From a steak at Hall's to pizza at Village Idiot, restaurant goers in South Carolina can sample new experiences at discounted prices from Jan. 9-19 as part of Restaurant Week South Carolina. This year, new restaurant Arroyo Tacos + Tequila has joined the fray.
Every year since 2010, a group of Columbia restaurants come together to participate in the city’s edition of Restaurant Week South Carolina, a statewide event held in October and January meant to highlight South Carolina’s culinary scene. Restaurants provide promotional menus with a selection of their signature dishes to allow locals to sample new experiences at discounted prices, with 42 establishments being featured this year.
The event is organized by the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association, or SCRLA. Lenza Jolley, who serves as Vice President of Membership and Development for the organization, works to bring new restaurants into the fold each year.
“We are a membership-based organization,” Jolley said. “This serves as a membership drive for us. So, if you’re a member of the association, it is free (for member restaurants) to participate in Restaurant Week South Carolina.”
Enter Arroyo Tacos + Tequila, which is a new venture from the owners of the popular fine dining destination, Saluda’s Restaurant. Arroyo, located in Five Points, opened its doors this past July. Andrew Thomspon, long-time general manager of Saluda’s and co-owner of Arroyo, said the establishment aims to provide exciting, high-quality Mexican food at affordable prices.
“We thought that the neighborhood would have an opening for a really cool, kind of trendy casual, but also authentic Mexican-style of a concept,” Thompson said. “Our vision for the place was somewhere that was affordable but still delicious and a great experience.”
Arroyo offers a spin on classic dishes, such as chori-pollo, chile relleno and enchiladas, a wide selection of different tacos from chipotle chicken to beef barbacoa as well as an extensive drink menu.
For restaurant week, Arroyo is offering a three-course meal for $19. Guests can choose a dip, an entrée from a curated list that includes the options of any two tacos, chile relleno, a quesadilla or enchiladas, along with cinnamon durros for dessert.
The bar is also offering $7 craft and frozen margaritas and $5 beers.
Manager and bartender Charlie Flowers, who also has roots at Saluda’s, said Restaurant Week is a strong opportunity to spread the word about Arroyo and get locals in the door.
“I’m not worried about the quality, but getting our name out has been the biggest challenge,” Flowers said. “Once we did finally open up doors and we were able to see customers come in and love it and love the experience, that was really good.”
Thompson said Restaurant Week has a positive impact on all the Columbia restaurants that take part.
“You offer a small incentive to (say), 'Hey, instead of staying home tonight, go out to a restaurant and try somewhere new,'” Thompson said. “I’m sure we’re not the only ones that gain new customers.”
Thompson also said opening a new restaurant presented several opportunities to overcome and learn from, even though he has prior experience in the industry.
“Running Saluda’s for quite some time, you learn a lot, see a lot,” Thompson said. “But opening a new restaurant, getting something off the ground from scratch, it was a huge challenge.”
Flowers said Arroyo's location in Five Points is a valuable asset, providing a spot for people to have some food and drinks before they go out downtown.
Arroyo’s high standards set them apart from competitors such as Monterrey’s and Cantina 76, Thompson said.
“It seems like, within the last few years, (Mexican Restaurants are) popping up all over the place, but we really just stay true to our same standards we uphold at Saluda’s, just great food, great service, a cool ambiance,” Thompson said. “What we strive for, at least, is when you leave one of our restaurants, you walk away wanting to come back.”
More information on Arroyo Tacos + Tequila along with the full menu can be found here on its website. Arroyo’s promotional menu, along with the menus for every restaurant participating in Restaurant Week, which is running from January 9 to 19, can be found here.