Articles

  • Home & Garden
  • Cocktail & Cuisine
  • Palmetto Business
  • Total Mind & Body
  • Inspiring Individuals
  • Sports & Outdoor Pursuits
  • Literature & History
  • Arts & Culture
  • Tying the Knot
  • From the Editor
  • Travel
  • Furry Friends

The Magazine

  • Subscribe or Renew
  • Advertise
  • Latest Issue
  • Past Issues
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Events Calendar
  • Enewsletter

Professional Listings

  • Best of Columbia 2022
  • Best of Columbia Profiles
  • Financial Managers
  • Giving Guide
  • Head of the Class
  • Insurance Professionals
  • Premier Attorneys™
  • Premier Physicians™
  • Real Estate
  • Top Dentists
  • Veterinarians
  • Corporate Scene
  • Soda City Eats
Search
Contact| Advertise| Subscribe »
Subscribe »

Enjoy the magazine all year long!

Subscribe

Purchase a new subscription and qualify for $100 of fine dining, theater tickets and MORE!

Renew your subscription
Give a gift subscription
Sign up for our email newsletter
Where to Find a Copy

South Carolina's Premier Magazine

Est. 1990

  • Home & Garden
  • Cocktail & Cuisine
  • Business
  • Inspiring Individuals
  • Outdoor
  • The CMM Vault
  • More▼
    • Total Mind & Body
    • Literature & History
    • Arts & Culture
    • Tying the Knot
    • Travel
    • Furry Friends
    • Best of Columbia 2022
Search
| Subscribe »
  • Articles
  • Palmetto Business
  • January-February 2011

Share This:

Best of Columbia 2011

Columbians have spoken and once again picked the best businesses in our city! Readers have voted on everything from the best places to eat pizza and fried chicken to the best locations to find children’s shoes or to see a movie. The next few pages will serve as a guide to the city from those who know it best – people like you.

This is your city, your magazine and these are your choices for the best of Columbia. See who won this year’s categories, and help us celebrate these wonderful businesses that make Columbia a great place to live!

*Names in italics have achieved Hall of Fame status, having been named Best of Columbia at least five times.

(L to R) Phillip Gardner, Lauren Boland, Gene Strause, Dale Roberts, Mark Murff, Mandy Morse and Ron Williams of Sea Ray dropped anchor and captured the win for Best Boat Dealer in this year’s Best of Columbia contest.

Food

Best boiled peanuts

Cromer’s

Best grits

Blue Marlin

Best wings

Wild Wing

Best ribs

Hudson’s Smokehouse

Best barbecue

Hudson’s Smokehouse

Best salad

California Dreaming

Best appetizer

Bonefish Grill

Best fried chicken

Zesto’s

Best steak

Longhorn Steakhouse

Best hamburger

Five Guys Burgers & Fries

Best french fries

Five Guys Burgers & Fries

Best pizza

Za’s Brick Oven Pizza

Best sandwich

Groucho’s Deli

Best dessert

Nonnah’s

Best cookie

The Fresh Market

Best ice cream

Marble Slab

Best milkshake

Rush’s

Best biscuit

Bojangles’

Best chicken salad

The Gourmet Shop

Best cole slaw

Zesto’s

Best pasta salad

The Gourmet Shop

Best doughnuts

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Best bakery

Tiffany’s

Best iced tea

Bojangles’

Best cocktail

Blue Martini

Restaurants

Best Restaurant in Irmo

Catch 22

Best Restaurant in Lexington

Travinia Italian Kitchen

Best Restaurant in Columbia

Mr. Friendly’s

Best Restaurant in West Columbia/Cayce

Terra

Best Restaurant in Northeast

Solstice

Best Chinese Restaurant

Miyo’s

Best Japanese Restaurant

Sato Japanese Steak & Seafood

Best Thai Restaurant

Thai Lotus

Best Mexican Restaurant

Eric’s San José

Best Greek restaurant

Devine Foods

Best Italian restaurant

Villa Tronco

Best seafood restaurant

Blue Marlin

Best sushi restaurant

Miyo’s

Best lakeside restaurant

Rusty Anchor

Best fine dining restaurant

Dianne’s on Devine

Best fast food restaurant

Rush’s

Best romantic dinner

Ristorante Divino

Best outdoor dining

Harper’s

Best Sunday brunch

DiPrato’s

Best business lunch

Motor Supply Company

Best family restaurant

Lizard’s Thicket

Best coffee house

Starbucks

Best wait staff

Dianne’s On Devine

Best wine menu

Gervais & Vine

Best new restaurant

Conrad’s Restaurant

Best bang for the buck

Moe’s Southwest Grill

Retail

Best shopping venue

Columbiana Station

Best women’s clothing store

Talbots

Best women’s evening wear store

Coplon’s

Best bridal wear store

David’s Bridal

Best women’s shoe store

Kicks Exceptional Shoes

Best men’s clothing store

Granger Owings Classic Clothiers

Best men’s formal wear store

The Black Tie

Best children’s clothing store

Little Lambs & Ivy II

Best children’s shoe store

Tootsies Children’s Shoes

Best athletic wear store

Todd & Moore

Best sporting goods store

Dick’s Sporting Goods

Best bicycle specialty store

Outspokin’

Best running specialty store

Strictly Running

Best gift store

Gibson’s on Devine

Best jewelry store

Handpicked

Best fashion accessories store

Just the Thing

Best vision wear

Devine Eyes

Best toy store

Be Beep A Toy Shop

Best pet boutique

Pupcakes Pet Boutique

Best florist

Rosewood Florist

Best bookstore

Barnes & Noble

Best Gamecock store

Jewelry Warehouse

Best antique store

Meeting Street Interiors

Best local art store

City Art

Best kitchen store

Mary & Martha’s

Best wine shop

Total Wine & More

Best frame shop

HoFP

Best glass store

ACE Glass

Best lighting store

The Lite House

Best Gardening Store

Woodley’s

Best mattress store

Best Mattress

Best appliance store

Jeffers McGill

Best home furnishings store

Whit Ash

Best office furnishings store

COF

Best flooring/floor covering store

Cogdill Carpet

Best wallpaper/wall covering store

Wallpaper Additions

Best clothing consignment shop

Reventé

Best furniture consignment shop

Worth Repeating

Best office supplies

Staples

Best supermarket

Publix

Home

Best home builder

Baudo & Associates

Best home remodeler

Willm Construction

Best apartment complex

Aspyre

Best condominiums

Adesso

Best retirement community

Still Hopes

Best assisted living facility

Still Hopes

Recreation

Best exercise facility

Gold’s Gym

Best golf course

Forest Lake Country Club

Best marina

Lake Murray Marina

Best boat dealer

Sea Ray

Best place for a kid’s birthday party

Monkey Joe’s

Service

Best residential real estate agency

Coldwell Banker United, Realtors®

Best commercial real estate agency

Colliers Keenan

Best real estate agent

Rhett Wolfe

Best insurance agency

State Farm

Best insurance agent

Jack Godbold

Best fence company

Brabham Fence Company

Best landscaping company

Blue Moon Landscaping

Best hardscape company

Hay Hill Services

(L to R) Will Fowler, David Stack, Fred Gantt and Elizabeth Rice of Hay Hill Services reeled in a big one with their win for Best Hardscape Company.

Best moving company

Palmetto Specialty Transfer

Best residential interior designer

Brandon Davidson Interiors

Best commercial interior designer

Katherine J. Anderson Design/Interiors

Best furniture refinisher

Colonial Woodworking

Best pest control service 

Terminix

Best security system 

ADT

Best carpet cleaner

Stanley Steemer

Best chimney sweep

Top Hat Sweepers

  Ron Rust of Top Hat Sweepers kicks up his heels over his win for Best Chimney Sweep this year.

Best plumbing company

Meetze Plumbing

Best heating/air service

2nd Wind Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.

Best Facial

Urban Nirvana

Best Massage

Urban Nirvana                                                                                                 

Best nail salon

Soak

Best tanning salon

Beaches

Best hair salon

Shear Expectations

Best lodging 

Sheraton

Best cell phone company

Verizon

Best auto repair company

Andrews Auto

Best professional photographer

John Wrightenberry Photography

Best embroiderer

Uptown on Main

Best car rental agency

Enterprise

Best limo service

CMI

Best staffing agency

Snelling

Best travel agency

Forest Lake Travel

Best modeling agency

Millie Lewis

Best dry cleaner

Tripp’s  Fine Cleaners

Best car wash

Frank’s

Best caterer

Southern Way

Best event planner

Carolina Event Consultants

Best wedding venue

Millstone at Adam’s Pond

Best pet grooming

Sarah & Suzie’s Grooming

Best pet sitter

Camp Bow Wow

Best doggie day care

Camp Bow Wow

Media & Entertainment

Best TV station

WIS-TV

Best TV personality

Dawndy Mercer Plank

Best radio station

WCOS

Best radio personality

Jonathon Rush

Best live theatre

Trustus Theatre

Best movie theater

Regal Sandhill Cinema 16

Best museum

Columbia Museum of Art

Best art gallery

City Art

Best nightlife

The Vista

Our readers are the best!

We always want to know what our readers really think, and this year we rewarded a lucky voter for voicing her opinion. Linda Amick of Irmo won a $100 gift certificate to Mr. Friendly’s for sending in her ballot.

Columbia Metropolitan magazine thanks Linda and everyone else for participating in our annual poll.

«  back to issue

Subscribe

Straight to your mailbox all year long!

Get The Magazine

The Magazine


  • Subscribe or Renew
  • Advertise
  • Latest Issue
  • Past Issues
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Events Calendar
  • Enewsletter

Articles


  • Home & Garden
  • Cocktail & Cuisine
  • Palmetto Business
  • Total Mind & Body
  • Inspiring Individuals
  • Sports & Outdoor Pursuits
  • Literature & History
  • Arts & Culture
  • Tying the Knot
  • From the Editor
  • Travel
  • Furry Friends

Professional Listings


  • Best of Columbia 2022
  • Best of Columbia Profiles
  • Financial Managers
  • Giving Guide
  • Head of the Class
  • Insurance Professionals
  • Premier Attorneys™
  • Premier Physicians™
  • Real Estate
  • Top Dentists
  • Veterinarians
  • Corporate Scene
  • Soda City Eats
(803) 787-6501
©2023 Columbia Metropolitan. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Refund/Cancellation/Delivery Policies