Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Tropical Grille followed Smashburger into this endcap when the burger chain closed here in 2019. I wasn't sure exactly what the theme of Tropical Grille was, but they characterize themselves with:

Savor the rich, authentic flavors of Cuban and Latin-inspired cuisine at Tropical Grille.

which sound pretty good (if a bit chicken-y for me).

Looking at their website, it's an upstate South Carolina chain with 9 other locations, this one having been the only one here in the Midlands after the Main Street location closed in 2012.
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I like the mascot!

(Hat tip to commenter Beth)

I know I ate in this place once in 2024. I thought it was fine, nothing special, but certainly not bad. Given that Google reviews say it has been closed for around 7 months, I guess that must have been in the Spring or Summer of last year.

I'm a little fuzzy on the history of this place. I know it was a D's Wings, a Casa Linda and an El Patron before this, but I think I may have missed another Mexican restaurant somewhere in the rotation.

I do find the name a bit interesting as I associate Garibaldi with the foundation of modern Italy, not Mexico.

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To follow up on the Pelican SnoBalls post from 11 February: That store apparently started here, and moved up the street a few years later.

This Free Times article says it opened on 23 June of 2017, and looking at StreetView, it appears it probably moved after the 2021 snow cone season.

Here is the LoopNet information for the building.

I like snowcones, but not enough to pay ice cream prices for them, so I have never sampled one of the several local Pelican's locations. Technically this store has been closed since the season ended, but the fact that it would not re-open was announced on 17 January. No specific reason was given in that story or this one, but I presume the volume was just not there.

I believe this is the second Main Street location for the franchaise with the former one being further down towards Eau Claire.

The chain maintains a number of other locations in the Midlands, so when things warm back up, you will be able to get your fix.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

I mentioned this was happening earlier, but Brooklyn Express Pizza & Pasta has now completed their move from Friarsgate Plaza to this (now upfitted) freestanding Ed Robinson building.

This building was built as a smallish KFC. After that closed in 2015, Jimmyz Hibachi moved in, closing in 2022. Jerimiah's opened, I believe in the spring of 2024 and did not quite last out the year. I did not get around to trying it, but while I was taking these pictures somebody pulled into the (just) closed drive-through and expressed disappointment as in their opinion, it was quite good.

BTW, Three Dog Night are coming to the Township in April.

Here's a Fatz I missed back during the chain closing as it's in a place I rarely drive by at the first I-26 exit for Clinton. I noticed it a few times while it was empty, but was always past the exit by the time I saw it, and now it has been repurposed as a Mexican restaurant, El Poblano.

The approach is a bit odd in that you basically have to go through a gas/convenience store's parking lot to get back to the restaurant and hotel. I did not try the restaurant, but it has generally good reviews (as always with a few one-star ones thrown in).

Here's another of Columbia's many restaurants, this one under a downtown parking garage, of which I was sadly unaware. The Strudel Shop opened in 2022 according to The State, and closed his past weekend.

Their Facebook, referenced in The State story seems already to be gone, but their web site is still up for now, and has some tasty looking pictures.

(Hat tip to commenter Mr. Hat)

For some reason, the only Korean restaurant I've ever been too was in Korea. Given that I liked it well enough, I don't know why I haven't tried one again. That said, this building will always be Lizard's Thicket to me, as it was our go-to outlet for that chain for many years.

Googling doesn't turn up any media hits, but Reddit group ColumbiYEAH suggests the owners went back to Korea on vacation, and just decided to stay.

There's a bit of confusion as to the exact name of this place: I have gone with what the main google hit says.

(Hat tip to commenter Russell)