Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

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.

Since S & S moved out of this Richland Mall slot, nothing has stuck, with both Sadie's and now Jackson's moving on.

In this case we have a move instead of a closing, and JackSon's should now be open at 1213 Sunset Boulevard, which is, of course, the former location of Ms. B's Southern Kitchen and The Southern Skillet.

Man, this wing of the Mall is creepy empty now!

And

I think they want you to go left.

(Hat tip to commenter Mr. BO)

UPDATE 23 January 2017 -- I got by the new location on Sunset last weekend. Apparently they are still not quite open:

Taps was for sale a couple of years ago, and I took a picture then in anticipation that I might need it, but of course now that they actually have closed, I can't find it. If you google "taps bar columbia" it will point you to a nice google streetview picture..

At any rate, this little bar was tucked in next to the Big Lots plaza on Two Notch behind Dunkin Donuts and when I was at Big Lots the other day, I noticed that it had been reflagged as R & B Bar & Grill which is rather more '&'s than usual.

The last review I see is from 10 August 2016, so I'm putting the closing as "Summer 2016".

It looks like this Peruvian restaurant, the only one in Columbia as far as I know, opened in April 2016 and closed sometime in August 2016. In general the Yelp reviews were quite positive as was this review from The Free Times

Paraiso del Inca brought some much-needed ethnic food to the North Beltline side of town when it opened earlier this month. The menu is brief, but full of Peruvian dishes that cannot be found anywhere else in town. Some of the offerings include a creamy chicken dish featuring a thick, yellow curry-esque sauce, boiled potato, and ground walnuts; ceviche; and an appetizer called papas rellena, a deep-fried mashed potato ball stuffed with beef and onions.

(Hat tip to commenter KC)

Somehow I have never posted this, though I seem to remember specifically doing it about three separate times..

Anyway, CW's Grill was an outpost of the now defunct Carolina Wings empire located with the now also defunct Pig in Magnolia Pointe at the corner of Clemson & Hardscrabble roads.

As of now, two years after the fact, their website is still up.

I believe the storefront was still empty last time I went by, but I'll have to check next time I get out there.

UPDATE 9 August 2017 -- Looks like this is now "Indulgence" (or "in.dul.gence"):

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 believe the first operation I can recall in this space moved here from the old Woodhill Mall, and may have been called Jonathan's. The reason I recall that specifically is that it featured in a story The State did on the best hamburgers in Columbia. For several years I had that story clipped and in my glove box as I tried out various of the places mentioned. Jonathan's (if that was the name) was one that somehow I never connected with at either location.

Stopping by on a fairly crisp fall day, the terrace space seemed as though it would be a nice spot to eat lunch al fresco.

(Hat tip to commenter James R)

UPDATE 6 October 2016 -- Well, I noticed in the closing for Jefferson Square Theater, you can see that the restaurant spot was then Cavanaugh's Deli, "The Deli For Your Belly", so I have added that to the post title and a picture here:

I have also added The Lunch Box to the post title based on the comments.

The Seafood Academy was the follow-on operation to the much lamented (by me, anyway) TGI Friday's in Richland Mall.

Since I'm not a fan of seafood, I never partook of this new incarnation, which, according to their sign, is now relocating to East Point Plaza at 7535 Garners Ferry.

Getting inside the mall for some of these pictures was kind of sad. More than half the doors to the interior were marked as out-of-order-use-next-door. If they can't afford to fix the doors already, losing a front facing store is just adding insult to injury.

(Hat tip to commenter Bobby)

UPDATE 9 August 2017 -- Looks like the new location is finally about ready to open:

These photos come courtesy of commenter Homer, whose gentle reminder prompts me to finally post them. Looking at them, I can certainly see the former Hardee's that both he and commenter Andrew mention. I am pretty sure I took some photos of my own when the place ceased being The Wild Hare, but apparently I never did a closing on that operation, and don't now have them to hand.

I've often wondered at this intersection where Old Bush River Road branches off from Saint Andrews Road. Given the odd way the main stretch of Bush River turns into Tram and the way the road picks up again here, some major work must have been done once.

Anyway, I'm guessing the Tiki Bar is *not* open.

(Hat tip to commenter Homer)

UPDATE 15 February 2017 -- Remodeling is underway:

UPDATE 11 March 2020: Added map icon.

UPDATE 19 June 2021: Update tags.