Read previous reviews so I expected a longer wait... it was about 12-15 minutes. Cons: the bathrooms were not clean. They left the cornbread orders out of our bag. We were dining in so were able to pick them up at the counter. The cornbread was nasty to me... tasted like cake mix with cornmeal added (not jiffy but cake). The mac and cheese wasn't the best.. The noodles were cooked too long and it needed more milk or cream. Pros: The ambiance is very nice. I loved the aesthetic. The collard greens, candied yams, and fried okra were excellent. The smothered pork chops and meatloaf were really good. We ended up taking most of the food home to devour.
The customer service is amazing! Those young men were very mannerable and pleasant. I would come back for them alone! One seemed to be in training but the young lady made sure to assist him when needed. I'm not going to lie, I was a little disappointed in the food. I visited this place because of the FB Columbia Eats group and overall, it was just okay. I got the wing dinner that came with 2 sides. Wings were fried perfectly! I got Mac and cheese, okra, and fries as sides with cornbread. I didn't really care for the seasoning on the Mac, the okra were good but I didn't have enough (LOL), my fries were old and I had to get new ones. The cornbread tasted a day old but I know it would delicious when fresh. My friend had the pork chop dinner. He didn't care for the cornbread dressing. He also had yellow rice and gravy, and collards. He didn't eat all his food so I'm not sure if he enjoyed it. I would come back and try again though!
Update: July 2022 back in Columbia and this is my MUST have. Pic with 2 dinners together- pork chops and wings (whole). Everything, I mean everything, was amazing again! Yams, greens, Mac n cheese……. Baby——Whew! Quick pick up, less than 4 minutes!! My hubby and I truly enjoy our food every time!Cooked to order but well worth the wait. Fried rib tips! Whole fried wings with good seasoning! Everything has flavor. Mac n Cheese, greens, rice. I put my cornbread in my greens cause I’m from Atlanta!! But the cornbread was like cake! Super happy we walked into this place!!! Really really good soul food! Like grandma Mattie!
Oh my gosh ! Can you say impressed !The cleanest place I’ve been in by far in Columbia SC . I am from this city and I have worked in over 15 restaurants in my life and I have never had great customer service, cleanliness, and magnificent food with awesome flavors as a combo ! This place is a must go ! Located in Sandhills towne center with beautiful art displayed as well ! Thanks for the awesome experience !
Wait time…..45 minutes and longer. I ordered baked chicken, greens, mac’n cheese and sweet potatoes. The sides were good but my chicken was not baked it was fresh out tha air fryer. For this I will not be back. Y’all enjoy! Oh I ate the skin just to understand what I ordered was really not what I ordered.
My family of 5 eats here as often as we can. We have traveled from another city on a few occasions just to eat lunch or dinner here. Most of our experience has been with ordering online and that has always been seamless. The food is amazing! The portions are generous. I’ve never been able to eat it all in one sitting. Even my mother, who is very picky about restaurants, loves Esther’s Soul Food Kitchen. In fact we’re ordering from there today, for Mother’s Day. I know it’s going to be great!
We’ve eaten at Esther’s several times and the food is consistently delicious. And if there’s a problem with your order they handle it professionally. If you enjoy eating Soul Food you should definitely check them out.
If I were rating the food it would have been 5 stars. The food was really good and the ambience of the restaurant was very inviting. My mark down is for the amount of time I spent waiting for my order. I waited over 45 minutes to receive my order, but the staff was very apologetic and they even gave me an extra dessert for my wait. I will be back, because the food definitely speaks for itself. I will just call ahead next time.
The fried turkey wings are the BOMB!. THE NEW LOCATION is very nice, & provides plenty of seating in a very nice atmosphere...
Great experience. Great food. Enjoyed the grilled shrimp, collards and yams.