Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

To the best of my recollection, I've never eaten at any establishment in this Five Points storefront, to include San Jose, though I have certainly eaten at other local San Jose locations, and found them to be perfectly OK.

Commenter MB noted the closing, and pointed out that until fairly recently it was Mucho Margaritas, something I must have driven by many times without it registering at all. Already today the sign was down and folks were carting off the fixtures. With the recent closure of Dreams Of Bombay, there are now two adjacent restaurant vacancies in this building. (I don't know what, if anything, is in the upper storey).

(Hat tip to commenter MB)

UPDATE 1 July 2014 -- This will next be the bacon themed restaurant Sizzle. Mmm, Bacon!:

UPDATE 25 January 2023: Add tags and map icon.

Here's an interesting little restaurant building in Lexington. It was last a San Jose until that operation relocated to 115 North Point Drive, but the building obviously predates that. It has a familiar look, but I can't quite place it. I would say the front extension was not part of the original building.

The building looks a bit forlorn now, but the murals are a nice touch.

UPDATE 22 April 2013: Added Taco Cid to the post title based on the comments and the 1985 phonebook.

UPDATE 29 NOvember 2017 -- as mentioned elsewhere by commenter ED, this building has now been razed:

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

UPDATE 25 January 2023: Add tag.

I haven't eaten here too often, but it was fine the times I did, and it has certainly managed to outlast most of the other restaurants in the Sparkleberry Crossing development, so I'm a little curious about what's going on at the San Jose on Sparkleberry Lane. I take it that the place will reopen after the facade work currently in progress, but I'm puzzled as to why it's being done in the first place. As I recall it, the building looked nice enough, and rather southwestern, with its stucco exterior. I can't see that adding bricks over that will improve things (though from the work around the side windows, it will still have a bit of southwestern flair), and it certainly can't be cheap.

UPDATE 13 December 2012: Updated the closing date from "December 2012" to "October 2012" based on commenter Sidney's info.

UPDATE 25 January 2023: I had completely forgotten I had already made this post, so when the restaurant was closed in early 2023, I made a new post. I am deleting that one, and putting it below:

Google shows this restaurant as Temporarily Closed, but looking at the signage, I see no indication that it is closed at all, much less a "We'll be back soon" sign.

It *is* definitely closed though, and I could not get a good view inside to say if the fixtures are still there. WIS says there was a fire here in May of 2022, but I see reviews from after that, so I don't believe that is a factor.

UPDATE 7 June 2024 -- Open again:

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.

I never ate at this San Jose on US-1 near the I-20 interchange. Firstly, it's not near anywhere I usually am, and secondly (and more importantly..) it looked pretty suspect as far as quality goes.

At first I assumed it had just gone under (and was somewhat surprised at all the stuff left inside), but driving down the road towards I-20, I found a very nice looking new San Jose restaurant, so I assume it moved to the new building though there are so many San Jose places in Columbia that I can't swear it's the same operation.

UPDATE 16 Jan 2010: Commenter JB says this used to be The Oak Grove Superette, so I've added that to the post title.

UPDATE 4 March 2010 -- Here's the new San Jose building:

UPDATE 20 Jan 2011: Added "The Carolina Grill" to the post title based on the comments.

UPDATE 20 May 2021: Adding map icon and updating tags.

UPDATE 25 January 2023: Add tag.