Smoked bringing new dining experience to Columbia's Main Street

Columbia's Main Street will welcome a new restaurant to the area in the fall of 2021. 

Smoked, a combination of an oyster bar, smokehouse and microbrewery, is making a home where three historic buildings stand at 1639-1645 Main Street. The buildings are being historically rehabilitated and combined to soon host guests for a unique dining experience.

Smoked will fuse an oyster bar with barbeque traditions of the South and a microbrewery, presented in an upscale, intimate setting, according to co-owner, Sara Middleton.

"Smoked is going to have a fun, eclectic atmosphere," Middleton said. She added that the restaurant concept and its name came about after her brother purchased a smoker for his home which led to much excitement in experimenting with new recipes for a restaurant.

"My brother had purchased a new smoker for his house," she said. "His favorite food is smoked meats and mine is smoked oysters." Middleton said after some brainstorming together with their head chef, he suggested serving smoked oysters with smoked meat over them. "Our head bartender even said we could do smoked drinks. So everything had a common smoked theme," she said.

Middleton said the restaurant is meant to bring guests a new, unique dining experience to enjoy.

Construction has begun on the restaurant, however Middleton said the pandemic has pushed much of their progress back. 

"We own a few other restaurants and it’s been incredibly difficult," she said. "It’s a weird time, but we have had these plans together for a little over two years now and we’re chugging through. Smoked is giving our team something to look forward to and it’s something fun to work on."

Additional information and updates will be posted on the Smoked Facebook page.

Meera Bhonslé | Cola Daily