Columbia is home to several great Carolina BBQ restaurants, date-night-worthy Italian restaurants, over 20 delicious burgers, and, as you’ll see in this guide, some awesome Greek and Mediterranean restaurants.
We love Greek food because it’s always just so fresh and colorful. Plus, you can’t beat pita bread with a big dollop of Tzatziki sauce. Or dolmas! Or spanakopita! And you can find it all in Columbia at several great Greek restaurants.
This list includes everything from a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant to a Lebanese restaurant where you’ll want to linger all night.
Though there are a few chains included in this guide, most of the ones listed are authentic, family-owned restaurants. And you can tell in the quality and service. We love a good family-run establishment!
There are so many great eateries in the area worth trying, so be sure to check out our list of over 20 awesome restaurants in Columbia. But if you’re specifically looking for Greek restaurants in Columbia, read on!
This article shares our top Greek food go-to’s around Columbia, along with details on what we like to order, parking and whether you can place an order online. But first, a map!
What You’ll Find In This Article
Where to Find Columbia, SC’s Best Greek Food
Our Favorite Places for Greek Food in Columbia, SC
And now onto our list! It’s not in any particular order, though we did include the table-service restaurants toward the top followed by counter-service ones.
Mediterranean Tea Room always tops the ‘Best Greek Restaurant’ lists in Columbia. You’ll find it on Devine Street and it’s the perfect destination for delicious Middle Eastern and Greek food in Columbia.
Med Tea Room’s menu includes all of your favorite Greek dishes, like gyros, greek salads, chicken kabobs, kofta kebob and even a falafel plate— served in a casual atmosphere. Their food is always fresh and so wildly delicious. PS: Don’t miss their Baklava!
It’s a great spot for a lunch near downtown Columbia and they also have a dinner service that starts at 5PM. They are closed for lunch on Saturday and closed all day on Sunday.
Arabesque on Devine is one of our favorite restaurants in Columbia. There is just nothing else like it in town! And even though it’s on popular Devine Street and just next to Za’s, it still remains a hidden gem after all these years. Similar to Il Giorgione!
For the perfect Lebanese dinner in Columbia, you can get an entree (shawarma plate, gyro plate, eggplant parm, etc.), meat skewers from the grill with 2 sides or individual meat skewers. Meat options include kafta, tenderloin, chicken, lamb kabob and New Zealand lamb chops. You can also get a mixed grill platter (chicken, kafta, tenderloin and shimp) for 1, 2 or 6 people. This is a great option if you want to try several types of meat.
They also have a vegetarian/vegan skewer from the grill with zucchini, tomatoes, onions and pepper. Speaking of vegan food, they have a few vegan options including a falafel platter and mujudara (rice and lentils.)
If you are looking more for a platter, we highly recommend the shawarma plate with their tahini sauce. It comes with hummus, potato cubes and one additional side of your choice. Check their full menu for all the details.
Parking: Arabesque on Devine has a large parking lot out front that is shared with Za’s. It can fill up at certain times but overall you shouldn’t have an issue finding a parking spot.
Pitas is a Lebanese family-owned Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Columbia, SC. They claim to have the freshest pita bread in town and we agree!
We love everything on Pitas’ menu and it’s a definite recommendation from us if you are looking for Greek food in Columbia.
We love their tzatziki wrap with grilled chicken, their chicken tahini wrap and their sample platter with hummus, tzatziki, baba ghanouj, veggies, tabouli, olives, pickles and pita bread.
It’s an unexpected menu item, but definitely try their chicken burger! It comes topped with chipotle mayo and is the best in town. They also have a tzatziki burger with ground beef. And if they have their feta pimento cheeseburger on the menu, try it! We think it’s one of the best burgers in Columbia.
Parking: Pita’s is located downtown on Taylor Street and have a ton of parking out front and on the side. They get pretty busy during lunchtime, though.
Beverages: One last noteworthy thing about Pitas in Columbia is that they have wine and local beer on the menu. This is not the case with most casual Greek restaurants in Columbia!
702 Cross Hill Road | Cross Hill Market
Taziki’s has become one of our go-to spots for takeout in Columbia because they have excellent food that is quick and easy to order online.
We love their Mediterranean feast options that come with a choice of meat (or veggies), a greek salad, baked pita chips and a choice of red potatoes or basmati rice. Their gyros are also great, mostly because we love their Taziki sauce! And their Mediterranean Salad is one of the best in town! We typically add a side of their grilled beef to it.
If you are feeding a crowd, check out their family feasts for 4 or 6. This to-go-only option includes a protein, Greek salad, pita chips and potatoes or rice.
Parking: Taziki’s is in the Cross Hill Market shopping center just across from Whole Foods and next to Duck Donuts. There is a ton of parking out front so you shouldn’t have an issue. You’ll find indoor seating but we actually prefer their outdoor patio if we are dining in and it’s not too hot outside! It’s an order at the counter place!
Greek Boys is a casual Greek restaurant in downtown Columbia. They have excellent food, whether you are just getting a basic Greek salad or a Gyro platter.
Their spanakopeta daily lunch is excellent and comes with a Greek salad and pita bread. We also enjoy their chicken souvlaki sandwich– their sauce and pita bread are both great!
Greek Boys is a popular spot for people who work in downtown Columbia and their hours reflect this. They are open 10:30-3pm Monday through Friday and are closed on weekends. They have tables both inside and outside on Sumter St. It has a heavy downtown city vibe, so it’s fun to grab lunch and pretend you are in an even bigger city!
One last thing- they cater! And they offer online ordering for events to keep it easy for you.
4600 Devine Street | near Cross Hill Market
Kairos is a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant in Columbia located near Cross Hill Market on Devine Street. It’s actually part of a chain based out of Mount Pleasant, SC. Their food is very fresh and flavorful and their menu has something for everyone.
They build your order in front of you at Kairos, a la Chipotle and Subway. Choose your meal (pita, bowl, salad, or a platter) and then customize it with your choice of protein and toppings. They have a few spreads to choose from (hummus, baba ganoush, red pepper feta, spicy harissa and tzatziki) and a ton of toppings. It’s nice because you can really create your perfect Greek meal!
Parking at Kairos Mediterranean is pretty easy. It shares a lot with a dentist’s office and Another Broken Egg Cafe, but the lot is never too full. And if for some reason it is, just park in the Staples lot right behind and walk.
Green Olive Restaurant is a family-owned Mediterranean & Turkish restaurant near the South Carolina State House. They are open for both lunch and dinner every day but Sundays. It’s a very casual spot.
They have great Turkish red lentil soup and stuffed grape leaves, which together make a delicious meal. If you are looking for a heartier entree, try their gyro platter. It comes with a small salad or cup of soup, as well as basmati rice, grilled vegetables and their homemade tzatziki sauce. Their various kebabs are also delicious and come with the same sides as the gyro platter. Check out Green Olive’s menu here for all the details.
Parking: Green Olive Restaurant is located just behind the SC State House on Main Street. Most of the nearby lots are reserved for permit holders only. You’ll find metered street parking on Main Street and a pay-to-park lot around the back of Green Olive on Pendleton Street.
2431 Main Street | the North Main area
Noma Bistro by Al-Amir is the perfect place for healthy Mediterranean food in Columbia. They are located in the North Main area (NOMA) just across from Rambo’s Fat Cat Biscuits. We love that this area is getting a few great restaurants!
Noma Bistro’s menu has several great appetizers, like hummus, baba ghanouj, dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) and even spicy feta dip. They have several wrap options like a lamb or chicken gyro, chicken shawarma wrap and even a steak philly wrap.
Entrees include a falafel platter, chicken or lamb shawarma and a gyro platter. Their food is halal and locally sourced. And it’s all very fresh and healthy tasting!
If the name Noma Bistro by Al-Amir sounds familiar, perhaps you are thinking of Al-Amir which was previously in downtown Columbia on Main Street. Before that it was in the current Arabesque on Devine location.
Columbia’s Greek Festival
We can’t write a list of the best Greek food in Columbia without leaving off Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral’s Greek Festival! Columbia goes nuts over this four-day festival that typically occurs toward the end of September.
Enjoy the culture, the music and the food! Speaking of, not only can you get Greek food to eat there, but you can also get Greek food to-go.
And that wraps up our guide to the best Greek restaurants in Columbia, SC. It was fun writing about each place and certainly made us want to go back to each immediately. As did writing all of our other guides to Columbia’s food scene!