motor supply co bistro

fabulous evening. we've been one time and have been wanting to go back but are waiting until the menu (changed twice a day depending upon what's freshest and most organic, etc) has something irresistible on it again. we check online just before deciding where to go. service is terrific. atmosphere nice. our meal was so wonderful i sent out a review to all our out of town friends so they'd want to come for a visit! their menu is unusual - we started with a duck appetizer that was over a potato cake and to die for. my husband had steak and i had fish - can't remember what they were called but both were fabulous.

great atmosphere and even better food. i am absolutely in love with motor supply co bistro. my boyfriend's parents suggested this restaurant to us for an anniversary dinner. the food is exquisite. the restaurant is in a gallery setting with art on the walls, modern track-lighting, candles, and an air of eclectic extravagance. i ordered shrimp over rice with caramelized onions and tomato bisque soup, i have never tasted shrimp as fresh as this before. 2 entrées and an appetizer was $40. great place, great food, great service. i went a year ago and i'm about to go again next week for our 2 year anniversary.

cool that they change the menu every day and maybe that was the issue with my visit. quickly summed up as "meh". service was polite and professional. valet parking was good too. i would definitely suggest looking at menu in advance. i may come back simply to give them benefit of the doubt. i could not give it much more than average at best though.

wife had set a va ham and cheese sandwich with vinaigrette dressing. i had a white bean & kale soup.
both were very good lunches. wife vanilla bean creme brûlée desert.
heavenly!

we would come back. they change menus every day.

motor supply company

if you are a fan of thomas keller and like the french laundry or per se, if you have enjoyed the inn at little washington, or binkley’s in cave creek, arizona, you will be pleasantly surprised and enjoy your meal at motor supply company in columbia, south carolina.

i had very modest expectations when my wife and i first dined with chef wesley fulmer and stephanie heikila, the manager. after reading other reviews on line i was not expecting much. i don’t know where those other reviewers who were disappointed ate, but it was not the motor supply we enjoyed two nights in a row while attending the masters.

the menu changes daily and features fresh local products. the creative use of local greens and seafood is what attracted us. on the first night my wife had a north carolina sheepshead (much like a grouper) and i had the shrimp and grits. the preparation and plating were perfect. the fish was perfectly done. the sauces, like the tomato based sauce for the shrimp were subtle and delightful. the second night we had an appetizer of seared scallops with a small piece of smoked lamb bacon. i’d drive here again from virginia for this appetizer alone. it was one of the best things either of us have eaten and we are foodies that have been enjoying fine dining and cooling for many decades. my wife had the swordfish entre and i had the duck. i have never had better duck – and i love duck. the serving is a piece of perfectly done (rare) duck breast and a crispy duck leg. we had dessert (which we don’t frequently do) and it , too was superb. try the pudding with the bourbon cherries (described as a cake on the menu – but really a traditional pudding).

the service and wait staff was outstanding – knowledgeable about the ever changing menu, eager to please, but not hovering.

the food here is outstanding – it is five start dining in a friendly bar and grill setting instead of the white tablecloths you might expect in the more traditional five star restaurant. the value of the meal was outstanding. maybe it is because of the location, but i would expect to pay three or four times as much for a meal of this quality.

if you have enjoyed true five star dining, you won’t be disappointed at motor supply.

great restaurant!. great restaurant, great food! awesome waitstaff!

very disapointed. my wife and i went to motor supply to celebrate our anniversary. we had been there in the past and had loved it but that was some years ago. we both had an appetizer, generally we share one at most places, here they were expensive and small and not worth the money. our entrees were just ok not over the top the way the had been in the past. they were small and need i say expensive. the bill was $$$+ but the value was -$. in short don't go there. there are many other places in columbia that give a really great value for your money. i would like to remind the owners this is the south, when you pay a lot for a meal you do not want to get up hungry. or at least you want to be able to say that was the best meal i ever had. in the case of our meal we got neither. :(,:(. we will never go back.

awful. bad service and worse food. not a great atomosphere. really disappointed. we had a salad and chicken with dumplings. tasteless and gross. never would return.

skeptical when friends recommend a 'great' restaurant in columbia. as a charlestonian, i am fortunate to have many choices for great food. motor supply co is one of my new favorites. fresh, local sc ingredients served simply. great flavor combinations. can't wait to come back. housemade charcuterie was excellent. everything was excellent. go!

can't go wrong here. i only wish i could dine here more often

columbia area foodies will tell you that absolutely must go to motor.  by motor, they mean motor supply company bistro, columbia, south carolina's shining star of culinary awesomeness. for more than twenty years, the place has been kicking out amazing food.  much like soby's in greenville, the restaurant set a standard for the culinary scene in columbia, and was one of the first restaurants in the now, very cool, vista area of downtown. let me tell you.  this restaurant doesn't play.  they are serious about some food.  almost everything on your plate is house made. they make their own stocks for sauces, they butcher and smoke their own meet, make their own charcuterie (sausages and the such ), pickles, mustards... they are event venturing over into house made beverages, making their own ginger beer and soon, their own sodas.  and what they can't make inhouse, they locally source, reaching out to area farmers like the folks at city roots , trail ridge , wil-moore , doko farm , carolina

not sure what all the hype is about. bloody marys were almost the worst we've ever had. prime rib was tough & dry. it's pretty bad when scrabbled eggs are the highlight of your meal. won't go again

very good. a colleague and i took out clients to motor supply company and we had a great meal. two of us got steak, one got tilefish, and another got pork chops; everyone enjoyed their meal. we sat in the outside section and the weather was awesome. the place has good service and great food, will definitely go back.

wow!. oh my goodness, this place was amazing! we found it on urban spoon and decided to give it a try, as it is apparently "the happening place" in columbia. we chose wisely. upon entering i asked for a table for two and was greeted with "do you have a reservation?". this had me concerned, but she also told me they had a full service bar which was great, as that's a place that i'm pretty comfortable in. so cutting to the chase, the service was excellent, letting me sample a couple beers before ordering. then once settled in with a tasty ale, we started with the mussels steamed in white wine, which were absolutely divine. almost as good as my own, but seasoned with different herbs than i'm used to. maybe lemon grass and a touch of rosemary?? again, quite tasty. then had the ny strip with mashed taters and a bourbon glaze. incredible!! it was all i could do to keep from lifting the plate and licking it clean.

so i've got two more months of visiting columbia, and now that i've discovered this place, i'll be back for multiple visits each trip. so satisfied. so satisfied.

some weekends ago i went back to my old stomping grounds and had lunch with one of my close college friends at motor supply company bistro. this restaurant is located in the vista section of downtown columbia (aka cola).