Bourbon

I celebrated my 60th birthday at Bourbon, and they did NOT disappoint! 🎉 From the moment we arrived, the service was absolutely amazing—friendly, attentive, and on point. And let’s talk about the drinks…🔥 THEY WERE FIRE! Everything about the experience made my birthday celebration even more special. Great friends, great atmosphere, great service, and great drinks! If you’re looking for a place to celebrate a special occasion, Bourbon is definitely worth a visit. I had an amazing time and would absolutely go back! 🥂✨

The bar tenders made this experience amazing and the drinks and atmosphere is amazing. I would recommend it to anyone! Shoutout to Nas and Dominique they are queens

Ambiance is exceptional!!!

The hostesses were new and weren't aware that they had cigars. However, our server was very pleasant and well informed on everything they had. The drinks were very good and the outdoor seating area was lovely. I will definitely be back.

⭐️ Disappointed Doesn’t Even Begin to Describe It My boyfriend and I were downtown enjoying a date night and decided to step outside of our usual restaurant and give Bourbon a try. I’ve personally been before, so I wanted him to have the experience as well. Unfortunately, after this visit, I’m not sure what experience we were supposed to have. We were greeted by the receptionist and then sat at the bar. From that point forward, the service went downhill. We were barely acknowledged by the bar staff. Everyone appeared to be “too busy,” which is understandable during a busy service — but being busy is not an excuse for making paying customers feel invisible. I ordered a French 75. It was obvious that the bartender was new, and honestly, being new was not the problem. Everyone has a first day. The problem was that my drink was made incorrectly, and there was very little effort to make the experience better. My boyfriend then asked for a recommendation for a nice bourbon shot in the $20 range. He was ignored. He asked again. Still ignored. The person training the bartender eventually responded that she was multitasking — which, again, we understand. Restaurants get busy. But somehow, in all that multitasking, a simple question from a customer still couldn't get answered. At that point, we stopped trying. And that's unfortunate because we weren't looking for anything extraordinary. We were literally just looking to spend money, enjoy a drink, enjoy each other's company, and have a good time. Instead, we both left feeling overlooked, uncomfortable, and judged. Here's the thing: when you're operating a business in downtown Columbia, you should understand that people are coming into your establishment for an experience. We come downtown as adults to enjoy the atmosphere, the scenery, the food, the drinks and the nightlife. We don't walk into anyone's establishment looking for special treatment — but we absolutely expect basic respect and hospitality. We finished our drinks and went to our original restaurant, where we were actually welcomed and able to enjoy the rest of our date. Honestly, that's the part that makes this disappointing. Bourbon didn't lose customers because of one bad drink. You lost customers because of how you made those customers feel. We are an enjoyable couple who enjoys going out, having a good time, supporting local businesses, and, when the service is good, tipping VERY well. We could have easily become regulars. A beautiful atmosphere and a downtown location don't mean much if your guests leave feeling like they don't belong there. Hopefully management takes a serious look at the customer experience — because people may forget a bad drink, but they remember exactly how you made them feel. For now, we won't be back.

Had a wonderful stop here with a friend. The mojito was so good as was the drink and shrimp and grits. The jalepeno buttered cornbread was so good! Like so so good! We shared it and it made for first stop in our scavenger hunt evening! No wait! We walked right in on a Saturday at 6pm

Overall, Bourbon is a good restaurant. The food is good, the cocktails are well made, and I appreciate that the staff is willing to remake an item if something isn’t up to standard. That said, despite the name, I would not consider this a destination for someone who is truly enthusiastic about bourbon or whiskey. There seems to be a clear lack of knowledge when it comes to the whiskey selection, individual brands, and what makes certain bottles unique. I was also disappointed by what I felt was excessive pricing on pours from allocated bottles. If you’re looking for good food and cocktails, Bourbon is a solid choice. But if your goal is to explore whiskey, broaden your palate, learn about different bourbons, or deepen your appreciation for the spirit, this probably isn’t the place for that. P.S. I would also caution bourbon enthusiasts against trying to have a conversation with the manager about specific bottles or asking whether more reasonable pricing is possible on certain pours. In my experience, those questions were brushed off in a way that felt dismissive, almost as though I had no understanding of the bottles, their market value, or the realities of running a business. For customers who actually follow bourbon closely and understand both retail and secondary-market pricing, that interaction can be particularly frustrating. Hendrix on main and (quick dark horse) Social in 5 points for those who are looking for high end bourbon at a reasonable price.

The food was amazing and I definitely would go back