Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Continuing yesterday's Mexican theme -- I have often noted this El Monterrey on Broad River Road, just North of I-20, and thought to myself that it was in an awful location: very close to the I-20 interchange (which is busy, and backs up) but without access to a traffic light.

That turns out not to be exactly true, as I found out when I stopped to take these pictures. In fact, the back of the parking lot has a cut-through into the Economy Inn parking lot, and thence to Briargate Circle, which does have a stop-light. It even looks as though they got enought business from the hotel side (or expected to get enough business from the hotel side) to set up the back of the restaurant with a second facade.

Apart from the access situation, I was never tempted to stop here because in my experience the local Monterrey chain comes in behind the Casa Linda, San Jose and La Fogota chains -- nothing drastic, just not one of my preferred marquees. (And if I was in the general area, I would probably hit El Chico anyway).

(Hat tip to commenter Thomas)

UPDATE 8 April 2014 -- Well, this place tried to open as La Reyna Del Sur, which I take to be a nightclub concept. Literally it means "Queen of the South", and is also the title of a famous Telemundo telenovela (and the novel it is based on). Just from the picture of the lady in question, it appears she was from *very* far south. At any rate, the sign went up, but the club never opened, and now the building is for sale:

UPDATE 21 July 2016 -- As commenter Andrew mentions, work is going on here. Judging from the interior, it will not be a restaurant, but some sort of office with a front reception counter:

Also, I'm taking the El off the original post title of El Monterrey Restaurante Mexicano Bar & Grill to make it match the sign and fall in the Alphabetical Closings with the other Monterrey locations.

Here's another Qdoba gone. I know the chain has also lost two stores on the Grand Strand in the last few years, so I have to wonder how well they are doing overall. I have to admit that I have not been impressed the three or four times I have stopped at a Qdoba. In particular, the burritos tend to fall apart quite easily and spectacularly, something that almost never happens at my favorite chain in this category, Moe's. (Barberitos is pretty good too, though we have none locally). On the other hand, commenter mamarose who reported this closing says that the Five Points store is doing quite well.

As of 21 August 2012, the electronic billboard near the Rosewood / Garners Ferry intersection was still advertising for the Woodhill location.

(Hat tip to commenter mamarose)

I kind of screwed up the pre-closing pictures of Continental Bar & Grill by splitting them between the closings for Zorba's and Patrones (largely because I forgot about Patrones, I think..). Anyway, most of them are duplicated above, along with shots from 11 July 2012 confirming that the place is definitely now defunct (something that apparently happened quickly enough to keep the patio umbrellas from being bussed..)

I don't know anything about this incarnation of the old Captain's Kitchen building other than it was a Mexican restaurant and lounge apparently run by and for Mexican expats, and that it didn't last too long.

UPDATE 26 September 2013 -- Well, *something* is happening here:

This little space on Main across from the Capitol and next to WOLO has been a number of restaurants, for instance the Cat & Cleaver and The Capitol Cafe (not to be confused with the Capitol Restaurant) -- Then it was *almost* a Dunkin' Donuts.

After Dunkin' fell through, the place was vacant for a while then Fever started a (protracted) setup process, finally opened and rapidly went under.

I have to admit that though the place sounded to be something I might like, I purposely did not check it out as I strongly felt that the owner's role in the Taco Wars was unhelpful. Outcompeting someone -- fine. Trying to use City Hall to shut down a competitor -- not so much. I wonder if other people sharing that sentiment was an element in Fever's demise, or the fact that the last two restaurants there closed as well means that the location is just not that good.

(Hat tip to commenter Payne, and to tonkatoy for the "Taco Wars" link during the Have Your Say discussion)

It looks like a lateral move for this Lexington storefront, which has now switched from one Mexican restaurant, Mi Casa to another Mi Taco. I don't know if the Mi in both names signifies the same ownership, but it seems plausible. I'm afraid I haven't eaten at either incarnation as I still get over to Lexington very rarely.

UPDATE 23 February 2012: Added Mi Pueblito to the post title based on the comments.

I leveraged a trip out to Sandhill the other day to go past Clemson Road and into Elgin. This is a little town (the kind where you will find an IGA) just over the county line that we used to drive through all the time down US-1 on our way to Hartsville -- before I-20 came through (ie: It's been a while!). At that time, the points that stuck most in my mind were the ramshackle looking pottery outlet (still there..), the Elgin Watch factory (the reason the town is not now called Blaney) and the Blaney Drag Strip.

I would still drive through from time-to-time when I lived in Fayetteville, and the double-nickel was still in force making the non-Interstate time penalty less than it is now. On one memorable late night drive, I found an overtuned car and had to ride off to summon help.

All of which is neither here nor there except to the point that I haven't gone through there much in the daytime since the 60s, and I was a bit surprised to find that I-20 has put it almost in the metro area. In particular, I saw a branch of a Columbia Mexican chain San Jose on White Pond Road heading to I-20, and I wonder if that had anything to do with the demise of La Costena on Main Street.

Commenter Miz T says:

They closed down a couple of months ago, which is quite sad. We frequented the place quite often and the workers knew my youngest daughter ever since she was a baby and called her by name. They had a mural of the history of Elgin painted on the side of the building. It is now a fruit and veggie stand.

You can see the produce stand in these pictures, though it is not clear to me if it is using the whole building or just the porch.

(Hat tip to commenter Miz T)

Well, the curse of 2630 Decker Boulevard seems to have struck again.

La Estrella #2 after opening sometime after March 2010 has closed as of 5 January 2012. The sign on the door suggests that it will be back, but given that no date is specified, and given that the place was remodeled extensively already very recently, I am not optimistic.

I may have missed some, but I believe La Estrella #2 is the fifth Mexican restaurant to be in this building.

UPDATE 18 April 2013 -- Well, it's been obvious for some time that La Estrella is not coming back, but it's now official, with all the chain branding painted over, and the building up for lease:

UPDATE 29 June 2014 -- Hope springs eternal, Northeast Market & Coffee House is now open here:

I liked this San Jose pretty well though I did not go there too often.

I recall being very proud of myself one time here when a young lady of my acquaintance simply refused to put on her bib as requested by her mother. Nothing worked until I took it and put it around my neck, netting me a shocked Hey, that's mine! look coupled with the immediate indication that I should give her bib back at once. I did, and she immediately put it on and kept it on for the rest of the meal...

The food here was the standard Mexican-run Mexican restaurant fare you see all over South Carolina. I did like that they had pico de gallo available as a side item for spicing up the salsa, which Pancho's down the street does not (or did not last time I was there).

The closing sign is interesting in that it suggests they may come back at some point. That raises by implication the issue of why they are leaving in the first place. Could this site be destined for some new building and they couldn't get a lease renewal? And it is hard to think of another space in the general area that isn't either too close to Pancho's or too close to Casa Linda. Note also that the other address name-checked on the sign is the former Santorini Grill.

(Hat tip to commenter Mrs. SK)

UPDATE 3 November 2011: Added Pizza Inn to the post title based on the comments.

UPDATE 17 February 2012 -- Well, it's confirmed that Pasta Fresca will be moving here. Also, they have pulled the whole front addition off of the building:

UPDATE 6 March 2012 -- Construction continues:

UPDATE 5 April 2012 -- And still continues:

UPDATE 16 April 2012 -- It looks like they are adding a patio:

UPDATE 7 May 2012 -- Construction is basically done now for the Pasta Fresca move (and note the new Pasta Fresca logo). I talked briefly to the owner, and he indicated that the menu will have the same dishes they have at the current location but add some new appetizer and meat dishes. They are shooting for a mid-May opening:

UPDATE 25 January 2023: Update tags, add map icon.

Cabo Fresh Taco, on Sumter Street near the hospital and in between Quiznos Sub and The Palmetto Sandwich Shop is gone. I never was really aware that it was there, or I might have stopped by though I very rarely eat downtown.

The replacement operation is already in place, Anthony's Past Time Cafe which I presume is connected with Anthony's Dairy Bar on Two Notch.

(Hat tip to commenter Payne)

UPDATE 2 June 2020: Anthony's closed and rebranded as Massey's some time ago, then Massey's also closed. Rather than put the Anthony's closing on the Massey's closing page, or making a separate page, I will put it here because the pictures here already show it. So I am adding Anthony's to the post title.

San Jose is probably the biggest local Mexican chain (though they don't all have the same ownership), and one I like pretty well. I never made it to this smaller location on Sunset not far from the zoo, and in fact am pretty sure I did not know that it was there. Commenter MB notes that it wasn't there too long. I have to say Sunset Center has a good-looking ice cream cone on their sign!

(Hat tip to commenter MB)