2245 Leaphart Road

West Columbia, SC 29169

(803) 796-0291

Terry's Diner

For over forty years there has been a restaurant in West Columbia South Carolina that is the epitome of a mom and pop style diner. When you step into Terry’s Diner and grab your seat in either the smoking or the non smoking section you feel a sense of Americana. It is a feeling that this country seems to be losing at a rapid pace. This is the kind of place that families have been visiting for many years. As a matter of fact Toby Taylor was the owner of Terry’s for over twenty years, but in recent years a customer bought Terry’s and gave it to his daughter. His daughter is Jessica and grew up going to Terry’s. She is now scene behind the counter working over the grill. She also is the first one to see you walk in the door and makes sure that you are greeted on your way to your table.

Smoking or No Smoking?

On this particular morning that we came in there was a big football game in town. All the staff was wearing the colors of their favorite team…some in orange, white and purple and some in crimson and black. The rivalry between the Gamecocks and the Clemson Tigers was the only thing on the mind of everyone in the Columbia, South Carolina area on this day. Since the game was being played in Columbia only about 10 miles away there was talk amongst the customers about traffic and which would be the best way to go. At one time Jessica made an announcement loud enough for the entire place to hear, “It’s just over 2 hours till kickoff y’all”. We knew that by noon that Terry’s would be deserted.

3 Eggs & Hash

On this our breakfast stop I decided that I would order 3 eggs over medium and corned beef hash. When we sat down this was the meal I wanted but later I got a taste of the onion sausage and kind of wished that I had ordered that instead, but we will get to that in a few. When my meal came I have to say that my eggs were more on the easy side than the medium, but that can also be a personal preference. The corned beef hash was basic and might have come straight from a can. If it did or if it didn’t come from a can, in this case I do not care, cause it was delicious. I also had some wheat toast there to ’sop’ up the plate. Trust me; this is the kind of restaurant that you are expected to use your toast or biscuit for cleaning your plate.

The Grill

Terry’s Diner is one of those places that when the hand written ticket is given to you there is no pricing on there. So unless you are adding it up as you go, you will need to wait for the cashier to ring it up for the total. But not to worry, the total for the two of us including coffee and soda was less than $11.00 including our tip we were out for under $15. This was a surprise, due to the fact that we got a lot of food. As we waited at the register they were cooking up some fresh sausage. They told me that the sausage is from a local meat shop from nearby Lexington, S.C..  They offer a couple of different sausages but the one that caught my eye was a sausage made with onion in it. As they said, it was the healthier of the two. By healthy they did not mean ‘good for you’ healthy, but larger and more of a thick piece. At this point Jessica offered me a piece of the sausage for a sample. Thinking that she would give me a sliver I was anxious to get a piece. Actually she gave me a good side order size of the sausage on a napkin. This sausage was fantastic, so much so that for the next hour I would continue to make comment about it. So the next time that I visit Terry’s I will get the onion sausage either as a side or maybe in an omelet.

 Unfortunately getting to Terry’s is a little bit of a challenge if you are not from the area. It is so good that I would like to tell everyone passing though to go by there but, if you are not using a map finding program on your phone or computer this could get you lost. Let’s say this… Leaphart Road is off of 378 in the West Columbia area not far from I 20. It will sneak up on you though. When you see the Waffle House on 378 there is only one way that you can turn, take that turn and follow for about 2 miles (more or less) Terry’s Diner is on the right near a barber shop. If you are not used to directions in the south, this is kind of a common way to give them. Personally I do hope that you will swing by and eat at Terry’s Diner, you will enjoy it I am sure.

Review by Pie, email: pie@piesplate.com

1605 North Lake Drive

Lexington, SC 29072

(803) 808-0882

DAM Bar& Grill

North Lake Drive in Lexington, South Carolina is a five lane road that was built as a result of the Lake Murray Dam. Lake Murray is a magnificent site and the dam is a man-made marvel. With recently building a retention wall that allows you to drive literally in between the dam on one side and along the top of the dam on the other, you will follow the dam for the almost 2 miles that it spans. Near this midlands landmark is an establishment known as the DAM Bar & Grill. In the past I have been to this place for a few drinks with friends and family, but never to eat.

DAM Bar

On this football Saturday we decided to stop in for lunch. With the estimated 25 television screens playing the in state rivalry, there was a crowd of people pulling for their favorite team. As far as the crowd goes, they were busy but not packed. There was no wait for the booth we grabbed; as a matter of fact we changed our mind of where we wanted to sit and there was no problem finding another table to sit at. They do offer bar seating, high top seating and fat man friendly booths. Some of you may wonder what a fat man friendly booth is, well if you have crossed that threshold of being too fat to ride a roller coaster then you need to be aware of booth seating. If a booth has a stationary table and seats then some of us on the larger end may not fit. Sure it is funny to a thin person to watch us as we struggle to get in, out, or even comfortable in this situation, but we like to have the opportunity to just move the table or the seats.

Wing Chips

Some people will remember in National Lampoons Vacation (also later mocked by Bevis and Butthead) when they toured the Hoover Dam as the guide asked the group if they had any dam questions. The reason I bring this up, is that the DAM Bar & Grill has managed to carry on this tradition by offering the DAM starters for appetizers, the DAM wings, DAM wraps, DAM salads, best DAM burgers in town, DAM baskets and items from the DAM grill. Oh and I cannot forget that they have a special section on the back of the menu for the DAM kids.

We decided to start with a DAM side of wing chips as a starter. They offer them as a ‘raw’ chip (meaning not too well done) or as a crispy chip. In essence this is a thicker than usual potato chip. The server recommended using the salt and malt vinegar on them. Rhonette actually had ordered a salad as well with ranch dressing. I thought I would dip a chip into the ranch, and ohhh buddy, that was good!

For my main item I actually had considered getting the DAM hot wings, but went with the 5 Napkin Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. If you are from Pennsylvania then I know that a southern version of your sandwich is an injustice. However, this is the absolute best Philly Cheese Steak sandwich I have ever tasted. There was nothing super special about the preparation of this sandwich. My belief is the ingredients were fresh and properly made. The 5.N.P.C.S. is described in the DAM menu as shaved hot Angus beef, sautéed onions A& peppers, with provolone on a toasted hoagie roll. When you have a place that offers one of these sandwiches but has their own special sauce or extra ‘thing’ to it, they are just overcompensating for an average sandwich. But these guys make a meal that is worth going out of the way for. My food was served with hushpuppies that were wonderful.

 For my thickly stuffed sandwich the cost was $7.99 and the side of wing chips was a full basket for only $2.75. The sodas are $1.95 with ‘free refills’. I use the quotations in free refills due to the fact that for two bucks it better be refills. This is an area that frustrates me because the margin of profit for a soda is huge. Ok, Ok, Ok I am preaching here…. The food is great and I highly recommend your take yourself to the DAM Bar & Grill. The cost for the quality of food is great considering that it is bar food, really, really good bar food. If you decide to get something for the DAM kids then all the items are $3.95 and you get the options of grilled cheese, corn pups, even varieties of chicken.

 Next time I am in Lexington, South Carolina I will be back at the DAM Bar & Grill, ohhh they even have a late night menu for after 10 pm. I like this place……

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

100 James Taylor Drive

Ridgeland, SC 29936

Phone:  (843)726-9521, Call for Hours

Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

About 6 am one morning I headed out of Columbia, SC. My final destination being my home in Florida. On my way I made a point to visit Jasper’s Porch. Having been there before for the lunch buffet several times, I was excited to try something new. It was about 7:30 when I pulled up into the very busy parking lot. Upon entering the restaurant, I could see this was the place for the locals. A large table was in the corner with no less than 8 people sitting and enough room for 3 or 4 more. There they were talking of the latest local gossip, fishing and politics. 

My seat was waiting for me outside on the back porch, overlooking a man made lake. It was very comfortable out there and quite busy with other customers as well. My server, Marian, was sweet and handling all of the tables on the porch. Most wait-staff would be upset, discouraged and ‘in the weeds’. Not Marian though, she was on top of it and was doing it all with a smile. After Marian led me to my seat, she brought me an iced tea, water and a menu. 

For breakfast their options were the basics: Ham and Cheese Omelet, Pancakes, Hash Browns, Eggs and of course Biscuits and Gravy for those of us who do not monitor our cardiovascular health. I went with the Southern Style Breakfast. It included 2 Eggs, Bacon, Hash Browns, Pancakes and Toast. When the food came I was surprised…surprised to the size of the portions! Let me re-word that, I was impressed by the size of the portions. Not only were the portions large, but tasty too. Even though the hash browns were instant and shredded, they were good. I tell you this so you don’t think that you are gonna get fresh hash browns here. The pancakes were not as fluffy as I like…but that did not stop me from eating them. They were good, just not like my Momma’s. The bacon was good but not great (a little undercooked). But the eggs were nice, fluffy, and very good. 

Now to my biggest complaint of my visit to Jasper’s Porch. As I had mentioned I had left from Columbia almost two hours earlier. Not to give you the details, but after grabbing a coffee earlier that morning, well… it was time for me to visit the restroom. The restroom was not very clean at all. As a matter of fact, it was a mess. I needed 2 handfuls of toilet paper with soap on it to clean the toilet seat. Once clean and seated the toilet was not sturdy at all. At anytime I felt like I was about to find myself on the floor of the restroom. Let’s just say that given the cleanliness of the seat, well…the floor is the last place I wanted to be. Lastly the hand dryer was right next to the bathroom entrance which had the door swinging inward and right at you. 

If you find yourself traveling though the South Carolina Lowcountry on Interstate 95, I do very much recommend stopping off at Exit 21 in Ridgeland, South Carolina. If the weather is permitting, I think you should sit on the porch. You can watch the turtles, the fish and the birds around the lake. Jasper’s Porch features Lowcountry cooking. They have breakfast, lunch and dinner. They also have a full service bar and a banquet room for private parties, reunions and weddings. They are nestled between a Comfort Inn and a Quality Inn. After you are finished with your meal and you need to burn a calorie or two…take a walk around the lake on the well groomed and manicured trail. If you get tired, don’t worry, there are a few ‘porch’ swings along the way.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com