Columbia, SC

Mac’s on Main
Soul Food and Lowcountry cuisine; owned by City Councilman, Blues guitarist and chef; Barry Walker, Sr. and his wife, Susan Walker; live entertainment nightly and guests can bring their instruments to sit in with the band; menu includes fried shrimp, shrimp & grits, yam fries, ribs, She-crab soup, chicken & waffles, and some of the best peach cobbler our travel writer, Kalin Thomas has ever had; lunch buffet costs under $10 and the beautiful African American artwork and Mac’s on Main Wall of Fame photos give the place a unique ambiance; Chef Barry even produced a cookbook with a musical CD to cook by; Mon 11a–3p, Tue 11a–8p, Wed-Thu 11a–12p, Fri 11a– 2a, Sat 5p-12p; 1710 Main Street; 803-929-0037; http://www.macsjazznblues.com

North Main Deli
Soul Food cuisine; popular lunch cafe owned by the Odom Family; check out their popular sandwiches, chicken salad on croissant, hot bar (which changes daily), Friday seafood and homemade pastries; Mon–Fri 10a-5p, Sat 10a–4p; 3800A North Main Street; 803-929-0980

United House of Prayer Cafeteria
Popular restaurant owned by the church, its Soul Food menu includes perfectly fried chicken, meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, green beans, potato salad, cornbread and desserts; Mon–Fri 11a–6p, Sat 11a–3p; major credit cards okay; 2426 Read Street; 803-748-0555