Black Rooster

I recently dined solo here, and the service was easily the highlight of the experience. My server had a great attitude, was attentive, and made sure I was well taken care of. The space itself felt a bit cramped, the downstairs dining area could definitely benefit from a more open and refined layout. I initially ordered the Caesar salad, but the lettuce was wilted, likely from sitting under a heat source or soaking too long in dressing. Fortunately, the server was quick to remake it without hesitation, which I really appreciated. For drinks, the Hugo Spritz was refreshing and well-balanced. The Chrysalis cocktail, however, had an unpleasant chemical taste, almost like tire rubber, definitely a miss. I also tried the bolognese, which was pretty good. The noodles were slightly overcooked, but overall the flavor profile was very nice. Overall, the service was excellent and genuinely improved the experience, the food and atmosphere didn’t quite meet my expectations but I’ll try anything at least three times.

If you were looking at the menu, reviews and/or pictures and wondering if they have good food.. the answer is YES. The burger & fries ….. Please, do yourself a favor. GET IT! I do believe that this may be the absolute BEST burger/fry combination I’ve ever had! And honestly (I’m not a burger girl!) The cheese, the caramelized onions.. worth every calorie. The service was incredible! Grace was so sweet & attentive my entire visit. She played with babies, stood and listened while I talked her head off. The drinks were perfectly made. Don’t even get me started on THE PLAYLIST. I individually downloaded every single song. Then, to top it all off, the chocolate, strawberry dessert with mascarpone was absolute perfection! This is now my favorite place in Columbia. I would give it 10 stars if I could.

Enjoyed an amazing dinner with 2 of my friends last night 8/13/24 and our evening was absolutely fantastic. Our server, Caroline was very friendly, fun and made our dinner that much better. She had an extensive knowledge of the menu and made recommendations from the regular menu and from the daily specials menu. She was very attentive and our drinks were never empty and our cocktails only took a few minutes to be made and delivered. We all very much enjoyed the Hugo spritzer and highly recommend it. For appetizers, We enjoyed the roasted beet salad and the whipped ricotta and both were original, creative and quite delicious. I ordered the grilled chicken and mushroom rigatoni and loved it. It was hard making an entree selection because there are many things I knew I would enjoy. I ordered the Limoncello crème brûlée for dessert and I cannot accurately describe in words how well it was presented and tasted. The limoncello custard was so creamy with the perfect lemon taste with the perfectly caramelized top. After we finished our amazing meal, we went to the rooftop bar and enjoyed a cocktail. The view of the Columbia skyline did not disappoint. We also enjoyed the music which was loud enough to hear but not so loud that you couldn’t enjoy your conversation. Overall I give our total experience a 10 out of 10 and look forward to going back soon.

First time trying this semi-traditional Italian restaurant in West Columbia. Nice spot with an upstairs patio that has great views. Two starters were both good, especially the harvest salad. Nothing fancy, the ingredients were fresh and didn't need much seasoning or dressing. For entrees, we had the risotto and fruta di mare. The risotto (mushroom and parmesan) was excellent, cooked well and not overly salty which is common. The seafood and broth in the pasta were both great, shrimp were cooked perfectly. A few negatives though with the dish - a closed clam was served in the bowl, that should be taken out in the kitchen and the noodles were overcooked, no bite at all. Also, more of a preference, but why bacon in a seafood dish? Replace with scallops or fish chunks. Tiramisu cake was a nice finish for dessert. Service was prompt and friendly. Will definitely return to try the rooftop when it's warmer.

Switching from French cuisine to Italian was a smart move. My husband celebrated his birthday here and it was a really nice experience. I made reservations and let the staff know ahead of time that it was his birthday. Not to mention the hostesses were the sweetest young ladies ever and I hate I forgot to ask their names again before we left. Drew, our server was the absolute best! He was friendly, attentive, and not overbearing or bothersome. We started off with an awesome sparking water and antipasti charcuterie board and escargot. For our main dishes hubby had the scallops and pasta (sorry forgot the name) and I had soft shell crab. Both of these dishes were amazing. To end the night, Drew brought out the ricotta cake with berry sorbet and WOW that was good too. The entire experience from door to table was exceptional. The only thing I’d change is changing the bread to having crackers as a choice when serving the cheese or antipasti board. If it’s not raining , hit the rooftop, it’s beautiful up there. We spent over $100 without any alcohol.

Hubs and I went for birthday celebration and sat on the rooftop. Bar service only up there but it's no problem - order and pay at the bar and servers serve as usual. This Sicilian was blown away by the food, from apps to entrees to desserts. The rooftop is fun and servers were terrific. 10/10 will go again!

The food and atmosphere are fantastic. Service was good but we were on the rooftop where there is no table service and you have to order at the bar and not expect someone to come by and check on you. Which was fine, I gave only 4 stars because the bartender I had the first couple of times couldn't remember 2 drinks and an appetizer, and then when I ordered the main course and gave him the empty can and bottle he couldn't remember one of the two entrees 🙄 After that I made sure to use a different different bartender, particularly because I had a special request, and that was all good 🙂

This is my favorite restaurant. I always have such a good time and the food is fantastic. I travel a lot and everything time I fly in from Houston Texas I always have dinner here. Brooke, Elliot and Mason are amazing.the food and drinks are outstanding. The people make the place. I highly recommend a night out at the rooster you won’t be disappointed.

We had dinner at the Black Rooster for the 2d time on 4.16.2024. On both occasions, we ordered Italian dishes and enjoyed them immensely. Drew was our server and was absolutely fantastic. We highly recommend this restaurant for anyone who enjoys great ambiance, great food and great server. We will be heading back to the Black Rooster for dinner soon.

Black Rooster has become a local favorite for so many reason. The atmosphere is relaxing. The surrounding area is attractive. The service is friendly. The food is good. We ordered the Steak Frites as recommended by friends of ours. The portions were nice. Everything had a good flavor. My only negative is that it too a while to get order and when it was presented the steak and frites were warm at best. The steak's seasoning was not overpowering. It complimented the beef as it should. At the same time, it is recommended that you order the steak rare. Medium rare was over cooked and tough. I'm not sure why it took as long as it did however, from the temperature of the steak my guess is that our order was sitting on wait for the servers to bring out the plates. Still. Everything was good. I just think how much better it may have been had it been presented sooner.

The food here has hits and misses. It just depends on what dish you decide on. I ordered a noodle dish with seafood and a cocktail. The noodles still needed to be cooked a little longer. The portion for the dollar amount is also concerning. The service is spectacular and extremely courtesy. They are on top of every situation before you request assistance. Ambiance gives a slightly upgraded pub vibe.

Went here to meet a friend for a pseudo date. He tells me it was a French spot. It was all Italian & disappointing aside from Sydney the waitress! She was absolutely AMAZING. The food: I had the seafood in red sauce. First of all the noodles are out of the dam box! A high end Italian restaurant should serve homemade noodles. The sauce was lacking flavor but had the cayenne kick. Seafood wasn't overcooked but was minimal. For a $50 dish I expected it to be teeming with seafood. Didn't come with any bread either. The drinks were great & I had five Amaretto Sours hold the egg white. Overall I'd go here for drinks only. I can get their kind of Italian out of a jar. San Marzano tomatoes make all the difference in the world--Black Rooster doesn't use them.

Great evening. Roof Top. Music and great food. Friendly service. Order at the bar they give you a number and bring it to your table. Food was fresh and delicious. Recommend for sure

Second visit here. First visit no tables were available and we sat at the bar and had a great dinner about a month ago. Last night we ate with friends. Reservations 8/16/23 Wednesday night for 7:45. We showed up with our party at 7:30 and they seated us right away. Good service by Leila. Kitchen did a great job helping getting the food to the table as soon as it was ready (I suspect they are trying to avoid heat lamps, nice touch). Nice bottle of wine. Our appetizers and entrees were all very good and seems well prepared and hot when it arrived at the table. I had the pork schnitzel and it was very tender and probably one of the best I have ever had. .....need to find out how the upstairs dining area looks and best time to get a table. I think they are first come first served? Will be back!

Very interesting restaurant. Recently switched focus to Italian and the food is very good. The by the glass wine list appears limited. The inside is smaller than you would think. Upstairs bar appears to be a great place for dinner with a view of downtown. The artwork inside the restaurant is strange and doesn't seem to go with the food... the only reason I didn't go 5 stars .. well worth a visit

The serving staff was excellent from door to table! Came here to celebrate hubby's birthday. The food was great!! The atmosphere was very eclectic and the ambiance was your friendly, typical, electric, kind of vibe. We have a new favorite!

Took my wife here prior to our date night on a rainy but nice night. You have to park in the lot behind the restaurant but it isn't far by any means. Sat at the bar since we just had a few drinks and appetizers. I had a damn good ol fashion and my wife had a custom drink created by the bartender based on the flavors she like. I wish i could remember his name but he was amazing as a server and a bartender. We ordered oysters on the half shell that were phenomenal and a lobster pizza. The lobster pizza was full of flavor from the sauce to the lobster itself. Definitely will be back when I'm in town as we loved the ambiance and the service. A well earned 5 stars!

Do yourself a favor. Make.A.Reservation. We five gave Black Rooster a shot for a Birthday outing last night and we had a blast. No negatives. All good - ambience, noise level, service, food! We loved it!

This is the French restaurant to try if you miss the experience of being in France. Chris is our third time back and we continue to return to try every single item in their menu. They had escargot in their menu... can I dare say that it was even better than when I tried them in Montmartre! Simply spectacular! We also tried their Beef Tartare and it was exquisite! If you are in the area and are looking for a genuine experience with farm to table ingredients, choose Black Rooster.

This restaurant has recently changed to an Italian menu focus instead of a French one, and I prefer the Italian menu. Our food was very good, especially the truffle burrata cheese and the lemon scallops. We were sat next to some very loud guests - not the restaurant's fault, of course - but the tables are fairly close to one another (and there wasn't anywhere else to move to; too cold to sit outside). I think it would be a five star experience on another night, so I'll try again soon.

Why can't they give menu prices? I want to know what the price is before I order. It's not like I can't afford it, however I want to know what I am paying for. How much do prices vary? Just what ever they decide for the dayI had a party of 15 going to get reservations for a 75 yr old's 75 th birthday. Won't be going there.

Immediately loved the atmosphere of the restaurant. You can tell immediately that it's operated by professionals, and what a refreshing customer service experience it was as well. Now the food... I don't we impressed with the overall check of $30 for both plates! The food was absolutely delicious , yummy burger . Will definitely come check it out again next time I'm in SC!

The service and food is always exceptional. The location makes for a very nice ambiance for almost any occasion. I highly recommend.

The food is pretty innovative and the atmosphere is good! Service is great too. The noodles is a little over cooked tho.

Food was pretty good. Steak was really undercooked but it was a lot of food, so we took the center home and it reheated nicely. The Asian food was surprisingly good. The noodles weren't what I expected based on the menu description. Would be even better with traditional glass noodles.

Yummmmmm! We visited on a Friday night and it was pretty packed but we managed to get seats at the bar. I'm Glad we ended up at the bar because the bartenders were awesome and highly entertaining. It helps that they could also whip up some great drinks. All the food that we had was also tasty but the highlight of the night was the lobster tarte that was on the special menu. It was one of the best things I may have ever had. If any of the powers that be read this please add it to the regular menu and I promise I will come get it once a week :)

The meatball appetizer was well seasoned and moist. The scallop pasta dish had the perfect amount of lemon and butter. The scallop melted in your mouth and the punch of lemon was perfect. The mushroom and chicken rigatoni was very flavorful and full of umami, delicious and mushroom forward. The limoncello crème bru'lee was citrusy and beautiful crunchy top. Carter, our waiter had all the answers and was available but not lurking. We will be back and will be bringing friends.

We had a very nice time for first visit. Greeted by a friendly staff and seated in a fun, artsy environment was the perfect start to our evening. The food was excellent. And our server, Drew, was fun, friendly and informed. If I wasn't retired, I would have offered him a job on the spot.

Wonderful view of downtown Columbia. This restaurant has a main level with ample seating and a full service bar. There is no TV at the bar as the focus on personal conversations. Upstairs is an open air, full service bar with 2 TVs. The are a few microbrews on tap with good selection of domestic and international bottle beer. The food menu targets fish, beef, pork and vegetarian pallets and foods are well prepared Try the Hanger Steak and Cheeseburger!!!

Excellent experience. Even though we did not have a reservation, we went right at 5 and sat on the heated rooftop. The bartenders were super nice and helpful, despite there not being full table service. The mussels were to die for. I would definitely order them again. Fresh, unique, and tasty. I could bathe in the broth. The grilled cheese dish made a good dinner for our toddler. The duck off the restaurant week menu was very yummy also and not overly drenched in red sauce so you could still taste the duck and spices. All the fries were perfectly crisped and cooked in tallow (the main reason we went there). All in all, would highly recommend.

Delicious elevated "French-inspired" food & cocktails for a reasonable price. Friendly and knowledgeable staff who ensure you have the best experience. Cocktail - refreshing and crisp (rose & gin I believe). Steak Frites - perfect balance with the citrusy vinaigrette on the salad; crispy fries; and flavorful tender steak. Crowd is mid 20s+ Plenty of parking next to the restaurant & there's an overflow lot within walking distance

Came here for a birthday dinner and got the orange blossom cocktail and the burger. The cocktail was great! Super unique and creative, definitely recommend if you like drinks on the sweater end. The burger was good too, I liked the caramelized onions with the cheese. The bun was extremely greasy tho. The fries I expected a little more from, they weren't that crisp felt a little soggy tbh. Service can't really comment on bc we were on the roof and it's just bar service but the rooftop is nice! Definitely want to go back for happy hour bc it looks like they have good deals.

It's a win every time! It's a vibe all the time! The food is spot on ever time. This is one of my favorite spots in Columbia. The mussels and the burgers are my favorite. The portions are generous. The staff are always pleasant. I just can't get enough of this place. Please go!

Another fantastic offering by Niemi. I love the new Italian direction they have gone. Fantastic cocktails and the burger remains.

I enjoyed this restaurant. They put a French spin on many dishes... They have a nice cocktail menu and good craft beer list. We are outside and our view looked East towards Columbia so you didn't have sun in your eyes nor did you potentially feel the heat. It was a bit noisy with the traffic but tolerable. We started with a chef's charcuterie board... And it was okay It had a small jar of a mustard and a honey, two small pieces of cheese, five pieces of bread, some version of salmon spread and a deep fried sweet bread ( Read as fried organ meat). So for me this was okay I would have preferred to know what was on the board as it was" chef's choice".. I have certainly had better charcuterie boards for the price and needless to say we did not eat the sweet bread pairing... So is a heads up ask what is on this board. And note some of the bread was crispy,.. some of the bread was soft and some of the bread was stale...Personally I don't think I would order this again. Our main meal was good the mussels were tasty and appearing over french fries or as they say Frites... The other meal was a pasta Thai type dish which was lightly seasoned with some vegetables and meats It was a large portion. I think I wish this was smaller portioned as if it were a tapas or small plates option ( See the picture) The creme brulee had some Grand Marnier and a port wine topping glaze... The topping was tasty. I felt that the creme brulee itself was a bit soupy for my liking and in my opinion should have been a more pudding or flan like consistency. After the meal we got a drink and went upstairs. If he was very nice view of the city I was a bit surprised to see that it wasn't busier as we were told we could not be seated up there because it was too busy. I think this is worth a try again but ordering different items on the menu And hopefully we would be able to sit up on the rooftop

This is my first time be here before and I really like this place. They have different foods that I never try before. I try the smokehouse mussels and the Nashville chicken sandwich and it was so good. The customer service was awesome and polite. And the restaurant was clean to.

Food and service was great! Had a party of 12 or so at six pm on a Saturday. Looked like everyone pitched in to assist our server, who was amazing at remembering all of us and our orders. Only negative... parking is horrible. Very frustrating to find a parking spot.

Best rooftop in Columbia. Great place for dinner or just drinks. I've been several different times and always had a great meal! The cocktail menu is fun and tasty. Can't wait to come back and try the Le Royal.

This spot checked off all of the boxes for me. Cool vibe Great food Awesome outdoor space. I should have grabbed a few more pictures but we dug in so quickly. We started with the beef tartar. It is topped off with a locally sourced quail egg and is delicious. I had the Lamb and Beef meatloaf. It is 80% lamb and 20% beef. It is moist on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside and drizzled with a tomato glaze which makes every bite a savory sensation on your taste buds. They have an extensive list of craft cocktails and a creative staff with a full bar ready to make anything you desire. Now for the rooftop space. It is a cool space with spectacular views of downtown. We caught it on a perfect night with perfect weather and cant wait to try again. I recommend you grab a reservation and give it a try.

We arrived at Black Rooster on a Tuesday night around 7:30pm. There's a public parking lot behind (look for the signs!). We had no issues grabbing a table on the rooftop, which had a great view of downtown Columbia. We ordered the escargot, okonomiyaki, and charcuterie board appetizers, and I had the salmon Wellington. Upon researching the menu beforehand, I was VERY skeptical. It seemed like they were trying to do too much, with dishes calling upon French, Vietnamese, German, etc. preparations. Almost all the items I tried were very delicious, and I would definitely come back here again to try more of their menu items. The only issue with the food was the creme brulee my friend ordered; I thought they were too heavy on the torch, resulting in a very bitter top. Service was excellent. Staff wore masks, although the bar upstairs basically had patrons piled on top of each other.

The Black Rooster--a trendy eatery at the corner of Meeting and Alexander Rd--boasts rooftop, street, and first floor dining room. I made a rezy on Open Table for 7:00 pm but the hostess could not find us on the list. No matter, although there were lots of people in the restaurant, after checking the rooftop (too noisy) and the main dining room (potentially too chilly) we opted for the street tables. Perfect! A nice breeze was blowing up Alexander and we were all alone when our server took our drinks and dinner order. If you like a Manhattan, you'll like a Monkey's Paw. My wife's Lemonade Ale was refreshingly tart. For dinner, I chose the Bun Thit Nuong. This is a dish I'd never make at home, and it looked interesting. If making comparisons, it like a hearty poke bowl. There are plenty of pickled veggies that contrast nicely with the salty meat (grilled pork belly and sausage). The starch is provided by rice noodles seasoned in a fish sauce. The dish isn't for everyone. While I enjoyed the dish for its uniqueness, I probably would not order it again anytime soon. We also ordered the strawberry & triple cream salad and savory crepes. The salad was attractive, but the dressing should have been a bit sweeter to contrast with the bitterness of the arugula. The crepes were tasty with a nice presentation, although a bit on the mild side. Solid four stars for the Black Rooster. Will definitely be back and I'm looking forward to sampling some of the other entrées.

I do like they allow you to go upstairs and there is open seating, first come first serve from what I understand. It's a beautiful to look into the open sky as you eat and drink. Everything I've had so far which is pictured has been nothing short of delicious.

I think the food was good and we were fortunate to sit at the bar since we didn't have a reservation. The food was ok , nice presentation but flavors didn't really appeal to me and I was not happy they wouldn't substitute the pork for chicken especially after spending $100 for 2 meals, cheese board, soup and 2 drinks . Nice ambiance. Bartender wasn't intuitive that we really wasn't feeling all the chatter but I guess that's his job. He just never paused to take a breath to check in . Unsure if I would go back but it's now off the bucket list.

Ordered the confit de canard(duck meat) and there's only a medium size duck thigh, very very dry, and charges $28(duck thigh market price 18oz/$10). The food standard is below some other local places like tazza, bourbon or even hunter gatherer. The servers are cool and nice people. Overall, the food looks great, tastes mediocre, charges overly.

Been here more than a few times. Each time our meals were done well. We have had consistently our appetizer brought out after are meals. Be nice to get those in advanced. The servers always apologize and friendly, so not a huge complaint but wanted to put it out there. Overall though it's worth it. Reservation recommended, we are always seated quickly when we have one.

Great roof top views! Delicious food. I will be back. The lamb was a special so it may not be there when you visit.

Heard great things! Maybe I caught on a bad night? Maybe it was overhyped by my friends and family? Server (Brooke) was AWESOME!!!! Great location!!! Bar, food, etc was mediocre. I had the duck (which I never pass up). The duck itself was flavorful, but portion was limited. Menu overall is somewhat limited. Prices.......... I gave Black Rooster 2 stars. It's a 4 star venue but subtracting points for the lackluster bar, limited menu and PRICE.

The food had no flavor at all. It took 10 minutes to get a spoon for the soup that was brought out. They did take the soup off the check but I will not return until I hear the food has more flavor.

If you love a good rooftop and well-curated cocktails this is the spot for you! I tried the Bird Hall cocktail and let me tell you, it was delectable. I tend to shy away from strong liquor drinks, but the bartender was very accommodating and gave me a light pour so I could still enjoy the robust flavor profile this drink has to offer. I'd say the chocolate balsamic is the most forward of the flavors, though it's balanced very nicely by the mellowness of the cream sherry, apple, and thyme. Definitely give Black Rooster a shot for your next happy hour--lovely views of the sunset and downtown if you can get a rooftop table!

The food was not to my taste. The presentation was great I just didn't enjoy the menu choices. The staff was great and efficient excellent service. The inside seating is nice but the top deck views are impressive

Amazing establishment with the parking garage pretty close for great parking. The rooftop view Is beautiful! The mix cocktails were delicious and so are the appetizers! Customer service was spectacular.

Our first visit to this restaurant but definitely will come again. We came midweek on a Wednesday and tables were booked but we were able to reserve two seats at the full serve bar. Nathan, the bartender was well informed of both the bar and menu offerings. The wine list is brief but high quality. The cotes du rhone red blend was an excellent red very flexible to menu choices. We ordered the mussels with fritas and as a picky mussels person who lived in Maine they were plump and fresh. Very good. The fritas were good as was the sauce drizzle. My only complaint was the broth which was watery and abundant. It needed a little more fat, i.e., butter, white wine, and a little fresh garlic. I ordered the Salmon Wellington which came with a vegetable side which was a cross between a ragu and jumble. The salmon was perfectly cooked with a nice pastry crust. The ragu jumble was a good side. I call it a jumble because of the cubed sweet potatoes. It just needed a little kick, maybe lemon and saffron? My husband had scallops on top of a farro tabouli and a nice swirl of curry aoli. My taste of it was very nice, especially that aoli. Farro is a nice choice for tabouli. Full of fresh mint. Very nice. We will be back. I'm very interested in Tuesday Ramen night. I feel a very nice French/Asian fusion vibe going on here with a good wine list to support both.

I wasn't a fan of the food, we tried the hot Nashville sandwich and by recommendation of the waitress we had the sauce on the side which is what could have made it blah. We also had the steak which wasn't memorable. Drinks are good, had a good selection of beer! Ambiance was cute, nice seating upstairs and downstairs.

Beef tartare was really good but the chicken sandwich and Bun Thit Xao were basic didn't taste like anything...

The food, the drinks, the service, the ambiance is all on point. Drinks on the roof top on a nice afternoon is a must for all. My wife and I enjoy this as our go to date night place.

Great food, patio ambience, and service. The salmon and mussels were very good and the desserts were excellent. Do wish wines were more reasonably priced.

The appetizer, main course and desert were all incredibly delicious. The service was good and the manager had taken time to make sure all went well. We will definitely return!

Fantastic place. Love the vibe, and the staff was amazing. I had the 15oz steak with au gratin, and it was a 10/10. Highly recommend for a date night!