Pawleys Front Porch
827 Harden St, Columbia, SC, 29205
Pawleys Front Porch Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Columbia for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
827 Harden St
Columbia, SC, 29205 - Phone (803) 771-8001
- Website https://www.pawleysfrontporch.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
- Mon : 11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Drive-Thru : No
Caters : Yes
Categories
Burgers
Burger or Hamburger is savored as the most desired fast food meal in the United States. A hamburger is basically a sandwich prepared by stuffing ground meat patty, generally beef, between two slices of a bun cut in half. Hamburger is also famous for its seasoning. Most popular condiments used in hamburgers in the United States are mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup. Besides ground meat patty, hamburgers are also stuffed with lettuce, onions, tomato slices, pickles, and cheese.
Hamburgers are also categorized into two types in the United States. Fast food hamburger and individual hamburgers served at restaurants are two basic types of burgers served in the United States. The individual hamburgers served at restaurants are prepared using everything including lettuce, onion, tomato, and sliced pickles as well as melted cheese on the patty or crumbled on top. American restaurants also serve veggie burgers for those who don't relish meat. Cheeseburgers are also hot favorite in the United States.
McDonalds is the most popular fast food burger restaurant serving different types of burgers in the United States. On the other hand, there are several restaurants such as Burger King are famous for serving the best hamburgers in the United States. Most burger restaurants in the United States often serve hamburgers with French fries and other condiments. If you have a liking for burgers in the United States, then you won't be disappointed. You can easily find the best burger restaurants in your city on our Restaurants Listings directory. Check the reviews and ratings of the top burger restaurants and savor yourself with the best hamburger in the city.
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Karen C.
Great burgers BUT make sure they still have what you ordered because I order a burger with blue cheese and bacon. ..got one with neither....pointed it out and was THEN told they were out of blue cheese. Did get the bacon and they brought a piece of American cheese but truth be told would have ordered a different burger.
(2)Brandon D.
Burgers were excellent, but I've had better from other places. However, locally, this place is really good. The service was excellent. We were seated in less than 5 minutes of walking in the door despite it being busy. We both got our burgers on the pretzel buns, which left more to be desired. They buns really didn't have any taste to them and they fell apart. But the burgers themselves were delicious. Cooked perfectly and just the right proportions of toppings unlike other places. Definitely will go again. Plus, parking was easy find behind the building!
(4)Julie R.
I went to dinner here last night and was really unimpressed! I've been here before and it was good so I don't know what's going on! I ordered the fripp island burger medium and it came out dry, well done and flavorless! The toppings on the burger were barely there, I couldn't even find the southern salsa that is supposedly on the burger. The burger is also on a bun that is just too thick. I had to take my meat off of it. Even the fries were overdone and greasy. I hope this restaurant isn't suffering from budget cuts or money problems because this place has really gone downhill since the last time I came here. They really need a new cook in the kitchen asap!!!!
(2)Hope T.
I traveled from Az to SC and I was looking forward to eating at Pawley's Front Porch since it was on Food Network. I was SERIOUSLY disappointed!!! 1) The sweet potato fries came out cold. I had to send them back! 2) I ordered the crawfish tacos with pineapple chutney.They crawfish tacos came with no chutney and it had beans on it which were not even on the menu. I asked for chutney and the waitress said we don't have that anymore but the menus have not been changed. I asked to speak to a manager. The manager said the same thing and I told her I did not think it was a $10.50 meal since all I could eat was the crawfish since the tortilla was dry too. ALL the manager did was take $5 off my bill!! I should have had my bill comped for the full amount of the tacos. I am so disappointed and I will not recommend or come back to this restaurant when I come back to SC! They do not deserve 1 star but yelp requires me to provide a rating!
(1)Stephanie K.
We went for half price Tuesday this week. I was not a huge fan of the high top table we were sat at but I'm really short so it's expected. The waitress stopped by after a few minutes and we hot dome drinks which took a while to come to the table. As an appetizer we has Crawfish and the cheese dip. The Crawfish was good but not my favorite. Cheese dip was boring and somewhat gritty. I got the burger with pimento cheese and jalapeño bacon on a pretzel bun. I ordered a different bun but food took a while so I didn't complain. My burger was cooked well and was tasty. Not the best I have ever had but in the top 10. The hubbs wants to try the burger challenge so we will definitely be back!
(4)Mike M.
Went for lunch. Burger was great, atmosphere was good, service killed it. Burger done to exact temp i asked. Bartender kept the glass full and was inviting. Will be stopping everytime im in columbia.
(5)Geri S.
We had a wonderful meal at Pawleys. It was recommended to us by friends from Western New York who were on their way to Florida. We were on our way back. There are several creative burgers to choose from. You can choose to have chicken on your burger for a dollar less. I also had sweet potato fries for 50 cents more. My husband had the unique onion rings which had a slightly spicy batter. We will definitely come back to Pawleys on our way back and forth to Florida again. The staff was very friendly and accommodating.
(5)Bailey B.
Good burgers. Fries were a bit greasy. I would definitely come back for the burger alone.
(4)Lexa S.
I'm giving this place 3 stars because my mom really likes it and they have good pretzel buns. I personally have been here numerous times and don't like the taste of their burger meat. I perfer Burger 77 on devine. Also, one time I came with my bf and we sat at the bar and waited to be helped while servers zipped around not acknowledging us. After 5 minutes we just got up and left without a peep from anyone. Another time I waited with two friends for 30 minutes till we got our food...other people who came after us got served before us which is painful to see when your starved. On the upside this is probably the hottest spot downtown so if your looking for the poppin place this is it!
(3)Lindsay K.
I was a little disappointed with this place. There's so much hype about in columbia that I expected it to be much more than an average burger joint. Don't get me wrong, it was ok, but I can rattle off quite a few places that are better. When I bite into a sandwich I want a burst of flavor, that just didn't happen. My bf felt the same way, it would have been completely bland if not for the toppings. The fries are good and apparently Thursdays are pint night so that's a plus. Service was good too. But for the price, I just want a burger that's going to wow me, it's your specialty. Not a bad experience over all, I was just expecting more than I got.
(3)Rick T.
To me it's just an average burger with different toppings on it. I like the set up outside, you can grab a beer and enjoy the weather.
(3)Megan P.
Best burger in South Carolina! I had the Fripp island burger which has Boursin cheese, fried green tomato and Southern salsa ( aka blackeyed pea salad). I don't like my burger still mooing, but I also don't like charcoal so I was glad when the waitress asked how I liked it cooked. Burger was perfectly cooked! It was seasoned without being meatloaf. We had the fried pickle appetizer, which was easily enough for a table of 6. My hubs had the fried green tomato pimento cheese blt with onion rings, it was huge, and he said it was tasty! You may pay an extra buck for a burger here, but it's worth your money! Bring 5 canned goods for the foodbank and fried pickles are on the house!
(5)Canita C.
Pawley's Front Porch was recommended by my friend's co-worker, she gave this place a glowing recommendation. Pawley's is well known for its burgers, so well known that it got national attention from Guy Fieri and Food Network with a spot on Triple D (Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives). Since this restaurant is located in 5 Points, an area close to USC in Columbia, it's a hot spot for students. With a little research we found that its popularity, and great food, has people lining up to get in, so we planned our visit strategically. We decided to go while the Gamecocks were playing at home, we got in and out while the game held its patrons captive. It was perfect timing, no traffic and no wait! First of all, even though they are known for their burgers, I did NOT order a burger. I got the she crab soup. A weird choice, but a good one, and I would recommend it. I have a hard time not ordering she crab soup if it's on the menu. It's one of those items that I am not accustomed to seeing on the menu since I am not a native of SC. My first time having it was after I moved to Columbia, I lived 30 years of life without this yummy soup. My friend did have a burger and onion rings, she said it was delicious. I got a bite of her burger and onion rings, I thoroughly enjoyed them both. I also got to taste the chipotle barbeque sauce - yum yum yum. That should be bottled and sold everywhere. The drinks are creative and they have an adequate amount of spirits. We both got something different so we could taste more than one drink. I even remembered the recipe for a drink to make for my husband, and he enjoyed it as well. The menu has enough variety to please everyone. I decided to order a burger to carry out for my husband. I was a little worried about the burger not traveling well, so I checked with the waitress before doing so. She said they would definitely travel well, she takes them home all of the time, as they are so big she could only eat half of one in a sitting. (The burgers are huge and worth every penny.) Now I did not read the menu, so I was unaware the each burger comes with tomatoes and onions, and my husband does not eat tomatoes or onions. I did not realize that they were on the burger until I arrived home, at which point I removed them. I was still a little worried, the burger traveled a long time and onions are very potent. I told him before he took the first bite, and he was not bothered by it at all. In fact when he took that bite, he just nodded his head in approval as he chomped away. After eating, he went to a neighbor's house to watch some game, and he later sent me a text message asking for the name of the restaurant again. (Which meant that he was already recommending it to others.) I give it two thumbs up!
(5)Beth K.
We went last night. It was a very busy Saturday night. We sat at the bar. While we got our order in very quickly, it took a long time for our food to come out and then again to pay. That is why I gave it a 4. The food was a 5 all the way!! Try the Blue cheese/Frank's RedHot Sauce on your burger! My husband had the burger with a fried green tomato on it and he said it was awesome! He ordered the onion rings also which we both really liked. I really liked this place!
(4)Megan B.
This place has failed miserably. I use to frequent Pawley's when I lived in Columbia several years ago. The food was always great and the wait staff was always friendly. This time, our experience was much different. My husband and I decided to stop by so I could get my craw fish fix. It was amazing. He and I both were impressed by it but that was the only thing that impressed us. The table they sat us at was slanted and unstable. The tea was watered down a good bit. The wrap that I ordered had water in the bottom from the lettuce not being dried appropriately. My husband said that his burger was dry and both of our orders of onion rings were clumped together, salty and pretty much just tasted the same as the other menu items they have that are fried. The wrap that I had, had fried chicken in it and I swear everything tasted the same. We didn't eat the onion rings. I picked the chicken out of the wrap. My husband took a few bites of the burger and then we wanted to leave badly. Our waitress was seen maybe 4 times total and the waitress that took our payment method was not our server from before. The people there don't seem like they care about anything, really....In saying that...We won't go back.
(1)Joshua R.
Food: 3 Drinks: 3 Atmosphere: 4 Staff: 4 Overall impression: Very popular, but we can't figure out why. This is a middle of the line burger joint. Go here if you want some burgers and beers with your buds, but not if you're looking for a family dinner. Personally, I don't see the appeal unless you go on Tuesdays for their 1/2 priced burgers. One thing I do appreciate is how any burger can be substituted for a veggie burger. The staff is attentive and quick, but I wish they'd spend a little more time overall crafting the burger to push it from good to great. If it's Tuesday, you won't regret it - but be prepared to wait!
(3)Mandi T.
I had a chicken sandwich here on a pretzel bun with the the sweet potato fries. The sweet potato fries are some of the best I have ever had! This is a hot spot in little five and we had to wait 45 minutes to be seated. My sandwhich came out wrong which, was ok but, I was not crazy about the pretzel bun it didn't have much flavor. Everyone I was with seemed to really like their meals. It's a cute place!!!!
(3)Colin K.
Ordered the famous burger here medium. Twice it came back well done and dry. Twice! For the hype this was very dissapointing.
(2)Zach S.
Solid 4 stars or better! The burgers are quite large and very tasty. I order my hamburgers medium well and mine was cooked through but, still was juicy. Their house salad is pretty unique and very good. We also ordered their fried pickles and I normally kill these things but, the portion size was so generous that we only made it half way through them. They feature a lot of local beers and a local cider too. The atmosphere is casual, slightly noisy and the staff is friendly. I highly recommend this place!
(4)Katie T.
I will definitely not be returning to Pawley's after a terrible experience this evening. The food was good as usually but the service was horrible. By the way, if you asked for extra barbecue sauce they will charge you for it!
(1)Andrea R.
Went here for the first time on Championship Sunday, very empty compared to the bars at home especially on a big game day. This place is certainly divey but we loved the homey appeal that it offered. We were just passing through but felt right at home! We sat outside under a heating lamp and it was perfect! We had some beers and just people watched and enjoyed the games. After a while we ordered the fried pickles, a bit too salty for me but overall they were decent. The food coming out to the tables all looked very delicious! Best part about this place is that they allow dogs on the outside porch. We are huge animal lovers and can't wait to bring our fur baby here once she's trained!
(4)Elma M.
Heard so much about this place and was terrible. I had the Fripp Island burger, the patty was dry with no flavor and the bottom was Damm near burnt. The salsa looked like it had been sitting in the fridge for 2-3 days, no flavor to it either. The breading on the Onions rings was falling off it looked REAL messy! Order fried pickles and were waaaaaay tooooo salty! Also in the plate they had pieces of some type of batter from the fryer which happens but they could've cleared the grease prior too frying the pickles. I sat on the bar, service was very slow and maybe 4 other people sitting there.
(1)Kara W.
We loved the creative burger options but didn't care for the fries. They were soggy and had a hint of burnt taste.
(3)Paul S.
My experience today at Pawley's Front Porch was one of the worst that I have ever had at a restaurant. First I waited at least 50 minutes from my ordering a burger until it was served. I even inquired several times as to the reason for the lengthy delay. When my burger finally arrived it was not cooked as ordered. I ordered a medium burger and it was past medium well. Maybe that's why it took so long. At that point I left the restaurant never to return on my yearly trip to Columbia. If I could I would give them negative stats.
(1)Kirk F.
We have been coming to Pawley's for over 4 years and have seen a steady decline in food quality and, most notably, service. The burgers were good, though overcooked. However, many of the sides were salty and the onion rings nearly burned. Now for the service...we were told tonight the kitchen was out of fried pickle chips. About 5 minutes later the table next to us had a bowl of pickle chips on their table. So I asked the server. Surprise! They have pickle chips!! Tonight the server followed up everything with "I'm sorry." We had to signal the bar for another round of beers which another server delivered. It's no longer an enjoyable experience especially considering the price of meals.
(2)Kristen F.
The Fripp Island on a pretzel bun is bomb and ask for some cheese dipping sauce for your fries. Also the fried pickles are some of the best I've had. The portions are huge though so splitting with someone might be your best bet !
(5)David L.
Ate here on a Saturday, bed sure to get here before noon. We arrived about 11:40. When we left, the line was out the door to get in.
(4)Nancy S.
Had to try this, but I don't know that we'd return. Had a dry burger with pimiento cheese and bacon, plus some lukewarm fries. Yes, they were busy - but doesn't that mean the food should be fresh? I'm sure there are other burger places in town, and we'll have to explore to find them. I know folks will go here because Guy Fieri (Diners Drive ins and Dives) came here, but it wasn't quite what I hoped for. I did see their specials list and maybe we'll try it on 1/2 price entree night or something other than a burger.
(3)Jamie B.
We went today based on the overall good reviews, this will not be one of those. We asked for medium and were served over seasoned extremely dry burgers. So dry that you literally could not squeeze any juice out of it. The pimento cheese had no flavor and the fries were mediocre at best. I will not be returning to this restaurant.
(1)M L.
I've been to Pawley's a few times. I went yesterday and I can say without a doubt, that will be the last time I ever go. I called ahead the day before to let them know a large party of 20 would be there...they said they could put us on the porch. Well, when we showed up with 15 people, the server who seated us was rude, seated several others before us, and acted like it was a chore to have to deal with us. Lucky us, this girl was also our server! She acted aloof, rude and disinterested the ENTIRE time. She made a rude comment to one of the people in our party after waiting almost 10 minutes to pick up our checks. It was downright awful. When I called to complain to the manager, the person who answered the phone put the phone down while getting the manager...or so I thought. Instead, I could hear this person cursing about people's orders! Then he hung up on me. I called back immediately, and did reach the manager this time. He was very apologetic, and I appreciated that a lot. But the damage was done. Although featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, the food is not worth the poor service and rudeness. I'd go to Rockaways for a better burger anyway.
(1)Evan F.
Stopped here on a trip down South. Fun, casual atmosphere in a bar setting. Ordered the fried pickle appetizer (with Ranch dipping sauce)...excellent taste, nice and crispy but not overly so. For dinner we all shared some burgers and tacos. Daughter and I split a Jucy Lucy (cheese cooked inside the patty), wife and other daughter split a bacon cheeseburger, both burgers ordered medium doneness. Then we also got a side salad and a few buffalo shrimp tacos. The burgers came out two different doneness levels and were just okay. Fries were really good and nicely seasoned. Buffalo shrimp tacos were tasty but very messy. My wife raved about the salad as the highlight of the meal.
(3)AJ K.
The only reason I give this place 3 stars is for the tap beer selection and the people that worked there were super friendly. I spent almost a day flying into Columbia and I was exhausted but could not go to sleep yet because I had dinner reservation with my fiancé and if I had laid down it would have been over. So I just needed a place to get a few good IPA's and a snack to keep me going at 2pm in the afternoon and I came across this place on a random search. Luckily when I walked in they had 4 IPA's on tap so check. Then I ordered the lunch special burger thinking it was just a smaller version on their full sized burgers. DO NOT order the lunch special burger. It comes on this flat bread thing and not a bun. And I ordered it medium but it came out well done. And then the explanation I got still makes me shake my head. I was told that " oh yeah the lunch special comes with a smaller patty so they have to cook it well done in order to cook it all the way through". If you are cooking fresh ground meat then it should not matter whether it's a 6oz portion or a larger one. Basically less meat means less cook time, just cook it less. Seems like there is something else going on. Which is probably why it tasted horrible. The fries were ok, but even then half of them tasted stale. The manager was nice enough to take the burger off my ticket. Still charged me for the fries even though I didn't really eat them but no biggie. The beers were great and like I said the staff were really friendly. Not sure I would recommend this place for the food based on what I was served but it's definitely a good place to grab a beer.
(3)Laura M.
Pawleys has thick burgers piled high with plenty of toppings and condiments. They're pretty tasty, satisfying burgers but they're much more appealing when they're half price on Tuesday nights. There's a nice, casual atmosphere with decent beer on tap and friendly, attentive staff, as well.
(3)Samuel M.
I've been here 3-4 times. I keep trying to give it a chance and it sucks every time. How can you cook a medium burger in 3 minutes? You can't because they pre cook their burgers, and it's not even busy. The kitchen staff is lazy. My onion strings were old and my burger was pre cooked and its not even cooked medium. Very disappointed.
(1)Mary D.
I keep trying to like this place! They were actually better before Triple D came. All I can say is they should lay off the "Liquid smoke" that they mix into their ground beef. It's not a secret ingredient, and more is not better. It is so overwhelming, it overpowers any other flavors or toppings you might get. Last time in I ordered the BLT. it was so sloppy that I couldn't eat it. Making portions bigger, doesn't make better food. I'm at a loss on why this place is still in business. I love the location and I like the atmosphere, I just wish they'd invest some interest in making good food.
(1)Jon M.
Been here a few times, and strangely enough, they've hosted the world's largest Sausage & Frankfurter festival each time!
(1)Jill V.
No idea why all the hype. May have been good at one time but now the burgers, fries and fried pickles are barely average. Service is adequate but don't expect personality or a smile. Don't waste your time.
(2)Jessica S.
Service was good. Our waitress was on top of our drinks, our apps and food came out in a timely manner. The truffle fries were delicious. The plate was split between me, my husband, and our three children. My husband and two children ordered burgers and those were great. I ordered crawfish tacos which I would not recommend. First, the crawfish are obviously previously frozen, although I wouldn't honestly expect them to peel, bread, then deep fry fresh crawfish (although this would make ALL the difference in the world). The crawfish had a strange metallic aftertaste,typical of frozen. Second, let's take some pride in serving a taco. If you're not going to make a homemade tortilla, at least have the decency to heat up a store bought shell on the flat top. Grill marks might fool some of your patrons. A cold, flat, lifeless tortilla isn't fooling anyone. My youngest's chicken strips seemed to be cooked a little too long because they were pretty dark, but the meat was juicy and tender so I can forgive the outer appearance. Come for the burgers and the apps. Ignore the rest.
(3)Aaron N.
Stopped here while traveling from Miami to Asheville based on yelp reviews. My burger was a little dry but the ingredients otherwise tasted fresh. The others ordered the chicken fingers which had a unique batter and were very tasty. The vibe was good with lots of TVs showing all the bowl games.
(3)Amelia R.
Great food, great service. Will def recommend to others and go back! I love all the burgers, esp the wadmalaw. I usually hate anywhere Guy F goes, but pawleys is def worth going to
(4)Banks V.
Great front porch for dogs and food was excellent. It was a bit cold but they turned on the outdoor heaters for us. Great burgers. We just came in for second time it was our midway lunch destination on vacation
(5)Richard T.
Long wait time usually, but it's worth it if you are looking for a solid gourmet burger. You have to get the fried pickles if you go there.
(4)Brandon L.
The burger itself was very good. I ordered it with Bacon and it was very salty. The sweet potato fries were cold and felt lulu or they had been sitting out for a while before they were served. The waitress was pleasant.
(3)Alison L.
The service is hit and miss, but the food is always great. I've been here quite a few times over the last few years, and it's either really great service or really okay service. Either way, the food is fantastic and more than makes up for that. I'm a huge fan of the Wadmalaw, all the way. I've been telling all my friends in Mississippi that Pawley's has the best fried pickles in America. You're welcome.
(4)Frank L.
Heat attack on a plate? Yes please.... All I have to say that the burgers are pretty outstanding. I came here with a group of co-workers for dinner and was not disappointed. Between us we had the Caw Caw, Wadmalaw and Beaufort burgers. We all got them with the pretzel buns. The burgers were all delicious and cooked perfectly, but I don't think I would go with the pretzel bun again as it was a bit to hard for the burger. The onion rings were also great, and not spicy as you would think, since they are made with Frank's red hot.
(4)Sam W.
Definitely one of the better burger places i've ever been to. Amazing fries, and good enough service. Best deal in town is Tuesdays half off burger menu.
(4)Anna B.
I could leave a very detailed review or just get down to brass tacks, I choose the latter. I was built up by people telling me this was the best burger in Columbia. I disagree. It just wasn't good, that's really all. For a bit more detail: I got the Wadmalaw which I believe was bbq sauce and fried jalepenos. The burger was too big in height (way too much bread), hardly cooked, and just didn't taste good. I got it on a pretzel bun, which had no distinguishable flavor. My friend made the mistake of getting the one with caramelized onions, grape jelly, and goat cheese. It sounds interesting, but just ended up being gross. It wasn't the worst, but I'm not going back.
(1)Ray R.
Went to Pawleys just ordered burger and fries, the burger was cooked perfect but the bun was stale and dry. They could at least put butter on it and grilled it. The fries were way over cooked and way too salty. Now for the drink of the south, the sweet tea was not and was to weak.
(1)Josh M.
I absolutely love this place. They have some of the greatest burgers around. I get the Sullivan's a lot but I I've had every burger on the menu and not one of hem is bad! They have great drink prices and the atmosphere is very cool. A great pace to catch a game or meet up with friends!
(5)B G.
I stopped in during happy hour and was quickly greeted and seated. Ordered my burger medium, it came out well done with a huge side of greasy cold fries. The burger itself (despite being over-cooked) was delicious. Service was inconsistent: refilled my drink periodically, but failed to provide napkins with the burger. I had to go on a search for them. I suspect I just hit them at a bad time. I'll definitely try again and hope it was just a glitch.
(2)Logan N.
Atmosphere is great but the staff is rude and it takes forever to get your food with barely anyone in the building. And we saw a cockroach crawling across the floor out in the open before we even got our food... 2 hours later.
(1)Nat C.
I would give it 5 stars except for ONE time my burger was a under cooked and I'm a fan of mid-rare burgers. It's a great place for lunch because service usually pretty quick and they can accommodate a group of 5-8 pretty quickly. Portions are huge so you can plan of being stuffed or having some to take home. On a nice day the patio is tough to beat.
(4)Christie G.
I knew they were locally known for being on Diners, Driveins and Dives so I wanted to give it a shot. I love a good burger also. I really wanted to love the food! However, my burger wasn't good at all and I was super disappointed. My daughter wouldn't even eat hers. I got the traditional bun since I'm not a pretzel fan. It was very dry and crumbly like it was on the verge of stale. The hamburger meat was barely mediocre. The seasoning in the meat wasn't a good flavor in my opinion. Overall, the burger had a dry taste. The fries were pretty good, but I've had better even at Five Guys. The positives are the service was super friendly and we received our food very quickly! I don't think I'll ever go back, but I'm glad I tried it.
(1)Leslie D.
I give Pawleys 2 stars for the for the food. I went with 6 adults and 5 children on a rainy Sunday afternoon. The restaurant had patrons but was not super busy. There was only 1 area with low tables large enough for a group with children. So we opted to sit out side. We were doing well with the delicious appetizers the Napoleon, crawfish and fried pickles until the rain picked up and was streaming onto our table and we needed to move in doors. We thankfully moved in doors with all of the kids and carried in our drinks and uneaten appetizers. The only table available for the group was a high top which was challenging for kids. Pawleys being a bar we did our best to situate the kids so they could eat their meals and still enjoy our burgers. As we finished our meals and asked for the checks we were surprised to find the gratuity added to our 3 separate checks that we had asked for at the beginning of the meal. We left additional gratuity due to the fact that we were a group with kids and the experience was decent. As we exited we were able to hear the servers complaining about cleaning our "messy table" and how could it be possible for people to be so messy. One child did spill their drink from the high top table and the styrofoam cup they were drinking from broke. The fathers cleaned it up with the napkins on the table and put them on a plate. Not one effort was made by the waitstaff or bartenders to provide more napkins or assist in the clean up. Nor was our table attempted to be cleared as people finished their food. I didn't see garbage cans openly throughout the bar/restaurant or we would have cleaned up more and kept the extra tip. I found it odd that this place has kids night on Monday nights. Hopefully on Mondays they have a more family friendly wait staff or they pull out garbage cans for customers to clean the tables to avoid the inconvenience.
(2)Jordan G.
Pawleys is awesome- I'm a craft beer drinker and was really surprised with the bartender's knowledge of beers and even liquors. I recommend starting with the fried green Napoleon or the fried oysters! The burgers are huge so don't over do it. Great food beer and service. I will be returning!
(5)Joe V.
We went to Pawley's during USC parents weekend 2013. Now parents weekend is a thing that is planned and scheduled every year, you know when its going to be and you should staff the kitchen appropriately. The food here is top notch, great burgers, fish tacos, chili cheese fries. OH the fries and just wonderful. But we had to wait 45 minutes for our food and I understand busiest weekend of the year , but unlike others who would write a trashy review I am not. You have great food, staff and location you just need to be better prepared for parents weekend. :)
(4)Michaela B.
Truly a fantastic burger! I don't think you can go wrong. The atmosphere is a little grimy, though. Like most places in 5 Points it's smeared with beer by college kids every night, so lunch on a Saturday and the place looked like it had barely recovered from the night before. So, it's seriously casual. Didn't feel bad about my kid littering the floor with french fries. The fries were awesome, by the way.
(4)David C.
After being a fan of Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, we decided to check out as many of them as we could whenever we go on vacation. This weekend, on our way to Charleston, SC for a birthday weekend getaway, we detoured through Columbia for lunch at Pawley's Front Porch. It was Mother's Day, so we thought we'd have a long wait, but surprisingly, we only waited 10 minutes for a table outside. Our server, Moe, was a delightful young lass with a million dollar smile and a personality to match. She was extremely helpful in answering questions and guiding us on our virgin run. My wife had the Wadmala burger which is chipotle BBQ sauce, fried pickles, applewood smoked bacon and cheddar cheese. She ordered it medium rare on a Pretzle bun with sweet potato fries I had the Caw Caw Creek Burger with jalapeno pimento cheese, bread and butter pickled green tomato, in-house pesto, applewood smoked bacon and grilled onions. I had Frank's red hot onion rings. These burgers are nothing short of AWESOME and well worth the detour to visit. Since the burgers are 100% Angus with NO FILLERS, you don't get the gut bomb feeling after your finished eating. We'll come again if in the area and highly recommend this place to anyone.
(5)Taylor H.
The burgers and chicken sandwiches here are phenomenal, and the fried pickles are amazing, but the service is often subpar. I have been eating here for 6 years and basically you have to know going in that they are usually swamped and it will probably take a while to get your water refilled or to get your food.
(4)Grace M.
Greasy food and the food is too hyped up. Slow service, it's better at the bar It's not worth the long wait you typically see outside.
(3)Marlowe L.
Asked for medium, got an over well done burger. Fries were lukewarm and not crispy. Pretzel bun wasn't anything. Should have gone to Five Guys or Smashburger.
(2)Southern C.
We rented the food truck for a backyard engagement party for approximately 40 people and what a fun AND tasty time!! We had Mahi tacos, veggie tacos, fried green tomato and pimento cheese BLTs. OMG!! Delish:). The sides were even yummy...I sampled the pasta salad and sweet potato fries, so good! Ian was a breeze to work with during the planning stage and was there during the party to ensure all went smoothly and was helping cook. Frank took orders, and even delivered, ensuring guests had everything they needed. There was one other guy helping but I didn't catch his name:( but he was hard at work cooking all the yummy orders! What a fun, easy way to feed your guests. Highly recommend Pawley's Mobile Eats!
(5)Aardvark A.
Creative, fantastic burgers available on different buns including pretzel rolls. Any place that has jalapeño bacon jam is alright in my book. My favorites are the Wadmalaw, Caw Caw and Palmetto burgers. Try the Frank's Red Hot onion rings for something different but the hand cut fries are always a great standby.
(4)Gerardo G.
Great selection of microbrews. The palm of isle was a great selection in the pretzel bun. The sweet potato fries were soggy when I received them they probably were sitting out for a while but either way they were okay. They mozzarella sticks were massive and were worth the cholesterol. The atmosphere was really relaxing. Went around 1pm and it was just getting busy. I am definitely planning on going back. Will post pics after next visit.
(4)Roger B.
It was very good was easy too find great service but only down fall is guy wasn't here i would come back if in area must go its not swanky joint just good southern Burger joint
(4)BC H.
In town Halloween weekend and went to PFP for lunch because it was featured on DDD. It was a rainy morning but when we arrived there was already a line for seating - 1st good sign. We found room at the bar and settled in thinking we'd have to wait for service. 2nd good sign - Tiffany & Austin were right there with menus and smiles. The rest of our experience just got better and better. Food came quickly and was delicious. We would definitely go back if we were in town again.
(4)Justin R.
Really good burgers. Amazing fried pickles. Not fine dining but for a great selection of burgers and drinks was awesome. The server we had was pleasant and kept checking on us but not overwhelming. Would recommend to anyone craving a burger joint. "That's one tasty burger."
(4)Frank A.
good burgers - often go here for a biz lunch.. i love the kiawah - it's got cheese nad mushrooms over a full solid burger. the burgers are pretty reliable. Service is generally average - they're mostly staffed by USC college girls who aren't always on their A-game waiting tables. It's not been top-shelf, but i've never had a 'terrible' experience either.. Cost is average for a bar-area burger joint. Decor and atmosphere is reliably average... specialties are various burgers. and sweet potato fries!
(4)Lance H.
When i travel i try and find at least one Triple D's Restaurant so when i visited my brother last year i had to try this place. Well today was prolly trip 10 and i haven't been disappointed once. I've read a few of the reviews and either they don't know what a good burger is or not ordering it done right because the burgers have been spot on EVERYTIME! I usually get the Rockville (sauteed vidalia onions, wild mushrooms and gruyere cheese) on the pretzel bun. The only thing i would say is i do order my burger medium rare and it is medium rare so the bottom buns does tend to get a bit soggy if i don't eat it in a timely manner!! :) But when you got that much juices running out it's to be expected. One other thing i've notice is it does say no substitutions but i think 8 of the 10 times i've ordered a burger i've done some sort of substitution or add ons. I'd say on a scale of 1 to 10 for restaurant burgers they are 8. But what puts this place over the top is their Deep fried oysters and the sauce they drizzle over the top!!!!!!!! Oh by the way Onion rings and sweet potatoes fries aren't to shabby either!!! The place has a good vibe to it and recommend sitting out on the patio!!
(5)Stephen C.
On a visit to USC, the tour guide recommended this restaurant, saying it has the best burgers in the city. We didn't make it far enough to try the burgers. Two Caesar salads came out of the kitchen with brown, gooey, rotten lettuce. Completely grossed out, we asked to speak with the manager. With eyes rolling, the manager came over and saw nothing wrong with the "salad". She did not even apologize for the horrible quality of the food that somehow made it out of the kitchen. Disappointed at the lack of southern hospitality we came down to the south to find, we left cranky and hungry. On the other hand, our waitress, Caroline, was very nice (hence the one star).
(1)Eric W.
I have to say that I've been to Pawley's 3 times over the last 3 years and none of those times impressed me the way I thought, considering all of the hype. I've noticed that their quality is very inconsistent and I'm pretty sure the burger patty recipe has changed, maybe even the type of meat they use. I went recently and ordered a front porch (build your own) burger with bacon, cheddar, and a fried egg ($11, including side of fries). The burger didn't seem fresh. I'm convinced it was a frozen patty (that they made, but then froze before preparing). The patty was slightly rubbery and had a strange flavor. The burger consumed all other flavors. I couldn't taste the bacon, egg or cheese. It was all burger. The bun wasn't toasted and was very unappealing. I've had lots of great burgers all over town (and reviewed most of them) and this is by far the worst I've had. I've honestly had better burgers out of [multiple] drive thru windows. With all that said, I rated a 2 star instead of 1 because the service was very good and the fries are delicious if they're fresh. This time, they were very fresh and tasty, handcut fries. I've had them before when they weren't hot and they were just not good. Pawleys is absolutely NOT the go-to burger in Columbia. I think if you read my other reviews you will be much happier with some other burger places in town that will taste better and save you money.
(2)Malcolm P.
private lot in the back and outdoor indoor seating makes this place super accessible. burgers are always good and portions of fries are intimidating to say the least. most of the time we go we don't have to wait more than 10 minutes.
(4)WanderLustinDani P.
So we finally tried Pawleys! We were seated in a timely manner, temp inside was colder than outside. First impressions was a sports bar feeling, lots of people seemed to be enjoyin there meal. Not alot of seating, we arrived approx @ 5p and had no issue parking either. Waitress was rude and no personality, I even asked her if she in a hurry, she never asked us if we had been here. Very dry personality to be working at a well known restaurant in Columbia.... The food and flavors were good. Presentation of the food was great and we received a good amt for the price. We ordered grilled Mahi-Mahi fish taco, very fresh and generous amount of cabbage, blk beans. My hubby had a hamburger which he enjoyed, daughter had the chicken burger with fries- she stated the chicken and fries were very good and fresh! Yes I would return to try a different meal.
(4)Shane B.
Made famous from Triple D, was a great filling lunch today. We came in at the perfect time, 11:15am. No wait, and fast service. Towards noon the lunch crowd set in and the place was buzzing, for a Friday afternoon. I had the Walmalaw burger with fries. Go for the fried pickles. They are an extra special treat. You will love them. Enjoy.
(4)Monica R.
I will start with a confession. The reason we even came here was because they were featured on Dives, Diners, and Drive-ins. Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let me tell you why you should go at least once. Their menu is creative, with things such as Jalapeno bacon and Pimento cheese on their burgers. They dont shy away from caramelizing their onions in grape jelly or indulging you with a pretzel bun. I loved that they have a good list of local beers on draught. My boyfriend had the Caw Caw Creek and he said it was very good. I had the burger special which had pulled pork and slaw on a burger (I hate that they put baby rays on it instead of having their own bbq sauce). Again, their food is not bad at all but it wasnt love at first bite. It's fun to try once, just come with no expectations other than to have a good burger. Oh and the sweet potato fries have cinnamon on them, I kind of wish the server would have said something just because they didn't really complement the burger all that well but they were so good with a side of ranch. The best way to put it: Kim Kardashian is famous because of her sex tape. Does that make her the best lay? Not really. Guy Fieri gave this place the unequivocal sex tape. You decide the rest.
(3)Jordan H.
Enjoyed the burger. Really like the atmosphere out on the porch! Sweet potato fries were a good choice!
(4)Rachel C.
Daaaaaaang Southern Living! They aren't kidding around! Round one was the fried green tomatoes. Which I love! But when I've had it up east, it's been fried green tomatoes. With some drizzle of something or other. Here it's fried green tomatoes layered with homemade boursin cheese, cajun crab dip, topped with sweet chipotle mayonnaise. But for realz, I just wondered where the green tomatoes were!? It was just so much, I would have liked it a bit simpler, but I get that's the style, I'm just not down with it I guess. So onto the burgers. I ordered the Kiawah which is marinated portabella mushrooms, fire roasted peppers and melted brie cheese. I think I was cheesed out by that point, because I like brie, but I just couldn't handle more globs of cheese. The great thing was the burger was pretty tasty once I picked through the brie. Plenty of mushrooms, which is great and I loved the roasted peppers. The side of sweet potato fries was super generous and I love when they come with cinnamon on top! I also got to try some local beer, the Holy City, which was surprisingly good. Top that off with friendly service and it's a solid Southern experience!
(3)Jessica W.
Absolutely delicious food! When I went it was pretty packed, but that didn't hinder the service. The fries weren't as crisp as I would like them to be, but I still enjoyed them. I will definitely keep coming here.
(4)C F.
Wow! Burgers were big, juicy, and tasty. Excellent service, place is kinda a dive but was worth the extra time out of our trip to stop
(5)John K.
I'm a big fan of Pawley's. My favorite burger is the Wadmalaw on a pretzel bun. Don't forget to try the onion rings though. But what may be a surprise for a burger joint that was featured in Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, is their fried oysters! Their fried oyster appetizer is served with Chow-chow, and they are amazing! You have to try them!
(4)Cassondra B.
My favorite burger place of all time Sullivans burger Sweet potatoes fries done right with cinnamon sugar! Best ever pasta salad Onion rings And fried pickles
(5)Lea L.
Better than these reviews may make it seem. It always seems like restaurants featured on food networks are held to a much higher standard when it comes to reviews, and Pawley's Front Porch is a certainly a victim of this. If your looking for huge portions, unique burgers smothered with a smorgasbord of toppings and offbeat pairings this place is for you. Not for sensitive stomachs. The ambience is what you'd expect from a burger joint featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and named after a South Carolina vacation spot--casual, homey, and divey. The burgers are all strategically paired with a unique combination of toppings. I would suggest entering with an open mind and trusting the menu. This may seem like a minor detail to some, but the fact you can choose your bun style (pretzel, ciabatta, multi-grain kaiser roll, sesame kaiser) is something I cherish with every visit. Here are my favorite burgers (in no particular order): Kiawah marinated portabella mushrooms, fire roasted peppers and melted brie cheese Sullivan's grilled pineapple, guacamole, citrus jalapeno mayo and pepperjack cheese Front Porch - 8oz beef patty ground in-house add cheese: cheddar, pepperjack, gruyere or blue cheese add bacon: jalapeno or applewood smoked Caw Caw Creek housemade jalapeno pimento cheese, bread & butter pickled green tomato, jalapeno bacon and grilled onions The bloody mary's are just okay. They are made with a mix so there is no adding or subtracting spiciness (they are too spicy in my opinion). Decent selection of beer--local craft and standard options. I have experienced inconsistencies with burgers not being cooked perfectly but I am less sensitive to this than others. Definitely worth a visit. Enter with an open mind and empty stomach and it probably won't be the best burger you've ever had but it just may be the best in Columbia.
(3)E.F. Martin M.
Liked the spicy chicken in a spinach wrap!
(5)Bruce K.
Fantastic burger, really great onion rings. I went with the Rockville (sauteed vidalia onions, wild mushrooms and gruyere cheese) on the pretzel bun. Simply amazing. So moist and messy, it was fantastic. 25 minute wait for a table, but a seat at the bar was available immediately. So I sat at the bar, drank two beers, socialized with my neighbors, watched a bit of some basketball game, and seriously enjoyed getting into my half pound of meat and cheese. I cleaned the plate. They have a parking lot and there is some street parking in front and nearby. No, they do not valet park.
(5)Wayne H.
Pawley's is overall good, but not consistent depending on the day and also arguably not the best burger in town but pretty darn close. I recommend the Mac and Cheese burger.
(4)Annie D.
Are you looking for a burger? A big, fat burger? Come here, eat one. This one: yelp.com/biz_photos/pawl… I had the Caw Caw Burger without the bun or the pimento cheese. With and a giant pile of sweet potato fries, hold the sugar sprinkle. The burger was enormous and comes topped with a pickled green tomato, jalapeño bacon and fried onions. I can't even imagine eating this with the bun... it would take up the whole plate. It's a sports bar atmosphere, but they didn't bat an eye as I read my book at the outdoor bar. And as you can read above, I eat paleo and am fully aware of how obnoxious my restaurant orders sound coming out of my mouth. They were very accommodating though. The bartender even came back quickly to check with me on something just to make sure he was getting it right.
(4)Adam B. J.
The first time I went to Pawley's (right when it opened) I thought well another place that is decent but this building is cursed so I better eat it now as it will be gone tomorrow (that building had many failed restaurant attempts). Thanks to Diner's Drive-ins and Dives I'm fairly sure Pawley's is here to stay. Their burgers are great. My personal favorite is the Caw Caw Creek (topped with house made jalapeno pimento cheese, pickled green tomato, grilled onions, and jalapeno bacon) . The Rockville (Vidallia onions and greyer cheese) and Beaufort (frank's hot sauce fried onions, fried egg, ham and cheddar cheese) are also wonderful. They have three bun choices, but I always get the pretzel bun. I like my burgers Medium/Medium Rare and this bun can handle the "juice" from a burger that temperature. The burgers are huge. The sweet potato fries, fries, and onion rings are delicious as well. I have to be in the mood for Pawley's as their burgers are a so big, delicious, and almost a gourmet offering. If you are in the mood for a greasy cheese burger from a diner, this isn't going to quench your craving. If you are a burger person (like I am) and you want to go have a great meal... THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. FYI thanks to their popularity be prepared to wait. College kids staff the place, so sometimes you get great service & sometimes you don't. Worth the aggravation for such good food.
(4)Michael H.
Overall, this place is a comfy local hotspot for great food & great atmosphere. If you want to know anything about local beers - just ask your waitress! Ours knew more about beer than the "beer goddesses" at Flying Saucer! Was a little disappointed they were out of the oysters and that our table was tucked away in a back corner, but the food and service did not disappoint! Be adventurous & try a burger with quirky toppings bc the 30 min wait for a table is only worth it if you try what they're famous for! Will say that the place needs a little bit of work, but it's a Columbia staple that stays busy so if you can look past that then come hungry! Also will mention the table beside us was raising cain & my wife and I were impressed at the way mgmt and our waitress handled everything. Seemed like smart girls with good head on their shoulders. Nice relief from the ditzy waitresses you get most places. 4 out of 5 stars!
(4)Shaunna B.
Love this place. Although usually pretty crowded in the evenings when I have gone it is well worth the wait. The staff is extremely friendly and the prices aren't bad.
(5)Erik G.
This place is famous for their burgers. Was not impressed. Everything else was descent and the waiting staff wasn't bad but nothing was great. A little pricey for being somewhat mundane
(3)Carolyn G.
Okay, so the reviews are mixed. I have eaten here about 5 times over the years and the food is usually consistent. Here is my take on how to have a good experience at Pawley's. First, if there is a long wait, consider if you absolutely must have Pawley's that night. It is a really good burger joint, but they have almost no waiting area. If you are sensitive to smoke, you may want to sit inside. The street traffic by the porch has smokers walking by frequently. Absolutely, you must order the fried green tomato appetizer. It is served layered with cheese and crab, placed on a bed of mixed greens and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. It is simply heavenly. When you order your burger, have it medium rare. The meat is ground fresh daily and if you order it medium, it may be a bit dry. Get a specialty bun like the pretzel bun on your burger for a true Pawley's experience. Experiment with the different types to burgers, you never know which one will be your next favorite.
(4)Jonathan R.
Moved to the area from NY. While my brother was visiting, he told me he wanted to try this place out because of its Triple D exposure. So good, I came back with my wife. If you look through the staff door, you can see the cooks ma the beef patties fresh, so you know your getting fresh beef.
(4)Drew E.
Probably Columbia's best burger!
(4)Ken H.
Meh... I've been coming here for the last five years and despite my two star rating, I'll still oblige my friends and family by returning to this establishment so they can make their own judgements. I honestly feel like 5 years ago this place was entirely much better than they are now. Ever since Guy Fieri graced Pawley's with his celebrity, they have become kind of slack with ...well...everything. In the past, the service was faster, the food was more consistent and the prices weren't as exorbitant. I'm giving them an extra star since Tuesdays are half burger night, although maybe this should stick as their regularly priced menu. Also, all their entrees come with a side ...so why are the fish tacos conspicuously missing this option? Ugh yada yada it's a burger place, but c'mon people! Give me a little consistency!
(2)Cindi W.
Word to the wise, dont eat just anywhere cause you are with someone that was craving real food instead of K-Rations. (I don't think I would be that desperate for food to go here) Nuff said. This place SUCKED!
(1)Scarlett P.
Omgosh I never thought I would rate a hamburger joint with this many stars. I had the fried green tomato Napoleon and Sullivan, amazing and very filling. The staff were friendly and kept the tables cleaned. Definitely coming back next time I'm in town.
(4)Helen M.
Great hamburgers!!! The variety of food is outstanding. Staff is very friendly and accommodating as well. My friend mentioned to me that she was a little chilly and one of the staff apologized for sitting us next to the door and said that he had another table all ready for us if we'd prefer! It was superior service and my friend and I were quite pleased as she wasn't complaining but they treated her like a superstar. It was very impressive.
(4)Ryan C.
You haven't had a burger and house cut frites or onion rings until you've been here. The in house burger blend is outstanding, seasoned perfectly, buns are smazing. I always go for the build your on burger and no matter what I top it with I can't fit my mouth around it. Awesome cheese selection. Jalepeno bacon is pretty spicy but the flavor is great, I always opt for a freshly baked pretzel bun. The buttermilk fried pickles and fried green tomato napoleon (stuffed w/cheese) apps are to die for. And the biggest toss up is trying to choose between shoestring frites or Frank's red hot battered onion rings, wish they did a half and half. Cool laid back atmosphere inside with a roomy "front porch" with outdoor seating inclu f in outside TV 's and a bar, overall great place.-Ryan C.
(5)Haley P.
My food was delicious-isle of palms burger with sweet potato fries-but my boyfriends left much to be desired. He had the grilled chicken sandwich with pasta salad and a beer. Something was floating in his beer, the chicken looked to be undercooked, and he couldn't take more than one bite of the pasta salad bc it was too mayonnaise-y. I'll be going back but sticking to what I know!
(4)Cor B.
Tasteless. The real feat here was making a burger with ham, cheese, a fried egg - lettuce, tomato, onion and a sesame bun with so little flavor. Won't return - will go to five guys next time.
(2)Lorna E.
Burger was good. Fries were delish. Fried pickles excellent. Had to take a to go for my other half of burger, large portion of fries and half order of pickles. On the way to the car a homeless lady ( bless her heart) asked for money and I gave her my left overs and some $ I had in my wallet. She was overjoyed to get the meal and $ which made me feel good. Hope she enjoyed it as much as I did.
(3)Gary G.
Burgers, Burgers, Burgers. They have pretty good burgers served with huge portions. They have a veggie burger and some other bar food type items. Good fries as well. Nice beer selection as well. Fairly busy most times.
(4)Daniel J.
Best burger I've ever had. Flat out! Prices are fair and is located right in 5 points. Perfect for a pre game drink and meal before hitting downtown. I tried their special which was a burger with BBQ and Mac and cheese. Simply unreal! A must stop in Cola!!!
(5)Fay B.
Slow, unfriendly service was my experience. The burger menu looks interesting until you catch the "no changes or substitutions" note in the corner. The food was tasty, but not worth the wait and rudeness factor for me.
(2)Kate P.
I love Pawleys, didn't used to get to go as often because my boyfriend thinks it's overrated... But they allow pets at their outside seating so I'm pretty excited that I can use that to get him to go more often now that the puppy can tag along! The burgers run about $10 each and that includes big burgers with premium toppings as well as a side- fries, sweet potato fries and onion rings are amazing... There's another choice, maybe pasta salad, but I've never tried it since the other choices are ao good. I always go for the isle of palms burger, with a delicious heap of pimento cheese and some jalapeño flavored bacon (no actual jalapeño, and not too spicy. Just a good amount of heat and flavor). You can also get any of the burgers with grilled chicken breast instead of beef if you're not a big beef person. Decent beer selection but not super cheap. Tuesdays are half price burger night and it is an AMAZING deal but it can get packed so try to go early...
(5)Charles S.
Great selection of burgers (full page) salads fish tacos and (25) craft/draft beers -casual atmosphere parking behind building or on Harden street
(4)Kel B.
Huh? THIS is supposed to be the best burger joint in Columbia? I completely disagree. I have had better burgers at McDonald's! My boyfriend and I went Friday afternoon because I was really craving a delicious burger. I got the Caw Caw Creek and he got the Wadmalaw. If you just read the menu, everything sounds heavenly and tasty. But no. Everything came out cold and old, like it had been microwaved 30 minutes before we got there. My fries weren't cooked all the way and the burgers kind of sucked. We both got ours cooked medium well, but they were more of a gummy over-cooked. For $10 you can find a much better meal just about anywhere in Columbia... for really good burgers, I recommend The Whig. For half the price, even Rush's, Zesto's and Maurice's are better than Pawley's. (Also, all the waitresses kept spilling drinks. I think there were 3 spilled drinks while we were there, one onto a customer. It was odd.)
(2)Law Man L.
Great burgers and fried crawfish was yummy! The ambiance is a typical dive college bar... and the place smelled like that too. But for burgers and beer, 2 thumbs up.
(3)Nathan Y.
Very disappointed in the overall experience. The service was fair at best. We went on a slow Wednesday night and still waited forty-five minutes for a burger and salad. The food was average, nothing special. Also the music was too loud and made it very hard to carry on conversations.
(2)Michael L.
Food was excellent! Service, on the other hand, was very bad. Waitress took forever and barely checked on us.
(3)Mike M.
Had the Fripp island burger on pretzel. Outstanding, but sloppy
(5)s s.
Heading through Columbia after the Masters and the beer and burger hit the spot... Lots of choices on tap, and the burgers had great seasoning on top of fabulous toppings. The fries and onion rings were a great side. I would go back any time in town...
(5)Greg S.
The Guy Fieri signed poster on the wall has faded, and unfortunately so has the glory of Pawley's Front Porch. Years ago I ate here when they first opened and it as pretty good. I returned today for lunch and the experience was less than satisfactory. When we pulled in the parking lot it seemed dirty. Hoping the experience inside would be better, we continued inside. It wasn't much better. The table had a sticky film on it like it hadn't been cleaned in a while. Also the table wobbled so much it almost dumped the drinks on us a few times. My boss ate with us and his water glass had food particles stuck on the inside. This was his first time here and we had built up the reputation to him. The burgers didn't have that homemade taste they used to. Very bland and dry. The home cut fries were greasy and soggy. I have ordered take out from here before and this as a problem. I chalked that up to being take out, but today there was no excuse. Our server wasn't very personable, but that seemed to be a trend watching the other tables and servers. My boss' opinion echoed my own. I most likely will not be coming back here until I hear they have improved the conditions and the food.
(2)Amy Yvonne H.
Great burgers, Lots of Options, Huge Portions, Good Service! Food: I have tried just about all the burgers & I was not disappointing ever. Size of the burgers is large enough to kill a small child or knock over a bird on a limb. Neither of which I'd recommend. The cheeses were quite diverse & the sweet potato fries were worth robbing a hobo. Thankfully you can just order them on the menu with your meal for the same price as reg fries I believe. No robbing necessary. Atmosphere: Laid back at this location. Very busy, sports like. Nice privacy on the booths, especially the one in the back near the restroom. Service: They were fast, young, & very sweet. Pricing: Medium-High Expect to spend at least $15/person Conclusion; If you are a cow meat kinda person then moo-ve over to 5 point for this joint!
(4)Magan C.
Holy moly. The burgers here do not disappoint! Come hungry! These aren't your "run of the mill" burgers. They all seem to have this element that makes each burger unique and classy even. I had the Rockville burger and the gruyere cheese really added that unique flavor element. I love this place. Not to mention when you're having a drunken evening and you spot the mobile Pawley's truck, it's kind of like experiencing the rapture. It's biblically good burgers.
(5)Kevin H.
Tried out this triple D restaurant. The food was very good. Had to sit at the bar because the place was packed. The bartender probably need a little more training on beer selection. He seemed to know nothing about the kind of beers they had. Very strange, but the food was very good. Worth trying and I would recommend it to anyone.
(4)Bill P.
Found this through the food network. Stopped here while passing through Columbia on a Saturday afternoon in September. The place has a pub atmosphere and was busy with customers sitting at the bar and eating meals at the tables. We had to wait a few minutes for a table. Their menu mainly features hamburgers although other items such as tacos, salads, and a few non-burger sandwiches. They offer hamburgers with different toppings. The hamburgers are named after other places in South Carolina. The offer a few bun choices. Sandwiches come with one side. I had the Kiawah on a multigrain bun with onion rings. The burger was large and excellent. They had a nice selection of draft beers. The only negative was parking; their lot is limited and was full. I would recommend Pawley's to those who enjoy great hamburger sandwiches.
(4)Tuyet N.
Could it be? That the best burger I've ever had was in Columbia, SC?!? Yes it could be and it was! I'm from Sacramento and I went to visit my brother who lives in the area. We decided to look up unique spots to hit up as I love to try all things local to the area and BAM! Pawley's was the biggest contender AND it didn't hurt that it was shown on TV. Our group of 6 ordered the famous burgers on pretzel buns and we all enjoyed our burger! It was super moist and the portions were big so my sister and I shared and it was perfect for us. When I come back to Columbia, I am definitely coming back here.
(5)Rusty P.
Great burgers, and great atmosphere. If you see their food truck around town, make sure to stop!
(4)Anthony M.
We saw this place on the Food Network on the Road app, and the restaurant had been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. We love Guy Fieri and wanted to try the place. Boy are we glad we did. The place has an old school burger joint feel, and there were plenty of people at every table. There's a bar, and a porch for customers to sit at, and a big chalkboard on which the specials are written. I order the summer special, and my wife had one of the manager's favorites. The burgers were huge. Huge, and delicious. The meat was fresh and the combinations were absolutely insanely creative. The summer special I had was (from bottom to top): the bottom of the bun, melted cheddar cheese, freshly ground beef, BBQ meat, fried mac & cheese, lettuce and tomato. The mac and cheese and the cheddar seemed to melt into my mouth with a lovely meat center. The only problem I had was that I wasn't a big fan of the fries. They were limp and a little bland, but I don't usually like those types of homemade fries anyway. Besides, by the time I ate the burger I had no room for them anyway. Wonderful....We'd absolutely recommend it and we'd stop through again.
(4)Erin L.
Never disappointed I always get the same burger, but it is always delicious! Great variety of burgers and different bun choices as well. The sweet potato fries and onion rings are awesome! A great place to take visitors from out of town and definitely the best place for a burger in cola. Half price burgers on tuesday as well from 5-7. There is usually a wait, but as long as you get your name down before 7 you will still get the deal.
(5)Rob B.
Very good burgers. Has the caw caw creek and it was good. Service was iffy. Shouldn't have to be asked if I would like more non-alcoholic drink just fill my tea glass. Was busy and took longer than quoted to be seated but that's good for the business. Definitely will keep going and recommend their burger
(4)V. B.
Solid overall. The flavors were definitely there. Unfortunately, the execution was not. This was my 1st visit and I had the Caw Caw on a COLD multi-grain bun with COLD sweet potato fries (which were quickly replaced upon request)....Overall just above blah and fell short of the hype. No wait. Good waitstaff. Just blown by the cold everything....
(3)Doug P.
Great place!! Had an awesome burger (one of the best I've ever had). They also had the best fried pickles by far! The dipping sauce (remoulade I think) was outstanding and the seasoning and texture of the pickles were perfect. I wish I lived near there as I would take the family often.
(5)Matthew B.
I went on a Tuesday and by chance this happened to be a buy 1 burger get one half price which was awesome. The burgers are great, they have really good ingredients and flavors but I think the thing that holds them back from a better rating is having a better quality meat or grilling process. I don't think this is a best ever but it is pretty good.
(4)Phil D.
Disappointed. The burger was over cooked and dry. The tomato slice was not ripe and still had the hard top core in it. The lettuce was wilted. Clearly appears that speed is more important than quality here. A plus note: the service was great and the USC coeds doing the serving were friendly and cute! Come on, I had to find something good to say. I can check this one off the DDD list. Don't need to come back.
(2)Aric D.
*Biased review I don't know the back story, but this location is an obvious attempted copy of Poe's on Sullivan's Island. Unique for Cola, unique toppings for large burgers/ bar/ and outside patio; but a huge burn against Poe's on Sullivan's Island. Had high expectations given the mimic layout- which have been sent tumbling down more than once. Food has been "meh" TIP: Please don't be timid in returning your burger because the ice cold cheese/topping combos weren't steamed properly before being brought out to you.
(3)Chad H.
Okay, If you have never been to Pawley's you have to go once. Pawley's has good service and a fun upbeat atmosphere. However... if you are looking for a great "burger" you might be slightly disappointed. For all the Pawley's lovers out there who are cringing at my review let me please explain. Pawley's does a great job with their bun, condiments and variety of toppings, but the burger itself has no unique qualities or characteristics that would cause me to come running back. Half off burgers between 5-7 on Tuesdays is hard to beat.
(3)David A.
With the yelp reviews and the Guy Fieri DD and D's segment I had to try this place. I am pretty much of a burger snob and must admit that burgers are one of the few foods that I crave. I think Village Whiskey in Philadelphia is the gold standard. Anyway, this is a really nice spot in the Five Point area by the USC campus. Great atmosphere and friendly service. Tough to pick my burger and I landed on the burger with homemade pimento cheese and bacon. I ordered it rare on the recommended pretzel bun. I selected the sweet potato fries on the side. The burger came and unfortunately was cooked well. I sent it back and they brought me a plate of the fries while my daughter had her salad with grilled shrimp, which was good. But I was here for a burger! With many apologies the new burger arrived and our waitress also provided some onion rings. The onion rings were incredible. My favorite of the trip. Unfortunately my new burger was still cooked too much for my liking. It was medium at best. The taste was good. I thought the pretzel roll overwhelmed the burger. It was juicy and fresh and I still enjoyed it. Just not the best. I really like this place. Great vibe and good food. I will return every time I visit my daughter when she starts school here.
(4)Stephanie D.
Please don't use Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives as a guide for your food adventurers. Trust me, they don't always showcase good restaurants. However, they happened to pick a decent one this time. Keep in mind this is not the place to go if you're looking for consistent, good service (or good service at all on some days). The burgers here are good. You get your choice of buns and a side (which I often substitute for a HUGE, delicious house salad). The Caw Caw Creek is my favorite, but don't let that deter you from trying out another one that sounds tasty.
(4)Ellisa V.
Edited 6/25/2013 -- I've had to drop my review from 5 stars to 3 because Pawley's has been so damn inconsistent. Sometimes the food is excellent and other times it is so salty it is almost inedible. Don't even get me started on the soggy buns and cold toppings from the food taking too long to come to the table. Sometimes the service is good, other times we are left waiting forever for refills, napkins, silverware, or the check. I get that the place is busy, but if the wait staff can't keep up, then hire more people or better equip the ones you have. Three of us stopped here last night, and we thoroughly enjoyed everything about our visit. The drinks (bloody mary and beer), appetizers (fried green tomatoes and fried pickles), and burgers (Sullivan's, The Washout, and Blue Cheese with bacon) were all excellent. Sweet potato fries and regular fries were also delicious. We waited forever to try Pawley's Front Porch because of all the Food Network hype, but it was definitely worth the wait. We are already planning a trip out to 5 points so we can eat here again.
(3)Shelly H.
Best Sweet Potato Fries EVER! The burgers are excellent. Lately I've been ordering the Edisto Chicken Sandwich. Carmelized onions and goat cheese - yum! My 4 y/o daughter is happy she can get a grilled cheese.
(5)Jia K.
$10 for burgers and sweet potato fries! It's good not the best but good enough to go again. Call for specials!!!
(4)Don S.
If you are in Columbia, SC and you're a burger fan you have to come by. I've been here many times and I swear each time I'm going to try something different but I can't get past the Wadmalaw, this is what I would request as a last meal. Seriously, if you just found out you're dying get in the car and drive to Pawley's and demand a Wadmalaw. The only reason for the 4 stars is the dag gone wait. Even on a slow day I've spent two hours getting in and out of here......but it's worth it!
(4)Marty S.
Burgers not that great Fried pickles are a salt bomb We can have a beer -M.S.
(2)Jason N.
Pawleys does not Dissapoint'..... I've been missing this place for years but finally was reminded about it when passing through the food network and seeing the ubiquitous Guy eating a cheeseburger and because I was hungry at the moment, I kept eyes on only to find out where he eas eating; the mission was on. arriving a week or so later, I walked into the entrance only to find several people standing outside, it was 2pm on a thursday so I figured residuals of the lunch rush. getting a table outside was looking difficult as the seating is somewhat limited and nice weather ofcourse brings more people outside... but I wanted to enjoy the outdoors... so I waited.. and about 20min later I was seated. after a few moments of being seated on a previously used table, there was about a 10min wait period for someone on the staff to make their way over, just to clean off the table, and then another 10min for a drink order request . I would say that this was the main reason I didnt get give this place a 5 because of some of the staff issues that were present. I ordered the Fried Green tomato Napolean which as a whole was on the Rich side, but the complexities of the multiple layers of flavor allowed it to be a very successful dish as it combined the friend green tomatoes, homemade boursin cheese, crabdip, with a chipotle mayonnaise. the combination of flavors was very nice but requires either a water or a light ale to counter-balance the richness of the dish. for the main lunch course, I ordered the Fripp Island burger which boasts another round of Boursin cheese and a Fried Green tomato as apparently I was in the mood for those two ingredients that day. The burger was cooked just north of medium but all in all was very good when adding the other elements of a pretzel bun and the usual Accourtrements of lettuce tomato onion and a pickle spear. I opted for the sweet potato fries which were very good! The selection of food is concentrated and limited which is a good thing.. good restaurants tend to follow a model that doesnt over stretch their capabilities.. at the end of the day, Pawleys Front Porch is worth the wait times when its busy, but I would suggest finding off hours when it is slightly less busy... I would also suggest to Pawleys that it over views its staff now and then because its service is hit and miss and was the main reason I gave it a 4 over a 5...
(4)Augie M.
Nothing special or worth the wait. High priced burgers that are just that and probably deserve the credit for Hardees/Carls Jr's $6.00 hamburger except it's $10.00 at Pawley's and just as dry. Parking sucks too by the way. Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives should be ashamed of themselves!
(2)Rebekah P.
Have been twice. The atmosphere is certainly divey but the food is first class. The first time I ordered the Caw Caw burger substituting the chicken breast for the hamburger. the chicken breast was large and cooked to perfection, and the pimento cheese (green!) was generous and delicious. My side of onion rings were crispy and tasty. We also ordered the fried pickles which were fine. My sister raved and raved over the fish tacos, so I ordered those on the second visit. Sadly, I was not impressed. The Mahi Mahi was generous and good but the accompaniments were tasteless. The Buffalo shrimp was too spicy for me, but that's a me problem. The service was just OK, nothing to write home about. We visited both times when U.S.C. was not in session and during an "off" hour, so I would be very nervous of the service at a busy time.
(4)Benjamin D.
Great burgers highish prices. Still I can't ComplAin. The burgers are above average and that says allot since there is a burger place on every corner in CoLumbia.
(4)Emily E.
I really enjoy the pimento burger (Isle of Palms) and their sweet potato fries. The fried green tomato napolean is rich and delicious, as is the buffalo shrimp taco. Haven't had a bad thing here. Be prepared to wait a bit, especially in the evenings, but it's worth it.
(4)Beth And Jim S.
He said: Wadmalaw burger excellent. Pickles app huge. Could use a half portion Onion rings not spicy but good. Truffle fries yummy. Burger perfectly cooked full of flavor. Service friendly and quick. No coke zero. She said: After having learned about Pawley's Front Porch on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, we made it a point to visit when we were in together in Columbia. We decided to share a couple of appetizers and a Wadmalaw burger. We chose an appetizer off the menu, the fried pickles, and one of the specials of the day...the truffle fries. The truffle fries were awesome!!! I hope it becomes a staple item, because I would definitely go back over and over for those. The fried pickles were some of the better ones I've had. Plan to share them because they aren't stingy with the serving. The two of us ate them before and throughout the meal and still couldn't finish them. The Warmalaw burger was yummy!!! It was juicy and everything I expected it to be. It had some fried pickles on it that soaked up the juices and...yum!!! The service was great, too! I wish I could remember our server's name. She was quick with the food and refills. She answered our questions and was able to suggest items on the menu when we asked.
(4)Rob C.
I refuse to give 5-stars after only one visit to an establishment. But for Pawley's I'll make an exception. Fantastic burger and apps, but what made the meal was the vibe in the place. Not sure what it's like at other times, but when we were there (mid-afternoon on a Saturday) it was just about the friendliest place south of Cheers. Great service, yummy food, nice people - overall great experiene.
(5)Ricky G.
On a recent visit to Columbia, we had a late dinner. It was busy but they got us in and we had the best burgers ever, not to mention the onion rings ...In and out Would be proud.....what a great experience, even if the wyndham was a small disaster!
(5)Greg W.
Previous attempts to eat at PFP were thwarted by circumstance and disappointment, but I was finally able to meet my wife and daughter for lunch. Despite already being jam up full at 11:30, there was still parking available around back and we were seated fairly quickly. The wait staff was, indeed, very friendly and quick to help. The food, however, was just ok. Not that it was bad, per se, but I suppose I had built up some pretty high expectations; in part, because of these reviews, but also probably because it remained out of reach for so long. I think it just failed to meet these expectations. I was looking for explosive flavors, but my Wadmalaw burger (on pretzel bun) was kind of bland. I would have also liked to have seen the patty flaftened out a bit, as the big ball of meat in the middle made it hard to fit in my mouth and also left quite a bit of empty real estate between it and the edges of the bun, The sweet potatoe fries looked like a half-hearted attempt. The regular fries on the other plates (my wife had some friends with her) looked like they were cooked in 3 day old grease and had pieces of shrimp mixed in from using the same fryer (2 of the ladies had seafood allergies....). My daughter got the Frank's Red Hot onion rings and even she, a 10 year old girl, was saying she couldn't taste any spice at all. Again, I'm not trying to tear this place down, as I'll most likely give it another try, but I definitely didn't experience the burger Mecca that some of these reviews make it out to be. I don't like to make comparisons but, for those of you saying these are the best burgers in SC/Southeast/ever, take a trip to Charleston and hit up Sesame Burger... Or, heck, just head over to Mack's for a real greasy spoon burger and onion rings that will blow your mind.
(3)Aaron G.
Good food, but the customers I was around were rude in line. I guess they needed their Pawley's fix!
(4)Kaitlyn L.
Pawleys is one of my favorite spots in Columbia. The pimento cheese is AMAZING and you can't go wrong with any of the burgers. The tacos are also very popular. I'm not a fan of sweet potatoes but the fries aren't bad. Parking can be a pain but it's worth dining at. I often avoid a wait and just sit at the bar. You're missing out if you haven't been.
(5)Lenny D.
I read the reviews and figured this place would be good. I ordered the basic front porch burger and fries. Less than 90 seconds later the waitress is walking up to my table with my food. I said wow that was fast and asked her how that was possible. She said on days they're not sure how busy they are going to be, they "pre cook" the burgers and then when people order them they cook them to order. Kind of a contradiction. Anyways, I tried one bite of the burger, it was warm and mushy as were the fries. I got up and left. Guess I went there on the wrong day
(1)Vivian J.
Thank you Food Network. Great find. My bf took me here for my first night in Columbia. When we first arrived around 8PM, the hostess said it would be around a 20-30 minute wait, but there was no wait at the bar, which was fine with us. We were seated immediately at the bar. Initially, I was wowed by the cheap prices for beer. They were mostly in the $2.50-$3.50 range, and, although their taps weren't working that night, I couldn't really complain. Where I'm from, the beers are usually around $6-$8. I had the Wadmalaw with the pretzel bread and sweet potato fries, and my bf had the Kiawah on regular bread and onion rings. Both were substantial burgers, and we ended up taking the other half of the burgers back home. Pretzel bread is definitely the way to go, and although my bf enjoyed the onion rings, he preferred my fries and kept constantly taking swipes of them. Overall, it was a solid restaurant and a good intro to Columbia restaurants.
(4)Gail P.
i was passing through SC and figured i would try this place since it was on Diners Drive-ins and Dives. i had a regular burger with cheese and bacon and my husband had the Isla Palms burger. My burger was really good but my husband's was outstanding. the pimento cheese and jalapeno was a marriage made in heaven. if you like a great burger this is it. my sweet potato fries were not crispy but the onion rings were good. the service was sufficient. i would definitely return if i have the opportunity.
(5)Crystal C.
I wanted to like this place. I tried really really tried hard to like this place... I can't. The food has been substandard at best. I ordered one of their specialty burgers and with all the wetness and sauces blended together, it looks like chunky bird poop between two slices of bread and puddled onto the plate. Even if the burger had been awesome, its gross. The service wasn't that great either... ever just get that vibe that the waiter/ress just sees you as a burden? That would be kind of the feeling I got. I tried going a few times, ordered something different each time, and just hated it. Will not return.
(1)Pat F.
Amazing burgers, pet friendly and great atmosphere.
(5)Bruce C.
Yes we came across this restaurant due to passing through Columbia and knowing it had been on Diners Drive-ins and Dives. busy busy busy Food was excellent. Fried Green Tomato Blt was awesome. Never though of pimento spread on a fried green tomato and bacon sandwich. Mahi Mahi fish taco was YUM. Fried crayfish was better than I thought it could be. Great burgers too. Only complaint is being seated near restrooms. They are one person at a time and there was a steady line. So of you go, ask not to be set there to possible ruin your meal.
(3)Toby R.
On a mid-trip stop on the way to NC, I had to try this DDD spot. I had the Tripp Island burger and it had a great, complex flavor that looked like a pyramid of deliciousness. The fried green tomatoes here are spectacular: a little tart but juicy, not over-battered. I love the creative burger ideas here.
(4)Ryan B.
This place lived up to the hype. After having lived here for almost two months, I finally got to eat here for lunch. It wasn't as crowded as it normally is, which I consider a plus if you're out for a quickie, IE, parking wasn't that bad. I've driven by before and couldn't find a spot to save my life. I digress... I had the Pimento Cheese/Jalepeno Bacon Burger, wowwwwww. It was so f'ng delicious. You can taste the burger and it is really, really, really, good. The hardest part of my decision was trying to figure out which bun, went with the Pretzel bun, great choice. The only thing I didn't like was the salsa with the chips. The chips were so..so... and the salsa was bland. With that being said, the burger/onion rings more than compensated and I will bring everyone that comes to visit me to Pawley's. If I wanted to become a fat slob, I would be able to eat here everyday, no problems.
(5)Alana H.
Best burger I have EVER had. Honestly. I needed to say that first. I was making a trip down to Charleston, SC a few weeks back and decided to map a course so I could try places that were hot on Yelp and also were 'as seen on tv'. I decided on Pawley's Front Porch after I saw it was on DD and D's. Seems like that show knows what's up. We arrived in PFP and had about a half hour wait. But that's okay, we went up to the bar and enjoyed some brews while we waited. This place is very collegey, I liked that. Had that small college town feel, very welcoming. This is definitely a place I would regular if I lived in the area. Now on the to the food! I had the Caw Caw Creek burger and my boyfriend had the Wadmalaw. I can easily say that my Caw Caw was the most delicious burger I have ever eaten. I had never had a green tomato in any capacity before, so I asked for it on the side, just in case. But man, was it good. Crunchy and sweet/tangy, such a good addition to this burger. Also, i'm pretty sure the menu said they hand grind the meat, and you can tell. It's smooth and creamy, melt in your mouth and is bursting with flavor. The bacon is clearly high quality and the cheese is amazing. I loved this burger. My boyfriend said his burger was equally as amazing, but his eyes didn't pop like mine...This may be because he isn't nearly the foodie I am. We both got sweet potato fries with our orders as well. They had a cinnamon topping that made them heavenly. A must try. Our meals were cheap, too. You need to check this place out, it's a charm!
(5)Tyler P.
"The Best Burgers in Town"??? Well, I am not sure what town they are referring to, but it certainly is NOT Columbia. My first visit to Pawley's was a disappointment. I got the lunch burger. It was overcooked, bland and dry. The outdoor seating was nice and the service, while slow, was very friendly. Oh, and it's DARNED expensive!!! I won't go out of my way to eat there again. Oh, and one more note: No Wi-Fi??? Are you KIDDING me??? You charge ten bucks for a hamburger and won't spring for a $50 wireless router???
(3)Erik D.
As far as burgers go in Cola, there really isn't a place that holds a candle to Pawley's. The Isle of Palms burger they have is awesome. This place is always busy at dinner, i've never been there for lunch. Located in Five Points, its a short walk from USC's campus. Cheap beer during happy hour and fantastic food keeps me coming back here.
(5)Samantha F.
Yummy! We were in town for son's soccer tournament and found Pawley's on Yelp. We were not disappointed. The food was delicious. Loved the Isle Of Palm burger with pimento cheese. The sweet potato fries were delicious and the fried pickles battered just right. If you're looking for good food and atmosphere - stop by Pawley's.
(4)Jon H.
We visited because of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. We had a very good Burger. Ground beef was obviously "Fresh". We had the Rockville Burger. Salad was Ok, not really a salad restaurant, my mistake. I wish I had ordered Fried Dill Pickles, same Burger, and onion rings. I will on next visit. Service excellent!
(4)Rick S.
One of the best hamburgers I've ever had. Reasonably priced, with a good deal on beer on Thursdays. The portions are generous while the prices still reasonable. From the bun selections to the burger itself, you can tell your meal was prepared with both skill and high-quality ingredients.
(5)Paul B.
At the request of the "others" with me I was persuaded to venture back to Pawley's Front Porch. This trip was much better than the first- so I added a star! I ordered the Grilled Mahi-Mahi tacos with grilled corn & black bean salsa, chipotle pepper sour cream and shredded cabbage. My wife ordered the Caw Caw Creek burger- housemade jalapeno pimento cheese, bread & butter pickled green tomato, jalapeno bacon and grilled onions We split the orders and got the best of surf and turf! The burger was very good, nice combination of goop was great! The tacos were good, fish was very nicely cooked- not too dry! Again the sweet potato fries are killer, that and a bottle of Sweetwater Blue! Life's good! pawleys5pts.com/menu
(4)Morgan R.
I don't have one good thing to say about this place....sat at the bar on a slow Saturday afternoon to be welcomed by the bartender flicking crumbs at me at his lazy attempt to clean the bar, when I looked at him to see if he was serious he states "Uhh I'm getting off soon!!!" The five customers on a Saturday must have been too much to handle. Can I have some alcohol with my drink? No wonder why they have happy hour everyday- they don't put any alcohol in their drinks. We literally waited at least ten minutes each time we ordered a drink. I ordered a sandwich with no cheese, and to my surprise the sandwich came out with cheese on it. When they "fixed" it in the kitchen they scrapped off some of the cheese and sent it back out...classy. Oh and the side salad came out last. This place is a bar and I get that but come on, have some pride in your establishment. Needless to say I won't be coming back here.
(1)A A.
I keep going to Pawley's hoping for a better experience every time I go there but nothing has changed. The food is good but the service is AWFUL! Last time I was there my waitress took my order and that was about it. She didn't bring my food out, didn't check on us once we received our food, and didn't make it back to our table until we were finished and ready for our check. I had to ask other waitresses for refills and ranch. Every time I go to Pawley's I have the same experience and would really not recommend this place to anyone!
(1)R C.
Stopped here on the way back from Florida and it was a great experience. Food is incredible and pretty quick! Will come back for sure!
(5)Greg B.
Amazing best burger in town and drinks are really good. Service amazing and really friendly people. I try to go there every other week at least
(4)Michael W.
Front Porch Burger w/ pepper jack cheese and jalapeño smoked bacon. Franks Red Hot Onion Rings and crawfish tails to start. This was a great stop. The staff was friendly and kept my glass full on a hot day! I sat out on the porch and the staff was still very attentive! The food was outstanding and juicy and big portions. maybe a little more expensive than I like for lunch but i would definitely go back if I was in the area. Great value for what you spend.
(4)Yan Y.
The burgers are amazing, love the fried pickles. The food came out pretty quickly too. Theres an open bar which is great. Not giving them 5 stars because the sweet tea was kindof watered down. But otherwise everything else was great.
(4)Joanna M.
Best Burger in Columbia. Half priced burger and beer specials and Amazing sweet potato fries! HOME RUN!
(4)Crystal C.
When it comes to burgers and beer, I consider myself to be a bit of a snob, and it's no accident that I stumbled across this endearing college hang-out. Ask anyone in the locale and they will tell you, hands-down, this is where to get your red-meat and suds fix. Of course the menu is not limited to burgers, but with one item standing out so prominently, it's hard not to succumb to the hype. Featured on Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives", I had to see what the appeal was all about. The atmosphere itself is nothing spectacular (yes, there is an open porch for outdoor dining), but Fieri's program set my level of expectation pretty high. Pawley's touts itself as having some of the most creative burgers out there, and going by what I'd heard, I skipped the appetizers entirely and dove right into ordering the superstar behemoth I so hotly anticipated(....) Read the rest of the review here: examiner.com/restaurant-…
(5)Lorraine M.
After seeing and reading the poor reviews, we took a chance hoping for a 4+ star experience. Our group of five went for lunch, waited a bit and enjoyed local brew recommended by the friendly bartender. The food was fabulous, especially the fried pickles and pimento cheese on the house salad. We all ordered different items and enjoyed every one!
(5)Duncan B.
Caw Caw Pawley Burger on a pretzel bun with sweet potato fries! YAYO Pimento Chz, Applewood Bacon, etc. GREAT STOP Diners, drive ins and dives list
(5)Mark A.
Outstanding burgers! Fresh, tasty, and filling. Definitely worth a visit if you are near Columbia.
(5)Larry E.
Was looking for a great burger in Columbia and was not disappointed. I had the isle of palms burger on a pretzel roll. The burger was cooked to a perfect medium.
(5)Lorraine W.
Edisto Burger is the best
(5)MoonChiChi S.
Heard they had good burgers, read about it on Triple D, food channel. Burger was good, but not spectacular, really not worth the drive unless it is half price burger night. The sweet potato fries were actually better than the burgers. I would say if you are in the neighborhood, check it out, if not, save your gas.
(2)Stevie C.
Great burgers. Great fries. Great selection of craft beers. Only negative is the price. Food seemed to be a tad more than you'd expect for a college bar. That being said the flavor well makes up for the price.
(4)Jonathan Z.
1/2 price burgers on Tuesday nights means that my burger world is opening up to Pawleys creations. Tonight was the Fripp Island, a gooey, juicy, crispy mess of a burger. Skip the pedestrian fries and onion rings and get their fresh pasta salad, made with fusilli and chunks of fresh veges. This was one tasty fistful of beef. Just get the knife and fork ready or wear an old shirt you don't care about. It is crazy messy.
(4)Dave O.
Onion rings were fantastic! The burgers were decent, I had the Caw Caw burger which was done very well but I don't think the toppings added very much. Might try a different burger next time. Overall though, enjoyed the food & I'd go here again.
(3)Nalo W.
I traveled to Columbia from Kailua, Hawai'i to visit friends for Christmas. I paid a visit to Pawley's Front Porch after reading about it on Yelp. The food & service are in one word--PHENOMENAL! Everything I tasted was flavorful and homemade. I sampled EVERYTHING. When I say everything, I mean I probably should buy an extra seat on the plane back home. The fried green tomatoes had a flavorful crust that remained on the tomatoes until the last bite. They were expertly seasoned & didn't call for any of the condiments that accompanied them. I tried the condiments just the same & they were great. I also had the fried crawfish tails, a strawberry & feta salad, key lime cheesecake, mahi-mahi, & fried shrimp. Just so you know I shared this all with someone--but not much of it. I needed something to wash it all down so I ordered a margarita. Each of them (yes, I had 3) were mixed consistently. The only criticism I can offer is that parents need to reign in their kids. The young boy at the next table was painfully in my space & his parents didn't seem to notice or care. Our waitress was friendly & accommodated our needs. If I ever find myself in SC again, this one is definitely on the to-do (again) list.
(4)Pat T.
We tried Pawley's on a trip to Columbia, to say we were disappointed would be an understatement. The fries where cold, the onion rings where soggy. Both had been made way before we ordered and sat under a hot light. I will give them the burgers, they were hot and good. Our waitress was not interested in working and little in the way of service. I can assure you that we will not be going there again!!!
(1)Celine N.
Forgot what burger i order but it was good(hawaiian something i think). Only thing is that it could get messy. Love the sweet potato fries. Overall the burger was delicious.
(5)Patrick D.
Average burger at best. We must have come the wrong day because this is nothing to write home about. We had the Wambahlala (spelling or the bbq burger) and a low country special burger. We ordered medium and all came well done. It just didn't sing the way Millers burgers and Red Coat does back home in Dearborn and Royal Oak. Great beer selection. Homemade fries and onion rings were just barely ok too. Definitely not off the hook.
(2)Roy W.
I know this was on Diners, Drive ins and Dives. The burgers and chicken sandwiches are great, but they need to pay a little more attention to the fries (not crispy) and the onion rings (way too greasy). In their defense, you're coming there for the sandwiches. if the rest were just average I'd give it more stars.
(3)Jason R.
Nostalgia is not enough to make this my first choice for a burger in Cola. Food is inconsistent. At times the burgers can still be amazing. Most of the time you'll get over cooked meat and cold fries. Order beer off the chalkboard and get the fried pickles, they are by far the best I've had.
(2)Cathy B.
I did the typical TV fan/tourist thing - I went to a new city, found a restaurant that was featured on TV and asked what the host of the TV show ate. Then I ordered it myself! How unoriginal, right? The only thing I DIDN'T do, take a picture in front of the sign they have up showing they've been on TV...but I almost did that. I got there too late to be part of the lunch crowd, too early to be part of the dinner crowd and sat at the bar. The bartender was very nice and made some recommendations, as well as told me what was featured on the show. I decided to go with the Fripp Island Burger. Between the cheese, the southern salsa and the fried green tomato, it was very flavorful. The burger didn't need anything added to it to be yummy, either. I also got the sweet potato fries but there was some cinnamon-sugar seasoning on it that didn't quite go with the burger. Before I knew it, there were several other friendly people at the bar that seemed like regulars that included me right into their conversations and let me know that Five Points was THE hangout spot in Columbia. (I think The Vista is more my speed, though.) It is certainly a fun place and has good food. In the words of the spiky-haired TV host, Pawley's is certainly "On point" and "is the train to flavor-town!"
(4)John R.
Have to admit we caught them while very busy after a USC graduation but the food was terribly inconsistent. First, had to wait an hour after we were given the expectation of 30-35 minutes. Happens. Especially on busy days with a party of 8. Ordered a round of water and some drinks. Ordered our food and it took a good while to come out. Again happens on a busy day. Sadly it was not worth the wait. 7 plates came out missing one. 5 minutes later the last plate made it to the table. Both vinaigrettes (champagne and tabasco) had little to no flavor for the salads. One salad had many grizzle bits in the chicken. Two burgers ordered medium came as med well (no pink) and one very rare (uncooked in the center). Sweet potato fries were consistent and fresh. Regular fries on one plate sat in the bottom of the fry bin way too long. Limp and drenched in oil. On another plate they were half like above and half fresh and crisp. And both had a sweet potato fry or two mixed in. Very sloppy plating. Worst part of plating was one burger bun having a small piece of raw burger meat sitting on top of the bun next to the knife in the burger. WTH? Our server was nice and seemed to do good work but the support staff helping her seemed to be just trying to get thru a busy day and didn't care about quality or attention to detail. To bad for us.
(2)Patrick M.
I purchased the... Beaufort: Franks Red Hot onion ring, fried egg, apple cured ham and cheddar cheese on a pretzel bun, $9. The burger was made medium, the patty was about a 1/3 lb. The meat was very juicy and the ingredients really worked together well. It was delicious! Fries: were average and included in the order. Waitress: very nice, attentive, smiled, and brought our table of 8 separate checks without asking. I really liked that. She could sense we were all around college age and would pay separately. To achieve 5 stars is incredibly hard. My measuring stick for great burgers on pretzel buns starts at Kuma's Corner in Chicago. Pawley's was great but not close to replacing my love for Kuma's.
(4)Phillip S.
Gave this place a couple of tries but fail twice... they even gave me a free meal for messing up our take away order I let that offer expire and have never gone back...food and/or burgers are nothing special I think ppl hyped up to the outdoor seating in 5 pts
(1)Mike H.
Not fancy, but the food was phenomenal! The restaurant has been featured on Food Network's 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.' And in knowing that, you couldn't help but go in with high expectations. Pleasantly, those expectations were well met with the quality of food this diamond in the rough restaurant served.
(4)L B.
Eh--- didn't live up to the hype. Pricey burgers that sounded great in print, didn't translate to real world flavor. Although we were sitting at the bar, face to face with bartender, the service was slow and rather inattentive. Won't waste another visit.
(2)Ken J.
Great burgers well prepared with interesting ingredients, sweet potato fries are delicious, fairly deep beer selection, not the best service but fine for a casual eatery. Dogs are allowed on the porch as well.
(4)BARBARA C.
Awesome burger, huge. Place was loud but hoppin and a great place to watch a sports event. Worth the visit!
(4)Shireen B.
I really enjoy the concept of Pawley's--Innovative burgers the way you want it in a dive bar atmosphere. Its young and buzzing crowd makes you feel vivacious while the food definitely makes you feel...satiated to say the least. If you're writing a mediocre review, you probably haven't had the fried pickles. I don't like fried food....but the pickles? WOW. I'm just sayin'. ;P
(5)Christie F.
We found this place via Diners, drive ins, and dives (foodie show, host Guy Fieri). It is literally that... And so worth the trip. The staff was friendy. Generous food portions. My parents were in town, they don't deviate from the norm when it comes to eating out. But, they loved it - burgers and fish alike :). Def a unique spot to hit when your in town. Enjoy!
(5)Jomico R.
Unique tavern feel. Smaller inside than outside. Nice little sports bar feel. Burgers are standout. My daughter didn't like the chicken wrap. Decent beer selection. Service average. I would have ordered another beer but the server never came back to our table. Guess it wasn't that important. My burger was very good. A bit pricy. I would go back if in the area but wouldn't go out of my way for it.
(3)Tom D.
1/2 pound burgers or 6 oz chicken breasts... great name/topping combinations. I got the Beaufort, and it had a Frankie's Hot Onion Ring, Fried Egg, and Ham on a Sesame Bun. I had the sweet potato fries, and though they were really good, My wife and son had the regular hand-cut fries and they were GREAT! Very well seasoned. My wife had the Rockville and substituted chicken breast for the burger. I would have to say it was a five-star sandwich. The staff was not extremely friendly... however, we were only traveling through and had our small King Charles "Morgan" with us... Kayce our server not only OK'd him sitting w/ us outside, but brought him his very own bowl of cold water! I would not quite make it a destination point... but it would be a frequent watering-hole If I was a 15-20 minute ride.
(4)Anthony G.
Great burgers (they're huge!) and fries. Half priced burger night and pint night are the only times I will go (I'm cheap). Pretty good beer selection albeit the prices are a little higher than others around the area. You will have to wait a little if you come during rush hour but grab a beer and relax, it's worth it.
(4)Mike K.
it was a good solid burger joint. Loved the fried green tomatoes and the burger was cooked perfectly 2 issues. The first was, i wished the waitress reminded me that you have a "bun option". I wouldve loved to get a ciabbata bun or a pretzel bun but i forgot. As a result, the southern salsa made the bottom bun way too soggy. My other problem...shoestring fries suck. They always do. Wish they had some regular cut fries or...if i was to be greedy...perhaps some steak fries (the ultimate fry) but overall its a very good, very clean burger & beer place
(4)Tricia F.
After reading all of the mixed reviews on here, I'm convinced that they have a chef who really knows what he or she is doing and then someone who has no idea how to cook and who just fills in on the chef's day off. Foodie friends of mine love this place, but I've been VERY disappointed the two times I've tried it. The last time I was there I ordered a cup of she-crab soup and a cheeseburger. Being from South Carolina I've eaten numerous bowls of she-crab soup. DON'T ORDER IT FROM PAWLEY'S! It tasted like they took a can of potato soup and added some crab to it. I asked for my burger to be cooked medium...it was pink and quite frankly didn't have any taste.
(1)Rochelle D.
The hubby and I had lunch here while passing through town at the suggestion of my cousin. I thought it was cool that they were on the Food Network show. We all had burgers, which I guess is what they are known for. The burger was not bad, I liked that they had different styles of burgers offered with the different toppings. Some restaurants, for some reason, don't do well with the toppings - they just don't taste right, or they all fall off with the first bite. But these toppings worked well. However, I was surprised that we weren't asked how we wanted our burgers cooked. Maybe they only prepare them one way? Anyway it didn't occur to me till they came out and were kind of med well. They were okay. They had a few beers on tap, several craft brew options in bottles which I don't really get into - I mean, I could have the EXACT same thing at home for 1/4 the price. The service was pretty unimpressive. We were there around 2 on a weekday, not too busy, yet we stood at the entry for a few minutes before anyone bothered to seat us. The waitress seemed kind of annoyed with us the whole time, and not entirely helpful. Not rude exactly, but most of the staff kind of looked at us like they didn't want us there. Plenty of parking which was nice. Nothing specifically bad about this place but I wouldn't go back if I went to Columbia again.
(3)Stephanie C.
Overall, the restaurant was nice with a really comfortable outdoor seating area. Just be careful about the noise since we had to position ourselves so we could hear each other. The burgers were good with a lot of variety. I had the Isle of Palms and forgot to ask for a different bun so I was served with the traditional bun but others are available. I also went for the pasta salad, which was good but HEAVY on the red onions. The service was okay. Our waitress acted like we were bothering her and it took forever for her to take the order when two of my friends showed up later. We also had to make the request and track her down when we were ready for the bill.
(3)Nicole S.
Best burger I've ever had! I had the Sullivan on the pretzel bun, amazing. My husband had the Caw Caw Creek and just couldn't get over it. His fries were great, and my side salad was wonderful. The beef is so flavorful. I didn't know the All American staple could be improved upon - the guys at Pawley's have done it. I can't wait to take guests here.
(5)S B.
I'm here on business. This place gets two stars for a great covered porch and adequate service. I ordered the veggie burger with sweet potato fries. The fries were cold, and the burger had that microwaved feel. The bun was dried out and the caramelized onions were greasy. I won't eat here again, since there are tastier options. It might be okay for a drink on a hot night - because of the porch.
(2)Steve R.
This restaurant deserved every second of the visit by Guy Fieri. The atmosphere is immaculate and it is a fantastic place to go and get a true American experience and not feel too morbidly obese afterwards. I don't want to recommend a certain burger because all of them are delightful, but the Caw Caw Creek burger is gorgeous, be sure to get the bacon. All though there was a wait and the service was sub-par, I award this eatery five stars because the food was almost too much.
(5)Wendy E.
Awesome fried green tomatoes Napolean...totally great place to eat and hang out!
(5)Tyler L.
I've been there to eat 3 times. Only 2 of those times did I actually eat due to the fact that one of those times we waited so long at the front to be seated that we finally had to just leave. The servers kept walking by us and there was no hostess. I went back one more time to give it one more chance and it was good up until the server saw I had a gift certificate. She looked annoyed and when she brought my card back out with the bill, she just tossed it on the table and walked by. An another particular visit, the server brought out the wrong beer twice. It's just bad, unpredictable, slow service.
(1)Tyler M.
Love this place! The fries at awesome. So filling for $10
(5)Elizabeth H.
Went here for the first time had the Savannah burger and sweet potato fries. Yummmm will be back.
(4)Chris K.
My burger was good but not spectacular. I ordered the caw caw burger - sure hope I spelled it correctly - on the pretzel roll. Meat was good, sauces no doubt had some pizzaz but the roll did not seem fresh. Sweet potato fries were great and the desert - homemade ice cream cookie sandwich - was fantastic. I plan to go again to try another burger. If in five point area looking for a burger, no doubt a decent place to eat.
(3)Anne Marie F.
Service was horrible, 15 minutes to deliver a beer and an iced tea to our table. Tea and water were only refilled if we left them on the edge of our table. Food was brought to the table without any silverware or napkins. Fish tacos were OK as was the mahi Mahi salad. Sweet potato fries were super soggy! Very disappointing!! This was not what I expected, especially at 2 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon when they weren't busy.
(1)Matthew P.
Serving up a myriad of unique home-made ingredients on their burgers (grape jelly anyone?), Pawley's is sure to have something for every taste. Combine that with great service makes this place a winner!
(5)Michelle E.
Amazing burgers, great beer selections. Great place to go after a stressful week!
(5)Road W.
After seeing this place on Diners Drive ins and Dives I had to try it. The burgers don't disappoint! Plus what a great staff.
(5)Daniel S.
Right now, I'd have to say best burger in Columbia, SC. No seriously, they ain't playin'. This is one of those "best burger in the southeast" kinda deals!
(5)Adrianne M.
Once you go PFP, you never go back!! My husband and I eat at Pawley's whenever we can if we're in Columbia. He always has something different and he always loves it. Their beef is very good quality and the burgers are prepared perfectly. Don't get well done; it'll be a little dry. Medium well is perfect. Their fries and pasta salad are delicious. Service is great. The atmosphere is great. We can't eat burgers anymore without comparing to Pawley's. It's the best burger I've ever had!
(5)Laurin M.
A week ago I tagged along with some friends heading to Pawley's in Five Points. I'd never heard of the place and didn't realize Congaree Grill had closed. (Good riddance.) Prior to Congaree Grill, the faded-80's-Jetsons-style building housed Rising High Bakery. The owner has added a covered front porch, which doesn't really match the building, but it'll be a welcome addition to the outside decks at The Salty Nut and Jake's when the weather warms up here. Pawley's menu seems to have been inspired by Poe's on Sullivan's Island, offering a variety of sandwiches available as burgers or as grilled chicken and topped with everything from the basics to the craziest of condiments. I consider it one of my missions in life to find the perfect burger, and last Thursday I encountered one of the best I've had in Columbia. (Tough call between Pawley's and Cock n Bull's.) I ordered a special -- the Caw Caw Creek Burger -- out of deference to my friend Emile DeFelice, the owner of Caw Caw Creek meats. It was dark out, and we were sitting on the porch, so I wasn't entirely sure what all was on the Caw Caw Creek Burger, but consuming it was like going on a treasure hunt. The generous patty was smothered in spicy jalapeno pimento cheese, caramelized onions, fried crawfish tails (!), and the usual lettuce and tomato. ...A culinary adventure but not for the faint of stomach. Accompanying the ginormous burger on the plate was a nest of small, golden, homemade fries. (My friend opted for the sweet potato fries, but they weren't as good. Too Cinnamon Toast Crunch-ish.) My meal at Pawley's delighted me so much that I returned the next night to sample more of the menu. I opted for a grilled chicken sandwich topped with melted slices of brie, roasted peppers, and marinated portabella mushrooms. The chicken sandwich measured up as well as a chicken sandwich could. The sandwiches are a little pricey -- in the $9-10 range -- but they're worth every dime. The beer's cheap, so that balances out the higher-end sandwiches. I highly recommend Pawley's. (And from what I can gather, the word is out because the place had a good crowd both times I was there.) UPDATE: Here's the link the Columbia Free-Times' review of Pawley's' free-times.com/index.php… .
(5)Spencer S.
I would argue Pawley's to be the best burgers in Columbia. I agree with everything the prior reviewer said. The burgers are varied and I have not had one I haven't liked. The decor and ambiance is nice as well. Service can be slow sometimes, but always worth it. I recommend the onion rings as a side while others I have been with swear by their french fries. Another huge plus for Pawley's is there is plenty of parking in their lot behind them which is a rarity for five points. UPDATE: They were recently featured on an episode of Food Networks "Diners Dives and Drive Ins" so due to the new publicity, the lines/waiting time can get pretty crazy. Call ahead!
(5)Jordan R.
Huge, artesian burgers with a Southern twist. I highly recommend the Caw Caw Creek burger with jalapeno pimento cheese, sauteed onions, thick-cut bacon, and bread&butter pickled green tomatoes. My dad is a fan of the Fripp Island w. boursin cheese, "southern" salsa and a fried green tomato. All the burgers are fairly unique in that they are named after specific places in SC (mostly along the coast) and feature interesting flavor combos (brie & portobello on a burger? why not?). The onion rings are really great as well. The beer selection is typical "frat chic" with some standards and good-to-decent micro brews. Altogether, this is a very well conceptualized restaurant. Beware though as waits are almost always standard. I'm not a big "burger" guy as I don't usually like the near-death feeling after eating such a hefty meal, but if I could choose one place to attack my arteries, it'd be Pawley's.
(4)Ben B.
This is the best burger place by far - no close second exists! I highly recommend the Caw Caw
(5)Ne'Cole V.
One of my favorite places to eat! I love the mixtures of different toppings...the edisto on the pretzel bun is my usual with the onion rings. The calamari is the best I have ever had!! My husband has tried every burger on the menu....lots of great flavors...the only issue is that the service is not always the best..not horrible just not excellent...
(5)Josh S.
Pawley's makes the best burger in town. I consider myself a cheeseburger expert and they can certainly impress me with their front porch burger. The jalapeno bacon is interesting and really adds a unique flavor to your burger. The crawfish tails are amazing, for $8 or $9 bucks you get probably a half a pound of fried crawfish. It is great. Their fries (both sweet potato and regular) are fresh and cooked perfectly. I personally always get a bud light there. I find that the bud light draft pairs great with most of the burgers on the menu. When I get an appetizer and a burger I usually drink between 5 and 8 bud lights before all is said and done. I'd also recommend taking a shot or two of fireball before you try the Edisto burger, it really brings out its robust flavors. If I get the front porch burger I will usually pair it with a half and half (half bud light half budweiser) and then 5 bottles of bud light (not draft). It is the perfect amount of cool refreshing bud light and juicy lean ground beef to make you feel right.
(5)Lori B.
Great location, Hostess unfriendly. Food was good but too rich. Prices decent. Probably won't go back.
(1)Stephen H.
What an overrated burger joint. The atmosphere is about what you would expect from a burger/bar at this college hangout part of town but would it kill someone to actually clean the place. As filthy as the bar, dining room and patio is makes one wonder how disgusting the kitchen must be. While the bartenders were generally helpful it is a sign of weak management and attention to detail that makes restaurants great that he didn't know what local beers they had on tap or what type of beer they represent. The food.....wouldn't have surprised if the student body was outside chanting Over-rated! Over-rated! as they do at college football games when a high profile player comes to town. The gray-ish, dense meat-like product tasted as badly as it looked. The thin, paltry cheese slice would make a McDonalds burger proud. I wonder why they asked for a cook temp when the four burgers we ordered at various temperatures were all cooked identically. If you want to sell well done burgers across the board, just say so. Colossal waste of time and money and actually causes me to think DDD is more about filling a commitment of shows rather than actually profiling quality, clean establishments where ownership and management actually has a clue. The upside?...server was on her game and it actually spawned a conversation at our table as to why she didn't work elsewhere where the ppa is better than eleven bucks a head.
(1)ken r.
Really Good. Was on Triple D and I'm 50/50 on those places. This place was clean and original. The burgers where good the onion rings and deep fried craw-fish were awesome. I'm not a fan of the mud bug either. Wife's Cajun what can I do. One of the better places to eat downtown. If i was visiting or here on business would definitely go and hang out there.
(4)Chris P.
This place is awesome! I was down at USC visiting a friend for the week, and she said we had to try this place. Man, I'm glad we did. The fries with jalapeno cheese are amazing, a great appetizer. The burgers were awesome. They have tons of different choices of toppings, and lots a couple different choices of cheese and bacon. With my burger I got a side of pasta salad. I could of had the pasta salad alone as a meal it was that good. Not a burger person? My friend got fish tacos and loved them, and they had salads as well. Not to mention Guy Fiere was here on his Diners show. If you are driving through the Colombia area, or at USC, you must stop here.
(5)Alex L.
One of the best burgers I've ever had. Great beef. Good service. I went on a slow night on Weds night. Good service, good burgers! I got the Beaufort. That fried egg in a burger is just the perfect ingredients. Get the sweet potato fries!
(5)Barbara P.
The food was good. I had fish and my husband had a burger. The fries were cold, but were replaced immediately upon making it known to the waitress. Well worth the stop as we were passing thru Columbia, SC.
(4)John C.
This restaurant only gets three stars from me. I would've given it four if it hadn't been for everybody giving it five and four stars. Their basis was that they have the best hamburgers in town. I've read many reviews from other services other than yelp rating this place four stars and claiming best hamburgers in town. So here's the reason to they get three stars. Not only are they not the best hamburgers in town. They may be adequate compared to a place that's right next door Hardee's. All the other food that we ordered was quite good including some of the best french fries I've ever had maybe the best in town, I will give them that. But Pawley's fell short in the one category where everybody said that they were the best in, the hamburgers. In my opinion you must go Rockaways Athletic Club for the best hamburger in Columbia. I shall eat here again it is quite good, but not the best hamburger in Columbia.
(3)Debby J.
Burgers aren't consistently good. The one I had tonight--the Isle of Palms--was tough and over-cooked. Be sure and read the fine print when it comes to Happy Hour beer prices. It only applies to a select few of the beers on their beer list.
(2)Ted N.
This is a good place to sit on the deck, drink, and people watch. The burgers are over priced but are good (not all the hype though). The service is very slow. Best burgers in Columbia? No way man. Red Robin, 5 Guys, Rockaways, Cock & Bull, hell Rosewood Dairy Bar all put together just as good a burger. The turnover of tables is not going to be fast (thus the long lines) because most people hang out and drink. Sidebar: This place is owned by Columbia Mayoral candidate Kirkman Finlay.
(3)Addison T.
This place was awesome! Heard about it from Triple D and this did not disappoint! We had a couple different dishes and each was great. For being a college bar, this was above and beyond expectations!!! Plus they had a great beer selection and a cool atmosphere! I would recommend this place to anyone!!!
(5)Greg D.
The burgers are large and all unique; they are named for beaches in SC. They will fix a chicken sandwich the same as the burger called by the same name. Be prepared to wait but do so at the front porch bar. It is a decent spot to spend the wait and the bartender is attentive.
(4)Fritz C.
Food is pretty good and service was just a bit slow after we received our food. The plate was cleaned after I was done with it and that's all that mattered. :)
(4)Dorien D.
Stopped off on a road trip. Yep. It's that good. I wish there was one here in California.
(4)Jaime N.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Columbia. The burgers are fantastic, freshly ground, and cooked to order. The toppings are creative, homemade, and have a southern flair to them. I try something new every time I go in and have never been disappointed. Although the burgers are outstanding, the sides (traditional fries, sweet potato fries, and onion rings) are average at best. This also is a good Happy Hour spot -- we once got a round of beers for 6 people for $20, including a decent tip.
(4)Andrew C.
They could easily have the best burgers in town. They have several tpyes of fish tacos which are quite appealing. The fries are hand-cut. The porch is really super.
(4)Greg W.
Nothing fancy and over priced. I can get a better burger cheaper elsewhere in Columbia. I've been here three times and each time food was undercooked. Service was not remarkable and very slow.
(2)coley f.
waitress attitude made this a mediocre experience. not used to passive aggression on the part of wait staff, but maybe it is a bit of the Diners, Drive-ins and Dives chip on the shoulder. Place was packed and men's room was a disaster. Waitress was just not helpful. Wife originally wanted a veggie burger and she is the condiment queen. Wanted mayo. Cold shoulder from the waitress. I asked for crispy fries with my burger and they came limp and waitress loftily said kitchen did not change the temperature. Manager fixed this -- but wife's salad was blase. College kids will keep them going, but this is a fair amount of money for a mediocre dining experience. Management needs to hire and reward more professional staff. Left 10% tip, which is half what I normally leave and twice what this waitress deserved. Restaurants are not just about food, they are about providing a relaxing and delightful dining experience. Pawleys failed miserably tonight.
(1)Kevin J.
We visited Pawley's because we saw it on Food Network and had to try it. We went on a Sunday afternoon about 3:00. No wait, seated immediately and ordered the Fried Green Tomato Napoleon. It was EXCELLENT!!! We then ordered our burgers, but the waitress (Ashley) didn't ask us what kind of bread we wanted with our burgers. We forgot to tell her what kind of bread we wanted, so we got the sesame seed buns. We ordered the Frank's red hot onion rings and were told they were out. That was a big disappointment. Alas, we got our burgers. They were very, very good! I got the Wadmalaw and my girlfriend got the Sullivan's. We were both wowed by the taste of the burgers and the freshness of the ingredients. We also ordered some of the roasted corn and black bean salsa. Again, excellent! We were not disappointed by any of the food we ate and we will definitely be making a trip back to Columbia to eat there again!
(4)Christine G.
I was so excited to go to Pawley's. I was craving a burger and heard they were great. We arrived around 8:15 and were told it would be an hour wait...no big deal, it was Friday night so we went to the bar. After about a half hour we were taken to our table outside. The table was so dirty but I was willing to overlook that since we were at a bar and not some fancy restaurant..I just wanted to eat. We sat there for about 30 minutes without anyone coming over to get us drinks or take our food order. We just got up and left. The service was horrible. Too bad.
(2)Sonja W.
i hate to bring a rating down, but 4 stars this is not. sorry! ate here with 4 friends, i've been hearing lots of positive things about this place so i was looking forward to it. although it was busy it didnt take long to be seated - 5-10 minutes. we had a decent waitress, she was nice and knowledgeable about the menu. so, the food: my friends had the she-crab soup. i had a taste. it was a little bitter, and lukewarm. one friend sent hers back to be re-heated (a few "spit in the soup" jokes were made), and another friend said it was better last time she was there. not bad soup, mind you, just not very good. i ordered the sullivan's burger: pineapple, jalepeno pepperjack, guacamole, on a pretzel bun. another friend had the mahi mahi tacos. 3 burgers were ordered, only one had the correct bun. a shame really, because one of the things people rave about is the bun selection. we all got the plain ole sesame buns. from a pure burger perspective, it was good. i'm not a burger expert, matter of fact i never order burgers. but this was a good burger and deserved 3 stars (4 if the bun had been what i ordered - pretzel). they ran out of sweet potato fries, which was a very sad moment for me. i adore sp fries. i wasnt in the mood for onion rings, normal potato fries or pasta salad. i wanted sweet potato fries! i did ask them for a cup of pimento cheese and they obliged, so that was kind of them. good pimento cheese, shredded, robust flavor. if i ever go back, i'll get the burger that has that on it. the fish tacos looked good, a little stingy on the fish, but then again, i havent found a place that heaped on the fish (bonefish did a decent job). the beans, corn and chipotle sauce that came with the fish looked filling, very tasty, and fresh, but i prefer to have a fish taco be mostly fish. i suppose if i ever wanted to be lazy and creative at the same time, i'd buy these tacos, take them home, cook my own fish, and then add them to these tacos. but hell, why would i bother going to a restaurant and paying for em?? anyway, each taco came with one, um, fish slice? it was about an inch thick, and inch wide and maybe 5 inches long. i didnt try it so i cant tell you about the taste, just the looks. after we ordered we looked on the chalkboard near the kitchen wall and saw black bean chorizo dip and grouper tacos as specials. they werent on the menu. i do think that's something the waitress is supposed to mention, no? another friend ordered the bloody mary and apparently they do a good job spicing it up. she had to eat some of her bun (sesame seed, not kaizer like she ordered. sorry, hate to harp, but thats part of the whole review-process) just to relieve the heat. for dessert we got the mississippi mud pie (good pie, if you like chocolate order it when you go) and the keylime pie (sweet and tart, smooth texture). i only had to pay for the burger, which was something like $9.75. again, i'm no burger connoiseurr, but it was a decent meal. i can at least say i've been-there-done-that. hope this doesnt break any burger-luvin hearts! so there.
(2)Erin A.
Awesome place for burgers! Basically anything you could possibly want on a burger is an option at Pawley's. Tap beers options are better here than what I have noticed at other Five-Points establishments. Servers are great, but they do get busy--so give them a break, they have a lot of people in their sections during the lunch and dinner rush. Patio is awesome but is not free seating, see hostess for a table. Overall, great experience and better than average food.
(4)Patrick F.
I had high expectations coming into this meal. Pawley's has become somewhat of a local celebrity since appearing on 'Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives'. I never saw the episode but I did hear the buzz going around about this restaurant. I ordered a simple app of tortilla chips and a cheese dip. I was really disappointed with it. The cheese was semi-cold and wasn't good at all. I was debating between a pimento cheese burger and a burger called a Waldamalaw (not sure if that's the right spelling). I ended up getting the Waldamalaw. First off, the regular fries were amazing. The burger was pretty good but not incredible. I couldn't help but compairing it to the chain-restaurant Five Guys. It was not, in my opinion, as good as Five Guys. Five Guys is still the best burger I've had in Columbia. The service wasn't the best either, but it was probably just my waitress. Overall, good but not great. I will still go back and try that pimento cheese burger.
(4)Bridgette G.
DD and I enjoyed a late lunch at Pawley's today. I decided on the Wadmalaw burger with Frank's Red Hot onion rings. DD had the Fripp Island with the sweet potato fries. Both of us loved our choices and shared so that we could have the best of both worlds! Also a big factor for me is the tea--it was deliciously sweet and readily refilled! Can't wait to go back and try another burger and DD wants to sample the Mahi Mahi tacos.
(4)Jessica A.
One of my favorite restaurants in Columbia. Excellent food and fast service. They have this buffalo chicken dip occasionally that is absolutely out of this world phenomenal! Also, I'd highly recommend trying the fried green tomato blt.
(5)Kelly M.
I have a mixed review about this restaurant. Food was excellent. My husband really liked the Caw Caw burger. It was very tasteful based on the fact he doesn't step outside his comfort zone when it comes to food. I enjoyed my wadmalaw burger. It was great as well. On the flip side of things, the service that we recieved was somewhat poor at best. First off I am in no way shape or form jumping to any major conclusions about anyone or anything. I'm just stating what transpired on my family's visit. It was myself, my husband, and my son which is a 1 and a half years old. We get to the restaurant around 3:55 p.m. We look around and notice only half the restaurant is full. As far as we can tell, some tables already recieved and eaten food. There were about 5 to 6 female servers on the floor. The restaurant was not that busy at all. So myself and my husband are thinking " famous place, not that busy, we should get good service right ??" WRONG. I asked the young lady who came to greet us for a high chair. NEVER RECIEVED ONE. It's not the fact I can't control my child because I can, but anyone with a one year old knows it's kinda challenging to have a child sit still in public places at times. I'm lucky my son was asleep until the food got there. We figured a restaurant with a kids menu would have high chairs for kids right?!! It took a few minutes and some observing to figure out that our server was a trainee. She was very nice. She came to take our drinks and appetizer order. We ordered 2 pepsi's and the bacon cheese fries. Five minutes later the trainee came and took our entree order and everything was running smoothly up until it was time for food. It took 20 minutes( no exadurating) for our appetizer to arrive. That's because the food clearly looked like we were forgotten about. The fries were taken out the grease and cold cheese and Luke warm bacon was sprinkled on top and sent out. It was "slopped" onto the plate. During those 20 minutes our server never came to check on us, had time to chit chat at the empty bar with bartenders, and took better care of other guests other than us for some reason. The train-er never made a appearance until she dropped off the appetizer and came to get the check. The trainee after taking our order only came to see how we were doing twice and the train-er twice ( maybe 3 times )in the span of over a hour. We felt like we were a "throw away" table. How can we feel this way you ask, it's because I am a white female and my husband is a black man. We can tell because this has happened at certain restaurants in Columbia before and each experience is similar to the last. Long wait time for food, no communication, sloppy food when it finally arrives to the table. Again I'm not accusing anyone or throwing any wild accusations up in the air, but there are only two reasons this keeps happening to us. 1. We were "judged" as being guest that don't necessarily tip. Which is ludicrous because my husband and I have a combined 22 years of serving experience in the food industry so we definitely know the inner workings on how things go. We know the struggle. 2. We were "looked down upon" because we are an interracial couple with a bi-racial child. We were never a priority to anyone in the building and we got poor service for no reason. Don't get me wrong, we saw black guests here and there in the building and noticed a couple of black employees. By no means am I accusing anyone of being prejudice. It just sent a bad message that we were not valued or thought off with any sense of urgency. We're not blind to the fact that this is the south and racial tensions still run high. We just expect someone to do their best so it can be a win win for everyone Involved. We get great food and service, you get a great tip. We wanted to visit your establishment because Pawleys was featured on a very popular cable show and I wanted to try something different. We were very disappointed of the overall experience and have mixed feelings about making a return because like I said before, we don't want to jump to any conclusions about your establishment. All we know is it doesn't take 20 minutes for some fries, 2 servers flat out avoiding us, and everyone that comes in after you getting entrees before we get an appetizer. We will try again down the road to see if there has been progress. Just needed to let someone know how we felt.
(2)Leon P.
I ordered the BLT. I wasn't impressed with food and service. It took us almost an hour to get our food. My daughter ordered a burger...bigger isn't always better.
(3)Jessica D.
Every time I've been here it's been a great experience. Never had to wait long for a table and the wait staff is friendly. The food is delicious, especially the onion rings. You can get any of the burgers substituted with a veggie patty, which is amazing for us vegetarians hanging out with meat eaters. My only complaint is that they don't have much parking, so get there early!
(5)Ron B.
Great burgers, pretty good fish tacos, and if my beer would've been 1 degree colder it would have been frozen. The service... Hey they're college students, but it was good enough for me.
(4)Taylor S.
I probably experienced one of the worst dining experiences here. I've been here twice before and the service was fine, but not the last time. First, we started our order at the outside bar so that it would be ready by the time we got a seat outside. They ended up being out of the beer that my boyfriend really wanted that day but that wasn't a huge deal. After finding that out the bartender gave us the beer menu again and proceeded to walk away for 15 minutes. Upon returning he asked us what we wanted to drink and then we said we could order our meal now too. He then took our order and about 20 minutes later our table was ready. As we sat down we waited for about 15 minutes when our waitress came up to us and said that they lost our order so we have to reorder. So we did that and then had to wait over 30 minutes to get our food. It was just ridiculous since it wasn't horribly busy at all. After this experience I will not be returning. If you do come here I recommend getting the sweet potato fries, they're pretty good, and their burgers are pretty good. They're not worth the wait though. Also, if you do come here I recommend sitting outside.
(3)Brittany B.
I've gone here twice now and it's really just an average food place. They try and do a little too much with the burgers and they end up being impossible to eat. I did like that they had a pretzel bun option but it was hardly noticeable with the pile of toppings. The three stars is for having a good beer selection and a neat patio with an outside bar. I would come back here again for drinks only, but there are a lot of better restaurants in the area.
(3)Joshua S.
Very good place for an exotic burger...not for a straight up regular one. Burgers will run you at least $10 and beers can be up there too. Atmosphere is not my favorite, a little too much on the college bro side, but I think that's their goal. Not a bad place to try out while in columbia.
(4)Tania S.
Way over rated. My husband found a hair on his plate and it was no big deal to the staff. Gross. Terrible service. Never will go there again.
(1)Shelley S.
If I were on death row, my final meal would be the fried green tomato Napoleon and the deep fried dill pickles. Seriously. They are that good. Just try them.
(5)Brandy B.
Could have more options for vegetarians. Had the veggie burger, it wasn't bad... It needs some kind of vegan mayo to go on it or avocado! The onion rings were the best part! My boyfriend didn't really like his Wad ma law burger. The burger wasn't cooked correctly (overdone) and the fries were just ok. He used to really love this place but not so much anymore. Give this place a try but don't expect the best burgers you've tasted.
(3)Chris W.
Good bar great burgers. Bartenders are awesome good place to get a meal worth your money
(4)Anthony D.
It's good but I wouldn't say it's the best burger joint in columbia. I do have to say their sweet potato fries are legitimately awesome and worth going just for that alone.
(4)Michelle G.
My husband and I are here in Columbia on a travelling assignment. From the recommendation of our hotel staff we went to Five Points and tried this burger joint. When we walked up I first noticed the huge front porch, I absolutely love sitting outside to eat/drink. Unfortunately for this visit we were not able to get a seat outside, hopefully next time. They were quite busy. We went last night so that was a Friday night. We only waited about 30 minutes, not bad in my book. We got pretty good seats right outside the kitchen so we were able to see everyone pretty well. Our server was Lori, she was a cute young girl and so bubbly. I love when servers ask if we've ever dined in their establishment and we get to say oh no, we're from out of state. Then the conversation gets going. Well we found out that this was Lori's last day as a server she is going to work in communication. We shared stories about why we are in SC and our love of dogs. Any way back to the food. We ordered their burgers because apparently they were featured on Diners, Drive-in, and Dives. OMG, these burgers were outstanding. I love burgers most of the time, but these were something to write home about. They were 8oz of juicy, charbroiled goodness. I ordered the Kawahi, pretty sure I spelled that wrong, it had portobello mushrooms with roasted red peppers and melted brie cheese. Oh so good. My husband ordered the Front Porch with applewood smoked bacon to die for. The hand cut fries, so very yummy, but way to many to finish. We also started with the deep fried pickle chips. Way to salty, good thing I had beer. Their tap menu for beer is good. I really love craft beer and they have a few local ones to try so I had the River Rat Brown, so yummy. We will definitely be back. Good Luck to Lori in your new endeavors, so glad you were our server last night.
(5)Sherry C.
This is one of the best places to get a good hamburger in town. They have some really great choices of burgers, and different buns also to pick from. Of course..,... (I'm a plain Jane). I just get a plain hamburger with Lettuce, Tomato, and Onion. But it was extra yummy. Their fries are amazing. I love good French fries! I've also been to the Pawleys Front Porch in Charleston also. It's a great place too. The service can be a little slow, but I've always gone at a busy time. I'm looking forward to coming back for another burger.
(4)Lance O.
Went a lot of times and tried many different burgers in 3 months at Ft Jackson. Only hiccup was not getting bacon on one burger, but wasn't charged, so no big deal. Each burger was really delicious and I'll go there again when I get back to Columbia.
(5)K W.
I was reluctant to come here after my last visit, but all deserve a 2nd chance. I specified to the server medium on my burger...several times. He understood and relayed to the cooks. However, the cooks can't seem to get it right. I don't know what's going on here, but something is very off with the management and the staff. Our server bar tender was incredible!! Our beers were cold and ready for us before we finished the last drop of our most recent beer. I was offered the opportunity to make the order right, but for fear for what the cook staff would do, I declined. I'll return for cold beers, but not for the food. The burger was dry and not much flavor.
(1)Melencia J.
We walked into Pawley's after reading pretty good reviews on Yelp. We arrived at a pretty busy time and had to wait about 30 minutes for a table. We had never been there before and were admiring all the burgers as they were walked past our noses. We were finally seated and it still took several minutes before a server acknowledged us. After being taunted by everyone else's food, we ordered fried pickles and our meals as soon as she arrived. They arrived quickly and we dug in. We noticed immediately that the batter was way too salty, but as we were hungry we continued to eat them. It was a nice crunchy starter, that would have been great if we were drinking beer, but we all were being health conscious at the moment with water. Our burgers arrived about 10 minutes later. I had the veggie burger with french fries. The burger was delicious, but about halfway though I realized the bun had no flavor and tossed it to the side. The caramelized onions and mushrooms were the major flavor enhancers. The fries could have used a couple more shakes to remove more of the oil before they were plated. Other than that, they were heavily seasoned. I enjoyed the seasoning, but my friends felt they were too salty for their tastes. The service was pretty good. The hostess needed to purchase a smile, but our server seemed genuinely excited to be working. So, overall a pretty good place. I'd go back if others were going, but wouldn't be my first choice for a burger.
(3)Lhynette C. A.
Fried green tomatoes are my favorite! This app was stacked with crab meat and blue cheese. I usually hate blue cheese---BUT...this was really a little amount of blue cheese. (Bleu? Blue? who cares?!) - it wasn't over powering at all. The meaty tomatoes were fried and stacked like a work of art...and the crab meat was stuffed in between like a perfectly layered cake. the stack was also drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette! Took it to the face - you bet i did. The tomatoes were big, the crab meat filling was meaty, what more can you really ask for? It was delicious. Mahi-mahi fish tacos! Best i have ever had :) grilled, fresh and they even put a generous amount of cabbage. As i looked around while biting into my tacos - i couldn't help but stare at the humongous and delicious looking burgers that was being placed on other people's tables. I would definitely come back here again - and try the burgers as well!!! :)
(4)Malissia M.
Delicious (and huge!) as usual!! I had the caw caw creek on chicken but the group favorite has always been the isle of palms...yum, stuffed! So crowded, so be prepared to wait, but worth it!
(4)Mark B.
Good cheesy juicy burgers and nice bar tenders. I love this place. We will be back soon.
(5)Toni P.
Great burgers with interesting toppings, crispy sweet potato fries. Fun atmosphere in hip Five Points district of Columbia, SC. Teenagers and adults all enjoyed it!
(4)Lisa S.
I've never seen anyone unhappy with their burgers! I don't eat red meat but their chicken burgers are just as fantastic! It's a step up from your every day cheeseburger with great topping options! Definitely recommend. Near USC and in five points area. Very limited parking. Always a line.
(5)Krystal D.
This is my first time at Pawleys, & my first annoyance was the semi-rude server, Jessica. I would've given it a 5 had it not been for her. She never smiled ONCE & stuck to speaking to & interacting with our table ONLY when absolutely necessary; no "How are you today", or "Your food will be out shortly", or "Would you like more to drink". She even brought the ticket without asking us if we'd like dessert or anything else or how our food was! Sheesh, girl! If you didn't want to come to work today, you should've called in. But, on to the important stuff: the food! Guy Fieri came here for a reason! Our burgers were great! Juicy, flavorful & huge! I had the Wadmalaw & my hubby had the Front Porch. Notice the full-size wine glass that my mimosa was served in! Jessica was a horrible server, but the food came out quickly & was delicious!
(3)Lonnie B.
Guy Fieri got it right with this place. Although I wouldn't call it a Diner, a Drive-In, nor a Dive. This is a casual restaurant serving gourmet burgers with a great selection of craft beers. Nice patio out front, booths and a large bar inside. The service is a bit laid back but the food is the star attraction. Lots of different burgers made from fresh ground chuck roast. Se of the combinations are a bit quirky but there is setting for everyone. Lots of deep fried apps and a few salad options. But the burgers are the stars. This is now my go-to spot when in Columbia.
(5)Will C.
Really underwhelming for how big of a deal people make about it. In my opinion there is absolutely no reason there should be an hour wait for this place. Sure it was on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives - but that surely doesn't mean that it's the best thing that ever happened to Columbia. The service was good, the burger was pretty good but it wasn't enough to me to deserve all the accolades. I'm not sure it's even in the top three burgers I've had in Columbia. There's definitely a novelty in going, the food is good but I don't think it's worth all the rants and raves; there's nothing special here.
(3)Hans B.
Ok I had a burger which is rare for since I eat many veggies ! Very yummy. Can't remember name if burger but it had .. Pineapple and red onions. ... Odd combination but very yummy Very juicy burger Daughter had one with gruyere cheese, Vidalia onions and mushrooms ... Very yummy also ! Now the fries :both regular and sweet potato..are AWESOME.! Some of the best I've had ! Plus corona cerveza... $2.50 all day and night Whoop whoop !!
(4)Brandon D.
Burgers were excellent, but I've had better from other places. However, locally, this place is really good. The service was excellent. We were seated in less than 5 minutes of walking in the door despite it being busy. We both got our burgers on the pretzel buns, which left more to be desired. They buns really didn't have any taste to them and they fell apart. But the burgers themselves were delicious. Cooked perfectly and just the right proportions of toppings unlike other places. Definitely will go again. Plus, parking was easy find behind the building!
(4)Karen C.
Great burgers BUT make sure they still have what you ordered because I order a burger with blue cheese and bacon. ..got one with neither....pointed it out and was THEN told they were out of blue cheese. Did get the bacon and they brought a piece of American cheese but truth be told would have ordered a different burger.
(2)Julie R.
I went to dinner here last night and was really unimpressed! I've been here before and it was good so I don't know what's going on! I ordered the fripp island burger medium and it came out dry, well done and flavorless! The toppings on the burger were barely there, I couldn't even find the southern salsa that is supposedly on the burger. The burger is also on a bun that is just too thick. I had to take my meat off of it. Even the fries were overdone and greasy. I hope this restaurant isn't suffering from budget cuts or money problems because this place has really gone downhill since the last time I came here. They really need a new cook in the kitchen asap!!!!
(2)Hope T.
I traveled from Az to SC and I was looking forward to eating at Pawley's Front Porch since it was on Food Network. I was SERIOUSLY disappointed!!! 1) The sweet potato fries came out cold. I had to send them back! 2) I ordered the crawfish tacos with pineapple chutney.They crawfish tacos came with no chutney and it had beans on it which were not even on the menu. I asked for chutney and the waitress said we don't have that anymore but the menus have not been changed. I asked to speak to a manager. The manager said the same thing and I told her I did not think it was a $10.50 meal since all I could eat was the crawfish since the tortilla was dry too. ALL the manager did was take $5 off my bill!! I should have had my bill comped for the full amount of the tacos. I am so disappointed and I will not recommend or come back to this restaurant when I come back to SC! They do not deserve 1 star but yelp requires me to provide a rating!
(1)Stephanie K.
We went for half price Tuesday this week. I was not a huge fan of the high top table we were sat at but I'm really short so it's expected. The waitress stopped by after a few minutes and we hot dome drinks which took a while to come to the table. As an appetizer we has Crawfish and the cheese dip. The Crawfish was good but not my favorite. Cheese dip was boring and somewhat gritty. I got the burger with pimento cheese and jalapeño bacon on a pretzel bun. I ordered a different bun but food took a while so I didn't complain. My burger was cooked well and was tasty. Not the best I have ever had but in the top 10. The hubbs wants to try the burger challenge so we will definitely be back!
(4)Mike M.
Went for lunch. Burger was great, atmosphere was good, service killed it. Burger done to exact temp i asked. Bartender kept the glass full and was inviting. Will be stopping everytime im in columbia.
(5)Geri S.
We had a wonderful meal at Pawleys. It was recommended to us by friends from Western New York who were on their way to Florida. We were on our way back. There are several creative burgers to choose from. You can choose to have chicken on your burger for a dollar less. I also had sweet potato fries for 50 cents more. My husband had the unique onion rings which had a slightly spicy batter. We will definitely come back to Pawleys on our way back and forth to Florida again. The staff was very friendly and accommodating.
(5)Bailey B.
Good burgers. Fries were a bit greasy. I would definitely come back for the burger alone.
(4)Lexa S.
I'm giving this place 3 stars because my mom really likes it and they have good pretzel buns. I personally have been here numerous times and don't like the taste of their burger meat. I perfer Burger 77 on devine. Also, one time I came with my bf and we sat at the bar and waited to be helped while servers zipped around not acknowledging us. After 5 minutes we just got up and left without a peep from anyone. Another time I waited with two friends for 30 minutes till we got our food...other people who came after us got served before us which is painful to see when your starved. On the upside this is probably the hottest spot downtown so if your looking for the poppin place this is it!
(3)Canita C.
Pawley's Front Porch was recommended by my friend's co-worker, she gave this place a glowing recommendation. Pawley's is well known for its burgers, so well known that it got national attention from Guy Fieri and Food Network with a spot on Triple D (Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives). Since this restaurant is located in 5 Points, an area close to USC in Columbia, it's a hot spot for students. With a little research we found that its popularity, and great food, has people lining up to get in, so we planned our visit strategically. We decided to go while the Gamecocks were playing at home, we got in and out while the game held its patrons captive. It was perfect timing, no traffic and no wait! First of all, even though they are known for their burgers, I did NOT order a burger. I got the she crab soup. A weird choice, but a good one, and I would recommend it. I have a hard time not ordering she crab soup if it's on the menu. It's one of those items that I am not accustomed to seeing on the menu since I am not a native of SC. My first time having it was after I moved to Columbia, I lived 30 years of life without this yummy soup. My friend did have a burger and onion rings, she said it was delicious. I got a bite of her burger and onion rings, I thoroughly enjoyed them both. I also got to taste the chipotle barbeque sauce - yum yum yum. That should be bottled and sold everywhere. The drinks are creative and they have an adequate amount of spirits. We both got something different so we could taste more than one drink. I even remembered the recipe for a drink to make for my husband, and he enjoyed it as well. The menu has enough variety to please everyone. I decided to order a burger to carry out for my husband. I was a little worried about the burger not traveling well, so I checked with the waitress before doing so. She said they would definitely travel well, she takes them home all of the time, as they are so big she could only eat half of one in a sitting. (The burgers are huge and worth every penny.) Now I did not read the menu, so I was unaware the each burger comes with tomatoes and onions, and my husband does not eat tomatoes or onions. I did not realize that they were on the burger until I arrived home, at which point I removed them. I was still a little worried, the burger traveled a long time and onions are very potent. I told him before he took the first bite, and he was not bothered by it at all. In fact when he took that bite, he just nodded his head in approval as he chomped away. After eating, he went to a neighbor's house to watch some game, and he later sent me a text message asking for the name of the restaurant again. (Which meant that he was already recommending it to others.) I give it two thumbs up!
(5)Megan B.
This place has failed miserably. I use to frequent Pawley's when I lived in Columbia several years ago. The food was always great and the wait staff was always friendly. This time, our experience was much different. My husband and I decided to stop by so I could get my craw fish fix. It was amazing. He and I both were impressed by it but that was the only thing that impressed us. The table they sat us at was slanted and unstable. The tea was watered down a good bit. The wrap that I ordered had water in the bottom from the lettuce not being dried appropriately. My husband said that his burger was dry and both of our orders of onion rings were clumped together, salty and pretty much just tasted the same as the other menu items they have that are fried. The wrap that I had, had fried chicken in it and I swear everything tasted the same. We didn't eat the onion rings. I picked the chicken out of the wrap. My husband took a few bites of the burger and then we wanted to leave badly. Our waitress was seen maybe 4 times total and the waitress that took our payment method was not our server from before. The people there don't seem like they care about anything, really....In saying that...We won't go back.
(1)Joshua R.
Food: 3 Drinks: 3 Atmosphere: 4 Staff: 4 Overall impression: Very popular, but we can't figure out why. This is a middle of the line burger joint. Go here if you want some burgers and beers with your buds, but not if you're looking for a family dinner. Personally, I don't see the appeal unless you go on Tuesdays for their 1/2 priced burgers. One thing I do appreciate is how any burger can be substituted for a veggie burger. The staff is attentive and quick, but I wish they'd spend a little more time overall crafting the burger to push it from good to great. If it's Tuesday, you won't regret it - but be prepared to wait!
(3)Mandi T.
I had a chicken sandwich here on a pretzel bun with the the sweet potato fries. The sweet potato fries are some of the best I have ever had! This is a hot spot in little five and we had to wait 45 minutes to be seated. My sandwhich came out wrong which, was ok but, I was not crazy about the pretzel bun it didn't have much flavor. Everyone I was with seemed to really like their meals. It's a cute place!!!!
(3)Colin K.
Ordered the famous burger here medium. Twice it came back well done and dry. Twice! For the hype this was very dissapointing.
(2)Zach S.
Solid 4 stars or better! The burgers are quite large and very tasty. I order my hamburgers medium well and mine was cooked through but, still was juicy. Their house salad is pretty unique and very good. We also ordered their fried pickles and I normally kill these things but, the portion size was so generous that we only made it half way through them. They feature a lot of local beers and a local cider too. The atmosphere is casual, slightly noisy and the staff is friendly. I highly recommend this place!
(4)Katie T.
I will definitely not be returning to Pawley's after a terrible experience this evening. The food was good as usually but the service was horrible. By the way, if you asked for extra barbecue sauce they will charge you for it!
(1)Andrea R.
Went here for the first time on Championship Sunday, very empty compared to the bars at home especially on a big game day. This place is certainly divey but we loved the homey appeal that it offered. We were just passing through but felt right at home! We sat outside under a heating lamp and it was perfect! We had some beers and just people watched and enjoyed the games. After a while we ordered the fried pickles, a bit too salty for me but overall they were decent. The food coming out to the tables all looked very delicious! Best part about this place is that they allow dogs on the outside porch. We are huge animal lovers and can't wait to bring our fur baby here once she's trained!
(4)Elma M.
Heard so much about this place and was terrible. I had the Fripp Island burger, the patty was dry with no flavor and the bottom was Damm near burnt. The salsa looked like it had been sitting in the fridge for 2-3 days, no flavor to it either. The breading on the Onions rings was falling off it looked REAL messy! Order fried pickles and were waaaaaay tooooo salty! Also in the plate they had pieces of some type of batter from the fryer which happens but they could've cleared the grease prior too frying the pickles. I sat on the bar, service was very slow and maybe 4 other people sitting there.
(1)Kara W.
We loved the creative burger options but didn't care for the fries. They were soggy and had a hint of burnt taste.
(3)Paul S.
My experience today at Pawley's Front Porch was one of the worst that I have ever had at a restaurant. First I waited at least 50 minutes from my ordering a burger until it was served. I even inquired several times as to the reason for the lengthy delay. When my burger finally arrived it was not cooked as ordered. I ordered a medium burger and it was past medium well. Maybe that's why it took so long. At that point I left the restaurant never to return on my yearly trip to Columbia. If I could I would give them negative stats.
(1)Kirk F.
We have been coming to Pawley's for over 4 years and have seen a steady decline in food quality and, most notably, service. The burgers were good, though overcooked. However, many of the sides were salty and the onion rings nearly burned. Now for the service...we were told tonight the kitchen was out of fried pickle chips. About 5 minutes later the table next to us had a bowl of pickle chips on their table. So I asked the server. Surprise! They have pickle chips!! Tonight the server followed up everything with "I'm sorry." We had to signal the bar for another round of beers which another server delivered. It's no longer an enjoyable experience especially considering the price of meals.
(2)Kristen F.
The Fripp Island on a pretzel bun is bomb and ask for some cheese dipping sauce for your fries. Also the fried pickles are some of the best I've had. The portions are huge though so splitting with someone might be your best bet !
(5)Beth K.
We went last night. It was a very busy Saturday night. We sat at the bar. While we got our order in very quickly, it took a long time for our food to come out and then again to pay. That is why I gave it a 4. The food was a 5 all the way!! Try the Blue cheese/Frank's RedHot Sauce on your burger! My husband had the burger with a fried green tomato on it and he said it was awesome! He ordered the onion rings also which we both really liked. I really liked this place!
(4)Lindsay K.
I was a little disappointed with this place. There's so much hype about in columbia that I expected it to be much more than an average burger joint. Don't get me wrong, it was ok, but I can rattle off quite a few places that are better. When I bite into a sandwich I want a burst of flavor, that just didn't happen. My bf felt the same way, it would have been completely bland if not for the toppings. The fries are good and apparently Thursdays are pint night so that's a plus. Service was good too. But for the price, I just want a burger that's going to wow me, it's your specialty. Not a bad experience over all, I was just expecting more than I got.
(3)Rick T.
To me it's just an average burger with different toppings on it. I like the set up outside, you can grab a beer and enjoy the weather.
(3)Megan P.
Best burger in South Carolina! I had the Fripp island burger which has Boursin cheese, fried green tomato and Southern salsa ( aka blackeyed pea salad). I don't like my burger still mooing, but I also don't like charcoal so I was glad when the waitress asked how I liked it cooked. Burger was perfectly cooked! It was seasoned without being meatloaf. We had the fried pickle appetizer, which was easily enough for a table of 6. My hubs had the fried green tomato pimento cheese blt with onion rings, it was huge, and he said it was tasty! You may pay an extra buck for a burger here, but it's worth your money! Bring 5 canned goods for the foodbank and fried pickles are on the house!
(5)David L.
Ate here on a Saturday, bed sure to get here before noon. We arrived about 11:40. When we left, the line was out the door to get in.
(4)Nancy S.
Had to try this, but I don't know that we'd return. Had a dry burger with pimiento cheese and bacon, plus some lukewarm fries. Yes, they were busy - but doesn't that mean the food should be fresh? I'm sure there are other burger places in town, and we'll have to explore to find them. I know folks will go here because Guy Fieri (Diners Drive ins and Dives) came here, but it wasn't quite what I hoped for. I did see their specials list and maybe we'll try it on 1/2 price entree night or something other than a burger.
(3)Jamie B.
We went today based on the overall good reviews, this will not be one of those. We asked for medium and were served over seasoned extremely dry burgers. So dry that you literally could not squeeze any juice out of it. The pimento cheese had no flavor and the fries were mediocre at best. I will not be returning to this restaurant.
(1)M L.
I've been to Pawley's a few times. I went yesterday and I can say without a doubt, that will be the last time I ever go. I called ahead the day before to let them know a large party of 20 would be there...they said they could put us on the porch. Well, when we showed up with 15 people, the server who seated us was rude, seated several others before us, and acted like it was a chore to have to deal with us. Lucky us, this girl was also our server! She acted aloof, rude and disinterested the ENTIRE time. She made a rude comment to one of the people in our party after waiting almost 10 minutes to pick up our checks. It was downright awful. When I called to complain to the manager, the person who answered the phone put the phone down while getting the manager...or so I thought. Instead, I could hear this person cursing about people's orders! Then he hung up on me. I called back immediately, and did reach the manager this time. He was very apologetic, and I appreciated that a lot. But the damage was done. Although featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, the food is not worth the poor service and rudeness. I'd go to Rockaways for a better burger anyway.
(1)Evan F.
Stopped here on a trip down South. Fun, casual atmosphere in a bar setting. Ordered the fried pickle appetizer (with Ranch dipping sauce)...excellent taste, nice and crispy but not overly so. For dinner we all shared some burgers and tacos. Daughter and I split a Jucy Lucy (cheese cooked inside the patty), wife and other daughter split a bacon cheeseburger, both burgers ordered medium doneness. Then we also got a side salad and a few buffalo shrimp tacos. The burgers came out two different doneness levels and were just okay. Fries were really good and nicely seasoned. Buffalo shrimp tacos were tasty but very messy. My wife raved about the salad as the highlight of the meal.
(3)AJ K.
The only reason I give this place 3 stars is for the tap beer selection and the people that worked there were super friendly. I spent almost a day flying into Columbia and I was exhausted but could not go to sleep yet because I had dinner reservation with my fiancé and if I had laid down it would have been over. So I just needed a place to get a few good IPA's and a snack to keep me going at 2pm in the afternoon and I came across this place on a random search. Luckily when I walked in they had 4 IPA's on tap so check. Then I ordered the lunch special burger thinking it was just a smaller version on their full sized burgers. DO NOT order the lunch special burger. It comes on this flat bread thing and not a bun. And I ordered it medium but it came out well done. And then the explanation I got still makes me shake my head. I was told that " oh yeah the lunch special comes with a smaller patty so they have to cook it well done in order to cook it all the way through". If you are cooking fresh ground meat then it should not matter whether it's a 6oz portion or a larger one. Basically less meat means less cook time, just cook it less. Seems like there is something else going on. Which is probably why it tasted horrible. The fries were ok, but even then half of them tasted stale. The manager was nice enough to take the burger off my ticket. Still charged me for the fries even though I didn't really eat them but no biggie. The beers were great and like I said the staff were really friendly. Not sure I would recommend this place for the food based on what I was served but it's definitely a good place to grab a beer.
(3)Laura M.
Pawleys has thick burgers piled high with plenty of toppings and condiments. They're pretty tasty, satisfying burgers but they're much more appealing when they're half price on Tuesday nights. There's a nice, casual atmosphere with decent beer on tap and friendly, attentive staff, as well.
(3)Samuel M.
I've been here 3-4 times. I keep trying to give it a chance and it sucks every time. How can you cook a medium burger in 3 minutes? You can't because they pre cook their burgers, and it's not even busy. The kitchen staff is lazy. My onion strings were old and my burger was pre cooked and its not even cooked medium. Very disappointed.
(1)Mary D.
I keep trying to like this place! They were actually better before Triple D came. All I can say is they should lay off the "Liquid smoke" that they mix into their ground beef. It's not a secret ingredient, and more is not better. It is so overwhelming, it overpowers any other flavors or toppings you might get. Last time in I ordered the BLT. it was so sloppy that I couldn't eat it. Making portions bigger, doesn't make better food. I'm at a loss on why this place is still in business. I love the location and I like the atmosphere, I just wish they'd invest some interest in making good food.
(1)Jon M.
Been here a few times, and strangely enough, they've hosted the world's largest Sausage & Frankfurter festival each time!
(1)Jill V.
No idea why all the hype. May have been good at one time but now the burgers, fries and fried pickles are barely average. Service is adequate but don't expect personality or a smile. Don't waste your time.
(2)Jessica S.
Service was good. Our waitress was on top of our drinks, our apps and food came out in a timely manner. The truffle fries were delicious. The plate was split between me, my husband, and our three children. My husband and two children ordered burgers and those were great. I ordered crawfish tacos which I would not recommend. First, the crawfish are obviously previously frozen, although I wouldn't honestly expect them to peel, bread, then deep fry fresh crawfish (although this would make ALL the difference in the world). The crawfish had a strange metallic aftertaste,typical of frozen. Second, let's take some pride in serving a taco. If you're not going to make a homemade tortilla, at least have the decency to heat up a store bought shell on the flat top. Grill marks might fool some of your patrons. A cold, flat, lifeless tortilla isn't fooling anyone. My youngest's chicken strips seemed to be cooked a little too long because they were pretty dark, but the meat was juicy and tender so I can forgive the outer appearance. Come for the burgers and the apps. Ignore the rest.
(3)Aaron N.
Stopped here while traveling from Miami to Asheville based on yelp reviews. My burger was a little dry but the ingredients otherwise tasted fresh. The others ordered the chicken fingers which had a unique batter and were very tasty. The vibe was good with lots of TVs showing all the bowl games.
(3)Amelia R.
Great food, great service. Will def recommend to others and go back! I love all the burgers, esp the wadmalaw. I usually hate anywhere Guy F goes, but pawleys is def worth going to
(4)Banks V.
Great front porch for dogs and food was excellent. It was a bit cold but they turned on the outdoor heaters for us. Great burgers. We just came in for second time it was our midway lunch destination on vacation
(5)Richard T.
Long wait time usually, but it's worth it if you are looking for a solid gourmet burger. You have to get the fried pickles if you go there.
(4)Brandon L.
The burger itself was very good. I ordered it with Bacon and it was very salty. The sweet potato fries were cold and felt lulu or they had been sitting out for a while before they were served. The waitress was pleasant.
(3)Alison L.
The service is hit and miss, but the food is always great. I've been here quite a few times over the last few years, and it's either really great service or really okay service. Either way, the food is fantastic and more than makes up for that. I'm a huge fan of the Wadmalaw, all the way. I've been telling all my friends in Mississippi that Pawley's has the best fried pickles in America. You're welcome.
(4)Frank L.
Heat attack on a plate? Yes please.... All I have to say that the burgers are pretty outstanding. I came here with a group of co-workers for dinner and was not disappointed. Between us we had the Caw Caw, Wadmalaw and Beaufort burgers. We all got them with the pretzel buns. The burgers were all delicious and cooked perfectly, but I don't think I would go with the pretzel bun again as it was a bit to hard for the burger. The onion rings were also great, and not spicy as you would think, since they are made with Frank's red hot.
(4)Sam W.
Definitely one of the better burger places i've ever been to. Amazing fries, and good enough service. Best deal in town is Tuesdays half off burger menu.
(4)Anna B.
I could leave a very detailed review or just get down to brass tacks, I choose the latter. I was built up by people telling me this was the best burger in Columbia. I disagree. It just wasn't good, that's really all. For a bit more detail: I got the Wadmalaw which I believe was bbq sauce and fried jalepenos. The burger was too big in height (way too much bread), hardly cooked, and just didn't taste good. I got it on a pretzel bun, which had no distinguishable flavor. My friend made the mistake of getting the one with caramelized onions, grape jelly, and goat cheese. It sounds interesting, but just ended up being gross. It wasn't the worst, but I'm not going back.
(1)Ray R.
Went to Pawleys just ordered burger and fries, the burger was cooked perfect but the bun was stale and dry. They could at least put butter on it and grilled it. The fries were way over cooked and way too salty. Now for the drink of the south, the sweet tea was not and was to weak.
(1)Josh M.
I absolutely love this place. They have some of the greatest burgers around. I get the Sullivan's a lot but I I've had every burger on the menu and not one of hem is bad! They have great drink prices and the atmosphere is very cool. A great pace to catch a game or meet up with friends!
(5)B G.
I stopped in during happy hour and was quickly greeted and seated. Ordered my burger medium, it came out well done with a huge side of greasy cold fries. The burger itself (despite being over-cooked) was delicious. Service was inconsistent: refilled my drink periodically, but failed to provide napkins with the burger. I had to go on a search for them. I suspect I just hit them at a bad time. I'll definitely try again and hope it was just a glitch.
(2)Logan N.
Atmosphere is great but the staff is rude and it takes forever to get your food with barely anyone in the building. And we saw a cockroach crawling across the floor out in the open before we even got our food... 2 hours later.
(1)Nat C.
I would give it 5 stars except for ONE time my burger was a under cooked and I'm a fan of mid-rare burgers. It's a great place for lunch because service usually pretty quick and they can accommodate a group of 5-8 pretty quickly. Portions are huge so you can plan of being stuffed or having some to take home. On a nice day the patio is tough to beat.
(4)Christie G.
I knew they were locally known for being on Diners, Driveins and Dives so I wanted to give it a shot. I love a good burger also. I really wanted to love the food! However, my burger wasn't good at all and I was super disappointed. My daughter wouldn't even eat hers. I got the traditional bun since I'm not a pretzel fan. It was very dry and crumbly like it was on the verge of stale. The hamburger meat was barely mediocre. The seasoning in the meat wasn't a good flavor in my opinion. Overall, the burger had a dry taste. The fries were pretty good, but I've had better even at Five Guys. The positives are the service was super friendly and we received our food very quickly! I don't think I'll ever go back, but I'm glad I tried it.
(1)Gerardo G.
Great selection of microbrews. The palm of isle was a great selection in the pretzel bun. The sweet potato fries were soggy when I received them they probably were sitting out for a while but either way they were okay. They mozzarella sticks were massive and were worth the cholesterol. The atmosphere was really relaxing. Went around 1pm and it was just getting busy. I am definitely planning on going back. Will post pics after next visit.
(4)Leslie D.
I give Pawleys 2 stars for the for the food. I went with 6 adults and 5 children on a rainy Sunday afternoon. The restaurant had patrons but was not super busy. There was only 1 area with low tables large enough for a group with children. So we opted to sit out side. We were doing well with the delicious appetizers the Napoleon, crawfish and fried pickles until the rain picked up and was streaming onto our table and we needed to move in doors. We thankfully moved in doors with all of the kids and carried in our drinks and uneaten appetizers. The only table available for the group was a high top which was challenging for kids. Pawleys being a bar we did our best to situate the kids so they could eat their meals and still enjoy our burgers. As we finished our meals and asked for the checks we were surprised to find the gratuity added to our 3 separate checks that we had asked for at the beginning of the meal. We left additional gratuity due to the fact that we were a group with kids and the experience was decent. As we exited we were able to hear the servers complaining about cleaning our "messy table" and how could it be possible for people to be so messy. One child did spill their drink from the high top table and the styrofoam cup they were drinking from broke. The fathers cleaned it up with the napkins on the table and put them on a plate. Not one effort was made by the waitstaff or bartenders to provide more napkins or assist in the clean up. Nor was our table attempted to be cleared as people finished their food. I didn't see garbage cans openly throughout the bar/restaurant or we would have cleaned up more and kept the extra tip. I found it odd that this place has kids night on Monday nights. Hopefully on Mondays they have a more family friendly wait staff or they pull out garbage cans for customers to clean the tables to avoid the inconvenience.
(2)Jordan G.
Pawleys is awesome- I'm a craft beer drinker and was really surprised with the bartender's knowledge of beers and even liquors. I recommend starting with the fried green Napoleon or the fried oysters! The burgers are huge so don't over do it. Great food beer and service. I will be returning!
(5)Joe V.
We went to Pawley's during USC parents weekend 2013. Now parents weekend is a thing that is planned and scheduled every year, you know when its going to be and you should staff the kitchen appropriately. The food here is top notch, great burgers, fish tacos, chili cheese fries. OH the fries and just wonderful. But we had to wait 45 minutes for our food and I understand busiest weekend of the year , but unlike others who would write a trashy review I am not. You have great food, staff and location you just need to be better prepared for parents weekend. :)
(4)Michaela B.
Truly a fantastic burger! I don't think you can go wrong. The atmosphere is a little grimy, though. Like most places in 5 Points it's smeared with beer by college kids every night, so lunch on a Saturday and the place looked like it had barely recovered from the night before. So, it's seriously casual. Didn't feel bad about my kid littering the floor with french fries. The fries were awesome, by the way.
(4)David C.
After being a fan of Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, we decided to check out as many of them as we could whenever we go on vacation. This weekend, on our way to Charleston, SC for a birthday weekend getaway, we detoured through Columbia for lunch at Pawley's Front Porch. It was Mother's Day, so we thought we'd have a long wait, but surprisingly, we only waited 10 minutes for a table outside. Our server, Moe, was a delightful young lass with a million dollar smile and a personality to match. She was extremely helpful in answering questions and guiding us on our virgin run. My wife had the Wadmala burger which is chipotle BBQ sauce, fried pickles, applewood smoked bacon and cheddar cheese. She ordered it medium rare on a Pretzle bun with sweet potato fries I had the Caw Caw Creek Burger with jalapeno pimento cheese, bread and butter pickled green tomato, in-house pesto, applewood smoked bacon and grilled onions. I had Frank's red hot onion rings. These burgers are nothing short of AWESOME and well worth the detour to visit. Since the burgers are 100% Angus with NO FILLERS, you don't get the gut bomb feeling after your finished eating. We'll come again if in the area and highly recommend this place to anyone.
(5)Taylor H.
The burgers and chicken sandwiches here are phenomenal, and the fried pickles are amazing, but the service is often subpar. I have been eating here for 6 years and basically you have to know going in that they are usually swamped and it will probably take a while to get your water refilled or to get your food.
(4)Grace M.
Greasy food and the food is too hyped up. Slow service, it's better at the bar It's not worth the long wait you typically see outside.
(3)Marlowe L.
Asked for medium, got an over well done burger. Fries were lukewarm and not crispy. Pretzel bun wasn't anything. Should have gone to Five Guys or Smashburger.
(2)Southern C.
We rented the food truck for a backyard engagement party for approximately 40 people and what a fun AND tasty time!! We had Mahi tacos, veggie tacos, fried green tomato and pimento cheese BLTs. OMG!! Delish:). The sides were even yummy...I sampled the pasta salad and sweet potato fries, so good! Ian was a breeze to work with during the planning stage and was there during the party to ensure all went smoothly and was helping cook. Frank took orders, and even delivered, ensuring guests had everything they needed. There was one other guy helping but I didn't catch his name:( but he was hard at work cooking all the yummy orders! What a fun, easy way to feed your guests. Highly recommend Pawley's Mobile Eats!
(5)Aardvark A.
Creative, fantastic burgers available on different buns including pretzel rolls. Any place that has jalapeño bacon jam is alright in my book. My favorites are the Wadmalaw, Caw Caw and Palmetto burgers. Try the Frank's Red Hot onion rings for something different but the hand cut fries are always a great standby.
(4)Roger B.
It was very good was easy too find great service but only down fall is guy wasn't here i would come back if in area must go its not swanky joint just good southern Burger joint
(4)BC H.
In town Halloween weekend and went to PFP for lunch because it was featured on DDD. It was a rainy morning but when we arrived there was already a line for seating - 1st good sign. We found room at the bar and settled in thinking we'd have to wait for service. 2nd good sign - Tiffany & Austin were right there with menus and smiles. The rest of our experience just got better and better. Food came quickly and was delicious. We would definitely go back if we were in town again.
(4)Justin R.
Really good burgers. Amazing fried pickles. Not fine dining but for a great selection of burgers and drinks was awesome. The server we had was pleasant and kept checking on us but not overwhelming. Would recommend to anyone craving a burger joint. "That's one tasty burger."
(4)Lance H.
When i travel i try and find at least one Triple D's Restaurant so when i visited my brother last year i had to try this place. Well today was prolly trip 10 and i haven't been disappointed once. I've read a few of the reviews and either they don't know what a good burger is or not ordering it done right because the burgers have been spot on EVERYTIME! I usually get the Rockville (sauteed vidalia onions, wild mushrooms and gruyere cheese) on the pretzel bun. The only thing i would say is i do order my burger medium rare and it is medium rare so the bottom buns does tend to get a bit soggy if i don't eat it in a timely manner!! :) But when you got that much juices running out it's to be expected. One other thing i've notice is it does say no substitutions but i think 8 of the 10 times i've ordered a burger i've done some sort of substitution or add ons. I'd say on a scale of 1 to 10 for restaurant burgers they are 8. But what puts this place over the top is their Deep fried oysters and the sauce they drizzle over the top!!!!!!!! Oh by the way Onion rings and sweet potatoes fries aren't to shabby either!!! The place has a good vibe to it and recommend sitting out on the patio!!
(5)E.F. Martin M.
Liked the spicy chicken in a spinach wrap!
(5)Bruce K.
Fantastic burger, really great onion rings. I went with the Rockville (sauteed vidalia onions, wild mushrooms and gruyere cheese) on the pretzel bun. Simply amazing. So moist and messy, it was fantastic. 25 minute wait for a table, but a seat at the bar was available immediately. So I sat at the bar, drank two beers, socialized with my neighbors, watched a bit of some basketball game, and seriously enjoyed getting into my half pound of meat and cheese. I cleaned the plate. They have a parking lot and there is some street parking in front and nearby. No, they do not valet park.
(5)Wayne H.
Pawley's is overall good, but not consistent depending on the day and also arguably not the best burger in town but pretty darn close. I recommend the Mac and Cheese burger.
(4)Annie D.
Are you looking for a burger? A big, fat burger? Come here, eat one. This one: yelp.com/biz_photos/pawl… I had the Caw Caw Burger without the bun or the pimento cheese. With and a giant pile of sweet potato fries, hold the sugar sprinkle. The burger was enormous and comes topped with a pickled green tomato, jalapeño bacon and fried onions. I can't even imagine eating this with the bun... it would take up the whole plate. It's a sports bar atmosphere, but they didn't bat an eye as I read my book at the outdoor bar. And as you can read above, I eat paleo and am fully aware of how obnoxious my restaurant orders sound coming out of my mouth. They were very accommodating though. The bartender even came back quickly to check with me on something just to make sure he was getting it right.
(4)Frank A.
good burgers - often go here for a biz lunch.. i love the kiawah - it's got cheese nad mushrooms over a full solid burger. the burgers are pretty reliable. Service is generally average - they're mostly staffed by USC college girls who aren't always on their A-game waiting tables. It's not been top-shelf, but i've never had a 'terrible' experience either.. Cost is average for a bar-area burger joint. Decor and atmosphere is reliably average... specialties are various burgers. and sweet potato fries!
(4)Adam B. J.
The first time I went to Pawley's (right when it opened) I thought well another place that is decent but this building is cursed so I better eat it now as it will be gone tomorrow (that building had many failed restaurant attempts). Thanks to Diner's Drive-ins and Dives I'm fairly sure Pawley's is here to stay. Their burgers are great. My personal favorite is the Caw Caw Creek (topped with house made jalapeno pimento cheese, pickled green tomato, grilled onions, and jalapeno bacon) . The Rockville (Vidallia onions and greyer cheese) and Beaufort (frank's hot sauce fried onions, fried egg, ham and cheddar cheese) are also wonderful. They have three bun choices, but I always get the pretzel bun. I like my burgers Medium/Medium Rare and this bun can handle the "juice" from a burger that temperature. The burgers are huge. The sweet potato fries, fries, and onion rings are delicious as well. I have to be in the mood for Pawley's as their burgers are a so big, delicious, and almost a gourmet offering. If you are in the mood for a greasy cheese burger from a diner, this isn't going to quench your craving. If you are a burger person (like I am) and you want to go have a great meal... THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. FYI thanks to their popularity be prepared to wait. College kids staff the place, so sometimes you get great service & sometimes you don't. Worth the aggravation for such good food.
(4)Cor B.
Tasteless. The real feat here was making a burger with ham, cheese, a fried egg - lettuce, tomato, onion and a sesame bun with so little flavor. Won't return - will go to five guys next time.
(2)Lorna E.
Burger was good. Fries were delish. Fried pickles excellent. Had to take a to go for my other half of burger, large portion of fries and half order of pickles. On the way to the car a homeless lady ( bless her heart) asked for money and I gave her my left overs and some $ I had in my wallet. She was overjoyed to get the meal and $ which made me feel good. Hope she enjoyed it as much as I did.
(3)Michael H.
Overall, this place is a comfy local hotspot for great food & great atmosphere. If you want to know anything about local beers - just ask your waitress! Ours knew more about beer than the "beer goddesses" at Flying Saucer! Was a little disappointed they were out of the oysters and that our table was tucked away in a back corner, but the food and service did not disappoint! Be adventurous & try a burger with quirky toppings bc the 30 min wait for a table is only worth it if you try what they're famous for! Will say that the place needs a little bit of work, but it's a Columbia staple that stays busy so if you can look past that then come hungry! Also will mention the table beside us was raising cain & my wife and I were impressed at the way mgmt and our waitress handled everything. Seemed like smart girls with good head on their shoulders. Nice relief from the ditzy waitresses you get most places. 4 out of 5 stars!
(4)Shaunna B.
Love this place. Although usually pretty crowded in the evenings when I have gone it is well worth the wait. The staff is extremely friendly and the prices aren't bad.
(5)Erik G.
This place is famous for their burgers. Was not impressed. Everything else was descent and the waiting staff wasn't bad but nothing was great. A little pricey for being somewhat mundane
(3)Carolyn G.
Okay, so the reviews are mixed. I have eaten here about 5 times over the years and the food is usually consistent. Here is my take on how to have a good experience at Pawley's. First, if there is a long wait, consider if you absolutely must have Pawley's that night. It is a really good burger joint, but they have almost no waiting area. If you are sensitive to smoke, you may want to sit inside. The street traffic by the porch has smokers walking by frequently. Absolutely, you must order the fried green tomato appetizer. It is served layered with cheese and crab, placed on a bed of mixed greens and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. It is simply heavenly. When you order your burger, have it medium rare. The meat is ground fresh daily and if you order it medium, it may be a bit dry. Get a specialty bun like the pretzel bun on your burger for a true Pawley's experience. Experiment with the different types to burgers, you never know which one will be your next favorite.
(4)Jonathan R.
Moved to the area from NY. While my brother was visiting, he told me he wanted to try this place out because of its Triple D exposure. So good, I came back with my wife. If you look through the staff door, you can see the cooks ma the beef patties fresh, so you know your getting fresh beef.
(4)Drew E.
Probably Columbia's best burger!
(4)Ken H.
Meh... I've been coming here for the last five years and despite my two star rating, I'll still oblige my friends and family by returning to this establishment so they can make their own judgements. I honestly feel like 5 years ago this place was entirely much better than they are now. Ever since Guy Fieri graced Pawley's with his celebrity, they have become kind of slack with ...well...everything. In the past, the service was faster, the food was more consistent and the prices weren't as exorbitant. I'm giving them an extra star since Tuesdays are half burger night, although maybe this should stick as their regularly priced menu. Also, all their entrees come with a side ...so why are the fish tacos conspicuously missing this option? Ugh yada yada it's a burger place, but c'mon people! Give me a little consistency!
(2)Cindi W.
Word to the wise, dont eat just anywhere cause you are with someone that was craving real food instead of K-Rations. (I don't think I would be that desperate for food to go here) Nuff said. This place SUCKED!
(1)Scarlett P.
Omgosh I never thought I would rate a hamburger joint with this many stars. I had the fried green tomato Napoleon and Sullivan, amazing and very filling. The staff were friendly and kept the tables cleaned. Definitely coming back next time I'm in town.
(4)Helen M.
Great hamburgers!!! The variety of food is outstanding. Staff is very friendly and accommodating as well. My friend mentioned to me that she was a little chilly and one of the staff apologized for sitting us next to the door and said that he had another table all ready for us if we'd prefer! It was superior service and my friend and I were quite pleased as she wasn't complaining but they treated her like a superstar. It was very impressive.
(4)Ryan C.
You haven't had a burger and house cut frites or onion rings until you've been here. The in house burger blend is outstanding, seasoned perfectly, buns are smazing. I always go for the build your on burger and no matter what I top it with I can't fit my mouth around it. Awesome cheese selection. Jalepeno bacon is pretty spicy but the flavor is great, I always opt for a freshly baked pretzel bun. The buttermilk fried pickles and fried green tomato napoleon (stuffed w/cheese) apps are to die for. And the biggest toss up is trying to choose between shoestring frites or Frank's red hot battered onion rings, wish they did a half and half. Cool laid back atmosphere inside with a roomy "front porch" with outdoor seating inclu f in outside TV 's and a bar, overall great place.-Ryan C.
(5)Haley P.
My food was delicious-isle of palms burger with sweet potato fries-but my boyfriends left much to be desired. He had the grilled chicken sandwich with pasta salad and a beer. Something was floating in his beer, the chicken looked to be undercooked, and he couldn't take more than one bite of the pasta salad bc it was too mayonnaise-y. I'll be going back but sticking to what I know!
(4)Gary G.
Burgers, Burgers, Burgers. They have pretty good burgers served with huge portions. They have a veggie burger and some other bar food type items. Good fries as well. Nice beer selection as well. Fairly busy most times.
(4)Daniel J.
Best burger I've ever had. Flat out! Prices are fair and is located right in 5 points. Perfect for a pre game drink and meal before hitting downtown. I tried their special which was a burger with BBQ and Mac and cheese. Simply unreal! A must stop in Cola!!!
(5)Fay B.
Slow, unfriendly service was my experience. The burger menu looks interesting until you catch the "no changes or substitutions" note in the corner. The food was tasty, but not worth the wait and rudeness factor for me.
(2)Kate P.
I love Pawleys, didn't used to get to go as often because my boyfriend thinks it's overrated... But they allow pets at their outside seating so I'm pretty excited that I can use that to get him to go more often now that the puppy can tag along! The burgers run about $10 each and that includes big burgers with premium toppings as well as a side- fries, sweet potato fries and onion rings are amazing... There's another choice, maybe pasta salad, but I've never tried it since the other choices are ao good. I always go for the isle of palms burger, with a delicious heap of pimento cheese and some jalapeño flavored bacon (no actual jalapeño, and not too spicy. Just a good amount of heat and flavor). You can also get any of the burgers with grilled chicken breast instead of beef if you're not a big beef person. Decent beer selection but not super cheap. Tuesdays are half price burger night and it is an AMAZING deal but it can get packed so try to go early...
(5)Charles S.
Great selection of burgers (full page) salads fish tacos and (25) craft/draft beers -casual atmosphere parking behind building or on Harden street
(4)Kel B.
Huh? THIS is supposed to be the best burger joint in Columbia? I completely disagree. I have had better burgers at McDonald's! My boyfriend and I went Friday afternoon because I was really craving a delicious burger. I got the Caw Caw Creek and he got the Wadmalaw. If you just read the menu, everything sounds heavenly and tasty. But no. Everything came out cold and old, like it had been microwaved 30 minutes before we got there. My fries weren't cooked all the way and the burgers kind of sucked. We both got ours cooked medium well, but they were more of a gummy over-cooked. For $10 you can find a much better meal just about anywhere in Columbia... for really good burgers, I recommend The Whig. For half the price, even Rush's, Zesto's and Maurice's are better than Pawley's. (Also, all the waitresses kept spilling drinks. I think there were 3 spilled drinks while we were there, one onto a customer. It was odd.)
(2)Law Man L.
Great burgers and fried crawfish was yummy! The ambiance is a typical dive college bar... and the place smelled like that too. But for burgers and beer, 2 thumbs up.
(3)Greg S.
The Guy Fieri signed poster on the wall has faded, and unfortunately so has the glory of Pawley's Front Porch. Years ago I ate here when they first opened and it as pretty good. I returned today for lunch and the experience was less than satisfactory. When we pulled in the parking lot it seemed dirty. Hoping the experience inside would be better, we continued inside. It wasn't much better. The table had a sticky film on it like it hadn't been cleaned in a while. Also the table wobbled so much it almost dumped the drinks on us a few times. My boss ate with us and his water glass had food particles stuck on the inside. This was his first time here and we had built up the reputation to him. The burgers didn't have that homemade taste they used to. Very bland and dry. The home cut fries were greasy and soggy. I have ordered take out from here before and this as a problem. I chalked that up to being take out, but today there was no excuse. Our server wasn't very personable, but that seemed to be a trend watching the other tables and servers. My boss' opinion echoed my own. I most likely will not be coming back here until I hear they have improved the conditions and the food.
(2)Amy Yvonne H.
Great burgers, Lots of Options, Huge Portions, Good Service! Food: I have tried just about all the burgers & I was not disappointing ever. Size of the burgers is large enough to kill a small child or knock over a bird on a limb. Neither of which I'd recommend. The cheeses were quite diverse & the sweet potato fries were worth robbing a hobo. Thankfully you can just order them on the menu with your meal for the same price as reg fries I believe. No robbing necessary. Atmosphere: Laid back at this location. Very busy, sports like. Nice privacy on the booths, especially the one in the back near the restroom. Service: They were fast, young, & very sweet. Pricing: Medium-High Expect to spend at least $15/person Conclusion; If you are a cow meat kinda person then moo-ve over to 5 point for this joint!
(4)Magan C.
Holy moly. The burgers here do not disappoint! Come hungry! These aren't your "run of the mill" burgers. They all seem to have this element that makes each burger unique and classy even. I had the Rockville burger and the gruyere cheese really added that unique flavor element. I love this place. Not to mention when you're having a drunken evening and you spot the mobile Pawley's truck, it's kind of like experiencing the rapture. It's biblically good burgers.
(5)Kevin H.
Tried out this triple D restaurant. The food was very good. Had to sit at the bar because the place was packed. The bartender probably need a little more training on beer selection. He seemed to know nothing about the kind of beers they had. Very strange, but the food was very good. Worth trying and I would recommend it to anyone.
(4)Bill P.
Found this through the food network. Stopped here while passing through Columbia on a Saturday afternoon in September. The place has a pub atmosphere and was busy with customers sitting at the bar and eating meals at the tables. We had to wait a few minutes for a table. Their menu mainly features hamburgers although other items such as tacos, salads, and a few non-burger sandwiches. They offer hamburgers with different toppings. The hamburgers are named after other places in South Carolina. The offer a few bun choices. Sandwiches come with one side. I had the Kiawah on a multigrain bun with onion rings. The burger was large and excellent. They had a nice selection of draft beers. The only negative was parking; their lot is limited and was full. I would recommend Pawley's to those who enjoy great hamburger sandwiches.
(4)Tuyet N.
Could it be? That the best burger I've ever had was in Columbia, SC?!? Yes it could be and it was! I'm from Sacramento and I went to visit my brother who lives in the area. We decided to look up unique spots to hit up as I love to try all things local to the area and BAM! Pawley's was the biggest contender AND it didn't hurt that it was shown on TV. Our group of 6 ordered the famous burgers on pretzel buns and we all enjoyed our burger! It was super moist and the portions were big so my sister and I shared and it was perfect for us. When I come back to Columbia, I am definitely coming back here.
(5)Rusty P.
Great burgers, and great atmosphere. If you see their food truck around town, make sure to stop!
(4)Anthony M.
We saw this place on the Food Network on the Road app, and the restaurant had been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. We love Guy Fieri and wanted to try the place. Boy are we glad we did. The place has an old school burger joint feel, and there were plenty of people at every table. There's a bar, and a porch for customers to sit at, and a big chalkboard on which the specials are written. I order the summer special, and my wife had one of the manager's favorites. The burgers were huge. Huge, and delicious. The meat was fresh and the combinations were absolutely insanely creative. The summer special I had was (from bottom to top): the bottom of the bun, melted cheddar cheese, freshly ground beef, BBQ meat, fried mac & cheese, lettuce and tomato. The mac and cheese and the cheddar seemed to melt into my mouth with a lovely meat center. The only problem I had was that I wasn't a big fan of the fries. They were limp and a little bland, but I don't usually like those types of homemade fries anyway. Besides, by the time I ate the burger I had no room for them anyway. Wonderful....We'd absolutely recommend it and we'd stop through again.
(4)Erin L.
Never disappointed I always get the same burger, but it is always delicious! Great variety of burgers and different bun choices as well. The sweet potato fries and onion rings are awesome! A great place to take visitors from out of town and definitely the best place for a burger in cola. Half price burgers on tuesday as well from 5-7. There is usually a wait, but as long as you get your name down before 7 you will still get the deal.
(5)Nathan Y.
Very disappointed in the overall experience. The service was fair at best. We went on a slow Wednesday night and still waited forty-five minutes for a burger and salad. The food was average, nothing special. Also the music was too loud and made it very hard to carry on conversations.
(2)Michael L.
Food was excellent! Service, on the other hand, was very bad. Waitress took forever and barely checked on us.
(3)Mike M.
Had the Fripp island burger on pretzel. Outstanding, but sloppy
(5)s s.
Heading through Columbia after the Masters and the beer and burger hit the spot... Lots of choices on tap, and the burgers had great seasoning on top of fabulous toppings. The fries and onion rings were a great side. I would go back any time in town...
(5)Rob B.
Very good burgers. Has the caw caw creek and it was good. Service was iffy. Shouldn't have to be asked if I would like more non-alcoholic drink just fill my tea glass. Was busy and took longer than quoted to be seated but that's good for the business. Definitely will keep going and recommend their burger
(4)V. B.
Solid overall. The flavors were definitely there. Unfortunately, the execution was not. This was my 1st visit and I had the Caw Caw on a COLD multi-grain bun with COLD sweet potato fries (which were quickly replaced upon request)....Overall just above blah and fell short of the hype. No wait. Good waitstaff. Just blown by the cold everything....
(3)Doug P.
Great place!! Had an awesome burger (one of the best I've ever had). They also had the best fried pickles by far! The dipping sauce (remoulade I think) was outstanding and the seasoning and texture of the pickles were perfect. I wish I lived near there as I would take the family often.
(5)Matthew B.
I went on a Tuesday and by chance this happened to be a buy 1 burger get one half price which was awesome. The burgers are great, they have really good ingredients and flavors but I think the thing that holds them back from a better rating is having a better quality meat or grilling process. I don't think this is a best ever but it is pretty good.
(4)Phil D.
Disappointed. The burger was over cooked and dry. The tomato slice was not ripe and still had the hard top core in it. The lettuce was wilted. Clearly appears that speed is more important than quality here. A plus note: the service was great and the USC coeds doing the serving were friendly and cute! Come on, I had to find something good to say. I can check this one off the DDD list. Don't need to come back.
(2)Aric D.
*Biased review I don't know the back story, but this location is an obvious attempted copy of Poe's on Sullivan's Island. Unique for Cola, unique toppings for large burgers/ bar/ and outside patio; but a huge burn against Poe's on Sullivan's Island. Had high expectations given the mimic layout- which have been sent tumbling down more than once. Food has been "meh" TIP: Please don't be timid in returning your burger because the ice cold cheese/topping combos weren't steamed properly before being brought out to you.
(3)Chad H.
Okay, If you have never been to Pawley's you have to go once. Pawley's has good service and a fun upbeat atmosphere. However... if you are looking for a great "burger" you might be slightly disappointed. For all the Pawley's lovers out there who are cringing at my review let me please explain. Pawley's does a great job with their bun, condiments and variety of toppings, but the burger itself has no unique qualities or characteristics that would cause me to come running back. Half off burgers between 5-7 on Tuesdays is hard to beat.
(3)David A.
With the yelp reviews and the Guy Fieri DD and D's segment I had to try this place. I am pretty much of a burger snob and must admit that burgers are one of the few foods that I crave. I think Village Whiskey in Philadelphia is the gold standard. Anyway, this is a really nice spot in the Five Point area by the USC campus. Great atmosphere and friendly service. Tough to pick my burger and I landed on the burger with homemade pimento cheese and bacon. I ordered it rare on the recommended pretzel bun. I selected the sweet potato fries on the side. The burger came and unfortunately was cooked well. I sent it back and they brought me a plate of the fries while my daughter had her salad with grilled shrimp, which was good. But I was here for a burger! With many apologies the new burger arrived and our waitress also provided some onion rings. The onion rings were incredible. My favorite of the trip. Unfortunately my new burger was still cooked too much for my liking. It was medium at best. The taste was good. I thought the pretzel roll overwhelmed the burger. It was juicy and fresh and I still enjoyed it. Just not the best. I really like this place. Great vibe and good food. I will return every time I visit my daughter when she starts school here.
(4)Stephanie D.
Please don't use Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives as a guide for your food adventurers. Trust me, they don't always showcase good restaurants. However, they happened to pick a decent one this time. Keep in mind this is not the place to go if you're looking for consistent, good service (or good service at all on some days). The burgers here are good. You get your choice of buns and a side (which I often substitute for a HUGE, delicious house salad). The Caw Caw Creek is my favorite, but don't let that deter you from trying out another one that sounds tasty.
(4)Ellisa V.
Edited 6/25/2013 -- I've had to drop my review from 5 stars to 3 because Pawley's has been so damn inconsistent. Sometimes the food is excellent and other times it is so salty it is almost inedible. Don't even get me started on the soggy buns and cold toppings from the food taking too long to come to the table. Sometimes the service is good, other times we are left waiting forever for refills, napkins, silverware, or the check. I get that the place is busy, but if the wait staff can't keep up, then hire more people or better equip the ones you have. Three of us stopped here last night, and we thoroughly enjoyed everything about our visit. The drinks (bloody mary and beer), appetizers (fried green tomatoes and fried pickles), and burgers (Sullivan's, The Washout, and Blue Cheese with bacon) were all excellent. Sweet potato fries and regular fries were also delicious. We waited forever to try Pawley's Front Porch because of all the Food Network hype, but it was definitely worth the wait. We are already planning a trip out to 5 points so we can eat here again.
(3)Shelly H.
Best Sweet Potato Fries EVER! The burgers are excellent. Lately I've been ordering the Edisto Chicken Sandwich. Carmelized onions and goat cheese - yum! My 4 y/o daughter is happy she can get a grilled cheese.
(5)Jia K.
$10 for burgers and sweet potato fries! It's good not the best but good enough to go again. Call for specials!!!
(4)Don S.
If you are in Columbia, SC and you're a burger fan you have to come by. I've been here many times and I swear each time I'm going to try something different but I can't get past the Wadmalaw, this is what I would request as a last meal. Seriously, if you just found out you're dying get in the car and drive to Pawley's and demand a Wadmalaw. The only reason for the 4 stars is the dag gone wait. Even on a slow day I've spent two hours getting in and out of here......but it's worth it!
(4)Marty S.
Burgers not that great Fried pickles are a salt bomb We can have a beer -M.S.
(2)Benjamin D.
Great burgers highish prices. Still I can't ComplAin. The burgers are above average and that says allot since there is a burger place on every corner in CoLumbia.
(4)Emily E.
I really enjoy the pimento burger (Isle of Palms) and their sweet potato fries. The fried green tomato napolean is rich and delicious, as is the buffalo shrimp taco. Haven't had a bad thing here. Be prepared to wait a bit, especially in the evenings, but it's worth it.
(4)Jason N.
Pawleys does not Dissapoint'..... I've been missing this place for years but finally was reminded about it when passing through the food network and seeing the ubiquitous Guy eating a cheeseburger and because I was hungry at the moment, I kept eyes on only to find out where he eas eating; the mission was on. arriving a week or so later, I walked into the entrance only to find several people standing outside, it was 2pm on a thursday so I figured residuals of the lunch rush. getting a table outside was looking difficult as the seating is somewhat limited and nice weather ofcourse brings more people outside... but I wanted to enjoy the outdoors... so I waited.. and about 20min later I was seated. after a few moments of being seated on a previously used table, there was about a 10min wait period for someone on the staff to make their way over, just to clean off the table, and then another 10min for a drink order request . I would say that this was the main reason I didnt get give this place a 5 because of some of the staff issues that were present. I ordered the Fried Green tomato Napolean which as a whole was on the Rich side, but the complexities of the multiple layers of flavor allowed it to be a very successful dish as it combined the friend green tomatoes, homemade boursin cheese, crabdip, with a chipotle mayonnaise. the combination of flavors was very nice but requires either a water or a light ale to counter-balance the richness of the dish. for the main lunch course, I ordered the Fripp Island burger which boasts another round of Boursin cheese and a Fried Green tomato as apparently I was in the mood for those two ingredients that day. The burger was cooked just north of medium but all in all was very good when adding the other elements of a pretzel bun and the usual Accourtrements of lettuce tomato onion and a pickle spear. I opted for the sweet potato fries which were very good! The selection of food is concentrated and limited which is a good thing.. good restaurants tend to follow a model that doesnt over stretch their capabilities.. at the end of the day, Pawleys Front Porch is worth the wait times when its busy, but I would suggest finding off hours when it is slightly less busy... I would also suggest to Pawleys that it over views its staff now and then because its service is hit and miss and was the main reason I gave it a 4 over a 5...
(4)Augie M.
Nothing special or worth the wait. High priced burgers that are just that and probably deserve the credit for Hardees/Carls Jr's $6.00 hamburger except it's $10.00 at Pawley's and just as dry. Parking sucks too by the way. Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives should be ashamed of themselves!
(2)Rebekah P.
Have been twice. The atmosphere is certainly divey but the food is first class. The first time I ordered the Caw Caw burger substituting the chicken breast for the hamburger. the chicken breast was large and cooked to perfection, and the pimento cheese (green!) was generous and delicious. My side of onion rings were crispy and tasty. We also ordered the fried pickles which were fine. My sister raved and raved over the fish tacos, so I ordered those on the second visit. Sadly, I was not impressed. The Mahi Mahi was generous and good but the accompaniments were tasteless. The Buffalo shrimp was too spicy for me, but that's a me problem. The service was just OK, nothing to write home about. We visited both times when U.S.C. was not in session and during an "off" hour, so I would be very nervous of the service at a busy time.
(4)Beth And Jim S.
He said: Wadmalaw burger excellent. Pickles app huge. Could use a half portion Onion rings not spicy but good. Truffle fries yummy. Burger perfectly cooked full of flavor. Service friendly and quick. No coke zero. She said: After having learned about Pawley's Front Porch on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, we made it a point to visit when we were in together in Columbia. We decided to share a couple of appetizers and a Wadmalaw burger. We chose an appetizer off the menu, the fried pickles, and one of the specials of the day...the truffle fries. The truffle fries were awesome!!! I hope it becomes a staple item, because I would definitely go back over and over for those. The fried pickles were some of the better ones I've had. Plan to share them because they aren't stingy with the serving. The two of us ate them before and throughout the meal and still couldn't finish them. The Warmalaw burger was yummy!!! It was juicy and everything I expected it to be. It had some fried pickles on it that soaked up the juices and...yum!!! The service was great, too! I wish I could remember our server's name. She was quick with the food and refills. She answered our questions and was able to suggest items on the menu when we asked.
(4)Rob C.
I refuse to give 5-stars after only one visit to an establishment. But for Pawley's I'll make an exception. Fantastic burger and apps, but what made the meal was the vibe in the place. Not sure what it's like at other times, but when we were there (mid-afternoon on a Saturday) it was just about the friendliest place south of Cheers. Great service, yummy food, nice people - overall great experiene.
(5)Ricky G.
On a recent visit to Columbia, we had a late dinner. It was busy but they got us in and we had the best burgers ever, not to mention the onion rings ...In and out Would be proud.....what a great experience, even if the wyndham was a small disaster!
(5)Samantha F.
Yummy! We were in town for son's soccer tournament and found Pawley's on Yelp. We were not disappointed. The food was delicious. Loved the Isle Of Palm burger with pimento cheese. The sweet potato fries were delicious and the fried pickles battered just right. If you're looking for good food and atmosphere - stop by Pawley's.
(4)Jon H.
We visited because of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. We had a very good Burger. Ground beef was obviously "Fresh". We had the Rockville Burger. Salad was Ok, not really a salad restaurant, my mistake. I wish I had ordered Fried Dill Pickles, same Burger, and onion rings. I will on next visit. Service excellent!
(4)Rick S.
One of the best hamburgers I've ever had. Reasonably priced, with a good deal on beer on Thursdays. The portions are generous while the prices still reasonable. From the bun selections to the burger itself, you can tell your meal was prepared with both skill and high-quality ingredients.
(5)Greg W.
Previous attempts to eat at PFP were thwarted by circumstance and disappointment, but I was finally able to meet my wife and daughter for lunch. Despite already being jam up full at 11:30, there was still parking available around back and we were seated fairly quickly. The wait staff was, indeed, very friendly and quick to help. The food, however, was just ok. Not that it was bad, per se, but I suppose I had built up some pretty high expectations; in part, because of these reviews, but also probably because it remained out of reach for so long. I think it just failed to meet these expectations. I was looking for explosive flavors, but my Wadmalaw burger (on pretzel bun) was kind of bland. I would have also liked to have seen the patty flaftened out a bit, as the big ball of meat in the middle made it hard to fit in my mouth and also left quite a bit of empty real estate between it and the edges of the bun, The sweet potatoe fries looked like a half-hearted attempt. The regular fries on the other plates (my wife had some friends with her) looked like they were cooked in 3 day old grease and had pieces of shrimp mixed in from using the same fryer (2 of the ladies had seafood allergies....). My daughter got the Frank's Red Hot onion rings and even she, a 10 year old girl, was saying she couldn't taste any spice at all. Again, I'm not trying to tear this place down, as I'll most likely give it another try, but I definitely didn't experience the burger Mecca that some of these reviews make it out to be. I don't like to make comparisons but, for those of you saying these are the best burgers in SC/Southeast/ever, take a trip to Charleston and hit up Sesame Burger... Or, heck, just head over to Mack's for a real greasy spoon burger and onion rings that will blow your mind.
(3)Aaron G.
Good food, but the customers I was around were rude in line. I guess they needed their Pawley's fix!
(4)Kaitlyn L.
Pawleys is one of my favorite spots in Columbia. The pimento cheese is AMAZING and you can't go wrong with any of the burgers. The tacos are also very popular. I'm not a fan of sweet potatoes but the fries aren't bad. Parking can be a pain but it's worth dining at. I often avoid a wait and just sit at the bar. You're missing out if you haven't been.
(5)Lenny D.
I read the reviews and figured this place would be good. I ordered the basic front porch burger and fries. Less than 90 seconds later the waitress is walking up to my table with my food. I said wow that was fast and asked her how that was possible. She said on days they're not sure how busy they are going to be, they "pre cook" the burgers and then when people order them they cook them to order. Kind of a contradiction. Anyways, I tried one bite of the burger, it was warm and mushy as were the fries. I got up and left. Guess I went there on the wrong day
(1)Vivian J.
Thank you Food Network. Great find. My bf took me here for my first night in Columbia. When we first arrived around 8PM, the hostess said it would be around a 20-30 minute wait, but there was no wait at the bar, which was fine with us. We were seated immediately at the bar. Initially, I was wowed by the cheap prices for beer. They were mostly in the $2.50-$3.50 range, and, although their taps weren't working that night, I couldn't really complain. Where I'm from, the beers are usually around $6-$8. I had the Wadmalaw with the pretzel bread and sweet potato fries, and my bf had the Kiawah on regular bread and onion rings. Both were substantial burgers, and we ended up taking the other half of the burgers back home. Pretzel bread is definitely the way to go, and although my bf enjoyed the onion rings, he preferred my fries and kept constantly taking swipes of them. Overall, it was a solid restaurant and a good intro to Columbia restaurants.
(4)Gail P.
i was passing through SC and figured i would try this place since it was on Diners Drive-ins and Dives. i had a regular burger with cheese and bacon and my husband had the Isla Palms burger. My burger was really good but my husband's was outstanding. the pimento cheese and jalapeno was a marriage made in heaven. if you like a great burger this is it. my sweet potato fries were not crispy but the onion rings were good. the service was sufficient. i would definitely return if i have the opportunity.
(5)Crystal C.
I wanted to like this place. I tried really really tried hard to like this place... I can't. The food has been substandard at best. I ordered one of their specialty burgers and with all the wetness and sauces blended together, it looks like chunky bird poop between two slices of bread and puddled onto the plate. Even if the burger had been awesome, its gross. The service wasn't that great either... ever just get that vibe that the waiter/ress just sees you as a burden? That would be kind of the feeling I got. I tried going a few times, ordered something different each time, and just hated it. Will not return.
(1)Pat F.
Amazing burgers, pet friendly and great atmosphere.
(5)Bruce C.
Yes we came across this restaurant due to passing through Columbia and knowing it had been on Diners Drive-ins and Dives. busy busy busy Food was excellent. Fried Green Tomato Blt was awesome. Never though of pimento spread on a fried green tomato and bacon sandwich. Mahi Mahi fish taco was YUM. Fried crayfish was better than I thought it could be. Great burgers too. Only complaint is being seated near restrooms. They are one person at a time and there was a steady line. So of you go, ask not to be set there to possible ruin your meal.
(3)Toby R.
On a mid-trip stop on the way to NC, I had to try this DDD spot. I had the Tripp Island burger and it had a great, complex flavor that looked like a pyramid of deliciousness. The fried green tomatoes here are spectacular: a little tart but juicy, not over-battered. I love the creative burger ideas here.
(4)Ryan B.
This place lived up to the hype. After having lived here for almost two months, I finally got to eat here for lunch. It wasn't as crowded as it normally is, which I consider a plus if you're out for a quickie, IE, parking wasn't that bad. I've driven by before and couldn't find a spot to save my life. I digress... I had the Pimento Cheese/Jalepeno Bacon Burger, wowwwwww. It was so f'ng delicious. You can taste the burger and it is really, really, really, good. The hardest part of my decision was trying to figure out which bun, went with the Pretzel bun, great choice. The only thing I didn't like was the salsa with the chips. The chips were so..so... and the salsa was bland. With that being said, the burger/onion rings more than compensated and I will bring everyone that comes to visit me to Pawley's. If I wanted to become a fat slob, I would be able to eat here everyday, no problems.
(5)Alana H.
Best burger I have EVER had. Honestly. I needed to say that first. I was making a trip down to Charleston, SC a few weeks back and decided to map a course so I could try places that were hot on Yelp and also were 'as seen on tv'. I decided on Pawley's Front Porch after I saw it was on DD and D's. Seems like that show knows what's up. We arrived in PFP and had about a half hour wait. But that's okay, we went up to the bar and enjoyed some brews while we waited. This place is very collegey, I liked that. Had that small college town feel, very welcoming. This is definitely a place I would regular if I lived in the area. Now on the to the food! I had the Caw Caw Creek burger and my boyfriend had the Wadmalaw. I can easily say that my Caw Caw was the most delicious burger I have ever eaten. I had never had a green tomato in any capacity before, so I asked for it on the side, just in case. But man, was it good. Crunchy and sweet/tangy, such a good addition to this burger. Also, i'm pretty sure the menu said they hand grind the meat, and you can tell. It's smooth and creamy, melt in your mouth and is bursting with flavor. The bacon is clearly high quality and the cheese is amazing. I loved this burger. My boyfriend said his burger was equally as amazing, but his eyes didn't pop like mine...This may be because he isn't nearly the foodie I am. We both got sweet potato fries with our orders as well. They had a cinnamon topping that made them heavenly. A must try. Our meals were cheap, too. You need to check this place out, it's a charm!
(5)Tyler P.
"The Best Burgers in Town"??? Well, I am not sure what town they are referring to, but it certainly is NOT Columbia. My first visit to Pawley's was a disappointment. I got the lunch burger. It was overcooked, bland and dry. The outdoor seating was nice and the service, while slow, was very friendly. Oh, and it's DARNED expensive!!! I won't go out of my way to eat there again. Oh, and one more note: No Wi-Fi??? Are you KIDDING me??? You charge ten bucks for a hamburger and won't spring for a $50 wireless router???
(3)Erik D.
As far as burgers go in Cola, there really isn't a place that holds a candle to Pawley's. The Isle of Palms burger they have is awesome. This place is always busy at dinner, i've never been there for lunch. Located in Five Points, its a short walk from USC's campus. Cheap beer during happy hour and fantastic food keeps me coming back here.
(5)Paul B.
At the request of the "others" with me I was persuaded to venture back to Pawley's Front Porch. This trip was much better than the first- so I added a star! I ordered the Grilled Mahi-Mahi tacos with grilled corn & black bean salsa, chipotle pepper sour cream and shredded cabbage. My wife ordered the Caw Caw Creek burger- housemade jalapeno pimento cheese, bread & butter pickled green tomato, jalapeno bacon and grilled onions We split the orders and got the best of surf and turf! The burger was very good, nice combination of goop was great! The tacos were good, fish was very nicely cooked- not too dry! Again the sweet potato fries are killer, that and a bottle of Sweetwater Blue! Life's good! pawleys5pts.com/menu
(4)Morgan R.
I don't have one good thing to say about this place....sat at the bar on a slow Saturday afternoon to be welcomed by the bartender flicking crumbs at me at his lazy attempt to clean the bar, when I looked at him to see if he was serious he states "Uhh I'm getting off soon!!!" The five customers on a Saturday must have been too much to handle. Can I have some alcohol with my drink? No wonder why they have happy hour everyday- they don't put any alcohol in their drinks. We literally waited at least ten minutes each time we ordered a drink. I ordered a sandwich with no cheese, and to my surprise the sandwich came out with cheese on it. When they "fixed" it in the kitchen they scrapped off some of the cheese and sent it back out...classy. Oh and the side salad came out last. This place is a bar and I get that but come on, have some pride in your establishment. Needless to say I won't be coming back here.
(1)A A.
I keep going to Pawley's hoping for a better experience every time I go there but nothing has changed. The food is good but the service is AWFUL! Last time I was there my waitress took my order and that was about it. She didn't bring my food out, didn't check on us once we received our food, and didn't make it back to our table until we were finished and ready for our check. I had to ask other waitresses for refills and ranch. Every time I go to Pawley's I have the same experience and would really not recommend this place to anyone!
(1)R C.
Stopped here on the way back from Florida and it was a great experience. Food is incredible and pretty quick! Will come back for sure!
(5)Greg B.
Amazing best burger in town and drinks are really good. Service amazing and really friendly people. I try to go there every other week at least
(4)Michael W.
Front Porch Burger w/ pepper jack cheese and jalapeño smoked bacon. Franks Red Hot Onion Rings and crawfish tails to start. This was a great stop. The staff was friendly and kept my glass full on a hot day! I sat out on the porch and the staff was still very attentive! The food was outstanding and juicy and big portions. maybe a little more expensive than I like for lunch but i would definitely go back if I was in the area. Great value for what you spend.
(4)Yan Y.
The burgers are amazing, love the fried pickles. The food came out pretty quickly too. Theres an open bar which is great. Not giving them 5 stars because the sweet tea was kindof watered down. But otherwise everything else was great.
(4)Joanna M.
Best Burger in Columbia. Half priced burger and beer specials and Amazing sweet potato fries! HOME RUN!
(4)Crystal C.
When it comes to burgers and beer, I consider myself to be a bit of a snob, and it's no accident that I stumbled across this endearing college hang-out. Ask anyone in the locale and they will tell you, hands-down, this is where to get your red-meat and suds fix. Of course the menu is not limited to burgers, but with one item standing out so prominently, it's hard not to succumb to the hype. Featured on Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives", I had to see what the appeal was all about. The atmosphere itself is nothing spectacular (yes, there is an open porch for outdoor dining), but Fieri's program set my level of expectation pretty high. Pawley's touts itself as having some of the most creative burgers out there, and going by what I'd heard, I skipped the appetizers entirely and dove right into ordering the superstar behemoth I so hotly anticipated(....) Read the rest of the review here: examiner.com/restaurant-…
(5)Lorraine M.
After seeing and reading the poor reviews, we took a chance hoping for a 4+ star experience. Our group of five went for lunch, waited a bit and enjoyed local brew recommended by the friendly bartender. The food was fabulous, especially the fried pickles and pimento cheese on the house salad. We all ordered different items and enjoyed every one!
(5)Duncan B.
Caw Caw Pawley Burger on a pretzel bun with sweet potato fries! YAYO Pimento Chz, Applewood Bacon, etc. GREAT STOP Diners, drive ins and dives list
(5)Mark A.
Outstanding burgers! Fresh, tasty, and filling. Definitely worth a visit if you are near Columbia.
(5)Larry E.
Was looking for a great burger in Columbia and was not disappointed. I had the isle of palms burger on a pretzel roll. The burger was cooked to a perfect medium.
(5)Lorraine W.
Edisto Burger is the best
(5)MoonChiChi S.
Heard they had good burgers, read about it on Triple D, food channel. Burger was good, but not spectacular, really not worth the drive unless it is half price burger night. The sweet potato fries were actually better than the burgers. I would say if you are in the neighborhood, check it out, if not, save your gas.
(2)Stevie C.
Great burgers. Great fries. Great selection of craft beers. Only negative is the price. Food seemed to be a tad more than you'd expect for a college bar. That being said the flavor well makes up for the price.
(4)Jonathan Z.
1/2 price burgers on Tuesday nights means that my burger world is opening up to Pawleys creations. Tonight was the Fripp Island, a gooey, juicy, crispy mess of a burger. Skip the pedestrian fries and onion rings and get their fresh pasta salad, made with fusilli and chunks of fresh veges. This was one tasty fistful of beef. Just get the knife and fork ready or wear an old shirt you don't care about. It is crazy messy.
(4)Dave O.
Onion rings were fantastic! The burgers were decent, I had the Caw Caw burger which was done very well but I don't think the toppings added very much. Might try a different burger next time. Overall though, enjoyed the food & I'd go here again.
(3)Nalo W.
I traveled to Columbia from Kailua, Hawai'i to visit friends for Christmas. I paid a visit to Pawley's Front Porch after reading about it on Yelp. The food & service are in one word--PHENOMENAL! Everything I tasted was flavorful and homemade. I sampled EVERYTHING. When I say everything, I mean I probably should buy an extra seat on the plane back home. The fried green tomatoes had a flavorful crust that remained on the tomatoes until the last bite. They were expertly seasoned & didn't call for any of the condiments that accompanied them. I tried the condiments just the same & they were great. I also had the fried crawfish tails, a strawberry & feta salad, key lime cheesecake, mahi-mahi, & fried shrimp. Just so you know I shared this all with someone--but not much of it. I needed something to wash it all down so I ordered a margarita. Each of them (yes, I had 3) were mixed consistently. The only criticism I can offer is that parents need to reign in their kids. The young boy at the next table was painfully in my space & his parents didn't seem to notice or care. Our waitress was friendly & accommodated our needs. If I ever find myself in SC again, this one is definitely on the to-do (again) list.
(4)Pat T.
We tried Pawley's on a trip to Columbia, to say we were disappointed would be an understatement. The fries where cold, the onion rings where soggy. Both had been made way before we ordered and sat under a hot light. I will give them the burgers, they were hot and good. Our waitress was not interested in working and little in the way of service. I can assure you that we will not be going there again!!!
(1)Celine N.
Forgot what burger i order but it was good(hawaiian something i think). Only thing is that it could get messy. Love the sweet potato fries. Overall the burger was delicious.
(5)Patrick D.
Average burger at best. We must have come the wrong day because this is nothing to write home about. We had the Wambahlala (spelling or the bbq burger) and a low country special burger. We ordered medium and all came well done. It just didn't sing the way Millers burgers and Red Coat does back home in Dearborn and Royal Oak. Great beer selection. Homemade fries and onion rings were just barely ok too. Definitely not off the hook.
(2)Roy W.
I know this was on Diners, Drive ins and Dives. The burgers and chicken sandwiches are great, but they need to pay a little more attention to the fries (not crispy) and the onion rings (way too greasy). In their defense, you're coming there for the sandwiches. if the rest were just average I'd give it more stars.
(3)Jason R.
Nostalgia is not enough to make this my first choice for a burger in Cola. Food is inconsistent. At times the burgers can still be amazing. Most of the time you'll get over cooked meat and cold fries. Order beer off the chalkboard and get the fried pickles, they are by far the best I've had.
(2)Cathy B.
I did the typical TV fan/tourist thing - I went to a new city, found a restaurant that was featured on TV and asked what the host of the TV show ate. Then I ordered it myself! How unoriginal, right? The only thing I DIDN'T do, take a picture in front of the sign they have up showing they've been on TV...but I almost did that. I got there too late to be part of the lunch crowd, too early to be part of the dinner crowd and sat at the bar. The bartender was very nice and made some recommendations, as well as told me what was featured on the show. I decided to go with the Fripp Island Burger. Between the cheese, the southern salsa and the fried green tomato, it was very flavorful. The burger didn't need anything added to it to be yummy, either. I also got the sweet potato fries but there was some cinnamon-sugar seasoning on it that didn't quite go with the burger. Before I knew it, there were several other friendly people at the bar that seemed like regulars that included me right into their conversations and let me know that Five Points was THE hangout spot in Columbia. (I think The Vista is more my speed, though.) It is certainly a fun place and has good food. In the words of the spiky-haired TV host, Pawley's is certainly "On point" and "is the train to flavor-town!"
(4)John R.
Have to admit we caught them while very busy after a USC graduation but the food was terribly inconsistent. First, had to wait an hour after we were given the expectation of 30-35 minutes. Happens. Especially on busy days with a party of 8. Ordered a round of water and some drinks. Ordered our food and it took a good while to come out. Again happens on a busy day. Sadly it was not worth the wait. 7 plates came out missing one. 5 minutes later the last plate made it to the table. Both vinaigrettes (champagne and tabasco) had little to no flavor for the salads. One salad had many grizzle bits in the chicken. Two burgers ordered medium came as med well (no pink) and one very rare (uncooked in the center). Sweet potato fries were consistent and fresh. Regular fries on one plate sat in the bottom of the fry bin way too long. Limp and drenched in oil. On another plate they were half like above and half fresh and crisp. And both had a sweet potato fry or two mixed in. Very sloppy plating. Worst part of plating was one burger bun having a small piece of raw burger meat sitting on top of the bun next to the knife in the burger. WTH? Our server was nice and seemed to do good work but the support staff helping her seemed to be just trying to get thru a busy day and didn't care about quality or attention to detail. To bad for us.
(2)Patrick M.
I purchased the... Beaufort: Franks Red Hot onion ring, fried egg, apple cured ham and cheddar cheese on a pretzel bun, $9. The burger was made medium, the patty was about a 1/3 lb. The meat was very juicy and the ingredients really worked together well. It was delicious! Fries: were average and included in the order. Waitress: very nice, attentive, smiled, and brought our table of 8 separate checks without asking. I really liked that. She could sense we were all around college age and would pay separately. To achieve 5 stars is incredibly hard. My measuring stick for great burgers on pretzel buns starts at Kuma's Corner in Chicago. Pawley's was great but not close to replacing my love for Kuma's.
(4)Phillip S.
Gave this place a couple of tries but fail twice... they even gave me a free meal for messing up our take away order I let that offer expire and have never gone back...food and/or burgers are nothing special I think ppl hyped up to the outdoor seating in 5 pts
(1)Mike H.
Not fancy, but the food was phenomenal! The restaurant has been featured on Food Network's 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.' And in knowing that, you couldn't help but go in with high expectations. Pleasantly, those expectations were well met with the quality of food this diamond in the rough restaurant served.
(4)L B.
Eh--- didn't live up to the hype. Pricey burgers that sounded great in print, didn't translate to real world flavor. Although we were sitting at the bar, face to face with bartender, the service was slow and rather inattentive. Won't waste another visit.
(2)Ken J.
Great burgers well prepared with interesting ingredients, sweet potato fries are delicious, fairly deep beer selection, not the best service but fine for a casual eatery. Dogs are allowed on the porch as well.
(4)BARBARA C.
Awesome burger, huge. Place was loud but hoppin and a great place to watch a sports event. Worth the visit!
(4)Shireen B.
I really enjoy the concept of Pawley's--Innovative burgers the way you want it in a dive bar atmosphere. Its young and buzzing crowd makes you feel vivacious while the food definitely makes you feel...satiated to say the least. If you're writing a mediocre review, you probably haven't had the fried pickles. I don't like fried food....but the pickles? WOW. I'm just sayin'. ;P
(5)Christie F.
We found this place via Diners, drive ins, and dives (foodie show, host Guy Fieri). It is literally that... And so worth the trip. The staff was friendy. Generous food portions. My parents were in town, they don't deviate from the norm when it comes to eating out. But, they loved it - burgers and fish alike :). Def a unique spot to hit when your in town. Enjoy!
(5)Jomico R.
Unique tavern feel. Smaller inside than outside. Nice little sports bar feel. Burgers are standout. My daughter didn't like the chicken wrap. Decent beer selection. Service average. I would have ordered another beer but the server never came back to our table. Guess it wasn't that important. My burger was very good. A bit pricy. I would go back if in the area but wouldn't go out of my way for it.
(3)Tom D.
1/2 pound burgers or 6 oz chicken breasts... great name/topping combinations. I got the Beaufort, and it had a Frankie's Hot Onion Ring, Fried Egg, and Ham on a Sesame Bun. I had the sweet potato fries, and though they were really good, My wife and son had the regular hand-cut fries and they were GREAT! Very well seasoned. My wife had the Rockville and substituted chicken breast for the burger. I would have to say it was a five-star sandwich. The staff was not extremely friendly... however, we were only traveling through and had our small King Charles "Morgan" with us... Kayce our server not only OK'd him sitting w/ us outside, but brought him his very own bowl of cold water! I would not quite make it a destination point... but it would be a frequent watering-hole If I was a 15-20 minute ride.
(4)Anthony G.
Great burgers (they're huge!) and fries. Half priced burger night and pint night are the only times I will go (I'm cheap). Pretty good beer selection albeit the prices are a little higher than others around the area. You will have to wait a little if you come during rush hour but grab a beer and relax, it's worth it.
(4)Mike K.
it was a good solid burger joint. Loved the fried green tomatoes and the burger was cooked perfectly 2 issues. The first was, i wished the waitress reminded me that you have a "bun option". I wouldve loved to get a ciabbata bun or a pretzel bun but i forgot. As a result, the southern salsa made the bottom bun way too soggy. My other problem...shoestring fries suck. They always do. Wish they had some regular cut fries or...if i was to be greedy...perhaps some steak fries (the ultimate fry) but overall its a very good, very clean burger & beer place
(4)Tricia F.
After reading all of the mixed reviews on here, I'm convinced that they have a chef who really knows what he or she is doing and then someone who has no idea how to cook and who just fills in on the chef's day off. Foodie friends of mine love this place, but I've been VERY disappointed the two times I've tried it. The last time I was there I ordered a cup of she-crab soup and a cheeseburger. Being from South Carolina I've eaten numerous bowls of she-crab soup. DON'T ORDER IT FROM PAWLEY'S! It tasted like they took a can of potato soup and added some crab to it. I asked for my burger to be cooked medium...it was pink and quite frankly didn't have any taste.
(1)Rochelle D.
The hubby and I had lunch here while passing through town at the suggestion of my cousin. I thought it was cool that they were on the Food Network show. We all had burgers, which I guess is what they are known for. The burger was not bad, I liked that they had different styles of burgers offered with the different toppings. Some restaurants, for some reason, don't do well with the toppings - they just don't taste right, or they all fall off with the first bite. But these toppings worked well. However, I was surprised that we weren't asked how we wanted our burgers cooked. Maybe they only prepare them one way? Anyway it didn't occur to me till they came out and were kind of med well. They were okay. They had a few beers on tap, several craft brew options in bottles which I don't really get into - I mean, I could have the EXACT same thing at home for 1/4 the price. The service was pretty unimpressive. We were there around 2 on a weekday, not too busy, yet we stood at the entry for a few minutes before anyone bothered to seat us. The waitress seemed kind of annoyed with us the whole time, and not entirely helpful. Not rude exactly, but most of the staff kind of looked at us like they didn't want us there. Plenty of parking which was nice. Nothing specifically bad about this place but I wouldn't go back if I went to Columbia again.
(3)Stephanie C.
Overall, the restaurant was nice with a really comfortable outdoor seating area. Just be careful about the noise since we had to position ourselves so we could hear each other. The burgers were good with a lot of variety. I had the Isle of Palms and forgot to ask for a different bun so I was served with the traditional bun but others are available. I also went for the pasta salad, which was good but HEAVY on the red onions. The service was okay. Our waitress acted like we were bothering her and it took forever for her to take the order when two of my friends showed up later. We also had to make the request and track her down when we were ready for the bill.
(3)Nicole S.
Best burger I've ever had! I had the Sullivan on the pretzel bun, amazing. My husband had the Caw Caw Creek and just couldn't get over it. His fries were great, and my side salad was wonderful. The beef is so flavorful. I didn't know the All American staple could be improved upon - the guys at Pawley's have done it. I can't wait to take guests here.
(5)S B.
I'm here on business. This place gets two stars for a great covered porch and adequate service. I ordered the veggie burger with sweet potato fries. The fries were cold, and the burger had that microwaved feel. The bun was dried out and the caramelized onions were greasy. I won't eat here again, since there are tastier options. It might be okay for a drink on a hot night - because of the porch.
(2)Steve R.
This restaurant deserved every second of the visit by Guy Fieri. The atmosphere is immaculate and it is a fantastic place to go and get a true American experience and not feel too morbidly obese afterwards. I don't want to recommend a certain burger because all of them are delightful, but the Caw Caw Creek burger is gorgeous, be sure to get the bacon. All though there was a wait and the service was sub-par, I award this eatery five stars because the food was almost too much.
(5)Wendy E.
Awesome fried green tomatoes Napolean...totally great place to eat and hang out!
(5)Tyler L.
I've been there to eat 3 times. Only 2 of those times did I actually eat due to the fact that one of those times we waited so long at the front to be seated that we finally had to just leave. The servers kept walking by us and there was no hostess. I went back one more time to give it one more chance and it was good up until the server saw I had a gift certificate. She looked annoyed and when she brought my card back out with the bill, she just tossed it on the table and walked by. An another particular visit, the server brought out the wrong beer twice. It's just bad, unpredictable, slow service.
(1)Tyler M.
Love this place! The fries at awesome. So filling for $10
(5)Elizabeth H.
Went here for the first time had the Savannah burger and sweet potato fries. Yummmm will be back.
(4)Chris K.
My burger was good but not spectacular. I ordered the caw caw burger - sure hope I spelled it correctly - on the pretzel roll. Meat was good, sauces no doubt had some pizzaz but the roll did not seem fresh. Sweet potato fries were great and the desert - homemade ice cream cookie sandwich - was fantastic. I plan to go again to try another burger. If in five point area looking for a burger, no doubt a decent place to eat.
(3)Anne Marie F.
Service was horrible, 15 minutes to deliver a beer and an iced tea to our table. Tea and water were only refilled if we left them on the edge of our table. Food was brought to the table without any silverware or napkins. Fish tacos were OK as was the mahi Mahi salad. Sweet potato fries were super soggy! Very disappointing!! This was not what I expected, especially at 2 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon when they weren't busy.
(1)Matthew P.
Serving up a myriad of unique home-made ingredients on their burgers (grape jelly anyone?), Pawley's is sure to have something for every taste. Combine that with great service makes this place a winner!
(5)Michelle E.
Amazing burgers, great beer selections. Great place to go after a stressful week!
(5)Road W.
After seeing this place on Diners Drive ins and Dives I had to try it. The burgers don't disappoint! Plus what a great staff.
(5)Daniel S.
Right now, I'd have to say best burger in Columbia, SC. No seriously, they ain't playin'. This is one of those "best burger in the southeast" kinda deals!
(5)Adrianne M.
Once you go PFP, you never go back!! My husband and I eat at Pawley's whenever we can if we're in Columbia. He always has something different and he always loves it. Their beef is very good quality and the burgers are prepared perfectly. Don't get well done; it'll be a little dry. Medium well is perfect. Their fries and pasta salad are delicious. Service is great. The atmosphere is great. We can't eat burgers anymore without comparing to Pawley's. It's the best burger I've ever had!
(5)Laurin M.
A week ago I tagged along with some friends heading to Pawley's in Five Points. I'd never heard of the place and didn't realize Congaree Grill had closed. (Good riddance.) Prior to Congaree Grill, the faded-80's-Jetsons-style building housed Rising High Bakery. The owner has added a covered front porch, which doesn't really match the building, but it'll be a welcome addition to the outside decks at The Salty Nut and Jake's when the weather warms up here. Pawley's menu seems to have been inspired by Poe's on Sullivan's Island, offering a variety of sandwiches available as burgers or as grilled chicken and topped with everything from the basics to the craziest of condiments. I consider it one of my missions in life to find the perfect burger, and last Thursday I encountered one of the best I've had in Columbia. (Tough call between Pawley's and Cock n Bull's.) I ordered a special -- the Caw Caw Creek Burger -- out of deference to my friend Emile DeFelice, the owner of Caw Caw Creek meats. It was dark out, and we were sitting on the porch, so I wasn't entirely sure what all was on the Caw Caw Creek Burger, but consuming it was like going on a treasure hunt. The generous patty was smothered in spicy jalapeno pimento cheese, caramelized onions, fried crawfish tails (!), and the usual lettuce and tomato. ...A culinary adventure but not for the faint of stomach. Accompanying the ginormous burger on the plate was a nest of small, golden, homemade fries. (My friend opted for the sweet potato fries, but they weren't as good. Too Cinnamon Toast Crunch-ish.) My meal at Pawley's delighted me so much that I returned the next night to sample more of the menu. I opted for a grilled chicken sandwich topped with melted slices of brie, roasted peppers, and marinated portabella mushrooms. The chicken sandwich measured up as well as a chicken sandwich could. The sandwiches are a little pricey -- in the $9-10 range -- but they're worth every dime. The beer's cheap, so that balances out the higher-end sandwiches. I highly recommend Pawley's. (And from what I can gather, the word is out because the place had a good crowd both times I was there.) UPDATE: Here's the link the Columbia Free-Times' review of Pawley's' free-times.com/index.php… .
(5)Spencer S.
I would argue Pawley's to be the best burgers in Columbia. I agree with everything the prior reviewer said. The burgers are varied and I have not had one I haven't liked. The decor and ambiance is nice as well. Service can be slow sometimes, but always worth it. I recommend the onion rings as a side while others I have been with swear by their french fries. Another huge plus for Pawley's is there is plenty of parking in their lot behind them which is a rarity for five points. UPDATE: They were recently featured on an episode of Food Networks "Diners Dives and Drive Ins" so due to the new publicity, the lines/waiting time can get pretty crazy. Call ahead!
(5)Jordan R.
Huge, artesian burgers with a Southern twist. I highly recommend the Caw Caw Creek burger with jalapeno pimento cheese, sauteed onions, thick-cut bacon, and bread&butter pickled green tomatoes. My dad is a fan of the Fripp Island w. boursin cheese, "southern" salsa and a fried green tomato. All the burgers are fairly unique in that they are named after specific places in SC (mostly along the coast) and feature interesting flavor combos (brie & portobello on a burger? why not?). The onion rings are really great as well. The beer selection is typical "frat chic" with some standards and good-to-decent micro brews. Altogether, this is a very well conceptualized restaurant. Beware though as waits are almost always standard. I'm not a big "burger" guy as I don't usually like the near-death feeling after eating such a hefty meal, but if I could choose one place to attack my arteries, it'd be Pawley's.
(4)Ben B.
This is the best burger place by far - no close second exists! I highly recommend the Caw Caw
(5)Ne'Cole V.
One of my favorite places to eat! I love the mixtures of different toppings...the edisto on the pretzel bun is my usual with the onion rings. The calamari is the best I have ever had!! My husband has tried every burger on the menu....lots of great flavors...the only issue is that the service is not always the best..not horrible just not excellent...
(5)Josh S.
Pawley's makes the best burger in town. I consider myself a cheeseburger expert and they can certainly impress me with their front porch burger. The jalapeno bacon is interesting and really adds a unique flavor to your burger. The crawfish tails are amazing, for $8 or $9 bucks you get probably a half a pound of fried crawfish. It is great. Their fries (both sweet potato and regular) are fresh and cooked perfectly. I personally always get a bud light there. I find that the bud light draft pairs great with most of the burgers on the menu. When I get an appetizer and a burger I usually drink between 5 and 8 bud lights before all is said and done. I'd also recommend taking a shot or two of fireball before you try the Edisto burger, it really brings out its robust flavors. If I get the front porch burger I will usually pair it with a half and half (half bud light half budweiser) and then 5 bottles of bud light (not draft). It is the perfect amount of cool refreshing bud light and juicy lean ground beef to make you feel right.
(5)Lori B.
Great location, Hostess unfriendly. Food was good but too rich. Prices decent. Probably won't go back.
(1)Jaime N.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Columbia. The burgers are fantastic, freshly ground, and cooked to order. The toppings are creative, homemade, and have a southern flair to them. I try something new every time I go in and have never been disappointed. Although the burgers are outstanding, the sides (traditional fries, sweet potato fries, and onion rings) are average at best. This also is a good Happy Hour spot -- we once got a round of beers for 6 people for $20, including a decent tip.
(4)Stephen H.
What an overrated burger joint. The atmosphere is about what you would expect from a burger/bar at this college hangout part of town but would it kill someone to actually clean the place. As filthy as the bar, dining room and patio is makes one wonder how disgusting the kitchen must be. While the bartenders were generally helpful it is a sign of weak management and attention to detail that makes restaurants great that he didn't know what local beers they had on tap or what type of beer they represent. The food.....wouldn't have surprised if the student body was outside chanting Over-rated! Over-rated! as they do at college football games when a high profile player comes to town. The gray-ish, dense meat-like product tasted as badly as it looked. The thin, paltry cheese slice would make a McDonalds burger proud. I wonder why they asked for a cook temp when the four burgers we ordered at various temperatures were all cooked identically. If you want to sell well done burgers across the board, just say so. Colossal waste of time and money and actually causes me to think DDD is more about filling a commitment of shows rather than actually profiling quality, clean establishments where ownership and management actually has a clue. The upside?...server was on her game and it actually spawned a conversation at our table as to why she didn't work elsewhere where the ppa is better than eleven bucks a head.
(1)ken r.
Really Good. Was on Triple D and I'm 50/50 on those places. This place was clean and original. The burgers where good the onion rings and deep fried craw-fish were awesome. I'm not a fan of the mud bug either. Wife's Cajun what can I do. One of the better places to eat downtown. If i was visiting or here on business would definitely go and hang out there.
(4)Chris P.
This place is awesome! I was down at USC visiting a friend for the week, and she said we had to try this place. Man, I'm glad we did. The fries with jalapeno cheese are amazing, a great appetizer. The burgers were awesome. They have tons of different choices of toppings, and lots a couple different choices of cheese and bacon. With my burger I got a side of pasta salad. I could of had the pasta salad alone as a meal it was that good. Not a burger person? My friend got fish tacos and loved them, and they had salads as well. Not to mention Guy Fiere was here on his Diners show. If you are driving through the Colombia area, or at USC, you must stop here.
(5)Alex L.
One of the best burgers I've ever had. Great beef. Good service. I went on a slow night on Weds night. Good service, good burgers! I got the Beaufort. That fried egg in a burger is just the perfect ingredients. Get the sweet potato fries!
(5)Barbara P.
The food was good. I had fish and my husband had a burger. The fries were cold, but were replaced immediately upon making it known to the waitress. Well worth the stop as we were passing thru Columbia, SC.
(4)John C.
This restaurant only gets three stars from me. I would've given it four if it hadn't been for everybody giving it five and four stars. Their basis was that they have the best hamburgers in town. I've read many reviews from other services other than yelp rating this place four stars and claiming best hamburgers in town. So here's the reason to they get three stars. Not only are they not the best hamburgers in town. They may be adequate compared to a place that's right next door Hardee's. All the other food that we ordered was quite good including some of the best french fries I've ever had maybe the best in town, I will give them that. But Pawley's fell short in the one category where everybody said that they were the best in, the hamburgers. In my opinion you must go Rockaways Athletic Club for the best hamburger in Columbia. I shall eat here again it is quite good, but not the best hamburger in Columbia.
(3)Debby J.
Burgers aren't consistently good. The one I had tonight--the Isle of Palms--was tough and over-cooked. Be sure and read the fine print when it comes to Happy Hour beer prices. It only applies to a select few of the beers on their beer list.
(2)Ted N.
This is a good place to sit on the deck, drink, and people watch. The burgers are over priced but are good (not all the hype though). The service is very slow. Best burgers in Columbia? No way man. Red Robin, 5 Guys, Rockaways, Cock & Bull, hell Rosewood Dairy Bar all put together just as good a burger. The turnover of tables is not going to be fast (thus the long lines) because most people hang out and drink. Sidebar: This place is owned by Columbia Mayoral candidate Kirkman Finlay.
(3)Addison T.
This place was awesome! Heard about it from Triple D and this did not disappoint! We had a couple different dishes and each was great. For being a college bar, this was above and beyond expectations!!! Plus they had a great beer selection and a cool atmosphere! I would recommend this place to anyone!!!
(5)Greg D.
The burgers are large and all unique; they are named for beaches in SC. They will fix a chicken sandwich the same as the burger called by the same name. Be prepared to wait but do so at the front porch bar. It is a decent spot to spend the wait and the bartender is attentive.
(4)Fritz C.
Food is pretty good and service was just a bit slow after we received our food. The plate was cleaned after I was done with it and that's all that mattered. :)
(4)Dorien D.
Stopped off on a road trip. Yep. It's that good. I wish there was one here in California.
(4)Andrew C.
They could easily have the best burgers in town. They have several tpyes of fish tacos which are quite appealing. The fries are hand-cut. The porch is really super.
(4)Greg W.
Nothing fancy and over priced. I can get a better burger cheaper elsewhere in Columbia. I've been here three times and each time food was undercooked. Service was not remarkable and very slow.
(2)coley f.
waitress attitude made this a mediocre experience. not used to passive aggression on the part of wait staff, but maybe it is a bit of the Diners, Drive-ins and Dives chip on the shoulder. Place was packed and men's room was a disaster. Waitress was just not helpful. Wife originally wanted a veggie burger and she is the condiment queen. Wanted mayo. Cold shoulder from the waitress. I asked for crispy fries with my burger and they came limp and waitress loftily said kitchen did not change the temperature. Manager fixed this -- but wife's salad was blase. College kids will keep them going, but this is a fair amount of money for a mediocre dining experience. Management needs to hire and reward more professional staff. Left 10% tip, which is half what I normally leave and twice what this waitress deserved. Restaurants are not just about food, they are about providing a relaxing and delightful dining experience. Pawleys failed miserably tonight.
(1)Kevin J.
We visited Pawley's because we saw it on Food Network and had to try it. We went on a Sunday afternoon about 3:00. No wait, seated immediately and ordered the Fried Green Tomato Napoleon. It was EXCELLENT!!! We then ordered our burgers, but the waitress (Ashley) didn't ask us what kind of bread we wanted with our burgers. We forgot to tell her what kind of bread we wanted, so we got the sesame seed buns. We ordered the Frank's red hot onion rings and were told they were out. That was a big disappointment. Alas, we got our burgers. They were very, very good! I got the Wadmalaw and my girlfriend got the Sullivan's. We were both wowed by the taste of the burgers and the freshness of the ingredients. We also ordered some of the roasted corn and black bean salsa. Again, excellent! We were not disappointed by any of the food we ate and we will definitely be making a trip back to Columbia to eat there again!
(4)Christine G.
I was so excited to go to Pawley's. I was craving a burger and heard they were great. We arrived around 8:15 and were told it would be an hour wait...no big deal, it was Friday night so we went to the bar. After about a half hour we were taken to our table outside. The table was so dirty but I was willing to overlook that since we were at a bar and not some fancy restaurant..I just wanted to eat. We sat there for about 30 minutes without anyone coming over to get us drinks or take our food order. We just got up and left. The service was horrible. Too bad.
(2)Sonja W.
i hate to bring a rating down, but 4 stars this is not. sorry! ate here with 4 friends, i've been hearing lots of positive things about this place so i was looking forward to it. although it was busy it didnt take long to be seated - 5-10 minutes. we had a decent waitress, she was nice and knowledgeable about the menu. so, the food: my friends had the she-crab soup. i had a taste. it was a little bitter, and lukewarm. one friend sent hers back to be re-heated (a few "spit in the soup" jokes were made), and another friend said it was better last time she was there. not bad soup, mind you, just not very good. i ordered the sullivan's burger: pineapple, jalepeno pepperjack, guacamole, on a pretzel bun. another friend had the mahi mahi tacos. 3 burgers were ordered, only one had the correct bun. a shame really, because one of the things people rave about is the bun selection. we all got the plain ole sesame buns. from a pure burger perspective, it was good. i'm not a burger expert, matter of fact i never order burgers. but this was a good burger and deserved 3 stars (4 if the bun had been what i ordered - pretzel). they ran out of sweet potato fries, which was a very sad moment for me. i adore sp fries. i wasnt in the mood for onion rings, normal potato fries or pasta salad. i wanted sweet potato fries! i did ask them for a cup of pimento cheese and they obliged, so that was kind of them. good pimento cheese, shredded, robust flavor. if i ever go back, i'll get the burger that has that on it. the fish tacos looked good, a little stingy on the fish, but then again, i havent found a place that heaped on the fish (bonefish did a decent job). the beans, corn and chipotle sauce that came with the fish looked filling, very tasty, and fresh, but i prefer to have a fish taco be mostly fish. i suppose if i ever wanted to be lazy and creative at the same time, i'd buy these tacos, take them home, cook my own fish, and then add them to these tacos. but hell, why would i bother going to a restaurant and paying for em?? anyway, each taco came with one, um, fish slice? it was about an inch thick, and inch wide and maybe 5 inches long. i didnt try it so i cant tell you about the taste, just the looks. after we ordered we looked on the chalkboard near the kitchen wall and saw black bean chorizo dip and grouper tacos as specials. they werent on the menu. i do think that's something the waitress is supposed to mention, no? another friend ordered the bloody mary and apparently they do a good job spicing it up. she had to eat some of her bun (sesame seed, not kaizer like she ordered. sorry, hate to harp, but thats part of the whole review-process) just to relieve the heat. for dessert we got the mississippi mud pie (good pie, if you like chocolate order it when you go) and the keylime pie (sweet and tart, smooth texture). i only had to pay for the burger, which was something like $9.75. again, i'm no burger connoiseurr, but it was a decent meal. i can at least say i've been-there-done-that. hope this doesnt break any burger-luvin hearts! so there.
(2)Erin A.
Awesome place for burgers! Basically anything you could possibly want on a burger is an option at Pawley's. Tap beers options are better here than what I have noticed at other Five-Points establishments. Servers are great, but they do get busy--so give them a break, they have a lot of people in their sections during the lunch and dinner rush. Patio is awesome but is not free seating, see hostess for a table. Overall, great experience and better than average food.
(4)Patrick F.
I had high expectations coming into this meal. Pawley's has become somewhat of a local celebrity since appearing on 'Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives'. I never saw the episode but I did hear the buzz going around about this restaurant. I ordered a simple app of tortilla chips and a cheese dip. I was really disappointed with it. The cheese was semi-cold and wasn't good at all. I was debating between a pimento cheese burger and a burger called a Waldamalaw (not sure if that's the right spelling). I ended up getting the Waldamalaw. First off, the regular fries were amazing. The burger was pretty good but not incredible. I couldn't help but compairing it to the chain-restaurant Five Guys. It was not, in my opinion, as good as Five Guys. Five Guys is still the best burger I've had in Columbia. The service wasn't the best either, but it was probably just my waitress. Overall, good but not great. I will still go back and try that pimento cheese burger.
(4)Bridgette G.
DD and I enjoyed a late lunch at Pawley's today. I decided on the Wadmalaw burger with Frank's Red Hot onion rings. DD had the Fripp Island with the sweet potato fries. Both of us loved our choices and shared so that we could have the best of both worlds! Also a big factor for me is the tea--it was deliciously sweet and readily refilled! Can't wait to go back and try another burger and DD wants to sample the Mahi Mahi tacos.
(4)Jessica A.
One of my favorite restaurants in Columbia. Excellent food and fast service. They have this buffalo chicken dip occasionally that is absolutely out of this world phenomenal! Also, I'd highly recommend trying the fried green tomato blt.
(5)Kelly M.
I have a mixed review about this restaurant. Food was excellent. My husband really liked the Caw Caw burger. It was very tasteful based on the fact he doesn't step outside his comfort zone when it comes to food. I enjoyed my wadmalaw burger. It was great as well. On the flip side of things, the service that we recieved was somewhat poor at best. First off I am in no way shape or form jumping to any major conclusions about anyone or anything. I'm just stating what transpired on my family's visit. It was myself, my husband, and my son which is a 1 and a half years old. We get to the restaurant around 3:55 p.m. We look around and notice only half the restaurant is full. As far as we can tell, some tables already recieved and eaten food. There were about 5 to 6 female servers on the floor. The restaurant was not that busy at all. So myself and my husband are thinking " famous place, not that busy, we should get good service right ??" WRONG. I asked the young lady who came to greet us for a high chair. NEVER RECIEVED ONE. It's not the fact I can't control my child because I can, but anyone with a one year old knows it's kinda challenging to have a child sit still in public places at times. I'm lucky my son was asleep until the food got there. We figured a restaurant with a kids menu would have high chairs for kids right?!! It took a few minutes and some observing to figure out that our server was a trainee. She was very nice. She came to take our drinks and appetizer order. We ordered 2 pepsi's and the bacon cheese fries. Five minutes later the trainee came and took our entree order and everything was running smoothly up until it was time for food. It took 20 minutes( no exadurating) for our appetizer to arrive. That's because the food clearly looked like we were forgotten about. The fries were taken out the grease and cold cheese and Luke warm bacon was sprinkled on top and sent out. It was "slopped" onto the plate. During those 20 minutes our server never came to check on us, had time to chit chat at the empty bar with bartenders, and took better care of other guests other than us for some reason. The train-er never made a appearance until she dropped off the appetizer and came to get the check. The trainee after taking our order only came to see how we were doing twice and the train-er twice ( maybe 3 times )in the span of over a hour. We felt like we were a "throw away" table. How can we feel this way you ask, it's because I am a white female and my husband is a black man. We can tell because this has happened at certain restaurants in Columbia before and each experience is similar to the last. Long wait time for food, no communication, sloppy food when it finally arrives to the table. Again I'm not accusing anyone or throwing any wild accusations up in the air, but there are only two reasons this keeps happening to us. 1. We were "judged" as being guest that don't necessarily tip. Which is ludicrous because my husband and I have a combined 22 years of serving experience in the food industry so we definitely know the inner workings on how things go. We know the struggle. 2. We were "looked down upon" because we are an interracial couple with a bi-racial child. We were never a priority to anyone in the building and we got poor service for no reason. Don't get me wrong, we saw black guests here and there in the building and noticed a couple of black employees. By no means am I accusing anyone of being prejudice. It just sent a bad message that we were not valued or thought off with any sense of urgency. We're not blind to the fact that this is the south and racial tensions still run high. We just expect someone to do their best so it can be a win win for everyone Involved. We get great food and service, you get a great tip. We wanted to visit your establishment because Pawleys was featured on a very popular cable show and I wanted to try something different. We were very disappointed of the overall experience and have mixed feelings about making a return because like I said before, we don't want to jump to any conclusions about your establishment. All we know is it doesn't take 20 minutes for some fries, 2 servers flat out avoiding us, and everyone that comes in after you getting entrees before we get an appetizer. We will try again down the road to see if there has been progress. Just needed to let someone know how we felt.
(2)Taylor S.
I probably experienced one of the worst dining experiences here. I've been here twice before and the service was fine, but not the last time. First, we started our order at the outside bar so that it would be ready by the time we got a seat outside. They ended up being out of the beer that my boyfriend really wanted that day but that wasn't a huge deal. After finding that out the bartender gave us the beer menu again and proceeded to walk away for 15 minutes. Upon returning he asked us what we wanted to drink and then we said we could order our meal now too. He then took our order and about 20 minutes later our table was ready. As we sat down we waited for about 15 minutes when our waitress came up to us and said that they lost our order so we have to reorder. So we did that and then had to wait over 30 minutes to get our food. It was just ridiculous since it wasn't horribly busy at all. After this experience I will not be returning. If you do come here I recommend getting the sweet potato fries, they're pretty good, and their burgers are pretty good. They're not worth the wait though. Also, if you do come here I recommend sitting outside.
(3)Brittany B.
I've gone here twice now and it's really just an average food place. They try and do a little too much with the burgers and they end up being impossible to eat. I did like that they had a pretzel bun option but it was hardly noticeable with the pile of toppings. The three stars is for having a good beer selection and a neat patio with an outside bar. I would come back here again for drinks only, but there are a lot of better restaurants in the area.
(3)Joshua S.
Very good place for an exotic burger...not for a straight up regular one. Burgers will run you at least $10 and beers can be up there too. Atmosphere is not my favorite, a little too much on the college bro side, but I think that's their goal. Not a bad place to try out while in columbia.
(4)Tania S.
Way over rated. My husband found a hair on his plate and it was no big deal to the staff. Gross. Terrible service. Never will go there again.
(1)Michelle G.
My husband and I are here in Columbia on a travelling assignment. From the recommendation of our hotel staff we went to Five Points and tried this burger joint. When we walked up I first noticed the huge front porch, I absolutely love sitting outside to eat/drink. Unfortunately for this visit we were not able to get a seat outside, hopefully next time. They were quite busy. We went last night so that was a Friday night. We only waited about 30 minutes, not bad in my book. We got pretty good seats right outside the kitchen so we were able to see everyone pretty well. Our server was Lori, she was a cute young girl and so bubbly. I love when servers ask if we've ever dined in their establishment and we get to say oh no, we're from out of state. Then the conversation gets going. Well we found out that this was Lori's last day as a server she is going to work in communication. We shared stories about why we are in SC and our love of dogs. Any way back to the food. We ordered their burgers because apparently they were featured on Diners, Drive-in, and Dives. OMG, these burgers were outstanding. I love burgers most of the time, but these were something to write home about. They were 8oz of juicy, charbroiled goodness. I ordered the Kawahi, pretty sure I spelled that wrong, it had portobello mushrooms with roasted red peppers and melted brie cheese. Oh so good. My husband ordered the Front Porch with applewood smoked bacon to die for. The hand cut fries, so very yummy, but way to many to finish. We also started with the deep fried pickle chips. Way to salty, good thing I had beer. Their tap menu for beer is good. I really love craft beer and they have a few local ones to try so I had the River Rat Brown, so yummy. We will definitely be back. Good Luck to Lori in your new endeavors, so glad you were our server last night.
(5)Sherry C.
This is one of the best places to get a good hamburger in town. They have some really great choices of burgers, and different buns also to pick from. Of course..,... (I'm a plain Jane). I just get a plain hamburger with Lettuce, Tomato, and Onion. But it was extra yummy. Their fries are amazing. I love good French fries! I've also been to the Pawleys Front Porch in Charleston also. It's a great place too. The service can be a little slow, but I've always gone at a busy time. I'm looking forward to coming back for another burger.
(4)Melencia J.
We walked into Pawley's after reading pretty good reviews on Yelp. We arrived at a pretty busy time and had to wait about 30 minutes for a table. We had never been there before and were admiring all the burgers as they were walked past our noses. We were finally seated and it still took several minutes before a server acknowledged us. After being taunted by everyone else's food, we ordered fried pickles and our meals as soon as she arrived. They arrived quickly and we dug in. We noticed immediately that the batter was way too salty, but as we were hungry we continued to eat them. It was a nice crunchy starter, that would have been great if we were drinking beer, but we all were being health conscious at the moment with water. Our burgers arrived about 10 minutes later. I had the veggie burger with french fries. The burger was delicious, but about halfway though I realized the bun had no flavor and tossed it to the side. The caramelized onions and mushrooms were the major flavor enhancers. The fries could have used a couple more shakes to remove more of the oil before they were plated. Other than that, they were heavily seasoned. I enjoyed the seasoning, but my friends felt they were too salty for their tastes. The service was pretty good. The hostess needed to purchase a smile, but our server seemed genuinely excited to be working. So, overall a pretty good place. I'd go back if others were going, but wouldn't be my first choice for a burger.
(3)Lhynette C. A.
Fried green tomatoes are my favorite! This app was stacked with crab meat and blue cheese. I usually hate blue cheese---BUT...this was really a little amount of blue cheese. (Bleu? Blue? who cares?!) - it wasn't over powering at all. The meaty tomatoes were fried and stacked like a work of art...and the crab meat was stuffed in between like a perfectly layered cake. the stack was also drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette! Took it to the face - you bet i did. The tomatoes were big, the crab meat filling was meaty, what more can you really ask for? It was delicious. Mahi-mahi fish tacos! Best i have ever had :) grilled, fresh and they even put a generous amount of cabbage. As i looked around while biting into my tacos - i couldn't help but stare at the humongous and delicious looking burgers that was being placed on other people's tables. I would definitely come back here again - and try the burgers as well!!! :)
(4)Malissia M.
Delicious (and huge!) as usual!! I had the caw caw creek on chicken but the group favorite has always been the isle of palms...yum, stuffed! So crowded, so be prepared to wait, but worth it!
(4)Mark B.
Good cheesy juicy burgers and nice bar tenders. I love this place. We will be back soon.
(5)Toni P.
Great burgers with interesting toppings, crispy sweet potato fries. Fun atmosphere in hip Five Points district of Columbia, SC. Teenagers and adults all enjoyed it!
(4)Lisa S.
I've never seen anyone unhappy with their burgers! I don't eat red meat but their chicken burgers are just as fantastic! It's a step up from your every day cheeseburger with great topping options! Definitely recommend. Near USC and in five points area. Very limited parking. Always a line.
(5)Krystal D.
This is my first time at Pawleys, & my first annoyance was the semi-rude server, Jessica. I would've given it a 5 had it not been for her. She never smiled ONCE & stuck to speaking to & interacting with our table ONLY when absolutely necessary; no "How are you today", or "Your food will be out shortly", or "Would you like more to drink". She even brought the ticket without asking us if we'd like dessert or anything else or how our food was! Sheesh, girl! If you didn't want to come to work today, you should've called in. But, on to the important stuff: the food! Guy Fieri came here for a reason! Our burgers were great! Juicy, flavorful & huge! I had the Wadmalaw & my hubby had the Front Porch. Notice the full-size wine glass that my mimosa was served in! Jessica was a horrible server, but the food came out quickly & was delicious!
(3)Lonnie B.
Guy Fieri got it right with this place. Although I wouldn't call it a Diner, a Drive-In, nor a Dive. This is a casual restaurant serving gourmet burgers with a great selection of craft beers. Nice patio out front, booths and a large bar inside. The service is a bit laid back but the food is the star attraction. Lots of different burgers made from fresh ground chuck roast. Se of the combinations are a bit quirky but there is setting for everyone. Lots of deep fried apps and a few salad options. But the burgers are the stars. This is now my go-to spot when in Columbia.
(5)Will C.
Really underwhelming for how big of a deal people make about it. In my opinion there is absolutely no reason there should be an hour wait for this place. Sure it was on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives - but that surely doesn't mean that it's the best thing that ever happened to Columbia. The service was good, the burger was pretty good but it wasn't enough to me to deserve all the accolades. I'm not sure it's even in the top three burgers I've had in Columbia. There's definitely a novelty in going, the food is good but I don't think it's worth all the rants and raves; there's nothing special here.
(3)Hans B.
Ok I had a burger which is rare for since I eat many veggies ! Very yummy. Can't remember name if burger but it had .. Pineapple and red onions. ... Odd combination but very yummy Very juicy burger Daughter had one with gruyere cheese, Vidalia onions and mushrooms ... Very yummy also ! Now the fries :both regular and sweet potato..are AWESOME.! Some of the best I've had ! Plus corona cerveza... $2.50 all day and night Whoop whoop !!
(4)Stephen C.
On a visit to USC, the tour guide recommended this restaurant, saying it has the best burgers in the city. We didn't make it far enough to try the burgers. Two Caesar salads came out of the kitchen with brown, gooey, rotten lettuce. Completely grossed out, we asked to speak with the manager. With eyes rolling, the manager came over and saw nothing wrong with the "salad". She did not even apologize for the horrible quality of the food that somehow made it out of the kitchen. Disappointed at the lack of southern hospitality we came down to the south to find, we left cranky and hungry. On the other hand, our waitress, Caroline, was very nice (hence the one star).
(1)Lance O.
Went a lot of times and tried many different burgers in 3 months at Ft Jackson. Only hiccup was not getting bacon on one burger, but wasn't charged, so no big deal. Each burger was really delicious and I'll go there again when I get back to Columbia.
(5)K W.
I was reluctant to come here after my last visit, but all deserve a 2nd chance. I specified to the server medium on my burger...several times. He understood and relayed to the cooks. However, the cooks can't seem to get it right. I don't know what's going on here, but something is very off with the management and the staff. Our server bar tender was incredible!! Our beers were cold and ready for us before we finished the last drop of our most recent beer. I was offered the opportunity to make the order right, but for fear for what the cook staff would do, I declined. I'll return for cold beers, but not for the food. The burger was dry and not much flavor.
(1)Leon P.
I ordered the BLT. I wasn't impressed with food and service. It took us almost an hour to get our food. My daughter ordered a burger...bigger isn't always better.
(3)Jessica D.
Every time I've been here it's been a great experience. Never had to wait long for a table and the wait staff is friendly. The food is delicious, especially the onion rings. You can get any of the burgers substituted with a veggie patty, which is amazing for us vegetarians hanging out with meat eaters. My only complaint is that they don't have much parking, so get there early!
(5)Ron B.
Great burgers, pretty good fish tacos, and if my beer would've been 1 degree colder it would have been frozen. The service... Hey they're college students, but it was good enough for me.
(4)Shelley S.
If I were on death row, my final meal would be the fried green tomato Napoleon and the deep fried dill pickles. Seriously. They are that good. Just try them.
(5)Brandy B.
Could have more options for vegetarians. Had the veggie burger, it wasn't bad... It needs some kind of vegan mayo to go on it or avocado! The onion rings were the best part! My boyfriend didn't really like his Wad ma law burger. The burger wasn't cooked correctly (overdone) and the fries were just ok. He used to really love this place but not so much anymore. Give this place a try but don't expect the best burgers you've tasted.
(3)Chris W.
Good bar great burgers. Bartenders are awesome good place to get a meal worth your money
(4)Anthony D.
It's good but I wouldn't say it's the best burger joint in columbia. I do have to say their sweet potato fries are legitimately awesome and worth going just for that alone.
(4)Eric W.
I have to say that I've been to Pawley's 3 times over the last 3 years and none of those times impressed me the way I thought, considering all of the hype. I've noticed that their quality is very inconsistent and I'm pretty sure the burger patty recipe has changed, maybe even the type of meat they use. I went recently and ordered a front porch (build your own) burger with bacon, cheddar, and a fried egg ($11, including side of fries). The burger didn't seem fresh. I'm convinced it was a frozen patty (that they made, but then froze before preparing). The patty was slightly rubbery and had a strange flavor. The burger consumed all other flavors. I couldn't taste the bacon, egg or cheese. It was all burger. The bun wasn't toasted and was very unappealing. I've had lots of great burgers all over town (and reviewed most of them) and this is by far the worst I've had. I've honestly had better burgers out of [multiple] drive thru windows. With all that said, I rated a 2 star instead of 1 because the service was very good and the fries are delicious if they're fresh. This time, they were very fresh and tasty, handcut fries. I've had them before when they weren't hot and they were just not good. Pawleys is absolutely NOT the go-to burger in Columbia. I think if you read my other reviews you will be much happier with some other burger places in town that will taste better and save you money.
(2)Malcolm P.
private lot in the back and outdoor indoor seating makes this place super accessible. burgers are always good and portions of fries are intimidating to say the least. most of the time we go we don't have to wait more than 10 minutes.
(4)WanderLustinDani P.
So we finally tried Pawleys! We were seated in a timely manner, temp inside was colder than outside. First impressions was a sports bar feeling, lots of people seemed to be enjoyin there meal. Not alot of seating, we arrived approx @ 5p and had no issue parking either. Waitress was rude and no personality, I even asked her if she in a hurry, she never asked us if we had been here. Very dry personality to be working at a well known restaurant in Columbia.... The food and flavors were good. Presentation of the food was great and we received a good amt for the price. We ordered grilled Mahi-Mahi fish taco, very fresh and generous amount of cabbage, blk beans. My hubby had a hamburger which he enjoyed, daughter had the chicken burger with fries- she stated the chicken and fries were very good and fresh! Yes I would return to try a different meal.
(4)Shane B.
Made famous from Triple D, was a great filling lunch today. We came in at the perfect time, 11:15am. No wait, and fast service. Towards noon the lunch crowd set in and the place was buzzing, for a Friday afternoon. I had the Walmalaw burger with fries. Go for the fried pickles. They are an extra special treat. You will love them. Enjoy.
(4)Monica R.
I will start with a confession. The reason we even came here was because they were featured on Dives, Diners, and Drive-ins. Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let me tell you why you should go at least once. Their menu is creative, with things such as Jalapeno bacon and Pimento cheese on their burgers. They dont shy away from caramelizing their onions in grape jelly or indulging you with a pretzel bun. I loved that they have a good list of local beers on draught. My boyfriend had the Caw Caw Creek and he said it was very good. I had the burger special which had pulled pork and slaw on a burger (I hate that they put baby rays on it instead of having their own bbq sauce). Again, their food is not bad at all but it wasnt love at first bite. It's fun to try once, just come with no expectations other than to have a good burger. Oh and the sweet potato fries have cinnamon on them, I kind of wish the server would have said something just because they didn't really complement the burger all that well but they were so good with a side of ranch. The best way to put it: Kim Kardashian is famous because of her sex tape. Does that make her the best lay? Not really. Guy Fieri gave this place the unequivocal sex tape. You decide the rest.
(3)Jordan H.
Enjoyed the burger. Really like the atmosphere out on the porch! Sweet potato fries were a good choice!
(4)Rachel C.
Daaaaaaang Southern Living! They aren't kidding around! Round one was the fried green tomatoes. Which I love! But when I've had it up east, it's been fried green tomatoes. With some drizzle of something or other. Here it's fried green tomatoes layered with homemade boursin cheese, cajun crab dip, topped with sweet chipotle mayonnaise. But for realz, I just wondered where the green tomatoes were!? It was just so much, I would have liked it a bit simpler, but I get that's the style, I'm just not down with it I guess. So onto the burgers. I ordered the Kiawah which is marinated portabella mushrooms, fire roasted peppers and melted brie cheese. I think I was cheesed out by that point, because I like brie, but I just couldn't handle more globs of cheese. The great thing was the burger was pretty tasty once I picked through the brie. Plenty of mushrooms, which is great and I loved the roasted peppers. The side of sweet potato fries was super generous and I love when they come with cinnamon on top! I also got to try some local beer, the Holy City, which was surprisingly good. Top that off with friendly service and it's a solid Southern experience!
(3)Jessica W.
Absolutely delicious food! When I went it was pretty packed, but that didn't hinder the service. The fries weren't as crisp as I would like them to be, but I still enjoyed them. I will definitely keep coming here.
(4)C F.
Wow! Burgers were big, juicy, and tasty. Excellent service, place is kinda a dive but was worth the extra time out of our trip to stop
(5)John K.
I'm a big fan of Pawley's. My favorite burger is the Wadmalaw on a pretzel bun. Don't forget to try the onion rings though. But what may be a surprise for a burger joint that was featured in Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, is their fried oysters! Their fried oyster appetizer is served with Chow-chow, and they are amazing! You have to try them!
(4)Cassondra B.
My favorite burger place of all time Sullivans burger Sweet potatoes fries done right with cinnamon sugar! Best ever pasta salad Onion rings And fried pickles
(5)Lea L.
Better than these reviews may make it seem. It always seems like restaurants featured on food networks are held to a much higher standard when it comes to reviews, and Pawley's Front Porch is a certainly a victim of this. If your looking for huge portions, unique burgers smothered with a smorgasbord of toppings and offbeat pairings this place is for you. Not for sensitive stomachs. The ambience is what you'd expect from a burger joint featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and named after a South Carolina vacation spot--casual, homey, and divey. The burgers are all strategically paired with a unique combination of toppings. I would suggest entering with an open mind and trusting the menu. This may seem like a minor detail to some, but the fact you can choose your bun style (pretzel, ciabatta, multi-grain kaiser roll, sesame kaiser) is something I cherish with every visit. Here are my favorite burgers (in no particular order): Kiawah marinated portabella mushrooms, fire roasted peppers and melted brie cheese Sullivan's grilled pineapple, guacamole, citrus jalapeno mayo and pepperjack cheese Front Porch - 8oz beef patty ground in-house add cheese: cheddar, pepperjack, gruyere or blue cheese add bacon: jalapeno or applewood smoked Caw Caw Creek housemade jalapeno pimento cheese, bread & butter pickled green tomato, jalapeno bacon and grilled onions The bloody mary's are just okay. They are made with a mix so there is no adding or subtracting spiciness (they are too spicy in my opinion). Decent selection of beer--local craft and standard options. I have experienced inconsistencies with burgers not being cooked perfectly but I am less sensitive to this than others. Definitely worth a visit. Enter with an open mind and empty stomach and it probably won't be the best burger you've ever had but it just may be the best in Columbia.
(3)