two of the most popular places for Carolina students to take their parents when they visited. The Shrimper was indeed renowned for their Calabash "popcorn" shrimp. I enjoyed the place so much that when visiting Columbia after being away for 30 years, it was a target location to visit along with Piggy Park, Groucho's (and stopping by the old Don's Lounge location in 5-Points south for a cold one). However, when arriving at the recalled location, I was greeted by Brunches instead. What a bummer.

    tinman

    23 Jun 10 at 4:16 pm

  14. The Broad River Rd. location was right next to McDonald's, on that little side road that let you cut through to Dutch Square. Used to eat there regularly, for some reason have fond memories of their clam chowder.

    Shawn

    28 Jul 11 at 11:03 am

  15. Brunches closed Friday, August 5, 2011.

    It will reopen soon as "The Original Brunches" in the old Terry's Diner location at 2245 Leaphart Road, West Columbia, SC.

    Stacy Barfield, the Owner/Manager at Brunches when it closed said he has plans to expand the building size of the new location on the drawing board.

    I liked the Shrimper, but felt like Brunches was a 2nd home - a wonderful place to eat breakfast and lunch (supper if you can finish by 3 p.m.) - hours were 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

    We have been assured The Original Brunches at the new location at 2245 Leaphart Road will serve the same great food at reasonable prices when it opens soon.

    Brunches Fan

    6 Aug 11 at 11:01 am

  16. I don't know if that was a wise decision. I bet Knox Abbott has a much higher traffic count than Leaphart. Plus, a lot of their customers might not be willing to go to Leaphart. But I wish them luck, and understand why they are doing it. That place is always packed and the parking lot overflowing when I go past there.

    tonkatoy

    8 Aug 11 at 6:54 am

  17. The location 'Brunches Fan' referenced is at the intersection of Leaphart Rd. and Wade Street. My guess is that Leaphart Road handles 10-15K VPD and I'm not sure about Wade Street (less than 5K most likely). I wish there was a way to pull up street VPD counts to know for sure. If anyone knows how I can do it, I'm all ears...

    My hunch on Knoxx Abbott is that it hanles 20-25K VPD (but again, I am not 100% sure)

    Andrew

    8 Aug 11 at 4:59 pm

  18. Looks like Knox Abbott gets 22,200 cars per day.

    If you can figure out what SR or S Leaphart road is, you can find the count info for 2010 here: http://www.scdot.org/getting/pdfs/Traffic_Count_Files/2010/LEXINGTON.pdf

    tonkatoy

    9 Aug 11 at 6:40 am

  19. judging from the bridge off of Leaphart Road over I-26, Leaphart Road is S-30. I found it on page 7 of the PDF tonkatoy linked and determined it handles 9,100 to 10,200 VPD. So Brunches is moving onto a street with less than half the traffic. I don't know where Wade Street falls into this equation but I don't think Wade Street handles much more than 1-2K VPD (if that). So Brunches is moving onto a street with half the traffic...wrap your head around that one...

    Andrew

    9 Aug 11 at 7:42 pm

  20. The two owners of Brunches dissolved their partnership. The location on Knox Abbott will reopen as Just Us Cafe. Same menu and most of the same crew.

    Theresa

    10 Aug 11 at 6:17 am

  21. Brunches reopened at the old Terry's Diner location today, August 25, 2011 - 6 a.m. to 3 p.m..

    Evidence shows that Brunches is one of the cases where a prime location does not matter if you have a great product that people want. Brunches, despite being a block or two off Highway #1 (or because of it), opened to customers coming came in droves.

    I managed to work in two meals there today myself.

    I was impressed by how clean the place is. Of course, if you know Stacy the owner, you know he would not have it any other way.

    Many of the kitchen staff from the old Brunches location in Cayce were preparing the food and cleaning up (John, Marcus and more), Sunshine - SusieQ - and Brandy from the old Brunches location were busy waiting on customers. Stacy of course was everywhere doing whatever was needed - mostly making the customers feel important.

    The Brunches atmosphere is even more family-like at the new Brunches location. In fact, you can sit in the same Brunches booths that were in the former Brunches location - Love those booths!

    The prices are slightly higher - Coffee is $1.10 and Tea $1.25 - meals are slightly higher (about $.50) per meat and 2 vegs.

    You will find the same menu items from the old Brunches are still being served. In addition, you can order Fried Green Tomatoes, Collards and Fried Okra. In addition, you will find Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Onion Link Sausage and SOS Gravy on the menu as standard fare. Coming soon I understand Green Bean Casserole will appear on the menu as a vegetable.

    Hopefully Theresa will keep us updated on the "Just Us Cafe" opening at the old Brunches (Shrimper) (Lums) location. We can never have too many good places to eat.

    Brunches Fan

    25 Aug 11 at 1:43 pm

  22. Brian mentions it way back in the comments...but the Globe Lights also was a memory of mine from The Shrimper...I think they had string fries as well. I live in a place now full of "Fish Camps", but learned how to eat Calabash style at the Shrimper...

    Robert

    22 Dec 11 at 11:01 pm

  23. The Shrimper was a fine childhood and partial adult life memory. My favorite being the hushpuppies. Yes the hushpuppies in a place known for popcorn shrimp. The string fries and a 5# box of the mini popcorn hushpuppies was a fine meal for me and this place will be sorely missed.

    Gary Pruitt

    25 Jan 14 at 11:51 pm

  24. Gary Pruitt, I also enjoyed The Shrimper early in life. What I enjoyed the most was the Flounder. I still love flounder, the best fish in my humble opinion. The only place I get the same taste as The Shrimper for flounder now is Lizards Thicket. Even to this day I do not care all that much for hushpuppies, I'll eat them, but it's just bread to me with a little onion flavor and crisp. Maybe a honey butter dip makes them better. The same holds true for pizza, I do not eat the crust. Friends tell me "The crust is the best part" I say "If I want to eat bread I'll go buy a loaf". I'm still looking for a really good Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. I can not say I have ever had a good one but the thought is intriguing. I've had good New York style pizza that I like.

    Rick

    27 Jan 14 at 4:14 pm

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