It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting Saluda Factory in West Columbia, SC gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in West Columbia, SC is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“Started in home care services with ABC for my mother recently. Kayla helped make the”
“Great service and communication. Caring staff. Kayla is wonderful. Highly recommend.”
“Got services started with Kayla in the Always Best Care Grandstrand office in SC about”
“Excellent services!! Kayla is great.”
“Always providing exceptional care and compassion to all of our surrounding areas.”
“Lisa helped my family understand the best options for my parents and the resources available.”
“Always Best Care has been a lifesaver for our family. We have worked with them”
“Thank you for the care you gave to my dad. He did not have any”
“Always Best Care provided excellent care when I was discharged from Atrium after surgery- the”
“Lisa and her team at Always Best Care have been a great partner and resource”
“Amazing staff and services. Much appreciated.”
“I will have to say having worked in healthcare myself, Darrell with Always Best Care”
“I am a past client of this provider Always Best Care was just absolutely wonderful. I”
“I love working for this company.”
“I used this nursing service for my cousin Pat who had cancer. I can not”
“I love being able to work with this company, the owners are great people and”
“Services were geared according to need. We were looking at rehab and they were willing”
“I am a past client of this provider Services were geared according to need. We were”
“Nate is an exceptional mentor - he is extremely knowledgeable about senior care and gracious”
“Nate and his staff are wonderful people. It's great to know that when you need”
“I am a past client of this provider I used this nursing service for my cousin”
“Chuck and his personnel are truly the best. They helped us with mom and always”
“Started in home care services with ABC for my mother recently. Kayla helped make the process smooth and eliminated a lot of stress. Caregivers have been excellent and very helpful in day to day care.”
“Great service and communication. Caring staff. Kayla is wonderful. Highly recommend.”
“Got services started with Kayla in the Always Best Care Grandstrand office in SC about getting some assistance for my father. She was very knowledgeable and helped me get everything set up, and took a huge weight off my shoulders and was a consistent supporter throughout the entire process!”
“Excellent services!! Kayla is great.”
“Always providing exceptional care and compassion to all of our surrounding areas.”
“Lisa helped my family understand the best options for my parents and the resources available. She has great contacts and helped guide us thru the process. We received wonderful service. Thanks!”
“Always Best Care has been a lifesaver for our family. We have worked with them twice, both in emergency situations and they have treated us as if we were their only clients. Within an hour of our first call, we had paperwork completed and a caregiver on the way – and that was a holiday weekend. When the second emergency occurred, we knew exactly who to contact. We truly appreciate everything that Lisa, Melissa and the entire team have done for our family.”
“Thank you for the care you gave to my dad. He did not have any family living close to him. My sister and I were relived to know he was well taken care of. The caregivers truly care about your loved ones.”
“Always Best Care provided excellent care when I was discharged from Atrium after surgery- the office staff and caregivers were professional and caring- would definitely recommend if you need care at home-”
“Lisa and her team at Always Best Care have been a great partner and resource in providing services to our patients!”
“Amazing staff and services. Much appreciated.”
“I will have to say having worked in healthcare myself, Darrell with Always Best Care is the best! He truly cares about his clients! He takes personal interest in the client. Darrell works with you until your needs are addressed allowing your loved one to remain as independent as possible in their own home. Thank you Darrell Always Best Care! You have truly made a diffence!”
“I am a past client of this provider Always Best Care was just absolutely wonderful. I needed to qualify people who could deal with my sister with brain cancer. My sister would throw people in and out of her house; it was crazy. She died on December 5th. Always Best Care sent incredible people. I don't know where they came from, but they had one girl who was the only person my sister never attempted to throw out of the house. I'd never hear one bad word about this woman who was actually pulling double shifts at the end because my sister liked her so much. For some reason, this woman understood my sister and brain cancer. Brain cancer is hard to deal with because people could be pretty mean and abusive and they don't know what they're doing really. My sister was also going blind at the same time. It was not easy. I just wanted to say what wonderful care we received from Always Best Care. It was amazing. They were just coming and being there. My sister was crazy, and she didn't want anybody overnight, until she finally let me have someone come in overnight. On that night, she died. She got to die in her home, which is what I'm trying to do because that too was the most important thing of all. Always Best Care was able to staff at short notice and send really good people. I was impressed, and I would highly recommend them. They would help my sister get to the bathroom. She weighed 70 pounds when she died, but she was still able to walk. She had cancers on both her femurs, and her blood pressure was 80/47. They just helped with everything, like fixing her small meals, fixing coffee, and talking to her if she wanted to talk or not talking to her if she didn't want to talk. They were just very great with their help. My sister had brain cancer and she was belligerent. Always Best Care would find people within their staff. Also, it didn't take them long, I didn't have to wait. We had letters from others saying they don't have staff right now. With Always Best Care, I did it over the phone with a woman who was a Godsend. I think the caregiver was sent almost the first day and was there every day except on the weekend when they sent someone else. That person seemed to work out OK, too, which amazed me. For some reason, these people knew how to appease someone who is really crazy. It was the cancer; it was in my sister's head. You have to be tough-skinned and just realize that this is the disease talking to you and not a person. They were able to do that, and I feel very blessed.”
“I love working for this company.”
“I used this nursing service for my cousin Pat who had cancer. I can not express the level of care and compassion that was shown for her. The nurses felt like family! Especially Alicia. You treated my cousin as if she was your family and I can't thank you enough for that. You not only took care of her but us also. I would recommend this service 100%! We only used them for 1 month as my cousin passed quickly. I d not have a single negative remark. Thank you Chuck! Your nurses are amazing.”
“I love being able to work with this company, the owners are great people and support me daily! We have many calls to work on performance and continue to grow and learn!”
“Services were geared according to need. We were looking at rehab and they were willing to see what was needed. Very flexible and focused needs of patient All caregivers were on time We had a great experience”
“I am a past client of this provider Services were geared according to need. We were looking at rehab and they were willing to see what was needed. Very flexible and focused needs of patient All caregivers were on time We had a great experience”
“Nate is an exceptional mentor - he is extremely knowledgeable about senior care and gracious in his willingness to help others succeed.”
“Nate and his staff are wonderful people. It's great to know that when you need someone they will be there for your loved ones and care about their well-being.”
“I am a past client of this provider I used this nursing service for my cousin Pat who had cancer. I can not express the level of care and compassion that was shown for her. The nurses felt like family! Especially Alicia. You treated my cousin as if she was your family and I can't thank you enough for that. You not only took care of her but us also. I would recommend this service 100%! We only used them for 1 month as my cousin passed quickly. I d not have a single negative remark. Thank you Chuck! Your nurses are amazing. Donna O.”
“Chuck and his personnel are truly the best. They helped us with mom and always focused on the care and not a much of processes and forms. I would highly recommend them to all.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting West Columbia Riverwalk Park and Amphitheater in West Columbia, SC with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Terra or visit Robert Mills House and Gardens, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in West Columbia, SC, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in West Columbia, SC understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in West Columbia, SC 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
At its meeting last week, the West Columbia Planning Commission approved rezoning that would lay the groundwork for Colite City.Self-described on its website as “A true city within a city” aims to create a campus where artists and entrepreneurs alike can live, work and play together.“When you combine the best retail, dining and entertainment with modern, sophisticated, residential living, you get more than a neighborhood: You get a tech-smart, urban playground for adults,” the website touts.Accord...
At its meeting last week, the West Columbia Planning Commission approved rezoning that would lay the groundwork for Colite City.
Self-described on its website as “A true city within a city” aims to create a campus where artists and entrepreneurs alike can live, work and play together.
“When you combine the best retail, dining and entertainment with modern, sophisticated, residential living, you get more than a neighborhood: You get a tech-smart, urban playground for adults,” the website touts.
According to city planning documents, Colite City will be developed in three phases over a period of 8 years, and will span approximately 9.95 acres.
The West Columbia Planning Commission rezoned five parcels of land along North Brown Street, Shull Street, Senn Street and Meeting Street for the development. The land was rezoned from light and heavy manufacturing to planned unit development, commercial.
Phase one will consist of adapting existing spaces for commercial and residential use, as well as executing a parking plan. According to planning documents, phase one development will include 267 parking spaces.
Planning documents outline a 24-month construction period for phase one, with that construction being completed the fourth quarter of 2028. Phase two is estimated to begin in mid-2029 and the final phase, is slated for 2031.
Slides included in the planning documents liken Colite City to other catalysts for change in major cities; Starbucks in Seattle and SoHo in New York City. The documents also compared the future development to smaller Southern neighborhoods also admired nationwide, like South First Street in Austin, Texas.
“With smaller neighborhood pockets ranking highly against large city neighborhoods, there is proof that small scale regions can be just as attractive as major players. There is no doubt that Metro Columbia, a city ranked among the highest regions for millennial population growth, can join the rankings,” Colite planning documents concluded.
AUTHOR BIO: Eric Barton is editor of The Adventurist and a freelance journalist who has reviewed restaurants for more than two decades. Email him here.For years, I knew Columbia mostly as South Carolina’s capital, a city of government buildings, college bars, and Saturday afternoons when 80,000 garnet-dressed people shouted at a football field. Then I began paying closer attention to what was happening at the table. A wine bar won the city’s first James Beard Award, a West Columbia pitmaster becam...
AUTHOR BIO: Eric Barton is editor of The Adventurist and a freelance journalist who has reviewed restaurants for more than two decades. Email him here.
For years, I knew Columbia mostly as South Carolina’s capital, a city of government buildings, college bars, and Saturday afternoons when 80,000 garnet-dressed people shouted at a football field. Then I began paying closer attention to what was happening at the table. A wine bar won the city’s first James Beard Award, a West Columbia pitmaster became one of the South’s most celebrated names in barbecue, and Michelin inspectors found their way to two downtown dining rooms. Football still commands the fall calendar, but these 12 restaurants give people a reason to visit Columbia all year.
It takes about 20 minutes to reach downtown Lexington from Columbia, which seems like a reasonable investment once chef-owner Nivit Tipvaree begins sending out dinner. A native of Nakhon Sawan, Thailand, Tipvaree gives crispy duck, massaman curry, fried prawn cakes, and pork ribs braised in honey-whiskey sauce the careful presentation of a formal dining room. For the full experience, watch for his multicourse tasting dinners, some stretching to eight or nine courses with wine pairings.
Best for: A Thai tasting menu outside the city
On weekends, the smoke rising over this rambling West Columbia compound comes from Robbie Robinson’s all-wood-burning pits. Saturdays lean toward Texas, with brisket, beef ribs, spareribs, and hot links made in-house. Sundays belong to brisket hot dogs, chili, and whole hog barbecue. Robinson was a James Beard Award finalist in 2024 and 2025. Southern Living then ranked City Limits the South’s best barbecue joint, confirming that the lines form early for good reason.
Best for: Barbecue worth setting an alarm for
The mezcal collection gets plenty of attention at Coa, although stopping at cocktails would leave much of the evening unexplored. The kitchen pulls from several regions of Mexico for plates meant to circle the table: grilled octopus marinated in guajillo chile, duck breast with salsa pasilla, and roasted bone marrow accompanied by carne asada, grilled corn, and a stack of tortillas. Order the marrow and watch how quickly everyone becomes comfortable eating from the same bone.
Best for: Mezcal and Mexican shared plates
The Michelin Guide found two Columbia restaurants for its inaugural American South edition, and Di Vino Rosso was one of them. The kitchen rolls potato gnocchi by hand, piles wild boar and Italian sausage Bolognese onto pappardelle, and serves South Carolina shrimp over linguine in pinot-lemon butter. Three- and four-course menus provide the structure for a long dinner, while the Italian-heavy wine list supplies the necessary reason to stay for another course.
Best for: A proper Italian dinner
At The Dragon Room, chef Alex Strickland takes familiar Asian flavors and rearranges them until they become something else entirely. Tom kha gai turns up inside dumplings. Pad Thai becomes a crisp egg roll loaded with tamarind, peanuts, and lime. Bao buns, noodles, and specials arrive as soon as the kitchen finishes them, often in an order no one at the table predicted. The tropical cocktails follow the same logic, mixing rum with yuzu, and calamansi.
Best for: A late dinner with plenty to share
A canopy of greenery hangs over The Hollow’s dining room, an appropriate setting for a menu where elk, duck, venison, and rabbit regularly appear. Chef Dante Serra turns elk into both a filet with wild mushroom risotto and a Bolognese folded through radiatori pasta, while the duck Reuben comes stacked with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and stone-ground mustard. Begin with the wild-game tasting board. It saves everyone at the table from pretending they planned to share.
Best for: Dinner on the wilder side
A floor-to-ceiling brass light fixture evokes a fire pole inside the former fire station that now houses Ladder 13. The kitchen’s fire comes from a wood-burning oven, which chars Calabrian sausage pizza and anchors a menu created by James Beard Award-nominated chef Kevin Johnson. Executive chef Joseph Wolfson handles the daily cooking, including orecchiette with beef-shank ragù and grilled lamb shoulder with feta and mint. Begin with the Fluffy Cheese, a whipped feta-and-ricotta mound filled with spiced honey.
Best for: Dinner in a former firehouse
When Lula Drake won the 2024 James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, it became the first Columbia business to bring home one of the foundation’s national awards. Owner Tim Gardner’s cellar deserves the hardware, but chef Rachael Harrison makes sure dinner keeps pace. Her shifting menu might include jamón Ibérico, seasonal conservas, cacio e pepe, and Korean fried chicken lacquered in a sweet, spicy glaze. Ask questions about the wine. The answers often lead somewhere unexpected.
Best for: Letting someone else choose the bottle
Motor Supply began serving dinner in the Vista in 1989, back when the surrounding warehouse district required considerably more imagination. The menu still changes daily, following whatever arrives from South Carolina farms and fishing boats. Local vegetables, wild-caught seafood, and meats butchered in-house move through dishes shaped by French, Southern, Asian, and West African cooking. Michelin included Motor Supply in its inaugural American South guide, decades after Columbia diners had already worked it into their routines.
Best for: Seeing what South Carolina produced today
Lunch is the main event at Spotted Salamander, where chef Jessica Shillato turns what South Carolina farmers grow into sandwiches, soups, salads, and a daily board that rewards regular checking. The deviled eggs have become the signature, changing toppings often enough to encourage repeat visits. Shillato was a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2023. Still, the strongest argument for going may sit inside the dessert case, especially when coconut cake or an oatmeal cream pie appears.
Best for: Lunch followed by an unnecessary dessert
Cross the Congaree River into West Columbia and Terra appears at the corner of State and Meeting streets, with the city skyline visible beyond the windows. Chef Mike Davis has been cooking here since 2006, using Anson Mills grains, Manchester Farms quail, local vegetables, and Carolina-raised meats in a menu that moves comfortably between the South and Italy. Pizza, pasta, steak frites, and a grilled pork chop have kept the dining room full through two decades of changing restaurant fashion.
Best for: A date across the river
The War Mouth cooks food that belongs specifically to the Midlands. Pork sourced from Peculiar Pig in North Charleston smokes over hardwood embers. Chicken bog comes with onion sausage made in-house. Local vegetables arrive according to the season, and South Carolina fish fills whatever space the farmers leave behind. Executive chef Harold Pendleton folds his own family recipes into that regional vocabulary, adding dishes such as smoked corned beef without sanding away their origins. This is Columbia cooking with its hometown left intact.
Best for: Learning how the Midlands eats
WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A Lexington County man was taken to the hospital after exchanging gunfire with deputies from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.The shooting occurred Friday morning after 3 a.m. Lexington County deputies were called to Shadowfield Drive after receiving a 911 call from a home in the area. The caller hung up and then redialed 10 minutes later, according to Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon.“He was incoherent, made some threatening statements about us being prepared and not sending a ...
WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A Lexington County man was taken to the hospital after exchanging gunfire with deputies from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
The shooting occurred Friday morning after 3 a.m. Lexington County deputies were called to Shadowfield Drive after receiving a 911 call from a home in the area. The caller hung up and then redialed 10 minutes later, according to Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon.
“He was incoherent, made some threatening statements about us being prepared and not sending a rookie,” Koon said.
Koon said two deputies were sent to the area where they encountered a 46-year-old man behind an SUV with a shotgun. The sheriff said they fired the gun at the deputies, to which both deputies fired their weapons back multiple times. The man was injured. Both deputies were not hit.
“We’re very thankful the deputies are physically OK,” Koon said in a statement. “Through their training, they were able to successfully mitigate the situation.”
EMS took the man to a hospital afterwards.
Koon said he requested SLED to investigate the shooting further, which he said is “standard procedure.” SLED said it conducts law enforcement officer-involved shooting (OIS) investigations at the request of the agency involved.
Further updates will be given, Koon said. The investigation is ongoing.
SLED reports this incident as the 28th officer-involved shooting in South Carolina for 2026.
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LEXINGTON COUNTY — Eight years after West Columbia accused a neighboring town of stealing both customers and resources from its water system, a judge ordered Lexington to pay out $5.7 million in lost revenue, calling the town’s record keeping “sloppy at best and fraudulent at worst.”The lawsuit, first filed in 2018, stemmed from a disagreement over which municipality has the right to serve a clutch of water customers west of Interstate 20, a dividing line between the two largest municipalities in Lexington Coun...
LEXINGTON COUNTY — Eight years after West Columbia accused a neighboring town of stealing both customers and resources from its water system, a judge ordered Lexington to pay out $5.7 million in lost revenue, calling the town’s record keeping “sloppy at best and fraudulent at worst.”
The lawsuit, first filed in 2018, stemmed from a disagreement over which municipality has the right to serve a clutch of water customers west of Interstate 20, a dividing line between the two largest municipalities in Lexington County.
The Post and Courier reached out to representatives for West Columbia and Lexington, who didn't immediately provide responses to the ruling.
The dispute came down to whether a map drawn up in the initial 1997 agreement, showing properties that were grandfathered into West Columbia’s water system, carried over into an updated 2007 contract.
Through years of investigation and testimony, the 11th Circuit court found that Lexington had illegally been providing service to 263 properties located within West Columbia’s service area, stole $1.2 worth of water from unreported taps into West Columbia’s water lines, and “considered withholding providing sewer services to properties unless the property owner agreed to switch the water service from West Columbia to Lexington.”
Lexington’s legal strategies were at times puzzling, with their latest defense hinging on an April Fool’s Day discovery of a long-lost contract by a former town employee “randomly stacked by the door in the office of a former assistant town attorney,” and shifting testimony from a former mayor. The court found these arguments were neither plausible nor credible.
While the court did not find sufficient evidence to officially charge the town with fraud, Judge Frank Addy, Jr. ordered Lexington to audit its accounts and field connections to identify every customer in this shared distribution area that’s not currently included in monthly reports to West Columbia.
The court found that West Columbia lost $3.8 million in revenue from stolen customers.
The town is also permanently prohibited from constructing any lines to serve, or otherwise provide service to any properties in West Columbia’s jurisdiction, including six subdivisions:
While a 1997 contract sold the service rights in the disputed area to the town of Lexington for $2.8 million, the municipalities agreed that certain properties already serviced by West Columbia would be grandfathered in to continue receiving that service, including six subdivisions that were in the process of construction. That equated to over 1,400 customers worth tens of millions of dollars, or about 10 percent of West Columbia’s entire water-service revenue.
In 2007, the municipalities entered into a new contract, sparked by the expansion of West Columbia’s Lake Murray water plant. The agreement kept their respective service areas unchanged, and stipulated that neither town would construct lines or service customers within the other’s area except as allowed by the agreement.
Those properties were marked on a map in 1997, and that map was included, unchanged, in the 2007 agreement.
It wasn’t until 2016 that West Columbia’s senior assistant city administrator and treasurer, Justin Black, pointed out that several Lexington properties that were demarcated for West Columbia’s water service had been redeveloped and were now being serviced by Lexington.
In 2018, West Columbia sued for their rights back to the properties, and asked for an accounting by Lexington of all other properties it was servicing that belonged to West Columbia, and how much revenue it had cost the town.
West Columbia took matters into their own hands to investigate, an arduous process that involved inspecting aerial and satellite photographs and tax parcel data alongside decades of water service records. West Columbia also investigated properties within the six subdivisions that the agreements had granted them access to.
In the end, West Columbia identified 104 properties that had been redeveloped and were now being serviced by the town of Lexington. The investigation also found that an additional 158 properties within the subdivisions were being serviced by Lexington.
Under those agreements, West Columbia had also given Lexington the right to tap into West Columbia’s existing water lines to serve its customers without needing to duplicate infrastructure. Each month, Lexington provided a report to West Columbia accounting which customers Lexington served from the other municipality's water lines and how much water they used so that West Columbia could calculate Lexington’s wholesale bill.
But when West Columbia cross-checked the data they had uncovered throughout the investigation alongside those monthly reports, it revealed that Lexington had reported 15 percent fewer customers than it should have – omitting 226 houses. In court filings, West Columbia also alleged that Lexington withheld sewer service to certain properties to force West Columbia customers to switch their water service to Lexington.
While Lexington acknowledged the omission and added 211 customers to future reports in 2023, neither party could agree on the total amount of customers who should be added to the report or the amount of money Lexington owed for past omissions.
“Lexington denied that it had knowingly or deliberately done so and maintained that any omissions, if they existed, were inadvertent and not made in bad faith,” the order reads.
The lawsuit dragged on so long, in part, because of complications from counterclaims brought by the Town of Lexington and a switching legal narrative.
Lexington’s first argument was that, apart from the subdivisions, West Columbia lost its rights to any of the properties grandfathered in by the 1997 agreement when the property was redeveloped or changed hands.
“Lexington consistently urged the Court to declare that West Columbia made a ‘bad deal’ in 1997 and 2007,” the order reads, which made the municipality susceptible to unpredictable reductions in revenue.
West Columbia argued that its rights belonged to the property, not the owner. In the lawsuit, the municipality pointed out that the term “customer” is universally understood in the water service industry to mean the location and parcel of property being served, not the identity of individual account holders.
A large swath of customers are nestled in Settlers Point, a subdivision that was originally known as Hegmans Place. Lexington claimed that because the subdivision changed hands between developers, West Columbia lost its service rights.
The court rejected that argument, and found that Settlers Point is “coterminous” with Hegmans Place, and therefore did not materially change with new developers or names.
The court agreed with West Columbia’s definition, stating that the municipality's service rights do not change when the identity of the individual name on the account changes or the property is redeveloped.
Last May, as the argument dragged on, Lexington “fundamentally changed its position,” according to the court. In their new argument, the town asserted that in the 2007 agreement, West Columbia had relinquished all of the customers that were grandfathered in previously. The town claimed the new agreement did not carry over the old map with it’s exceptions.
However, the order notes that would have meant Lexington would have gained the right to serve 1,400 new customers, but had taken no steps to do so in the last 18 years.
Former Lexington Mayor Randy Halfacre confirmed in his own testimony that the intent in 2007 was to keep the service territories the same. While he attempted to change this testimony during trial, the court did not find him credible.
Current Lexington Mayor Hazel Livingston testified during trial that the town didn’t expand its service to those customers because of financial costs and the difficulty in installing meters, but the court found that Lexington’s own publicly available documents showed there were no such financial constraints.
Instead, Lexington had conducted an extensive and expensive systemwide meter replacement during that same period. And, the town had already installed and regularly reads meters on the water lines to each of the subdivision customers so that it can prepare sewer bills for those customers.
The court ultimately found Lexington was not able to prove any of it’s counterclaims, including allegations that West Columbia had improperly serviced an additional 87 customers not outlined in the original 1997 contract.
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