Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

The Bent Rod replaced (after a hiatus) the more celebrated Crab Pot Restaruant which closed around 2010. The reviews are mixed, but seem to converge on the positive with a bit of "for in the middle of nowhere" vibe to them. The latest of those reviews say "8 months ago", so I am guessing the place folded sometime early in 2026.

I'm not quite sure what to make of the sign, which if I do my Roman Numerals right is: I Thank You 1945.

As longtime readers know, I don't have much use for seafood, and less use for raw seafood, so I never partook of SakiTumi, but they certainly had their fans, having been in The Vista for 20 years before closing earlier this month. I don't suppose anyone under 60 "got" the joke name, but it did raise a smile for me, and their Facebook goodbye was gracious and heartfelt.

Having seen their street sign from time to time, I just assumed they were in the front corner suite of the building at 807, but in the event, I found them, along with a small parking lot down the alley to the rear. You can read about the closing in The State or The Post & Courier.

(Hat tip to commenter Mr. Hat)

I don't believe I have yet successfully eaten at a Hickory Tavern. The first time I tried, at Woodhill, they had just closed the regular dining room and were serving at hightops only. Since the last time I enjoyed sitting in a high-chair, my mother was feeding me, I declined. The second time, also at Woodhill was during the tail-end of the pandemic when nobody had any staff. I sat on the patio, and after an hour nobody had taken my order, so I just left.

Anyway, they were apparently bought-out in 2025, and the new owners are evaluating all the locations going forward. Apparently this location in The Vista did not make the cut, though with the demolition of the Five Guys building it does now have a nice view of the Capitol dome.

You can see the story at WIS or read about it in The State.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie, et al)

Basil Thai in the Whole Foods strip mall is closed "for repairs" with a projected opening date of "Early Fall", which it almost is. They have odd hours (for me), so I have never tried it out, but if & when, perhaps I will.

I ate at this Five Guys a number of times, probably most memorably on a group trip from work to go downtown and buy some decent office chairs. Come to think of it, that may have been the last time I ate here, and that would have been probably ten years ago now. I like Five Guys (though the price is now amazing), but tend towards Columbiana or Forest Drive.

At any rate this one was caught up in the same property buyout that Monterrey was, and is now half demolished. In fact since these pictures are at least a week old, it is probably all demolished now.

Mel's (originally mooted to be Mo's) replaced Zesto in this location which closed in December of 2024. They got going in the summer of 2025, and so lasted about a year. I had not stopped since then, but was looking forward to a soft-serve chocolate dip to close out August. In the event, they have been closed several weeks, and a (mysterious) new concept is supposed to debut here in September.

You can read about it in The State, The Post & Courier or on WIS.

This building was built as a McAllister's Deli, and most recently before Chicanas was Allena's Southern Kitchen which closed in 2023. Chicanas apparently moved into the location from somewhere on Spears Creek Church Road, something I did not know until reading the media articles, and set up in 2025, lasting about a year.

None of the stories give the exact cause of closure, but judging from the door sign, they initially had some hopes of continuing. In the event, I had this place on my mental list of restaurants to try, but with closer options during the week and usually hitting other parts of town on the weekends, never got around to it.

Although clearly a lot of the furnishings have been moved, there are still a good few remaining, and there is not yet a for-sale sign on the property, so what will happen next is not clear.

You can read about it in The State, The Post & Courier or at ColaDaily.

(Hat tip to commenter Tom)

When I went by this location on 11 July 2026, they still had the World Cup promotional signs up as if the closing caught them by surprise. I don't believe I ever ate here, so I don't have much to say about it, though I will note that the Post & Courier story on the closing namechecks Columbia Closings.

(Hat tip to commenter Tom)

You can also read about in The State.

I was unaware of Chayz Lounge on Meeting Street until commenter Gypsie mentioned that it is closing after nine years. Judging by the webpage, it looks like a very interesting place: A small venue with fine dining and the musicians right in front of the diners.

The WIS story is here, and from that, and looking at the schedule, you still have until late this year to pick up a show.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

I noticed going down Decker the other day that longtime Korean restaurant O-Bok was gone, and a new place called Sura was operating in the building. As far as I can tell, the new place does not have a web site, but you can get the menu on google.