Hickory Tavern

The Hickory Tavern is located in the Vista of Columbia, SC.

It was a cold, dreary January day when we visited so no one was sitting outside. Outdoor seating is available upstairs and downstairs.

This sports bar has many televisions on inside.

A little bit of everything was being shown.

It has a great casual atmosphere.

Most importantly the food was delicious.

Jim enjoyed his usual go to, the Rueben, a sandwich of corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss, 1000 Island on rye bread.

I had my usual go to which is the veggie burger, a three grain patty of brown rice, quinoa and bulgur along with roasted corn, black beans and roasted red peppers.

The french fries here were thicker than I usually prefer, however they were perfect. Soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.

We would give the place an overall 4/5 stars since while the food was very good, it was not the best we have tasted in the area for our typical go to choices.

This Palmetto Espresso Porter from the Palmetto Brewing Co. of Charleston was amazing!

If you go, located at:
907 Senate Street
Columbia, SC

Opens at 11am daily. Closes at midnight Sunday thru Wednesday and closes at 2am Thursday thru Saturday. 

My guess is this a party spot at night for the university students! It is also in walking distance to the convention center and arena. A great spot of stop in before or after an event.

Thank you for stopping by! ~Val

Twisted Spur Brewing

We enjoyed a flight at Twisted Spur Brewing in the Vista of Columbia, SC.

How fun is the serving platter in the shape of South Carolina?

We went with Coco Hefe (my favorite), Great White Buffalo (Jim's favorite), Sexi Mexi and Lemon Pill.

The beer is brewed on site behind the bar.

The food was excellent. Jim enjoyed the Cocky Cajun Chicken Salad which was blackened chicken breast, romaine, garlic croutons, and asiago, tossed in house-made Caesar dressing.

I enjoyed the Black Bean Melt which was a house made black bean patty with melted cheddar cheese, mixed greens, shaved red onion, tomato, and citrus sour cream on jalapeño bread. Perfect hand cut fries were on the side.

We certainly appreciated the food and beer here as well as the reasonable prices.

If you go, located at 705 Gervais Street in Columbia, SC. Current hours are:

Monday-Thursday 4 pm-11pm

Friday 11am-12am

Saturday 10am-12am

Sunday 10am-11pm

Brunch Served 10am - 2pm Saturday and Sunday

Thank you for stopping by! ~Val

The Coop Rotisserie

The Coop Rotisserie is a new eatery in downtown Amesbury, MA (where Main Street and Friend Street intersect).  This is the first time Jim and I have known owners opening a restaurant so it is a treat to check it out!

I know what you are thinking, Val is reviewing a chicken joint? 

Well it turns out there are many vegetarians in this area and this restaurant worked out a delicious menu to cater to those of us veggie types.

This is the cook Elvis and I. Being Latino, he has incorporated his spicy ethnicity into the menu.

We ate vegetarian of course but from what I have seen on Yelp and Facebook, patrons are loving the rotisserie chicken too.

This is the vegetarian version of the empanada. It is full of veggie goodness. The vibrant sauce it a roasted carrot chipotle. Yum! Also made with either chicken or beef picadillo.

A scrumptious black bean veggie burrito. Perfect for satisfying Latino craving. Also made with chicken or braised beef.

We tried this traditional vegetarian sandwich of portabello and roasted red pepper. It is loaded with greens and tomatoes along with tasty seasoning of pesto de albahacca. So much deliciousness.

Those are not french fries on the side, but yucca fries. They are perfect! Served with the roasted carrot chipotle, I was in love. 

Elvis was saying that these are ordered much more often than the french fries. Considering this, he is now thinking of adding other yucca items to the menu. Great idea! This is not something we see on menus often.

The restaurant is small and quaint.

Elvis makes it a point to come out from behind the open kitchen to talk with the patrons. That is the best way to learn about how to tweak a menu that the customers will love and keep coming back for! 

They have been very busy since they opened their doors a few months back and I know these guys will experience continued success.

Next time we will try the quesadillas, tacos, rellanas and salads and leave very satisfied again! 

If you live locally, I hope you will check out The Coop Rotisserie open Tuesday thru Saturday from 11:30am until 9:30pm.

Thank you for stopping by! ~Val