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Savor Scout › Campuses › South Carolina › Columbia, SC › University of South Carolina-Columbia

Restaurants near campus

Restaurants near University of South Carolina-Columbia

245 places to eat within a mile of the University of South Carolina-Columbia, closest first, including Grand Market Place and Horseshoe Deli.

The 50 places to eat closest to University of South Carolina-Columbia

Closest first, out of 245 within a mile. Distances are straight-line from the campus, so a walk runs a little longer.

Right by campus · about a 5-minute walk (10)

About a 10-minute walk · a quarter to half a mile (40)

Listings from Overture Maps open data (September 2026), open places with a street address only. Hours and openings change, so check before you go. Want one picked for what you're craving instead? Ask Savor Scout near University of South Carolina-Columbia.

Can't decide between them? Say what you're craving and Savor Scout picks one near Columbia, SC.

The food scene around University of South Carolina-Columbia

245places to eat within 1 mile
66%independent, not chains
10coffee shops and cafés

Open listings put 245 places to eat within 1 mile of University of South Carolina-Columbia, 47 within a ten-minute walk (half a mile), and 502 within 3 miles. The most common: sandwiches (15), pizza (15) and American (12). 11 are fast-food counters; the rest are sit-down restaurants, cafés, bakeries and takeaway spots.

Where to walk: the streets with the most places to eat within 1 mile are Main St (52), Gervais St (51), Harden St (25) and Greene St (19).

What stands out around University of South Carolina-Columbia is frozen yogurt, Tex-Mex and gastropubs — types that are listed here at 3 to 5 times the national rate.

By type of food — tap one for what to order and how to spot a good one:

Sandwiches 15 Pizza 15 American 12 Coffee 10 Mexican 10 Bar & grill 10 Deli 10 Japanese 9 Barbecue 8 Seafood 6

Popular cravings near University of South Carolina-Columbia, within 1 mile: Asian food (24 places), Mexican food (10), Korean food (2) and Vietnamese food (2). Each guide covers what to order and how to tell a good kitchen from an average one.

Food guides for University of South Carolina-Columbia

Pizza near University of South Carolina-Columbia 15 Sandwich Shops near University of South Carolina-Columbia 15 Mexican Food near University of South Carolina-Columbia 10

Where University of South Carolina-Columbia stands out

Among the 1,027 campuses on Savor Scout, counting what is within a mile, University of South Carolina-Columbia ranks near the top for these. Each guide covers what to order and how to tell a good one.

Eating on a student budget near University of South Carolina-Columbia

Cheap and bad overlap much less than price filters suggest. Of the places listed nearby, 11 are fast-food counters: the cheapest default, rarely the cheapest good meal. The value is usually in lunch specials, counter service, short menus and dishes built on rice, noodles, bread or beans. Where to eat when you're broke covers what to look for, or search cheap eats near University of South Carolina-Columbia.

Need somewhere open right now? These listings do not carry live opening hours, and late at night a fair share of what is listed as open is not. The late-night guide covers how to check before you go, or search late-night food near University of South Carolina-Columbia and call ahead.

The campus

  • Location — Columbia, SC
  • Setting — in a city
  • Size — 20,000 students or more
  • Type — Public four-year institution

Campus figures are from IPEDS, the US Department of Education's institutional survey. Size is reported as the survey's own bracket rather than an exact headcount, because that is what the public dataset gives and we would rather quote it than estimate.

Nearby cities

Guides worth reading

What to eat during finals week Where to eat when you're broke Where to eat late at night Where to take visiting family and friends Eating out with a dietary restriction

Questions about eating near University of South Carolina-Columbia

What restaurants are near University of South Carolina-Columbia?
A few to start with, nearest first: Grand Market Place (cafeteria, under 0.1 mi), Beezer's Gourmet Sandwich Shop (delicatessen, 0.2 mi), Tios Mexican Cafe & Cantina (texmex, 0.3 mi), Sandy's Famous Hot Dogs (hot dog, 0.3 mi) and Madrigal (italian, 0.3 mi). They are chosen local-first, then listed by distance; a starting point, not a ranking.
How many places to eat are near University of South Carolina-Columbia?
Open map listings put 245 places to eat within 1 mile, 47 of them within a ten-minute walk, and 502 within 3 miles. About 66% are independent rather than chains; 10 are coffee shops or cafés and 11 are fast-food counters.
Where is the food near University of South Carolina-Columbia?
The busiest streets are Main St (52 places), Gervais St (51 places), Harden St (25 places) and Greene St (19 places).
What kind of food is near University of South Carolina-Columbia?
The most common types are sandwiches (15), pizza (15) and American (12). Unusually common compared with the rest of the country: frozen yogurt, Tex-Mex and gastropubs.

Nearby campuses

Comparing schools, or eating with friends across town? These are the closest campuses to University of South Carolina-Columbia.