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