DiPrato's — Restaurant in Columbia

I actually am really surprised by how poor of an experience I just had for lunch. I have been eating here on and off for a few years and have never had an issue, so today was just really bizarre...

Took 11 min to get a server once I was seated (restaurant was maybe 1/3 full at this time, no line, no waits). My server was talking about the NFL / Fantasy Football the entire time with another table two tables down from me. Made eye contact with me multiple times, and just kept going on and on. Not the biggest deal but sitting there the entire time without so much as a "I'll be right with you" or a water was pretty dumb. Nice guy, but zero sense of urgency here

Ordered a sandwich (Cuban, absolutely fantastic. Always delicious) and 3 other items to go. Put in the order at the same time, and handed him a note with the to-go portion written down as simple and concise as possible (Just 3 sandwiches, btw). It took nearly 25 min after I got my sandwich to get everything else. I get back to my office and turns out that 2 of the 3 to-go items were wrong. One was missing ingredients, other was not even what I ordered. I was raving about this place too before I went, so we were disappointed.

Maybe just a fluke, but that visit was almost a total loss in my book. After all, we are human and things happen, so I will be back. Just hope not to encounter these...

I’m visiting my parents in Columbia and am 8 months pregnant, and honestly, this was one of the most disappointing dining experiences I’ve had.

I stopped by with my small dog because I’d heard this was a solid New York-style deli. I saw people dining outside and assumed I could as well, but I was informed there was no service for the outdoor tables. Since I already had my dog with me, I decided to order takeout and sit outside. The place was fairly crowded, which I took as a good sign, and I opted for the turkey Reuben.

What I received was a letdown—a tiny, underwhelming sandwich that included someone’s coarse beard hair. For $16 (which included a bag of chips and unsweetened tea), I expected something much better, especially given how this deli was marketed. Frankly, I could’ve made a much better sandwich at home.

I regret not taking a picture because it looked nothing like the photos advertised on Instagram or what you’d expect from a proper deli. I ended up giving most of it to my dog. I ate only a small portion because I was starving, but it was far from satisfying.

The only redeeming part of my visit was the cashier, who was warm and hospitable. She’s the sole reason I’m giving this place one star. I wish I could chalk my disappointment up to hormones, but unfortunately, this was just an all-around...

A friend and I visited this past Sunday, after being told how great the place is. Unfortunately, nothing we were served remotely stood up to the level of praise we’ve had expressed to us. I ordered the caprese sandwich, pasta salad, and tomato soup. The sandwich had stale-tasting bread, a day-old tomato based on how mushy it was, and basically straight-from-the-fridge temp mozzarella. Already a bad start. The tomato soup was straight from a Progresso can, though they did add a small dollop of cheese. Lastly, the “side” pasta salad amounted to about six noodles. After adding the bland sweet tea, which was flavorless, I paid $26 for what is arguably this neighborhood’s worst food. We would’ve asked our waitress for assistance, but we had two other employees help us out. Either way, I’m being generous by giving this place two stars.

As a side note, don’t waste your time or money on their packaged chicken salad or pimento cheese. There isn’t anything southern about either, much less any flavor.

(And yes, to make sure my taste buds weren’t failing, I took a COVID test. It came back negative. This place just doesn’t serve anything worthwhile.)

I recommend taking your...