Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I was vaguely aware of this place, but never got around to checking it out. The stone facade is something you saw on a number of buildings from the 70s -- I don't think anyone does that anymore.

Apparently this little plaza was the site of a bit of martial history.

(Hat tip to commenter James R)

Well, this has already been discussed extensively on Have Your Say, but Eric's San Jose on Garners Ferry closed on Thursday 22 December 2016.

I believe I may have eaten in the building a few times when it was a steakhouse, but can only recall eating at Eric's once, when I found it of a piece with the Columbia Mexican restaurant scene: perfectly acceptable, but nothing special.

According to The Free Times:

Owner Eric Leon has sold the property to some developers who plan to build a cellular store and other retail shops...

UPDATE 8 February 2017 -- As mentioned in the comments, this building has been razed:

UPDATE 6 June 2017 -- The new building is going up (pic from 19 May 2017):

UPDATE 13 September 2017 -- The new building is almost done:

UPDATE 25 October 2017 -- Now open as a Verizon location (relocated from here):

UPDATE 21 May 2018 -- The new Eric's San Jose location at 4478 Rosewood Drive (the old Rooftop Pizza Pub location) is now open:

Well, Don Pablo's continues to dwindle away to nothing. As I wrote here, I used to like to go to the Columbia Mall location. Then when that closed, I was working in Augusta and used to like to go to that location. Then that closed, and I would hit the Charleston location from time to time, then that closed and I would stop by the Charlotte location once or twice a year, then that closed, and I would try to go to the Arlington location when I was in DC on business (hard if I had no car..), then that job evaporated and I would stop by the Atlanta location once a year or so, then that closed and I would hit the Greenville location when I had a leisurely weekend, then that closed, but I figured I could still hit the Orlando location on one of my periodic runs through Florida..

Well, no more. Orlando closed in October after the chain filed for Chapter 11 on 4 October 2016, as I found well after the fact.

It wasn't a total loss, driving down International, I had seen another Mexican place, Chuy's, so I backed up to there and had an excellent chile relleno, probably the best one I've had since I was in San Antonio.

Oh, and I don't think I know of a good way to be fired

but this *definitely* is not it.

El Camino was the follow-on operation to Golden City in the Big Lots plaza on Two Notch.

This one came and went before I even knew it was there, which is a little odd as the name El Camino should have caught my eye as I used to work for a Bay Area company, and El Camino Real is the main drag there.

UPDATE 19 February 2017 -- Oops! As mentioned in the comments, I was wrong about this place. In fact it was setting up to open, and is now open:

UPDATE 6 October 2017 -- Really closed this time:

I had mentioned La Poblanita back in August of 2015 as the follow on operation to Santa Fe Mexican Grill.

It would appear they never made it through their Grand Opening...

UPDATE 10 October 2016 -- Now Cabanas Restaurante with Honduran & Mexican dishes:

UPDATE 1 November 2021 -- Adding map icon.

This much restauranted building, the home of the original Lizard's Thicket, is vacant again.

I'm not sure exactly when this happened as even when I'm pretty sure it was still in operation, it never seemed be be open when I drove by. Interestingly, this is the second time it has been, and has ceased being, a La Fogata. (Although this incarnation was apparently a buffet).

This little Hispanic grocery or convienence store was in this little Rosewood plaza for a number of years adjacent to Killoy. It appears the interior is now being completely gutted for whatever comes next.

This Lexington Mexican spot on a Target outparcel was originally a Casa Linda.

As this closing is close to events in the news, I want to be very careful what I say, but you can read some background in The State here.

As of a few days ago, the Forest Drive Pancho's was still open.

(Hat tip to commenter ED)

Salsarita's is one of the Moe's-like Mexican chains that I have not tried. There's no particular reason for that, just that there weren't and aren't any in my usual haunts. TCBY I have visited many times over the years, though not at this location. They make a perfectly fine frozen yogurt, though I'm afraid that's something of a commodity at this point.

I'm no fan of Chipolte, but I have to think that the location opening down the hill from here at 619 Gervais Street cannot have helped matters.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)

UPDATE 10 June 2021: Adding tags and map icon.

Well, this seems to be the end of local fast Mexican stalwart, Taco Cid. This is a chain that once had a presence as far abroad as both Greenvilles, though it was recently down to one, non-custom-built, storefront location near the airport (having moved from the Charleston Highway in the summer of 2014).

I used to frequent the Decker location from time to time as part of a pre-roadtrip ritual, and thought it was pretty decent. In recent years, the chain has gotten some negative publicity over an edgy ad campaign, and some people have said here that they also lost their longtime sauce recipe to a change in food service vendors.

At any rate, while a sign inside the closed Platt Spring Road location offers some hope for the future, it appears that at this time, the Taco Cid website is down and the Taco Cid Facebook page has been closed.

For now, you can see the final cached version of that facebook page, announcing the closing, here.

(Hat tip to commenter Kc)

UPDATE 30 August 2022: Updating tags, adding map icon.

UPDATE 8 June 2023 -- Now Taqueria La Poblanta: