Zesto of West Columbia

My dad always has to hit up Zesto when we come to Columbia to visit family. It is tradition. This time we got our fill of chicken wings, coleslaw and fries. The wings are perfect. Very crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Nothing fancy, just cooked perfectly. The coleslaw is not sweet at all which is how we prefer it. The fries were very bland but we didn’t come here for those so I won’t fault them. The chicken alone is worth the five stars. The staff are very sweet and attentive. Just go here and thank me later.

The fried chicken at this place is as close as you’ll ever get to the kind all our grandmas used to make in a skillet (I say grandmas because I don’t know anybody that makes it like this anymore). It’s delicious!
The fries are ok and the rolls are standard, but that ain’t why you eat here. Skip all that and just get a dang bucket of chicken. This ain’t the kind of place to be snobby about the menu — classic American with local historic significance.
We stumbled on this place by accident and can’t believe we never heard of it. As soon as we walked in we knew we found a treasure and proudly declared «it’s our first time».
The crew was super helpful and patient with us. Brought us our food pronto. Super friendly.
I topped things off with the iconic chocolate dipped ice cream cone which of course hit the sweet tooth spot perfectly.
I’ll definitely be back to this place.

Zestos should be a landmark of Columbia by now! What a great place. From the huge ice cream cone on the roof to the smiling faces insides. The cheeseburgers to the fried chicken to the chocolate dipped ice cream to the hot fries! Mmmm hhhh mmmm delicious!
Pete is the owner and you’ll never meet a more hard working owner with a generous heart.
Every time we visit Columbia we stop in for some food and a huge hug from Pete.
Pete if you’re reading this, thank you for the Christmas card. :)
Funny story; Pete never would give me a job here no matter how much I begged him. He said his guys wouldn’t get any work done lol.
This place really is a gem and I love to see it growing and prospering. So proud of Pete for closing on Sunday’s. I know God honors that and will continue to bless your business.
Much love Zestos!

Very lowkey restaurant. It’s far better than McDonald’s or anything like that! Pretty busy but, good, greasy food. Always a good go to place.

Best chicken ever!
Broad red crispy on the outside, hot & juicy on the inside.
So much food, there’s always leftover chicken.

Delicious!!! It’s amazing on how they remember your face from the front window and can bring you your food in the back. Friendly customer service. And their Coke… Their Coke is amazing! I heard it comes from an old fashioned soda machine…

I have had Zesto’s on and off for 25 years now. Live on the other side of the country and every time I’m in town, I make it a point to stop by. Food is delicious and high quality and the service is second to none! Thanks to everyone that does such a wonderful job over there!

A Columbia Institution. They have wonderful fried chicken that I’ve had a few times through take-​out. Everything else I have tried is typical, quick food. Nothing to write home about but not awful either. It’s hard not to want to stop with the big ol’ ice cream peering at you when you pass by!

You can not stay in or near Columbia and not go to Zesto’s! I have been eating at Zesto’s since as long as I can remember. They have the best fried chicken you can find and their cole slaw is nothing less than a gift from God. The staff is extremely friendly and very quick to get to know you if you keep coming back. I would also like to note that the owners are there working in the kitchen every single day and they’ll be the first ones to say hey! Parking is the only thing that often becomes a problem as it is so crowded but I’ve always been able to find a spot somewhere. If you don’t go here for lunch or dinner at some point you are truly missing out!

It is what it is, a fast, cheap greasy-​spoon chicken burgers fries and soft serve ice cream dive. Totally worth the $ 3 when my 10 year old daughter keeps saying «yum, thank you daddy» between bites of a hot fudge sundae.

Zesto’s is awesome! They have the nicest staff and really good cheeseburgers! Their fried chicken is ridiculously good. I come here allllll the time and am never disappointed! Even their fish sandwich is good.
Only thing they need is bacon to put on the burgers. But then I would eat bacon cheeseburgers every day!

The old school place I was looking for! The hot dog was the best I’ve had down here– besides Five Guys believe it or not. The fries were really good — crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Be weary on the sundaes — the small is still really big! One thing I noticed is that you only get a half of a cherry. It gave us something to talk about, do they buy them like that or do they cut the cherry in half? That kept us busy for a while.
Anyway, I was really happy about my trip here and I’m definitely going back for the burgers and the famed chicken and dipped cones!

I would give Zesto 10 stars if allowed. And here’s why.
I’ve been eating here since I was a child. My grandmother lived a stone’s throw away, and every visit included lunch from here. (that’s roughly 4 decades now)
I still eat here regularly and will until I’m out on high blood pressure meds :) and even then will sneak it in.
Out of the estimated 400 times I’ve eaten here, I’ve gotten hotdogs about 10 times, cheese burger about 5… And the fried chicken the rest.
I love salt. I’ve literally sucked on paper salt packets before (I know, TMI…) but that’s just to prove a point here. Their chicken it SALTY! Let me rephrase that… Their chicken is DEEP FRIED HEAVEN.
Any time I have friends or even business partners visit downtown, if they remotely like fried chicken, I bring them here, and the results are the same ‘best chicken I’ve ever had’.
Their slaw which comes with every basket is on point. And yes. Salty. But oooooh so good. Toss in a little Texas Pete, and BOOM, saltyspicyyummie.
Pro-​tip: you can get a ‘white snack’ which is all white meat vs the default mix of both.
If you like chocolate (what? Are you unamurcan?) you’ll love their milk shakes. I personally like to get a half and half (chocolate/​vanilla) blend.
But if you REALLY like chocolate you’ll love their dipped cones. Just in case you’re full from everything else, you can get a kids cone. It’s super small and let’s you sample the goodness that is Zesto.
Love me some Zesto. Gus has created a monster business that gets people serviced within moments of walking in. Even on the business days at the business times.
NEXT PLEAAAASE!!!

Just spent fifteen minutes eating this chicken with my hands, getting increasingly angrier and angrier over the lack of a fork, only to get up for more tea and come back to see one lying on the table, on the other side of my heaping basket. This is an adept analogy for Zesto’s itself: any fault you may think you see, in reality is a boon to the overall charm and functionality of the restaurant. The simple, classic, large-​diner style of operating, with the kitchen and counter in the front, large dining area in the back is at first overwhelming and a bit unintuitive, but you soon come to realize that it’s the most effective and efficient way to operate and serve the quite large crowds that seem to be omnipresent. The quaint tables, smooth benches seem to be worn just right for a tired pair of legs, and the staff is equally smooth and friendly. All this, simply the atmosphere. The food is the re-​imagining of the finest minimalism, the classicy-​est of classics. Only a fool would stray from the fried chicken, however. It’s the kind of restaurant where everything is served on a paper basket, fries, coleslaw, and plain soft buns are topped with a golden crown of sweet, crunchy birds, always hot from the kitchen because there are far too many milling customers to let any sit out. The breading is thin and tight and hot, with just the right amount of crunch before a hot, juicy piece of chicken. The bread and fries are just breathers, a break for your taste buds before rejoining the war on blandness going on within your maw. This is also the kind of restaurant that has a sweet tea dispenser in the dining area, to compensate for the only drink worth having on a hot day in the dirty south, and accommodate all of the diners who almost exclusively drink it. And it is perfectly sweet, an exceptional mix of sweet enough to be a dessert, and cold enough to be refreshing. And in the world of actual desserts? A dipped cone of soft-​serve ice cream, poured and then handed across the counter, the top of the chocolate still hardening in your first bite, mixing with the vanilla in an unholy, syrup-​y sin. It can also be covered with nuts, if you have that problem. All in all, Zesto’s is the provider of quintessential southern comfort food. The kind of food that makes a cloudy day a little brighter. The kind of food that puts a small grin on your face, that takes you to a place that can remind you that the world isn’t all that bad, after all.

Great place to eat chicken or hamburgers! Service is quick and great! The downside of this restaurant is the parking… if it’s prime time to eat you will circle this restaurant a few times before you are able to park in the very tiny parking lot.

This restaurant caters to most persons with picky opinions of how fast food should taste. I visited this restaurant on a busy Saturday… let me correct this… it’s ALWAYS busy, but the service and speed in which they produce excels from other competing restaurants surrounding their restaurant. I ordered the chicken filet basket w/​o cole slaw, a corn dog, and their «famous» ice cream cone (small) dipped in chocolate with nuts.
Presentation — Yes. Most of their items are put on a paper basket keeping the food in place so it does not scatter throughout the bag like other fast food places. Sandwiches are individually wrapped and made correct the first time. The ice cream cone was very well put together and looked tempting enough to eat before I ate anything else. Overall… thumb’s up.
Restaurant Cleanliness — Yes. For a restaurant that filters through a lot of people, the staff and management have a system in place that exceeds other places and is a model of excellence for the fast food industry.
Customer Service — Yes. This place excels in customer service. Lines, although somewhat long, move at a feverish pace and orders are taken with precision. To date, I have yet to receive an order with some type of mistake… unless it was of my own doing.
Taste — Yes. The chicken filet sandwich basket was filling and actually tasted very good compared to other places that sell chicken filet sandwiches. The chicken was moist and delicious. The breading surrounding the chicken was also good to eat without any scars from over-​cooking (meaning burnt). The ice cream cone, while melting because of being dipped, was pleasing to my senses and tasted very good. The fries that came with the basket was not over/​under cooked. Just right!
Parking — Needs Improvement. Because of its location, parking can be a difficult situation. Unless you back into a spot on 12^th Street, you’re really taking a chance with traffic and those not paying attention while driving. I have not seen an accident, but this is something that can be an issue. The spots alongside the building and in front where you order are tight. I do not recommend parking in these as customers are not as courteous when it comes to opening/​closing their doors. I would recommend backing into a spot on 12^th Street or parking across the street where the businesses are not fully using their lots.
Overall — Yes. I’m a very critical person when it comes to rating businesses and do not often find businesses with this level of being just that good. I don’t work in the food business or blog or any of that stuff. I’m in federal law enforcement and travel a lot in my position throughout the country. So… that being said… I highly recommend this restaurant for food.

I’ve been going here since I was a child and still love getting by there when I get the chance. Best fried chicken around, also make great burgers. Food comes out very fast and the workers are always very friendly

I have only had ice cream from here. But I was very disappointed with how it tasted. It may just be me, but I won’t be returning here.

Great place for fried chicken. Service is always super quick, even when they are busy. I usually get the two piece meal with extra fires. The chicken is always hot, fresh and delicious. Perfectly cooked also. Their sweet tea is awesome. Don’t be affarid to ask for something special, they will try their best to make it for you. Price wise, it is a great value for what you get. Get their early because parking fills up quickly!

West Columbia royalty! I can remember going here just out of diapers for a chocolate covered nut roll cone with my Aunt Vivian. If I had a sore throat growing up, Mom got me a shake from Zesto. There wasn’t a church cover-​dish with out a bucket of cold Zesto’s Fried Chicken. So as you can see this place is Tri-​City and a huge part of West Columbia where I grew up.
My favorites now are the Zesto Burger Basket or the Wing Dinner. I never know which to get. Sometimes I’m a total fat a$$ and get a Zesto Burger with a side of two wings. The slaw is unique and good. The only coleslaw my sister and wife will eat. The hot dogs are great too. I have pescitarian (vegetarians who eat fish) friends that come here for the fish sandwich when they are in town. Everyone I know that has grown up in West Columbia and moved away, Zesto is the one place they have to go before going home.