The Bistro

Burgers at the bar. Our bartenders were Amy and Jeff. Both were exceptional. The burgers were hot and the fries crispy. Now to the stars of the night! You have to try the fried green tomatoes. They look like cheeseburgers. However one bite and wow! The tomatoes are cooked perfectly, moist inside crunchy out. Topped with a sauce that somehow blends with another mild sweet red sauce. Delicious! Bartenders Jeff make a dirty martini 2nd to none. Blue cheese stuffed olives. Try an Old Fashion. Professional Bartenders, Amazing Chef! Great date night spot.

The staff were amazing. We liked everything with the exception of the short beef ribs and Mac and cheese. They were great about replacing the dish for us. There was live music, Chris Reed, and just a great vibe the whole night. We were celebrating a birthday and it was a great choice, highly recommend! Get the fried green tomatoes! You won't be disappointed. The drinks were awesome as well. I would give it a 4.5 but I can't give a half star lol 😆 We set a reservation on a Friday night, highly recommend.

My Husband and I dined this past Wednesday, to celebrate our Anniversary. Our waitress was Anne T, she was absolutely wonderful, from beginning to end. We ordered the fried Oyster appetizer, entrées were Salmon and Ribeye steak, the food was fresh and delicious. Several of the employees wished us a happy Anniversary. This was my 4th visit, each time, both the service and food have been consistent; very good. I recommend this restaurant, ask for Anne T! We will definitely be back.

My wife and I went to The Bistro Halloween night. I reserved a table online easily and asked for a table away from the live music so our conversation would not be overpowered. After reserving our table online, I received an email confirmation which also suggested coming in costume. We arrived early and were greeted immediately by the hostess who confirmed our table choice was acceptable and seated us right away. There was a 2 piece blues band playing as quietly as possible and both musicians were excellent. We both ordered the Blackened Antarctic Salmon laying in a bed of roasted cream corn and included a side of green beans. The Salmon was delicious as was the cream corn and green beans. Our server was very nice and engaging and made sure all our needs were met promptly. While nearing the end of our meal, I asked her to bring our desert as soon as she cleared the table and she did just that. The apple crumb topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream was impecable. We shared the desert since we were already quite full. My wife rarely eats her whole meal but this night, she didn’t leave a scrap. During the evening 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes were awarded to patrons in costume and also to the Bistro staff. All the costumes we saw were in good taste and quite well done. Such a fun and entertaining evening at the Bistro!

This is the 4th time I have been here. This place has a nice ambience with live music on the weekends and the food is always on point. There's no such thing as a perfect restaurant without mistakes. At the beginning of our most recent visit, there was a minor one. I had brought my wife and mother-in-law with me. It was nothing deliberate but they went out of their way to make it right, beyond any customer service experience that I have ever had to date. Nick was awesome- this guy genuinely cares about the experience of his customers and the one responsible for the best service. The whole staff has always been great there. The dark haired woman at the bar (I forget her name) is also excellent, along with the guy that I usually see working alongside her- he is passionate about his cocktail perfection. The cocktails from both of them are works of art and always perfectly measured. I feel like this menu is perfect and I love the specials, to change things up a bit. We have been in the Columbia area for about 2 years and this is our favorite place. We will be customers as long as we live here.. I didn't really take photos of this visit, but here's a couple of my previous one.

Busy place on weekend nights. Bartender served up great cocktails 🍸 before we were seated for dinner. Definitely recommend and we will be back.

We had an amazing experience at The Bistro! The food was absolutely delicious — fresh, flavorful, and clearly high quality. The drinks were just as impressive: excellent quality, perfectly made, and a great complement to the meal. A special shoutout to our server, Annie T — she was outstanding! Her recommendations were spot-on, and her energy was incredible. She made the whole experience even better. We’ll definitely be back and highly recommend The Bistro!

My husband and I decided to give this place a try after it was recommended by a friend, and overall we had a great experience. Bar seats were pretty hard to come by, but the live music created a fun, welcoming vibe while we waited. The staff was very friendly, even though the bartenders were clearly very busy. During part of our visit, there was a couple seated next to us who were unfortunately a bit of a buzzkill. They were quite rude to both the staff and the manager, and at one point I literally grabbed my husband’s arm because listening to the interaction was making me so uncomfortable. That said, we gained a lot of respect for the manager and staff for how calmly they managed a KAREN AND KEN, some people can be SO RUDE! Once that couple left, we were able to fully relax and enjoy ourselves. We ended the night with crème brûlée, which was delicious, and the bartenders even made me a fun drink topped with whipped cream and a candy cane—such a nice touch! Bar seating can be tough to snag, so next time we’ll plan to arrive earlier or make a reservation for a table. The bar does seem to attract an older crowd and a lot of regulars, based on how familiar everyone was with the staff. The live music was a nice addition, and I really loved the aesthetic of the heated patio. We’ll definitely be back.

We celebrated a birthday here with a group. The little lights on each table create a cozy and intimate atmosphere. Service was excellent, and everyone's food was nicely plated, with generous portions, and very fresh. The chili lime shrimp in particular were huge and so good! Hub said his salmon was cooked perfectly. I also recommend the fig margarita with sugar on the rim for a sweet and salty treat. The birthday girl was offered a dessert on the house and enjoyed the crème brûlée. Overall it was a great evening! Recommend.

Came here for the first time and was honestly a bit disappointed. Our reservation was at 8pm, but we were told they were out of shrimp, salmon, only had one ribeye, and just a few half chickens left. On top of that, there's a $4 charge for any substitutions, which didn't feel great considering how limited the options were. The waitress was super nice and friendly, and the manager did offer free appetizers, which I really appreciated. The atmosphere was nice too -- live music and a good vibe overall. Just disappointed that so many menu items were unavailable. Hopefully next time there's a better selection, because the place itself seems like it could be really good.

We're in town for a couple of days and this is the first time we've been to The Bistro. We arrived just as happy hour was ending, the bar was slamming full, but we were easily able to find a seat at a little high top table at the back where the wine wall is. Pretty stellar too as it gave us a nice view of the whole restaurant and the ambiance. We started with a couple of cocktails, G tried a new bourbon , the Window Jane, Baby Jane on a rock. He liked it. I thought it was bright and sharp but Gary has more of a refined pallet for bourbon than I do. I had a spicy margarita, with house-made mix. Good, but could've been more spicy. The Lavendar Haze is a winner as is the Peach Old Fashion which boasts a house-made peach purée. For appetizers we had the Balsamic Poached Pears with Burrata and we split a wedge salad, both of which were pretty darn good. They were out of fried green tomatoes which I would've loved to try as I'm missing true southern pimento cheese these days. Oh well. The bartender Katie, who was also taking care of the outliers like us, was attentive and informational and so sweet. G and I split the Chilean Seabass entrée which was absolutely delightful. The flavor of this beautiful fish really comes through, the chef is magical in keeping the natural buttery notes and clarity of this fish while doing a beautiful char on top. Nestled on a bed of cauliflower butternut squash risotto and topped with a luxurious yet simple accoutrement of spinach pesto, this dish shines. G commented that if someone proclaims that fish is not their dish of choice, they should be brought here and be happily enlightened. Took back to the hotel a decadent slide of coconut cream pie, which proved to be a mouthwateringly perfect late night nibble as well as an exciting morning coffee pairing. Super Duper. What REALLY blew my mind though was the trio that was playing their Thursday night gig with a little tiny female base player named Delany who was totally driving the groove. Lord have mercy, South Carolina how much do I love you!!! Apparently they like us here too as we received gratis a chocolate Jell-O shot which is homemade by the owner's mother. I'd love to hang out with her for a minute ;' ). Fabulous, maybe better than a rich silky eggnog shot! Super duper! Thank you so much Bistro Grill!

My wife and I enjoyed dinner at this establishment tonight and received attentive service from Alyssa. Food quality was very good. I was a tad disappointed to learn that the restaurant sandwich menu was not available even though the sandwich photos are what attracted me online to visit this restaurant. We spent more than we thought we would but both agree that we will return another time so I may indeed experience the luncheon menu.

Had a great business lunch with the steak sandwich. It was quiet enough to have a conversation without yelling, and the service was very pleasant and attentive.

The Bistro is located perfectly from the interstate; easy to locate with adequate parking. We made reservations on open table and was seated upon arrival. The restaurant has plenty of space, beautiful ambiance, including patio seating, and live music. The live music was definitely an added bonus. Our waitress was attentive, provided recommendations, and was welcoming. However, the food was not the star of the show. We had Rockefeller oysters for appetizer. We didn't enjoy them and order fried green tomatoes next. They were a hit! Our entrees included catfish and grits & lobster ravioli. We would rate the food 7/10. All dishes arrived to the table quickly but lacked flavor. I would visit again for the drinks and live music.

My wife and I went here with some friends. We had a great time and the place has a great atmosphere. They had live music which, considering we were wanting to talk with our friends made it a little difficult to hear, but the music was nice. Overall, the food was good. Our server was very attentive and friendly. For what you received the prices were a little high, but I would come back again. Note, they do take reservations.

The Bistro has become a favorite spot since we moved to SC. The menus are seasonal and the food is delicious and never disappoints. The ambiance and live entertainment is an added plus. Tonight we met the manager -Nick -who spent extra time helping us choose our wine, and even introduced us to some of his favorites from Spain. To top it off, he provided us with a handwritten list of his favorite spots in Columbia/Irmo, SC knowing we are new to the area. He and our server went out of their way to make our evening memorable and special. We will be back!

Another great time at The Bistro. Service is always excellent and the food was delicious as usual. We sat outside, where they had heaters & TVs. Everything was lovey and they happily provided additional plates for our personal cake!

I wish i could y'all tell what the food tastes like, however we didn't get to taste it...we got seated...they even brought us a highchair... and then we waited and waited for no service, no water, not even someone to tell us someone would be with us... they weren't busy..we were seated in the middle of the restaurant... so they saw us...anywho after deciding how long was a reasonable time to wait....we left after almost 15 minutes of no acknowledgment...the place was real cute and i really wanted to try the pork belly Cuban & blackened salmon for my daughter...but we got was the smell of crispy Brussels sprouts :( :(

Walking in to an open floor plan and a saxophonist in the corner made me instantly fall in love. The bar staff was engaging and fun to chat with. The food was hot, delicious and just what I needed.

I have been here for lunch twice and have enjoyed it both times. Customer service is amazing. The food is enjoyable as well. I ordered the steak, and it was cooked exactly like I requested and full of flavor. I enjoyed the french fries. The burgers were delicious. I wasn't a fan of the catfish and grits; however, I'm not a huge fan of the tomato paste and okra mixture.  The atmosphere is great. I really want to return for dinner at some point. I love the fire pits on the patio.

Great atmosphere. The food, servers and drinks were all good. Also, staff walks and checks to make sure things are right, but intrusive. Always enjoy.

Portion size on the shrimp and grits was way too small, prices on wine were too high. I'm in SC, shouldn't be paying DC or NYC prices. Will definitely not come back.

Outstanding ambiance great food and service definitely a fine place to dine and the drinks were perfect!

My go to spot for romance, food and libations on Irmo (Columbia) SC. Love music, strong drinks and damn good food. Top shelf liquors, jazz trio and a medium ribeye that was off the chart. Can't miss spot to take your lady or find one .

Very limited offerings. Nothing is special. Other people love it I don't get it. I nene had good service there either.

My fiancee and I love coming here! He brought me today for my birthday and everything was amazing! The seating is perfect The service is always great, the food is to die for. Tonight we had the jalapeño cheddar hushpuppies to share, I had the blackened salmon, he had the smash burger. They were all so great. Our wonderful waitress brought me a whiskey banana chocolate chip bread pudding with ice cream and 2 birthday candles on top! It was a really excellent experience and we will definitely be going more in the future.

This place is among my favorites anywhere I travel. The live music was great and my colleagues and I got the best of both worlds sitting on the patio at the table closest to the window where the duo was playing relaxing instrumentals. The patio was awesome! The Fiat, with the tables, couch, fire table and curtains was very relaxing

The food was ok. When they first tried to turn us away we should have left. Burger was bland and not very many menu options.

Went here for lunch today and the service and food were excellent! I wasn't expecting it to be as nice as it was. The atmosphere is a on the fancier side. We ordered a mimosa flight, pimento cheese appetizer, chicken salad croissant, and the hot honey chicken naan. The hot honey wrap was amazing!

Food and Service is always great. This has become our go to place for lunch or dinner and special occasions. Great wine list as well and fantastic bar selection

Lunch with the ladies today. Great service by a delightful waitress who could not have been more pleasant or accommodating. My chicken salad was excellent, and the fluffy croissant was even grilled. My friend's wedge salad was gorgeous and huge. The shrimp and grits looked amazing. Great bottle of chenin blanc. Only negative was the $9 dessert out of a box. We had a great time, and the good food was a bonus. I can't wait to return to lunch on the patio and a romantic dinner with my husband.

Went to dinner on a Saturday night with three girlfriends. All the food was delicious! Our server was so sweet and she gave us great suggestions. My only complaint was the music was really loud and it made it difficult to have a conversation even with the four of us sitting close together. It's a beautiful restaurant and I would definitely recommend trying it if you are in the Irmo area

Very nice. Was greeted and seated right away. Food was quick and tasted very good. The restaurant decor was very nice and cozy. Would go back if in the area

We were on our way to a welcome party but the food wasn't what we would eat so we stopped in here! Oh we were out of town drs too. Of course we were dressed up and slightly over dressed for this place. It's in a strip mall but don't let that fool you! The food was excellent. Best fried green tomatoes I've had. Our waitress was very nice and helpful the bolognese was enough for 2 of us with bread. Yum The pork dish my husband had was also very delicious. I am not sure SC's smash burger is a MI smash burger but very good as well. We will for sure go back next time we are in SC!!!

Walked into a completely empty restaurant around 3 something on Valentine's Day looking for a table for 2, was told we could not be seated because they were "completely booked", but not a soul other than wait staff was in sight and the parking lot was empty as well. I can understand if we came in between 5-10 for peak dining hours, but be for real.

The food outstanding! The ambiance just very relaxing and the music was a plus! The server was really nice a little bit over bearing but still really nice! It's my 2nd time going and for sure will be back!

Food: 5 Customer Service: 5 Menu selection: 5 Location/ Parking: 5 Cleanliness: 5 Reservations: Yes Military discount: Yes Heard wonderful things about Bistro on The Boulevard, so finally I had a dinner date before seeing Lion King at the Koger Center! It didn't disappoint, customer service, tasty fresh burger...I made a reservation on Open Table weeks prior to avoid the wait. I will be going back to enjoy at a much slower pace. They do have a nice size bar. Check them out in Irmo SC!

Went here for lunch with my husband. There were 3 other tables of people who were already there and empty (lunch service was ending) so we were the only ones ordering. One of those tables qas a large party of about 10 people, therefore our waiter forgot about us as he was trying to close out their tab. I asked him to send someone over to take our order- so we waited over 35 minutes just for our order to be taken in a practically empty place... I was hungry & upset. Our food took quite some time as well which we didn't understand because we were the last order coming out-of the kitchen. Waiter never came to check on us to see how our meal was ( we had to flag him down in an empty restaurant just to get the bill). Eeh, we won't return.

I had the Nashville Hot Chicken Naan and it was amazing. The service is always good, the restaurant can be either classy date night or casual drinks with friends. They always have good music playing and the drinks are great!

Loved it! The food, the vibe, the service. All the things, even the tiny lights on the tables. We had the Brussels and shared the steak. Everything was delivered as ordered and our server was a joy who actually seemed to love her work. We're not from the area; we stopped for dinner on our way from Charleston to Anderson. We're looking forward to another visit to try more deliciousness from the menu!

My mother-in-law wanted to treat us to a nice lunch so we went to The Bistro. For a restaurant in a strip mall, this place was really cute and offered unique menu items. We had to try the Brussel sprouts appetizer: crispy Brussels sprouts tossed in honey-garlic soy and chopped peanuts. Then a unique grilled cheese sandwich of cheddar, goat, and smoked gouda cheeses,bacon jam, and roasted tomato confit on grilled challah bread. With a side of tomato soup. Also tried the Nashville hot honey chicken on fresh naan. Service was a little slow but we were enjoying food and company so it didn't matter. Very enjoyable experience.

The food is good, and the people was friendly the only issue is I don't think we should have to look at ASS!!!,

We visited The Bistro on a friday evening before it got too busy. Even though we didn't have reservations, they were still able to accommodate us. We ordered their special, which was grilled scallops, risotto, and broccolini. It was absolutely amazing and I savored every moment! Our waitress was very nice and attentive. The service manager also introduced himself and check on us. We will definitely return.

I've been going to The Bistro to eat for years. I've also purchased a lot of catering from them. My last 2 visits I didn't leave reviews despite having the same problem. Both times, the staff was overly aggressive on selling bottles of wine and bourbon and, once purchased, the promised price discounts were not honored. On our most recent visit, the woman manager asked my spouse and I to leave our table before we'd finished our meal "so we can open up the table for someone else" who had the next reservation. We'd been there only 50 minutes and had spent almost $200 between the two of us. Experiencing similar problems to these in the past couple years, we've decided we won't be going back.

Our go to in Irmo. Always good dishes. We especially like the seafood options. Their bacon wrapped scallops are always good. Good music too.

My friend and I sat at the high-top near the wine wall, which was surprisingly nice, though we joked about how we would feel if we accidentally knocked the wine off the wall when we grabbed our purses. So, be careful. The server was both attentive and friendly, making the experience even better. The food was absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection. The live music, along with the lighting and setup, created the perfect ambiance for a fantastic night out.

My wife and I have eaten here several times. The food and service was Excellent each time and they have a great wine list! Make sure you ask for the Reserve wine list. Good atmosphere, we are having our Valentines dinner at the Bristo.

Great service and the food is excellent as always. The Catfish over smoked gouda grits is outstanding, and the seared pork chop was very tender and flavorful. One of our favorite places to dine!

Amazing atmosphere and great service. Katie was very attentive, courteous and on par with drinks and especially that bread. Manager very knowledgeable about bourbon and had a very nice selection.

The food was phenomenal. We have almond encrusted swordfish and the filet migon with pimento cheese on it. Sat at the bar and the bartender was awesome.

Pleasant atmosphere, amazing service, and delicious food and dessert! They made our Valentine's Day extra special.

I'v been to The Bistro several times and always enjoyed the friendly servers and good food which I feel was fairly priced. Yesterday was different. My wife and I arrived at 5:30 (Happy Hour), early for our 6:00 reservation to insure we could increase our group from 7 to 9 people. At the bar was a loud barefoot man already obviously drunk. When the rest of my family arrived at 6:00 and we were seated right next to the bar. I guess the space for large groups is limited. the pre-mentioned individual was getting drunker and louder and began roaming the bar, greeting his buddies with "Hey you Moth** F***ers, while walking right next to our table which contained five 7 to 12 year old children. We complained to the serve staff and then directly to the manager, who apologized and promised resolution. At 6:30 our food arrived and the individual was still being served, mind you he was noticeably drunk an hour earlier, and was louder and more profane, making loud reference to his buddies about the "sensitive table behind him. At this point we took our food outside and ate on the 85 degree covered patio. The manager came out and made another lip-service apology and stated the incident was a "learning curve" for his bar staff. At approx. 7:00 the drunk was escorted out (I guess Happy Hour was over) by the manager who was probably trying to prevent a drunken confrontation. Our check arrived and he didn't even offer a comped dessert. If The Bistro wants to be a rowdy, profane, family-unfriendly establishment, they are happy to proceed, without my continued support.

Food is amazing the place is great our waitress is always wonderful every time we go ....

The food was great and service was great. The only difference would be more outdoor heat for winter and fans for summer.

Heard about this after moving local. Service was OK butt the food was just so so. Prices will scare the locals away for sure!! Those are prices you would see in an upscale city restaurant. Now I know why it was empty.

Selfishly, I don't want to tell everyone how great Bistro is. We visited on a Friday night and despite how busy the restaurant was, everything was spot on. Don't think I'd try to get in here on Friday or Saturday without a reservation unless going early or sitting at the bar (and I loved the ambience of the bar so I would do that). This was our 2nd time dining here and we were delighted that it was just as good as we remembered. Service is great, drink menu has some interesting/inventive and the food is delicious. We split 2 apps and an entree - Fried Green Tomatoes (served with pimento cheese), a bistro salad, and the pork rib eye. They were all outstanding but special note about the pork because it seems so difficult these days to get pork (other than tenderloin) that isn't just a little tough. Not the case here - perfectly seasoned, cooked, and tender. Fantastic! Looking forward to return and although I'd order the pork again, I just may have to try something new, but I'm not sure. And I'll definitely be ordering the tomatoes again!

Local bar crowd was friendly. The bar team was attentive and friendly. The food was good. (Their fryer oil needs to be changed, too brown yet soggy chips) The music was a nice background. Cool local place. Nice evening, while we passed through to Charleston. Fun find