The War Mouth

Reviews

• Samantha A.

  star star star star star 25 May 2026

  So, I had never eaten here until last week. My SO comes in for a lunch fairly frequently. We were headed to a movie at Dutch Square and thought we would grab a quick bite on the way, and The War Mouth was on the way.
  
  We arrived around 6:30 on a Wednesday and had no problem getting a table for two, but they were completely full before we left an hour later. The atmosphere is lively and fun, but unpretentious; the decor is modern with vintage and whimsical farmhouse twists.
  
  We started with the crawfish fritters. They were amazing. Perfectly fried little hushpuppy-esque balls of crawfish with the most amazing peppercorn gravy. Dynamite.
  
  For dinner, I had the Chicken Bog and my SO had the BBQ Plate. I'm from the low country and Chicken Bog was a standard growing up in my house. This Bog was every bit as good as what my Daddy makes, and elevated so it felt a little fancier. I scraped my plate, which isn't something that I do in restaurants. I thought the portioning on the plate was also wonderful, as it was just enough. I don't like overloaded plates of food and they do a wonderful job here of feeding you well but not overwhelming you. My SO annihilated his BBQ plate. He adores their hash because it has a little peppery kick to it. He was kind enough to share some of the delicious homemade pickles with me.
  
  This is a wonderful place and I wish they were in my neighborhood. They have a great outdoor space and lively bar scene. The wine list is more than adequate and the cocktail list is fresh and creative. The service was top notch. Five stars all the way; I'm already scheming on my next trip out to North Main to eat supper at the War Mouth. If you haven't been, GO!

• Alfie B.

  star star star star_border star_border 24 May 2026

  We've had The War Mouth on our list of restaurants to try for a while now. We came on a Wednesday around 7pm and had no problems getting seated. They have their own parking lot, but it's fairly small and just a gravel lot. The surrounding area and outside looks pretty sketchy honestly. The inside is much nicer though. Staff was friendly.
  
  We ordered the octopus appetizer, fried gizzards, BBQ plate, and a half rack of ribs. I'm still mad about the octopus appetizer, despite the potatoes being very well made. The potatoes were about the size of golf balls, topped with literally 4 pieces of octopus the size of small croutons. The gizzards were a little too chewy for me (although apparently that's just how gizzards are), but the breading was the right amount of spice and flavor. I liked the sauce on ribs, which was surprising for me because I hate mustard. Just wish the meat itself had more flavor/smokiness. I tried some of my girlfriend's BBQ, but it was just too saturated with vinegar. It felt like it just kept coming out with each chew. My girlfriend felt similar and we opted to not even take it home, which I don't think has ever happened to us.
  
  They have some good dishes, but it's just too hit or miss here. Apparently their menu rotates, so I'd try it again. And I'm also curious about their drink menu, which is pretty extensive.

• Ariel A.

  star star star star star_border 13 May 2026

  UPDATE: it's been a bit but I had to come back just cuz. It always a great eclectic crowd here. This time I ordered the deviled eggs, crispy pork belly, ribs and heirloom tomatoes. And of coarse it was all good. This is one of the truly hip spots in cola. It's authentic and It's easy. UPDATE!
  
  Damn! That was so good! I've been waiting to go to War Mouth why I'm not sure. I just had a killer meal. Salad ribs and beer. The best!  I can't wait to go. I'm back for the soft shell crab. Hell

• Cassie P.

  star star star star star_border 11 May 2026

  I've had the pleasure of dining at The War Mouth for both brunch and dinner, and can confidently say it's one of my favorite restaurants in Columbia!
  
  Most recently, I ventured in for brunch and ordered the fried chicken. It was a hearty portion of two pieces of perfectly crispy and moist chicken, alongside mac and cheese, and coleslaw. I couldn't recommend it enough! At dinner time, I tried the BBQ plate, pickle plate, and fried oysters. I enjoyed all of those offerings as well, especially the pickle plate because I'm a sucker for all things pickled! Their hot sauce is really tasty and they even sell bottles to go.
  
  Maybe even more than the food, I love the atmosphere of this spot. It's an old garage converted into a restaurant and so open, while also having outdoor seating.
  
  I definitely plan on going back for some Southern fare the next time I'm in town!

• Jessica Y.

  star star star star_border star_border 10 May 2026

  Love the decor of the place and the bar staff were friendly and place was clean but there mixed drinks were a bit too far off the normal path for my enjoyment.  They need to have some simple popular drinks as well as there signature drinks on their menu. Unfortunately my drink tasted like I was drinking straight essential oils. But the craft beer selection was on point so I was able to enjoy a drink. I didn't sit in the outside seating area but from what I could see it looked like a nice place to sit. I didn't see any kids there when I was there but I looked family friendly. It is important to note: they o not serve food till after 5 pm. Maybe they had that posted somewhere but I didn't not see it online or posted on the building but I could have overlooked it.
  I gave 3 stars because of the mixed drink menu and lack of having any snacks available prior to 5.