A Touch of Love Cafe: Soul Food and Community in Columbia

What you'll find at A Touch of Love Cafe

A Touch of Love Cafe is a soul food restaurant in Columbia that serves traditional Low Country and Southern dishes made fresh daily. The menu centers on comfort food—fried chicken, collard greens, mac and cheese, cornbread, and slow-cooked meats—prepared in the style that defines soul food cooking across the region. The cafe operates as a neighborhood gathering place where regulars and first-time visitors sit down to eat food that tastes like it was made in someone's home kitchen, not a chain operation.

The restaurant's name reflects its approach: the food arrives at your table seasoned with care, and the staff treats customers like family. Portions are generous. Prices are modest. The dining room has the feel of a place where people have been coming for years, and where you're welcome to stay as long as you like over a meal and conversation.

Key Takeaways

• A Touch of Love Cafe serves traditional soul food and Low Country dishes made fresh daily, with fried chicken, collard greens, mac and cheese, and slow-cooked meats as menu staples.
• The restaurant operates as a neighborhood spot in Columbia where portions are large, prices are reasonable, and the atmosphere feels like dining in someone's home.
• The cafe is known for treating customers like family and creating a welcoming environment for both regulars and visitors.
• Soul food at this cafe reflects the culinary traditions of the Low Country and broader Southern cooking heritage that defines much of South Carolina's food culture.

The menu and what to order

The menu changes based on what's being prepared that day, which is typical of soul food restaurants that cook in batches rather than to order. You'll find fried chicken—crispy outside, tender inside—alongside sides like collard greens cooked with smoked meat, creamed corn, mac and cheese, and cornbread. Entrees often include oxtails, chicken and dumplings, meatloaf, and pork chops. The kitchen also prepares vegetables and starches that round out a plate: candied yams, black-eyed peas, rice and gravy, and biscuits.

Soul food cooking at A Touch of Love Cafe relies on slow cooking, seasoning with salt and smoke, and using every part of an ingredient—techniques rooted in African American culinary traditions and the agricultural history of the Low Country. The result is food that tastes deeply familiar to people who grew up eating it, and revelatory to those encountering it for the first time. Arrive early or call ahead to ask what's being made that day, because popular items sell out.

Location and hours

A Touch of Love Cafe is located in Columbia. Hours vary by day and season, so contact the restaurant directly before you visit to confirm they're open and to ask about the day's menu. Many soul food restaurants operate on a schedule tied to lunch and early dinner service rather than staying open late into the evening.

The cafe is accessible by car and is situated in a neighborhood setting. Parking is typically available on-site or nearby. If you're planning to visit during a busy time—lunch on a weekday or weekend dinner—arriving early or calling ahead helps ensure you get a table without a long wait.

Soul food's place in South Carolina cooking

Soul food is rooted in African American culinary traditions that developed during and after slavery, drawing on West African cooking techniques, Low Country agriculture, and the resourcefulness of cooks who made nourishing meals from limited ingredients. The cuisine emphasizes slow-cooked vegetables, seasoned meats, and starches—dishes that sustained families and communities across generations. In South Carolina, soul food is inseparable from the state's history and the Low Country's food culture.

Restaurants like A Touch of Love Cafe keep these traditions alive by cooking the way home cooks do: with time, attention, and ingredients chosen for flavor rather than convenience. Soul food is comfort food in the truest sense—it nourishes both body and memory, connecting diners to family histories and cultural heritage. In Columbia and across South Carolina, soul food restaurants are gathering places where community happens over a shared meal.

What to expect when you visit

A Touch of Love Cafe is a casual, no-frills restaurant. You order at the counter or at your table, and food arrives on a plate with sides already chosen or ready for you to select. The dining room is simple and unpretentious. Service is friendly and unhurried. This is not a place where you're rushed through your meal; it's a place where you settle in and eat.

Bring cash or ask about payment methods when you call, as some soul food restaurants operate primarily on cash. Portions are large enough that many people take leftovers home. The cafe welcomes families, groups, and solo diners. If you're new to soul food or unfamiliar with specific dishes, the staff can explain what's available and help you choose.

Visiting nearby in Columbia

Columbia has other soul food and Southern restaurants, as well as cultural sites connected to African American history and the Low Country's heritage. The South Carolina State Museum, the Columbia Museum of Art, and historic neighborhoods like the Congaree Vista offer context for understanding the city's food culture and the communities that shaped it. Many visitors combine a meal at a soul food restaurant with time exploring these nearby attractions.

If you're interested in Low Country cooking more broadly, Columbia and the surrounding region have restaurants and food tours that explore the connections between agriculture, history, and the dishes that define South Carolina's table. A Touch of Love Cafe is one piece of that larger story.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a reservation?

Most soul food restaurants operate on a first-come, first-served basis, but calling ahead is a good idea, especially during lunch or dinner rush. It lets you confirm the restaurant is open and ask what's being prepared that day. If you're bringing a large group, calling ahead gives the kitchen time to prepare.

What if I'm not familiar with soul food dishes?

The staff at A Touch of Love Cafe can describe what's available and explain how dishes are prepared. Soul food cooking uses familiar ingredients—chicken, pork, vegetables, grains—prepared in traditional ways. If you're unsure about a specific dish, ask. Most soul food restaurants are welcoming to people trying the cuisine for the first time.

Are there vegetarian options?

Soul food restaurants typically offer vegetable sides like collard greens, candied yams, black-eyed peas, and corn. Call ahead to ask what vegetarian dishes are available on the day you plan to visit, since the menu changes based on daily preparation.

What's the price range?

Soul food restaurants are generally affordable. Entrees with sides typically cost less than chain restaurants, and portions are large. Exact prices vary, so call ahead or check online if the restaurant has posted pricing.