Highest-rated restaurants in Columbia, Missouri by diners

Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans say they rarely or never try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, according to a 2024 survey of more than 1,500 diners from TouchBistro.

But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—67% of Gen Zers and 40% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on social media or online restaurant reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google. The TouchBistro survey found that 52% of Gen Zers have opted to try a new restaurant due to positive feedback on social media, and 67% of millennials have gone to a new dining spot solely because of favorable reviews online.

New restaurants in particular tend to garner a lot of online attention. About 50,000 new restaurants open each year in the U.S., and that number continues to rise. An analysis by Yelp published in June 2024 found that new restaurant openings were up 6% from May 2023 to April 2024. But some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established eateries that customers have been visiting for decades.

To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Columbia, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2025. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews and a 3.0 rating were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.

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1 / 30

#30. Mad Cow

- Rating: 4.2/5 (141 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 503 East Nifong Blvd. Ste I Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: New American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 30

#29. Crazy Good Burritos

- Rating: 4.2/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 815 East Business Loop 70 Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Mexican, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

3 / 30

#28. Pizza Tree

- Rating: 4.2/5 (124 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 909 Cherry St. Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 30

#27. Range Free

- Rating: 4.3/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 110 Orr St. Ste 101 Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Cafes, Gluten-Free, Bakeries
- Read more on Yelp

5 / 30

#26. Just Love Coffee Cafe - Battle Crossing

- Rating: 4.3/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 5414 Clark Lane Ste 100 Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, New American, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

6 / 30

#25. Big Mama's Cafe

- Rating: 4.3/5 (79 reviews)
- Address: 3510 Interstate 70 Drive Southeast Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Cafes, Desserts, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

7 / 30

#24. Pho Quan Viet Cuisine

- Rating: 4.3/5 (103 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2016 Paris Road Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Vietnamese, Chinese, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

8 / 30

#23. Carlito's Cabo

- Rating: 4.4/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 12-A Business Lp 70 East Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Mexican, Peruvian
- Read more on Yelp

9 / 30

#22. Tortilleria El Patrón

- Rating: 4.4/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 711 Vandiver Drive Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

10 / 30

#21. Delia's Mexican Grill

- Rating: 4.4/5 (81 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 201 North 10th St. Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

11 / 30

#20. Irene's BBQ

- Rating: 4.4/5 (32 reviews)
- Address: 711 North College Ave. Ste B Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Barbecue, Beer Bar, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

12 / 30

#19. Big Daddy's BBQ

- Rating: 4.4/5 (96 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1205 North Garth Ave. Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Barbecue, Southern, Soul Food
- Read more on Yelp

13 / 30

#18. Tiger Chef

- Rating: 4.4/5 (97 reviews)
- Address: 907 Rain Forest Pwy Ste 101 Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Asian Fusion, Thai
- Read more on Yelp

14 / 30

#17. Barred Owl Butcher & Table

- Rating: 4.4/5 (291 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 47 East Broadway Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Butcher, American, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

15 / 30

#16. Cajun Crab House

- Rating: 4.4/5 (103 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 308 Business Loop 70 West Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Seafood, Cajun/Creole
- Read more on Yelp

16 / 30

#15. G & D Steakhouse

- Rating: 4.4/5 (169 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2001 West Worley St. Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Steakhouses, American, Greek
- Read more on Yelp

17 / 30

#14. B&B Bagel

- Rating: 4.5/5 (92 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 124 East Nifong Blvd. Ste A Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Bagels, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

18 / 30

#13. Med Mex Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (40 reviews)
- Address: 2609 East Broadway Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Mexican, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

19 / 30

#12. Penn Station

- Rating: 4.5/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 203 East Nifong Blvd. Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Cheesesteaks, fast food, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

20 / 30

#11. Flyover

- Rating: 4.6/5 (176 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 212 East Green Meadows Road Ste 9 Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Pretzels, Tapas/Small Plates
- Read more on Yelp

21 / 30

#10. Kinkao

- Rating: 4.7/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 904 East Broadway Ste 101 Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Thai
- Read more on Yelp

22 / 30

#9. Taqueria Don Pancho

- Rating: 4.7/5 (141 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3907 Peachtree Drive Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

23 / 30

#8. Ellianna's Donut Shop

- Rating: 4.7/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1105 Grindstone Pkwy Ste 101 Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Donuts, Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

24 / 30

#7. Just Jeff's Street Food

- Rating: 4.7/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 701 Business Loop 70 West Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Food Stands, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

25 / 30

#6. Los Comales Mexican Restaurant & Store

- Rating: 4.7/5 (35 reviews)
- Address: 3510 I-70 Southeast Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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26 / 30

#5. Love Coffee

- Rating: 4.7/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 15 Business Loop 70 East Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Patisserie/Cake Shop
- Read more on Yelp

27 / 30

#4. Café Poland

- Rating: 4.8/5 (237 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 807 Locust St. Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Polish, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

28 / 30

#3. Krustaceans Seafood - Columbia

- Rating: 4.8/5 (31 reviews)
- Address: 22 North 9th St. Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

29 / 30

#2. Goldie's Bagels

- Rating: 4.8/5 (59 reviews)
- Address: 114 South 9th St. Ste 102 Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Delis, Bagels
- Read more on Yelp

30 / 30

#1. Beet Box

- Rating: 4.8/5 (121 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 602 Fay St. Columbia, Missouri
- Categories: Middle Eastern, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 318 metros.