Bernie’s Chicken

Could care less about the fries, the tea, the coleslaw I came here for the chicken. Good Chicken is what I got, three pieces to be exact one leg one thigh and a breast. Very greasy but hell most fried chicken is that’s why they invented napkins you fools. But I agree the fries weren’t that great I doused them in ketchup and that helped me finish them off. Waited five minutes before 12:00pm to get my food they are very fast here.

After years of hype and recommendation from friends and co-​workers, me and my wife finally went. I had the Bernie’s Special; 3pcs chicken, coleslaw, fries and sweet tea, all for $ 6.75. Since my wife panicked because there were so many people, she ordered the same thing.
From what I understood, it is a local restaurant here in Columbia. The place was so packed during lunch today that we didn’t have a place to sit so we decided to take our lunch to a nearby park. After seeing the crowd I was really excited to taste their food. I was also excited because I thought I finally have another good place to take my out of town friends for a local meal.
Unfortunately, the hype didn’t meet expectations. After eating, me and my wife both wondered why so much hype. Don’t get me wrong, the chicken is worth trying and most definitely better than KFC, but to us it wasn’t the kind of food that will make me want to get out of my way and drive just to eat their chicken. The coleslaw and fries by itself, I will give a –2 stars. Will I go back? Absolutely! But again, I won’t get out of my way to do it. And I do support and prefer local businesses.
The customers they had there were mostly from the area; they are in the middle of a business area. Both blue and white collar workers were there which was nice too see.
The customer service is fast so if you’re in a hurry don’t worry. Don’t let the packed place fool you, they’ll get your food ready in a hurry, nice and fresh off the fryer.

Bernie’s! I can’t believe I’ve not done a review on Bernie’s. Been there probably 100 times in the past 10 years, maybe more, and just read an article where someone reviewed Bernie’s, so I had to make sure I’d not reviewed it. I was shocked to find one or two reviews with only 1 or stars!
Friends took us to Shealy’s about 10 years ago and I thought the chicken was great, some of the best I’d had. I told my neighbor about it and she said, «No, Bernie’ chicken is better». I didn’t know where Bernie’ was and she apparently worked at USC and had frequented it often (she’s a Columbia native). So I made my way down to Bernie’s.
If you go in at 11:00 or around noon expect it to be crowded. It almost always is, but they’ve got the system down right. Service is quick. The most popular thing at lunch is the special. Three pieces of chicken, fries, Cole slaw with a bun… and tea. It is absolutely the best Fried Chicken that I have ever tasted. Growing up, my favorite meat was alway fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, so I’ve tried many a fried chicken. I like KFC, Popeye’s, Bojangles… all good, but Bernie’ is the best. If it’s chicken you’re after you have to try Bernie’s. We often order a box of it and bring it home and reheat it in the oven for lunches throughout the week. Can’t be beat.
I had a customer at SRS in Aiken that I would take out to lunch frequently. He was always calling me saying he’d found the «Best Fried chicken in the world», so we’d go and check out the place. Can’t remember how many of these «Best Fried Chicken in the World» places he drug me to (Crossroads, Main Street Restaurant, some place in Ellington and others).
Well, after I discovered Bernie’s I told him that I had discovered the «Best Fried Chicken in the World» and he needed to come up so we could go golfing and try out Bernie’s Chicken. He did. We golfed. We had the Chicken… and he now says that Bernie’s makes the «Best Fried Chicken in the World».
Forget about the décor or ambience. It’s a fast food, fried chicken place. If you want fancy go somewhere else. If you want good chicken, go to Bernie’s.

Great fried chicken for a reasonable price. No frills, just delicious. Food was served quick and hot. Real southern sweet iced tea.

Had the 3pc chicken and tea. It was fantastic! If I come here again to Columbia, I will definitely hit this place up!

Came here for lunch and loved it! Great value and one of the best places to go to for fried chicken!

Best chicken in Columbia! Be prepared for a wait during the lunch rush, but it’s worth the wait!

I was not impressed with the chicken. I have had better. It was just average fried chicken. Wow, three bites of cole slaw which wasn’t to my liking as it was vinegar based. Crinkled fries straight from the store. No taste to them. And don’t forget the dried out roll that they pulled out of a ready to go bag. Restaurant dirty. Salt & pepper shakers, catchup container so greasy I had to pick them up with a napkin and wipe them. Just driving thru the area as I frequently do. Will not go back.

I ordered the three-​piece special to go. It took over 30 minutes to get my order. They were not that busy. The chicken was pretty good… But nothing extraordinary. Definitely not worth the wait.

Best chicken on the planet. Over the road trucker and I get around to sample the local spots while on the road. This place it’s big on take out but has an large enough eating area to hold quite a few guest. I had the Bernie’s special. Breast, wing, and thigh, fries, slaw, roll, and tea for around 8 dollars. The chicken is broasted which gives it lots of juicy flavor. The chicken is a light golden brown and not heavy on the crust the way I like it. I’ve been in for lunch with the place packed in the restaurant and 20 people in front of me for take out and I was out in less than 10 min. Dinner was not as crowded but service was just as quick. Looks like they cook the chicken in batches, not piled up under a heat lamp. I also had the peach cobbler. It was great. My only complaint is that if you don’t come in early the cobbler flies out the door. This is my number one stop when driving through Columbia.

I must say for my first time there it was fast & sweet. Will go baxk an try other things. The xhixken was good!!!

Didn’t know what to expect but this place was so welcoming and made me feel like I was valued, which is rare for fast food! You order then take a number which is called out when your food is ready. I tried the three piece chicken meal which came with fries and coleslaw. Sides weren’t great but the broasted chicken (what does that even mean) was top notch. Crispy, juicy and perfectly seasoned without being too greasy. Also try the peach cobbler! This place is always packed and now I know why. Will definitely be back next time I’m in the area.

In the area for work — ate here twice in one day. Lunch and dinner. That is how awesome it was. Service was fast too.

Great spot for a good quick lunch. Claims to have the best chicken in Columbia. Mine was excellent. Got the grilled chicken club. Basket came with a big helping of fries and slaw. Prices are very cheap for what you get. Highly recommended. I’ll eat there again.

Best fried chicken (and sweet tea) E-​V-​E-​R!
Bernie’s is within a football throw of Williams Brice Stadium. The food is always hot, crispy, and so tasty! The sweet tea is divine. And everyone behind the counter is always smiling and barking orders! This place stays packed at lunch for obvious reasons. If you’re in Columbia, you must stop by at least once to try their hot, crispy, juicy fried chicken.
Cons: the building, tables, booths, chairs, floors, ceilings, bathroom are old and could use a deeper than deep scrub. But I’m not there to taste the furniture even though they frequently receive A ratings by DHEC. Just give me some Bernie’s fried chicken please.

Still one of the best low cost chicken dinners in Columbia. The taste is soooo good and the family packs after 4pm is the best!!!

I wish I could just give the fried chicken 5 stars. It was outstanding — the exterior was light and crispy, almost translucent, very unique (nothing like KFC, chik-​fil-​a, or tempura). Fried chicken is always a bit oily, but this really wasn’t. Both dark and light meat were tender and juicy, easily fell off bone.
The rest of the meal was Okay. Rolls, Cole slaw and fries were straight out of local supermarket. Baked beans were very tasty, just firm enough. But does this really matter? They aren’t the draw, the chicken is and it’s not to be missed.
I suspect there aren’t many Unilocal reviews because this isn’t really a Unilocaler place. Located in industrial area near stadium. Definitely for the working class, where please and thank you and ma’am abound. Lots of municipal and contractor trucks here. The place was loaded the whole time we were there.
We’ll be back! Thanks, Unilocal,for helping us find the place!

Awesome cheeseburger basket with unsweet tea. Parked behind restaurant on ¹¹⁄₃₀ – USC – Clemson game day. $ 6.25 for food and drink, $ 20 to park for game!

The chicken is fried and its fresh, what’s not to like? Most people seemed to order the three piece special so we did too. It came with fries and a tiny soufflé cup of slaw.
Order at the counter, get your number, then pay when they call your number and you pick up your food. Bernie’s is old school!

So I walked in here at peak lunch hours, and it is CRAZY inside. At the time, I was actually in kind of a hurry, and so I almost left, rather than wait to get through and order my food… MAN am I glad I waited. I got in line and watched as the people ahead of me trickled through to the counter top, and then shouted out their order to the first person available to take it. It actually went pretty quickly, and worked very efficiently. It was obvious that they’d all been doing it for a while, and it all went very smoothly.
About 5 min later I was chowing down on my Bernie’s Special, complete with a few pieces of the most amazing fried chicken I’ve had in a long time (maybe ever), a side of coleslaw, some fries, and a sweet tea. All that for around $ 6… SCORE! The chicken, I have to say more about the chicken… JUICY… omg, so juicy and full of flavor, I didn’t even need the hot sauce… but I used some anyways. So good!
Lastly, I finished with a banana pudding, which was alright, but no where near the greatness of the chicken.
Do it! Order some CHICKEN, this place has got it down!