Unearth The Voyage
There is a spot on Devine Street in Columbia, South Carolina, where the food is so good that people who live nearby have started making a claim that sounds almost too bold to believe. They say it is flat-out the best food in the city, full stop.
No qualifiers, no categories, just the best. I had to find out for myself, so I showed up hungry and ready to be either impressed or proven right to be skeptical.
What I found was a restaurant that earns every word of that praise with a menu that punches well above its price range, an atmosphere that feels genuinely warm, and dishes that linger in your memory long after the check arrives. Read on, because every section of this article is going to give you a new reason to clear your schedule and make a reservation.
The First Impression That Sets the Tone
You know that feeling when a place just looks right before you even walk through the door? That was exactly my experience the first time I approached Backstreets Grill.
The exterior has this relaxed, unpretentious energy that signals you are about to eat well without being made to feel overdressed or underdressed.
The outdoor seating area catches your eye first, with a casual, airy setup that makes you want to grab a table and stay a while. There is even a small dog park nearby, which tells you something about the kind of neighborhood crowd this place attracts.
From the moment I arrived, the vibe was unmistakably Columbia, meaning friendly, unhurried, and proud of its local character. That first impression did not lie, and the experience inside only built on what the outside promised so confidently.
Where Exactly You Can Find This Place
Backstreets Grill sits at 2400 Devine St, Columbia, SC 29205, right in the heart of the Devine Street corridor, which is one of those parts of Columbia that locals genuinely love and out-of-towners often overlook entirely.
Parking can be a bit of a puzzle, which is worth knowing before you go. There is a main lot in the back and a few VIP spots, but on busy nights you may need to get a little creative finding street parking nearby.
The effort is absolutely worth it.
The surrounding neighborhood has that walkable, lived-in character that makes dining feel like part of a larger experience rather than just a transaction. Whether you are coming from downtown Columbia or passing through on a longer drive, the address is one you will want to save in your phone well in advance.
A Menu That Refuses to Play It Safe
Most casual grill restaurants stick to the basics and call it a day. Backstreets Grill clearly decided that was not good enough, because the menu here reads like someone genuinely cared about every single item on it.
You will find gourmet burgers, fresh salads, creative pasta dishes, pizzas, steaks, and seafood options all sharing the same menu without any of it feeling random or thrown together. The range is impressive, but what stands out more is the quality consistency across very different categories of food.
The truffle parmesan fries alone could justify a visit, and the bison burger option signals that the kitchen is thinking beyond the ordinary. There is also a cauliflower pizza that reportedly converts even skeptics of gluten-free options.
A menu this varied and this well-executed is genuinely rare at the price point Backstreets Grill maintains.
The Appetizers That Steal the Spotlight
Appetizers at a lot of restaurants feel like filler, something to keep your hands busy while you wait for the real food. At Backstreets Grill, the starters are so good they sometimes threaten to overshadow the main course entirely.
The Buffalo Shrimp appetizer is a standout that earns genuine enthusiasm from the people who order it. The lump crab and artichoke dip served with garlic pizza points is the kind of dish that makes you slow down and pay attention, rich and layered with flavor in a way that feels considered rather than accidental.
The chips and queso with guacamole also draw serious praise, and the steak quesadilla appetizer has been described as absolutely on point. Starting your meal here means setting a high bar that the kitchen then somehow manages to clear with the entrees that follow.
The Burger That Started the Bold Claims
If you ask locals what first made them fall hard for this place, a surprising number of them point to the burger. The 10oz burger here is not the kind of thing you eat and forget about.
Cooked exactly to your specification, it arrives with a weight and a presence that immediately tells you this is not a frozen patty situation.
The bison burger option adds another dimension for people who want something a bit different from the standard beef experience. Both options benefit from the kitchen’s clear commitment to getting the fundamentals right, which means proper seasoning, proper cooking temperature, and proper construction.
Pair either burger with the truffle parmesan fries and you have a combination that has convinced more than a few visitors to rearrange their return trip to Columbia just so they can eat here again. That is the kind of food that earns bold claims.
Steaks That Overdeliver at Every Price Point
A ribeye and a filet mignon on a casual grill menu could easily be a red flag, the kind of thing that sounds impressive but arrives underwhelming. That is not what happens at Backstreets Grill, and the steak section of the menu is where a lot of first-time visitors become permanent regulars.
The ribeye comes well-seasoned and grilled with real attention to detail, arriving alongside sides like asparagus and mashed sweet potatoes that hold their own on the plate. The 8oz filet mignon with jumbo asparagus and mashed potatoes has been praised as a dish where every single element was executed to perfection, which is a high bar to clear.
At around $36 including two sides and a salad, the value proposition here is frankly hard to argue with. Steaks at this quality level typically cost considerably more at comparable restaurants in South Carolina.
The Truffle Fries Everyone Keeps Talking About
There is a reason the truffle parmesan fries come up in almost every conversation about Backstreets Grill. They are not just a side dish here; they are an event.
The combination of earthy truffle oil and sharp parmesan creates something that is hard to stop eating once you start.
Multiple visitors have specifically called them a must-try, and people who order the southwestern club sandwich have noted that pairing it with the truffle fries and a side of southwestern ranch is one of the better decisions they have made at a restaurant table.
The fries also come as a side option with the steaks and sandwiches, which means you can work them into almost any order without restructuring your meal. For a dish this simple in concept, the execution here is remarkably consistent, which is ultimately what separates a good side from a legendary one.
Salads and Lighter Fare Done Properly
Ordering a salad at a grill restaurant can feel like a compromise, the thing you get when you are not quite ready to commit to something heavier. At Backstreets Grill, the salads are genuinely worth ordering on their own terms rather than as a fallback option.
The garden salad arrives with notably crisp, fresh vegetables that taste like someone paid attention to sourcing. The mandarin chicken salad brings a brightness and balance that works well as either a starter or a full meal.
The BBQ salad has also drawn enthusiastic responses from people who did not expect to be this excited about a salad.
The Caesar salad is a solid, reliable option, and the taco salad comes generously portioned and full of freshness. For anyone who wants something on the lighter side without sacrificing flavor or satisfaction, the salad menu here delivers more than it strictly needs to.
The Atmosphere That Makes You Want to Linger
Some restaurants get the food right but miss entirely on atmosphere, leaving you eating great food in a space that feels cold or forgettable. Backstreets Grill manages to get both right, which is a harder balance to strike than it sounds.
The indoor dining area has a warm, welcoming feel with televisions mounted for sports viewing, which gives it an upscale sports bar quality without the noise or chaos that often comes with that description. There is also an indoor-outdoor sunroom-style seating section that adds a pleasant middle-ground option between full outdoor and traditional indoor dining.
The outdoor patio area is a genuine draw, especially on pleasant South Carolina evenings when the temperature cooperates. The overall atmosphere leans casual and relaxed, the kind of place where a date night and a family birthday celebration can both happen on the same evening without either feeling out of place.
Pasta, Pizza, and Unexpected Crowd-Pleasers
Beyond the burgers and steaks, the menu at Backstreets Grill holds some genuinely surprising winners that do not always get the attention they deserve in conversations about the restaurant.
The Cajun chicken pasta has been called an absolute must-try by people who ordered it without particularly high expectations and were promptly proven wrong. The flavor profile is bold and satisfying, the kind of pasta dish that makes you reconsider why you almost ordered something else.
The cauliflower pizza is another unexpected triumph, earning specific praise from someone who described past gluten-free pizza experiences as disappointing before calling this version a genuine exception. The meat lover’s pizza is also available for those who prefer a more traditional approach.
The mac and cheese has its own loyal following, with at least one person declaring it their all-time favorite item on the entire menu.
Why Locals Keep Coming Back and Travelers Keep Returning
A restaurant that earns repeat visits from locals and rerouted road trips from travelers is doing something that goes beyond just cooking food competently. Backstreets Grill has built a reputation that spreads the old-fashioned way, through genuine word of mouth from people who ate here and could not stop talking about it afterward.
The price point is a significant part of the story. Full steaks with sides and salads, generously portioned sandwiches, and shareable appetizers all arrive at a cost that makes the quality feel almost unreasonably good.
Operating hours run from 11 AM to 10 PM most days, with slightly shorter hours on Sundays, giving you plenty of windows to plan a visit around your schedule.
The bold claim locals make about the food at Backstreets Grill is that it is simply the best in Columbia. After eating here, I found myself with very little interest in arguing the point.
