Edna’s Drive In

I have to admit. These dogs are good! The place is easy to miss if you’re not too familiar with the area and it’s not the best looking building on the block but the food is great. It’s clean in the inside. Very quick and courteous service. Like the Terminator… I’ll be back!

One of my favorites since the 80’s. Great hot dogs and hamburgers! Home made chilli.

I lived in Columbia on-​and-​off for seven (7) years, but I never was adventurous to give Edna’s a try. Dang it! I really was missing out great street eats.
I love the Chicago-​style hotdog, but Edna’s has good chili dogs and burgers. Prices were pretty fantastic in my opinion: $ 3.30 for a Polish sausage dog plus $ 0.50 for the chili add-​on (as of 01/​26/​2015). We bought four (4)-people worth of food for $ 16 and some change.
Ingredients were fresh. I liked how the onion, bacon, and tomato remained in large chunks of slices to enhance, what I call, «bite-​ability.» I was attempting to come out with a legit, Merriam-​Webster-​approved word, yet that was an epic failure for me.
The chili dog was on-​point. However, I would definitely order the chili cheeseburger again.
This hole-​in-​the-​wall Edna’s is cash-​only. You will have to get out your vehicle to place the order. Picnic-​style seating is on the side. Beggars are out and about, so use up all your cash so that you can honestly tell them «I ain’t got nothin’.»

Not a great area, not great setting, but I will drive the 20 minutes there, go across the street to the gas station atm (because they only take cash) and stand around outside their little shack by the window just to get one if their amazing burgers. When i crave burgers, it’s their burgers I want. And you really can’t best the price for what tasty food you’re getting. Their milkshakes are super good too. Not many places use actual chocolate icecream in their chocolate shakes instead of just vanilla and chocolate syrup but Edna’s does and it really makes the difference. If their food wasn’t so amazing, the atmosphere would have brought my rating down, but when the food is this good who cares where you have to eat it.

B E S T H O T D O G S I N C O L U M B I A ! ! ! ! !
Love Edna’s. Old school drive-​in. If you want to eat there you’ll be in your car or at a picnic table. Hot dog all the way or chili burger basket are my recommendations. The way fast food should taste, not like these corporate places that taste more like McDonald’s than it does a hamburger. Great old gem that Columbia has. CHEAP too!!!

Excellent cheeseburger and fries but the real kicker was the chocolate milk shake! It was absolutely delicious and topped with whipped cream. There is no inside seating and they do not accept debit/​credit. The prices are very reasonable so make sure you bring cash. It’s the definition of a «dive» or «hole in the wall» but the food is worth the visit. Do yourself a favor and try Edna’s!

This place is a cool little bite of history. I really enjoy that it’s a tiny hut on the side of the road with pictures of how it changed throughout history and different owners and whatnot.
The burger was good, the fries were fresh but the hot dog left a lot to be desired. It could just be me — I’m looking for the old fashion charred hot dog of the north and I still haven’t been able to find it. I thought for sure an old fashioned place like this would, but I was wrong. I think the old fashioned part of this restaurant is just in the looks — the food definitely seems to have changed with the times. (processed)
Still a good fast but not fast food meal!

The absolutely best hotdogs in Columbia SC. Not to mention their cheese burgers. I’ve been eating here since I was a teenager and I’m 51 not. Just incredible comfort food. Their cheeseburgers are juicy and hot. The slab of onion makes it the best. If it’s summertime, ask for a drink from the bottom of the cooler. It will be slightly frozen. Just incredible.

These burgers (and hot dogs) are soooo good. The burgers taste similar to Rush’s burgers to me, which is not a bad thing — both are amazing and only available in SC. I grew up in Columbia and recently moved out of state. While living in Columbia, Edna’s was close to my home but I didn’t regularly pass by en route to everyday activities so it was sometimes out of sight, out of mind.
My boyfriend tries to eat well and workout (as well as tries to get me and his family members to cut down on eating out). However, when Edna’s is mentioned, there is no contest from him. In fact, he’ll call and see what everyone wants — and nobody ever turns down Edna’s, free or not.
I’m sure when we come back to visit, Edna’s will be a definite go to when eating out. FYI, Edna’s is CASH ONLY.

If you like «old fashioned» fast food burgers, hot dogs & fries, this is you place. Tastes way fresher than most chain places.

OMG, Edna’s has THE burger. I don’t care what anyone says about 5 guys, or whatever. The bacon burger is the end-​all. Of course, BLTs are also amazing. The cheeseburger is amazing. It’s all good, but they really have my favorite BLT (now that I think about it).
Get everything all the way. Edna’s doesn’t skimp on toppings, and tomato slices are lovely, all thick and juicy. Get onion rings too.
I’m going to chalk the great flavor up to a grill well seasoned over at least 40 years. Everybody old-​school Columbia will drop by Edna’s.
Yes, the area looks sketchy, but it’s fine. Yes, you will need to bring cash.

Old Fashion Hamburger Stand — That’s what I said!
Hamburger Stands used to be the norm– before the advent of the drive-​thru, found on every corner of every street in every city… This is one of the best of a dying breed~
The menu is straight forward– burgers, fries, chili dogs– the prices are very reasonable– the food is VERY GOOD! You can’t go wrong here!
The place looks a little run down as you do your drive bye. Don’t judge this book by it’s cover! If you take the time to try it out, as you stand at the window to place your order, you’ll notice the inside, it is nice and clean and well organized!
I think the double cheese burger at Edna’s could go up against burger in town as one of the best! It’s grilled fresh– a grease burger extraordinaire! plenty of onions and cheese and a whopping dose of beef! Wow! It doesn’t get much better than this!
Take the time– get out of your car, walk up to the window and experience Edna’s. If you’re a grease burger fan (who isn’t) it’s a must try!

If you are looking for some fancy gourmet burger joint this is not the place. Sure, it might be close to a sketchy part of town and there are stray cats everywhere (there is a woman who actually comes and feeds these cats!). If you can get over those few things, then you won’t mind stopping by to have a taste.
Edna’s has obviously been around for quite some time. There are always a steady stream of customers. Sometimes you have to wait for your order, but I don’t think we’ve ever waited to long. My family and I always order burgers from here. We’ve had the chili dogs, and thought they were decent. My husband loves the double patty cheeseburger. If oversize burgers are your thing, they got you covered. Their burgers are very good and have that home made feel to it. I even find that the regular cheeseburger is fairly large. The burgers are very good, and can get a little messy. Probably because they are so big. Overall the taste is great. We’ve never had any complaints.
We’ve sampled many burgers around the area, and for the price these burgers are pretty good. If your just looking for a no frills type of place you may want to check them out.

Edna’s makes the best milkshakes in town, great burgers and BLT’s. I think sometimes the fries can be a little weak its like the oil is not hot enough. The BLT is made of a lump of fried bacon – not an everyday sandwich for sure but worth a try! The burgers are great and very large. The milkshakes are hand dipped, for the price you can’t make a better one at home!
When you can get a big cheeseburger with fries and a drink for just about 5 bucks, there is nothing to complain about. Much better than any fast food. There is a reason it is always hard to find a parking spot! Don’t forget you must pay in cash here.

Sure Edna’s looks like it’s falling down, and maybe it is. Let’s face it this place is old school, but don’t let it’s looks fool you she packs a serious punch. The bottom line is Edna’s got to be a Columbian landmark because one it’s as old as the hills and two it serves cheap food fast and fresh. She’s not going to wow your taste buds, but Edna’s isn’t trying to. In other words you’ll love this unique little place, however you will not be in love with it… Hardest review ever! PS: Bring cash Edna’s doesn’t take American Express or any another card for that matter!

When Dog Fight was born mere weeks ago, one of the main reasons was Edna’s. It’s a no frills, roadside burger and dog joint. Having outlasted Martin’s Eats, Delite’s, Annabelle’s and other extinct restaurants, Edna’s is a Columbia institution.
How old is it? Don’t know. What do most people order? Don’t know. Is Edna alive? Don’t know. Let’s just say they’re there to serve food; not answer questions.
Edna’s is tiny with multiple walk-​up windows for ordering. You order, stand around and then pick up your food and pay. If you want it faster, call in your order. Eat outside at a picnic table or take it to go.
There’s a full, affordable fast food menu that includes burgers, hot dogs, Polish sausage dogs, corn dogs, bologna and fish sandwiches (not together, or maybe together if that’s your bag, baby), onion rings, fries and more food than you have patience to read. You can order a la carte or get a basket.
We surmise that Edna’s dogs are either boiled or steamed and then served on a bun. Add slaw, chili, mustard, onions or ketchup. The menu in the window purports the chili is homemade but today’s judges were unable to confirm this claim.
How the Dog Fight went down.
Andrew:
Dogs 1 and 2: Chili
Dog 3: Corn dog
Tim:
Dogs 1 and 2: Chili
Dog 3: Corn dog
Julie:
Dog 1: Chili, mustard
Dog 2: Corn dog
Jeff:
Dogs 1 and 2: Chili
Dog 3: Corn dog
Amy:
Dog 1: Corn dog
Dog 2: Chili only
John:
Dogs 1, 2 and 3: All the way plus slaw
The Dogs
Many of us had heard great things about Edna’s being home to Columbia’s best chili dog. We wholeheartedly disagree. But, Edna’s corn dogs. Now, that is something to put in your belly. Edna’s corn dogs are meaty, stout and the coating has a pleasant sweetness. Amy and Julie found it a smidge doughy, but overall it was declared a winner.
On the other end of the spectrum, Andrew said the chili dogs reminded him of those in the high school canteen. The consensus around the picnic table was: nondescript. There was a decided lack of taste in every way. The biggest signal the dogs weren’t so hot? Nearly the entire way back to the office, we talked about cottage cheese. We considered bumping up Dog Fight 3. Andrew even suggested a stop at Main Street’s hot dog cart.
The Toppings
Amy noted the chili on her dog was bland and generic. John’s all the way dogs shared the same fate. John thought the slaw weirdly sweet. It was an oddly uniform consistency and color that Andrew suggested might be from pasteurization.
The Verdict
Before we get to today’s score, here’s how the judging works. The score sheet is based on 6 attributes, each rated one to five. A score of one is the lowest (Barf); five is the highest (Bliss). The score relates only to the hot dog itself — not the atmosphere, service, etc. All judges’ scores are tallied and averaged with the perfect Dog Fight score being a 30. The six attributes judged are: Overall Taste/​Umami, Meat, Toppings, Texture, Bun or Coating and Artistic Merit.
So how did Edna’s fare? According to Jeff, Dog Fight Director of Math and Spreadsheet Maintenance, Edna’s scored a 17.9 out of a possible 30 with the corn dog pulling in the only decent rating. Ouch.
The bottom line? As far as hot dogs go, Edna’s is filling, fast and affordable. But don’t expect much more than that.
If you want to see all reviews with pictures check out
and click the Dog Fight Tab.

Third on our cheeseburger crawl is an old Columbia mainstay, Edna’s. If you polled a lot of long-​time residents of Columbia about their favorite burger/​hot dog stand, a decent amount would probably pick Edna’s as their favorite. This one is officially Edna’s #1, and it sits at the intersection of three roads — River Dr., Sunset Dr., and Clement Rd. From what I understand, the reason for the number was at one time, there were several Edna’s scattered throughout Columbia, but now, there is only one Edna’s left.
All of us talked about the ambiance of the place: It is a true dive — the place seems like a random old burger stand by the road; for seating, they have old wooden picnic tables outside to eat, and there is a local cat that the place feeds. A lot of people take the food to go, or eat in their car. Betsy said it was a place that she might not stop by at normally, but was a place that you only go to if referred to by someone else. Andy said: «The food alone wasn’t enough to keep me coming back, but combined the the dive-​y ambiance, I’m coming back.»
Some overall comments about the burger: Andy liked the balance of the burger and ratio of ingredients. I liked that they were generous with their lettuce, tomato, and onion; there were multiple large pieces of each.
Here are our ratings on the cheeseburger and fries:
Average Rating: 3.9
The Big W (our in-​house connoisseur of Southern cuisine who isn’t participating in the ratings of our cheeseburgers, but often attends our cheeseburger crawls), told me to try the chili dog because it was his favorite in Columbia, and he usually goes to Edna’s for the chili dogs instead of the burgers. I definitely agree. I thought it was great; the chili was rich and flavorful, the dog was a good size, and it was cooked well and had a good snap to it.
For more details about the cheeseburger crawl, as well as photos of both the restaurant and some of the dishes offered here, you can visit my food blog,