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Hours
Sun
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Tue
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Wed
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Thu
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Fri
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Sat
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Ratings and reviews
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
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PRICE RANGE
₱1,051.00 – ₱2,919.00
CUISINES
American, Cajun & Creole, Contemporary, Fusion
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
meals, features
Can a vegetarian person get a good meal at this restaurant?
Details
About
Located in the historic Congaree Vista Motor Supply has been serving progressive, New World cuisine using classic French culinary techniques for over 20 years. The menu features contemporary New American cuisine, with nods to Creole, Cajun, New Southern, French, Italian and Asian cuisine. We are Columbia's foremost "farm to fork" restaurant, working with local, sustainable farms for produce, meats, SC seafood and more. Seafood is caught off of the Carolina coast, and all of our stocks, sauces and desserts are made on site, including our charcuterie, with house-made sausages, bacon, country pate, and rillettes, all the way down to the pickles and mustard. Our early 19th century, solid-oak bar with marble columns, imported from Europe, serves 180+ fine wines, an extensive list of imported, domestic and local craft beers, as well as an artisan farm-to-shaker cocktail list made from house-infused liquors, handmade bitters, barrel-aged spirits and locally-sourced ingredients and garnishes.
PRICE RANGE
₱1,051.00 – ₱2,919.00
CUISINES
American, Cajun & Creole, Contemporary, Fusion
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Dinner, Drinks
FEATURES
Reservations, Parking Available, Street Parking, Valet Parking, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Visa, Accepts Credit Cards, Gift Cards Available
Top 3 reasons to eat here
Sponsored by: Motor Supply Co. Bistro
1. Local Farm-To-Table
"Motor Supply is the original farm-to-table trendsetter"
119adriennem
2. Regional Gem
"one of the top 5 restaurants in the southeast"
David A
3. Attention to Detail
"attentive service and the food was fresh, well-prepared and delicious"
JCBoggs
Contribute
4.5
1,087 reviews
Excellent
685
Very good
252
Average
95
Poor
40
Terrible
15
Bennie S
4 contributions
Favorite Review
Aug 2024 • family
Motor Supply Co. Bistro offers a diverse, seasonally inspired menu with fresh ingredients and creative dishes. The stylish atmosphere and attentive service make it a top choice for a memorable dining experience.
Written August 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveler11207
Columbia91 contributions
Feb 2020 • couples
Upon entering the entryway is clearly very tight. The hostess was absent but the busy employees passing by didn’t acknowledge or even nod a meager hello. The hostess is completing several duties - dressing the tables also - doesn’t seem fair. Once seated by the pleasant hostess, atmosphere is great. I enjoyed the decor. The waitress Mary was attentive & prompt; we enjoyed her service. The food was delicious...very fresh. The suggested mimosa with cranberry juice was delicious!
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KevinL41872
Nashua583 contributions
Aug 2020 • none
Unless you know we're you're going, not going to be able to find this needle in Columbia's haystack :) If you do, you are in for a treat. Took my dear daughter out for dinner when in town and made some reservations on a Tuesday night due to the 50% restrictions in place. Our entire experience was very good! From the first we sat until we left, all facets were great. We started with a cheese plate appetizer and some local beer for myself. We then moved onto the duck 2 ways and pork chop. ot only were the cheeses great but the main course was awesome. Some of the best duck I've ever had. The pork chop was huge and daughter has at least 2 other servings off of it. No dessert tonight, no room to eat more. Definite receommendation!
Written August 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
awfountain3
Columbia528 contributions
Jan 2020 • couples
This was not our first time here, but this time we were sadly disappointed. First we found out that they discontinued bread service. They claim to be a French inspired restaurant, but yet don't serve bread. So we ordered the cheese board as an appetizer because it had bread, but the crostini was so hard it was like eating pine bark. My Spanish octopus appetizer was smothered in a remoulade that overpowered any other conceivable flavor in the dish. The real failure was the 28 minutes it took from clearing the appetizer to having our main course tabled. First we had to capture the attention of our server, Eric, to remind him we existed. He brought the owner over, Eddie, who apologized but offered no explanation or even an offer of compensation. I do recommend the duck duo. However, the breast meat was exceptional compared to the cuisse. Thé Blackberry cheesecake was ...meh. Luckily this was just a Friday night dinner. Had it been a special night we would not be back.
Written January 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katie B
Charlotte140 contributions
Sep 2020 • none
Our family — two adults, two college students — visited Motor Supply Company in September. We had been there in the 90s for a graduation celebration and wanted to continue the tradition now that our son is a student at USC.
Food: The menu is limited and very Southern. There are only three items (one salad, one cheese and pickle plate, and a squash entree) that are vegetarian. The descriptions looked great and the portions were plentiful for fine dining — for example, the “Lowcountry Boil” had 8-9 large shrimp. However, the execution was a little off. Nothing tasted as good as it sounded. And the veg options? The Green Apple Salad was large, but had only three slices of apple.
Service: My husband ordered a side that they were out of, so he chose Brussels sprouts instead. This was the side that already came with his entree, so he had two identical sides. That’s an oversight a better server would have helped him avoid. Service overall was slow: more than 45 minutes from seating (13 minutes past our reservation) to food arriving.
Value: Our meal (1 app, 1 salad, 3 entrees, 1 side, 3 alcoholic drinks) with tip was $234. This was a nice dinner at a nice restaurant, a special meal. I recommend MSC for visitors wanting to try upscale Southern cuisine. For those of us with plenty of options for upscale Southern, try something else.
Covid/reservations note: We requested our reservation “outside” and we were seated on the “patio.” This is an enclosed room! They have the ability to open garage doors and windows (the weather was lovely) but did not. I feel we should have been advised they did not have outdoor seating upon making/accepting our reservation or at worst, upon arrival. We did not feel crowded at our table and our server wore a mask.
Written September 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andy K
Cape Coral200 contributions
Mar 2020 • none
Very disappointed. I was there solo so I sat at the bar. The service was ok but nothing special. One of their entries was pork chop which sounded good.
After a longer than expected waited my meal was delivered. The chop was extremely undercooked and got returned. After a long wait it was returned but still extremely pink on the inside. The person that was delivering it was supposed to be the manager and claimed it was cooked to temperature.
She did remove it from the bill but I had to go to another restaurant to get a good dinner. Never again!!
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bookmommy0406
Spartanburg32 contributions
Jan 2020 • couples
We’ve heard good things about this restaurant so thought we’d try it out. Overall I’m glad we did but we did have some disappointments. The octopus first course was delicious! Very tender and flavorful. We did ask if it was enough to share or just a single serving and were told it could be shared. However, it was so good that we really wanted more than just a few bites each. I had the duck duo and it was incredible. My husband had the NY strip and while it was cooked correctly and had good flavor, it had not been butchered properly and there was a good amount that was inedible due to tough connective tissue running through it.
We finished with the blackberry cheesecake which was very good.
Service was attentive and timely. My only other critique would be that while they have an extensive wine list by the bottle, there are very few choices by the glass.
Written January 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KellyS9
Easley266 contributions
Jan 2020 • friends
I went here for lunch with a friend and we sat at the bar as it was crowded, but after tasting the food, we could understand why it was so busy. The food is DEVINE! I ordered the herb crusted mahi-mahi and it was perfectly prepared. It had a sauce on the side and when you mixed it all together, it was amazing!! My friend ordered the turkey sandwich and she really enjoyed it. We both ordered the creme brulee and we loved it. I will definitely be back and highly recommend
Written January 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SouleTraveler
Columbia36 contributions
Jul 2020 • couples
Solid dining experience. The server recommended a chef add-on to the cheese plate, smoked fish pimento cheese. It was outstanding. The main dishes are locally sourced and very tasteful. The menu was limited due to COVID so we will return to get a full glimpse at the entire menu. Staff was very friendly and attentive.
Written July 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
barbaraC8422YI
Savannah51 contributions
Jun 2020 • none
We spent a long weekend is Columbia...the city was less than interesting due to the college being closed and COVID restrictions, however this restaurant was a highlight. Staff were excellent and restaurant followed CDC guidelines, so we felt safe . My husband had the pork chop and greens...also the best ever! I’m a foodie and asked for the ingredients.....was treated to having the recipe given to me! Thank you
Written June 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alison B
Chantilly67 contributions
Mar 2022 • family
Looked forward to this visit to take my father. It was recommended and we had visited before. Disappointed in the food quality (fish over breaded and small portion of the slaw advertised on menu).
Very limited menu and not reflected accurately on website (we checked before our visit) Butter beans with pork not tender. Pork loin had overmuch fat. Wine ordered as advertised on menu as 2019 Pinot noir, was served as 2020 vintage.
I understand the restaurant business has been under stress from supply chain issues and staffing, but frankly I’m of the opinion that this restaurant is overrated.
I’ll be looking for another choice next time.
Written March 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
starfall
4 contributions
Sep 2022 • none
I have been dying to go here since my son was a freshman. It was always booked. I finally got in and took my son and two of his friends. The staff are lovely and attentive. The food was just mediocre. The charcuterie board that people are raving about was not impressive at all. I cannot understand why a few small blobs of cheese and some jelly is impressive. Two of the boys ordered steaks medium rare, one came out almost well and one was almost raw. The one who got the almost well done one said that the steak was completely cold, as if it had been just sitting there. My son and I got scallops..it was an appetizer but we doubled up and each got four as a main meal. I have never said I do not like scallops, but I did not like these. They had a spicy marinade, which did not seem to go with the sweet scallop taste, served with succotash (sorry…I am from the north I have never had succotash and can definitely live the rest of my life without seeing this tasteless side dish again. The bottle of wine I ordered off the menu said 2018, but we got a 2019 and it was warm. The bill was over $450. I would certainly pay that for Hall’s but not here. Bottom line…don’t get too excited about the other positive reviews . Also, for a decent restaurant, they had one bathroom for women… there was always a line of two people waiting. I wasn’t expecting to wait in line like it was a bar. No salad or any simple veg on the menu
Written September 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael B
4 contributions
Dec 2022 • family
I haven't been to motor supply in quite a long time. My gf and I decided on MS due to its great reputation as a premier place to eat in Columbia, SC. I expected a knowledgeable server, excellent food, an overall above average dining experience. First of all after we sat down it took at least 10 to 15 minutes to get our drink delivered. This was after the server brought us two waters and slammed the glasses down on the table. We asked her about the entrees appetizers and what was really good on the menu that night and she seemed totally clueless as she informed us that she was just filling in for the night and not a regular worker here. This was kind of disappointing but in the COVID era I guess it's just the way it is it's hard to find good help in restaurants anymore. But for what you're paying for a dinner here you expect nothing but excellence. In the least you expect your server to know what they're serving and a little bit about the food. We ordered an appetizer which came with pieces of bread to put the cheese on and it was hard as a rock. When I received my entree the baguette that came with it was literally concrete hard and you couldn't even pull it apart. I know that bread is a minor part of a meal but when you're paying this much for a meal you expect it to be perfect. At least I do or pretty close to it. Keep in mind this was at 8:45 at night and most of the people dining had already eaten. I don't understand why this was a problem at this time of night as it was not as busy as it would have been an hour before. To make matters worse my table had a view outside where I could see my vehicle that I use the valet to park. The last 15 minutes of my meal I watched someone standing by my car laying over the hood checking their cell phone literally for 15 minutes. I should have said something sooner but it really bothered me that I used a valet and this was happening. I feel that if I use a valet at a restaurant they should at least keep an eye on my vehicle for me and not let some kid lean on top of my vehicle. I drive a Jeep gladiator so it's kind of convenient to lean against it I guess it's just the right height. This kind of capped my evening off in the wrong way. All in all I have to say I was disappointed with the entire experience. I expected more from motor supply company. although I know they probably don't have much to do with the valet it just was one more thing that night that just was not as I expected. If I'm honest I will say the food was very good except for the bread but once again you're paying a premium for this meal. With drinks it was 166 for the entire dinner that night. I feel like if you're paying that much for a meal in Columbia South Carolina you should get your expectations met. You also should not have someone laying across your car outside in the parking lot. Anyway I doubt I will be coming back anytime soon to this venue. There are other venues in Columbia that you can pay this much and get an excellent experience. The whole thing just left a bad taste in my mouth I guess.
Written January 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JohnT01Traveler
Lexington300 contributions
Nov 2020 • none
Expensive and average small portioned food. My wife and both had the salmon dish. We thought is was average but the piece of fish was extremely tiny. Also, no bread service. High price tag for diner food in skimpy servings
Scratched off the list
Written November 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nancyolah
640 contributions
Jan 2020 • none
Whenever I travel to Columbia for a business meeting, I try to work in a visit to Motor Supply Co. Bistro. I have been coming to this restaurant for many years, and it never disappoints.
The baby beet salad and the scallop entree were fabulous, and my dinner companions both enjoyed their shrimp entrees and the citrus salad. Although we had one creme brûlée fan, I was very glad that I split the luscious chocolate peanut butter pie with my other dinner companion.
Michele gave us great service, didn't rush our food, and allowed us plenty of time to enjoy our food and conversation. This is a very good place for a business meeting, and we saw plenty of other lawyers here since the SC Bar Convention was in town.
There's an excellent reason that this restaurant has been going strong since the 1990's! Hope it continues to delight diners for many years to come!
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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