Terra — Restaurant in West Columbia

Back story: Drove almost 2 hours to bring my girlfriend down to Charleston for her birthday and this is where we chose to have dinner. We got all dressed up and took off to what would be an underwhelming dinner experience.

Quick Summary: The food was off the charts good, but the service and dining experience was lack luster and when coupled with the cost, led us to not want to come back. We still enjoyed ourselves and would recommend people to try it because of the food but keep your expectations down as far as anything past the food. That is why I am only able to give this a 3-star review, as much as I want to go higher.

Detailed: Let us start with the not so good part about this adventure. We arrived to a half empty restaurant due to COVID restrictions, this did not present a problem and would imply even better service. However, our service was not that of a 5-star restaurant but more of an O Charley's or Apple bee's and that is just a shame. Constantly we found ourselves out of drinks, having to chase down the waitress, and no knowledge of the menu (which is small). The small menu is great, and we loved that it is all select and farm to table. Somehow, the waitress always seemed to be in an extreme hurry even though she would just stand over in the corner and talk with friends. I would honestly expect this out of a 3-star restaurant and a franchise but not out of a place that was to have this caliber/cost. Now I am not saying it was horrible, it was not. I still would recommend people to go there for an amazing meal but maybe not the best dinner experience (in other words no need to dress up). Also skip the wine! The wine was not near how it was described and honestly was rather expensive for what you get. Being her birthday, we were exited to try many different wines and enjoy our evening together but as we could never get the waitress, we only stuck with one and with the lack of knowledge switched to beer.

Now the good: The food was amazing! In all my years eating Pork Chops I have never cared for them until this day! The desert was literally just melt in your mouth and amazing. All the food was just bliss! Simply put these people know how to cook and the freshness sends it over the moon. If in the area make sure to stop by I am sure you will love...

This is by far the best restaurant experience I have ever had. I am not referring to just an isolated incident either. The menu provides an all around superb selection and delicious choices. Whether you're in the mood for light appetizers and cocktails, a stone-fired pizza and craft beers, or celebrating a special occasion with a fancy dinner and wine, Terra should be your first and only choice. The well educated staff consistently provide excellent service and are some of the most knowledgeable servers I have encountered. Friendliness should be a given in the service industry and is definitely apparent as soon as you walk in, but what is unique is the ability of the bartender, management and wait staff to offer insight and suggestion pairings and unique things to try. If you drink, do not miss the chance to try one of Andy's signature cocktails, and don't be afraid to venture out and try something new from their more than ample wine selection. The only thing that tops all of this that I have mentioned is the food itself. The Lamb Mac and Cheese is a staple, as is the Quack Madame to start, but make sure to save room for entrees that will blow your mind. The Chef and his crew create some of the most unique and savory flavor combinations I have ever encountered. I have yet to find anywhere or anybody that prepares such delectable side dishes (sorry, Granny, if that gets me written out of will)! I'm saddened to see other reviews and with the consistency I've experienced here, I'm forced to wonder if they are not the result of jealousy or just internet trolls. Terra is without a doubt deserving of 5 stars, and it would be a tragedy to never try...

I went to Terra with a group of friends for a birthday dinner. We had a good time and our server was great until we had a very awkward exchange with the owner.

One of the women in our dinner party ordered the scallops, but she sent them back to the kitchen because they were chewy. When it was time for the checks, she was surprised to see it was still on her bill even though she didn’t eat the meal. When she asked the server about it, she said she had to talk with the chef.

To our surprise, the chef (also the owner) came out and said the scallops were like that because they were “spawning” which doesn’t explain chewy scallops. The owner then proceeded to have a back and forth defending the dish for about 5-7 minutes. It was very off putting and rude for him to argue about it at the table with all of us, especially after we all spent a good bit of money at dinner and it was just over one (uneaten) dish.

After this long, drawn out back and forth, he finally agreed to take the meal off her bill — but by then the damage was already done. It’s sad that we had to end on such a sour note after having a pretty good night. The experience was so uncomfortable, I definitely cannot see myself going back. I really hate that this was how my first experience at this...