Motor Supply Co. Bistro is one of the best restaurants in Columbia, occupying a converted auto parts warehouse in the Vista district. The menu changes daily based on what is available — a genuinely farm-to-table approach rather than a marketing claim — and typically runs to a dozen or so dishes mixing Southern tradition with broader American and European influences.
The dining room is atmospheric: exposed brick, high ceilings, and the kind of noise level that says the food is good. Reservations are recommended Thursday through Saturday. The bar is particularly strong on craft spirits and local beers from South Carolina producers.