There’s never been a better time to eat Latin American food in Columbia
In West Columbia, a bounty of terrific food trucks and restaurants serving cuisines from the diverse cultural conglomerate dot the city’s landscape. A recent online search found 14 Mexican and Latin American restaurants, and that number grew to 18 when expanding the parameters to the neighboring town of Cayce.
That list includes the recently opened Tex Mex, but doesn’t include the even newer Taqueria el Primo, so the full total is at least 19.
Recent visits to both newcomers were greeted with strong dishes well worth their affordable cost, from solid tacos to surprising hot dogs.
The cuisine’s ubiquity in the relatively snug area makes sense when you look at its demographics. West Columbia boasts an almost 10 percent Hispanic population. Across the river, Columbia's percentage is just above half that — though its Latin cuisine offerings are no slouch, especially if one heads to the International Boulevard area.
Indeed, there’s been growth throughout the area for Latin cuisine of late.
Near the University of South Carolina campus, Bruno’s Taqueria opened; in the Northeast, there’s the upscale Peruvian tapas restaurant Ratio; in Forest Acres, Boca Grande Burritos has opened to much fanfare; and elsewhere spots like the quickly growing Fusion Cocina Latina that have garnered strong reputations as well.
The city’s restaurants have also recently hopped on trends like birria tacos, a delectable dish that’s sautéed in consommé and served with that same broth as a dip.
Here’s a breakdown of West Columbia’s two new additions, to help you figure out how they fit into the crowded landscape, and what they might offer to enjoy alongside any favorites you might already have.
Tex Mex Columbia — 1215 Augusta Rd., Suite H; texmexcolumbia.com
Owner Araceli Valenzuela and her husband Fernando opened Tex Mex Columbia in October, with the idea to bring people together through their fare.
“We like all kinds of people and we’re open to all kinds of cultures,” Valenzuela said. “That’s why that idea of Tex Mex is a fusion of people and food and flavors.”
The couple have an eclectic menu, with a host of Mexican dishes, American dishes and unique hot dogs, like a chorizo hot dog. They also offer regular specials and have a handy picture wall of available items to assist customers who may not be familiar with some of the offerings.
On the two occasions I’ve eaten there, I tried a special that included a marinated pork chop, rice and refried beans; and aforementioned chorizo hot dog, to which I added coleslaw for a quintessential Palmetto State touch. The pork chop was well cooked, not overdone and had a nice salty flavor.
Tex Mex's chorizo hot dog served to-go. The West Columbia Mexican restaurant opened in October 2020.
The chorizo hot dog was a particular highlight for a standalone lunch. The chorizo-potato mix is flavor packed and paired well with the snappy hot dog. Lightly sautéed onions added a nice semi-sweet accent to the dish, which had a surprising amount of depth, despite its mundane nature.
Valenzuela said they’ve fared well with American customers, but there’s been some misconceptions over their food due to the name, with some believing they serve solely Tex-Mex-style cuisine, rather than Mexican.
They opened amid COVID-19 and it was a difficult first year, she acknowledged. The family invested into the business before the pandemic and were left with operating the business. However things have picked up, and she considered it a strong first year in business, given the circumstances.
“I think we’re doing good for it being our first business,” she said. “We have a lot of expertise because we have been working for restaurants for 25 years. He’s a good chef, and I love people so it’s good.”
Taqueria El Primo arrives as the brick-and-mortar sister to the longstanding Augusta Road food truck in West Columbia (the yellow and white one that posts up in the Beer & Tobacco Oulet parking lot). The new storefront opens in the former Five Points Catering location on Sunset Boulevard, with that signage still on the building.
I’ve frequented the food truck before, finding a particularly strong cabeza sincronizada, a quesadilla-like dish that includes beans inside the flour tortilla.
At the new storefront, which opened about three months ago, per a restaurant worker, I tried out the chorizo and cabeza tacos.
The cabeza was a fair take on the meat, with the expected greasy and somewhat oxtail-like beef flavor. It melted in my mouth, but lacked the crispy-crunch that I seek out for a textural contrast. The chorizo was the highlight of my trip, with an extremely flavorful and intense smokiness that paired particularly well with the cilantro sprinkled inside the taco and the verde hot sauce served on the side.
Taqueria El Primo has a host of other offerings, with burritos, tostadas, huaraches and tortas. It’s a wide-ranging menu that should cater to most any preference.
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