Columbia Columbia

Columbia is known for its vibrant arts scene, beautiful nature trails, and Southern hospitality. Typical dishes include barbecue, fried catfish, and pimento cheese sandwiches.

Royal Taj

Royal Taj

8335 Benson Dr, Columbia I-21045-3116, United States

Indian • Vegetarian • Gluten Free • Vegan Options


"Ordered the Tandoori Shrimp for $35. I was surprised when my meal arrived and there were only 4 shrimp. Especially when everyone else at my table seemed to have significantly more food. Chicken Mango Curry $27), Shrimp Tikka Masala $33), Chicken Tikka Masala $27), Tandori Salmon $32). Everyone had plenty of food. But the Tandoori Shrimp were just 4 mid sized shrimp. I was not impressed and not filled. However all the meals were delicious. We ordered desert after. After debating on a few different items, my dad ordered some dish with chesecake cubes that I can't remember the name of. What the waiter brought out was Tiramisu Dusted Cake. We informed the waiter that this was not what my dad ordered and the waiter insisted that it was, despite us repeatedly pointing at the menu where it said cheesecake. The waiter insisted that this item was in fact cheese cake multiple times. My Mom ordered the Rose Petal Icecream, however what she was given is Mango Rasmalai which was room temperature and tasted like soggy mango flavored bread). When the waiter was told it was the wrong item, he brought out strawberry icecream, which was also not what was ordered. But at this point we had given up. On the plus side, my sister ordered Gulab Jamum Gelato and actually got what she asked for. But that should be the standard, not the exception. We were then asked if we were visiting for an event and we told them it was my parent's 34th wedding anniversary. At this point we were given ACTUAL cheesecake with a candle so they do know what cheesecake is) and we were told we were being brought out champagne. Instead of champagne, what actually arrived was some mix of Bailey's Irish Cream, Fireball Whiskey, and something else. Which was delicious, but again, not what we were told and not what was requested. It was very loud and often times hard to hear the waiter. So in addition to saying the item name as loud as we could, we also pointed at the menu item every time we ordered, and still the order was gotten wrong. Had a good time overall despite the problems. Edit: After initially leaving a two star review, the owner reached out to us to make it up to us. Despite having nearly 5000 google reviews, the owner cares about his customers and his business. I respect that and feel satisfied in the response. Thank you for reaching out to my family."

Kings Contrivance

Kings Contrivance

10150 Shaker Dr, Columbia, MD 21046, United States

European • American • North American • Delivery Services


"The staff tried. The food was wedding food, and not oh wow that is great wedding food just eh I can eat some of this to survive. The Maitre D came at the end, when our card had already been taken, and asked about the meal. We were polite but let him know we were not satisfied. We told him we understood staffing trouble and he told us the troubles they were having. He said dessert was on him but then said bill had already been rung so he gave us a note for the next time? he took our plates of dinner which had barely been touched and when asked if we wanted a box and we quickly said no he didn?t once offer a refund or any compensation beyond the dessert. They are dreadfully understaffed so taking 30 minutes for a drink, having empty water glasses for another 30, an hour until apps are all understandable with the staff issue. My dirty martini wasn?t dirty. My husbands mint and cucumber mojito had no mint the second time. The only food that was what we would call in the range of good was escargot and the fried oysters. The Brie tasted as if it had turned. The seafood chowder was bland, the Cesar salad was soggy, the ribeye was COVERED in bland brown gravy, chicken piccata was flavorless and a bit chewy and all the vegetables seemed to be ready for purée they were steamed and no detectable seasoning. We actually asked an hour and a half in to cancel the entrees if not started, we just wanted to leave. The waiter said they were almost ready and being people who hate to waste or inconvenience we said okay we will wait. We shouldn?t of, the meal and tip was $200 and we still had to get another meal that night. It was our 10 year wedding anniversary and our original plan for 18 21st was canceled due to a flooded kitchen. This place was recommended as somewhere to dress up for and get great food. It would make for a romantic wedding venue and had we just gone for a drink we may have had a different view but the food, it just was not good if you like flavorful food, or .. fresh food. The picture of the steak is after he tried to scrape off the gravy."