Where Chili’s Fits Your Week Around Columbia: Spring Valley and Lexington

Clock out near Two Notch at 5:15, glance at the clock, and you can make last call on happy hour by 6:45 without breaking a sweat. That’s the practical draw of Chili’s in Columbia’s orbit. The brand has settled into two steady, predictable stops that locals actually use on real weeknights: Spring Valley on Two Notch Road in Northeast Columbia and Lexington just off Sunset Boulevard at Ginny Lane. Both open at 11:00 a.m. daily and close at 10:00 p.m., both run a daily 4–7 p.m. happy hour, and both keep the same core value playbook, so your plan and your check look the same no matter which side of the river you’re on.

Two Notch, Spring Valley: the “on your way” Chili’s

If you’re threading I‑20 and I‑77 or coming off Fort Jackson shifts, Spring Valley’s Chili’s is the one you can hit without rerouting. It sits at 7715 Two Notch Rd., Columbia, 29223 with a posted phone of (803) 699‑1843, right by the I‑20 interchange so you can slip in from either direction. Hours hold steady at 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, which makes it an easy pre‑movie or post‑practice fallback when the clock is tight and a table pitcher of salsa solves most problems.

Happy hour here is clockwork: 4–7 p.m. every day, with well cocktails, a 16 oz classic margarita, select 22 oz drafts, and house wine all listed at $4.95. The exact list is printed at the store level, but that $4.95 number shows up the same way you remember it, so your default order stays muscle memory. Pair that with a shared queso and split a plate of Chicken Crispers if you’ve got teens in tow. If you’re thinking takeout, this location lists both Pickup and Delivery, and the staff will point you to the pickup shelf just inside the main doors when the rush is on at dinner.

One small local advantage that sounds minor but matters on a school night: Spring Valley’s lot and curb cut give you a simple right‑in, right‑out pattern to Two Notch. If you’re moving between I‑20 Exit 74 and the neighborhoods tucked east toward Clemson Road, that clean turn saves a light cycle when the lanes stack.

Lexington, Ginny Lane: the “errands plus dinner” Chili’s

On the west side, Chili’s on the Lexington corridor sits at 295 Ginny Ln., Lexington, 29072, phone (803) 359‑0850. Like Spring Valley, it keeps the standard 11 a.m.–10 p.m. hours. It is tucked just off Sunset Boulevard near the I‑20 westbound ramps, which turns it into a handy stop after late afternoon errands along US‑378. Town projects in recent years have focused on smoothing movements at Ginny Lane and the I‑20 interchange, so sliding over for a 6:15 table is easier than it used to be when traffic pinched at the ramp light.

This Lexington store mirrors the value rhythm guests expect: 4–7 p.m. happy hour daily and those same $4.95 drink deals. It also lists both Pickup and Delivery. Inside, the layout separates the bar rail from family seating, which helps if you’re managing small kids or a grandparent who prefers the quieter half of the room. I tend to land here for a simple habit order: the 3 for Me entry level build with a burger and fries, plus bottomless chips and salsa from rewards. You can walk in with a plan and walk out with a receipt that looks like last month’s.

Value that actually shows up on the check

Chili’s has made a point lately of putting a number in front of guests and keeping it there. The chain’s 3 for Me bundle is marketed to start at $10.99 nationwide. That “starting at” phrasing is doing work, since add‑ons and upgrades climb the total, but the bundle baseline is the thing that keeps this brand in your back pocket for a Tuesday when fast food combos feel like a bad deal. In plain terms, you pick an entrée, you get fries, and you get bottomless chips and salsa and a fountain drink folded into one ticketed price tier. It’s why my go‑to is the burger build, and why a table of four can still stay relaxed when two of those orders layer in.

If you join My Chili’s Rewards, two benefits are spelled out in the program terms that matter to household math: free chips and salsa on every visit when you spend at least $5, and a free birthday dessert each year at participating locations. Those are posted program benefits, not a coupon that shows up every now and then, so you can plan around them. The chips benefit is just as useful on slow lunches as it is when teens are jittery and you need food on the table two minutes after sitting down. With kids, the birthday dessert perk is exactly the sugar rush you want at the end of a weeknight dinner with grandparents.

Happy hour is the other price anchor you can count on locally. Both Spring Valley and Lexington list 4–7 p.m. daily, and both show the same $4.95 tags on well cocktails, a 16 oz classic margarita, select 22 oz draft beers, and house wine. It is a seat‑in deal, so think of it as a budget‑smart pause while you wait on fajitas. If your table is a split of drinkers and non‑drinkers, rewards makes up the difference with the chips benefit so the nondrinker isn’t paying just to hang out.

Ordering flow that favors weeknights

Both Columbia‑area stores support Pickup and Delivery ordering, which is how a lot of families make Chili’s fit real schedules. The fastest pattern is simple. Use the app to pick the location, choose “Pickup,” and submit the order before you leave the office or practice. If you prefer to check in at the host stand rather than wait in the car, both stores will have a designated pickup shelf or counter inside the front doors. It keeps weather out of the handoff and beats idling in a crowded lot when it rains.

To‑go alcohol is available on the local ordering menu when regulations allow, with the store page clearly stating that a food purchase must accompany any alcohol order. If you’re swinging in for pickup, remember the same rules about open containers apply in your car as anywhere else in South Carolina. The simplest move is to let the bag ride in the trunk, then pour your margarita over ice at home alongside the chips and salsa you already planned to share.

If you are the designated “swing by and get dinner” person, time your pickup for ten minutes before the posted estimate during off‑peak hours. In practice around Columbia that means a 5:20–5:30 p.m. arrival for a 5:30–5:40 p.m. ticketed time on a weekday order. It gives the line just enough breathing room without turning your fries limp while you wait. On Fridays, slide that five minutes later. You’ll avoid the jump‑the‑gun pickup that risks a remade burger, and you still get the food on your schedule.

How the two sides compare when you actually live here

Spring Valley is your best bet when your day bounces along Two Notch between I‑20 and I‑77. The lot is a clean in‑and‑out, the posted 11 a.m.–10 p.m. hours match Lexington to keep your mental model simple, and the 4–7 p.m. happy hour with $4.95 pricing helps when you’re waiting out traffic before heading further northeast. The (803) 699‑1843 number is posted if you want to confirm a takeout tweak on the fly.

Lexington’s Ginny Lane spot wins on errand chaining. You can hit a hardware run or grocery pickup off US‑378, then make that one right turn to the restaurant before punching back to I‑20. The same 11 a.m.–10 p.m. hours and $4.95 happy hour drink lineup keep it interchangeable with Spring Valley. The posted phone is (803) 359‑0850 if you’re old‑school and like to call in. If you’re deciding between the two based on kids’ schedules, the Lexington dining room’s split between bar and family seating can feel a touch calmer at 6:30 p.m. on a school night, while Spring Valley’s access wins when you are beating the clock between fields and home.

Menuwise, Columbia’s online menu shows the usual spread: Big Mouth Burgers, fajitas, ribs and steaks, Chicken Crispers, Salads & Soups, and a Lunch Specials section. Alcohol to‑go appears on the local digital menu with the posted reminder that a food purchase must accompany alcohol. Nothing fancy in the phrasing, just the kind of clear “here’s how it works” you want in a weeknight routine.

If you are playing the loyalty angle, remember the two program benefits that matter most to regulars never change between sides of town: free chips and salsa with a $5 minimum spend and a free birthday dessert. These are spelled out in the rewards terms, so you’re not hoping today is the day a coupon pops into your inbox. Register once, add your phone number at the table kiosk or in the app when you pay, and the chips benefit will show up on the check line as a zeroed‑out item each visit.

As for what to order, I stay predictable. The 3 for Me base tier at $10.99 is exactly why Chili’s keeps a place in the Restaurants & Food conversation here. My move is the burger build with fries, using the included drink as a lemonade if I am driving, then letting the table lean hard on those rewards chips and salsa. On nights when someone wants something louder, the skillet fajitas make the table feel like a treat even when you are sticking to a tight clock.

None of this is destination dining. That’s the point. Chili’s steady presence around Columbia survives because the basics hold without drama: two addresses you can rattle off, the same 11–10 day, the same 4–7 happy hour with $4.95 tags, and a rewards program that really does knock chips and salsa off the bill every visit with a small spend. If you are the family logistics officer or the friend who always gets handed the “where are we meeting” text, this is the kind of consistency that earns its keep.

Key things to know before you go

• Spring Valley Chili’s is at 7715 Two Notch Rd., Columbia, 29223, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, phone (803) 699‑1843. Happy hour runs 4–7 p.m. with $4.95 drink deals.
• Lexington Chili’s is at 295 Ginny Ln., Lexington, 29072, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, phone (803) 359‑0850. Happy hour is also 4–7 p.m. with the same $4.95 lineup.
• 3 for Me is marketed to start at $10.99, bundling entrée, fries, chips and salsa, and a fountain drink into one ticketed tier.
• My Chili’s Rewards gives free chips and salsa every visit with a $5 minimum spend, plus a free birthday dessert at participating locations.
• Both stores list Pickup and Delivery. On to‑go alcohol, the menu notes a food purchase must accompany alcohol, so plan your order accordingly.

Reader Q&A

Do both Columbia‑area Chili’s have the same hours?

Yes. Spring Valley on Two Notch and Lexington on Ginny Lane both post 11:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. daily. That makes it easy to choose by route rather than by closing time.

Is there still a happy hour and what does it cost?

Both locations run a daily 4–7 p.m. happy hour. The store pages list select drinks at $4.95, including a 16 oz classic margarita, well cocktails, select 22 oz drafts, and house wine.

What’s the price point on Chili’s 3 for Me right now?

The 3 for Me bundle is marketed to start at $10.99. You can add upgrades if you want, but that base tier is the value play regulars use for predictable weeknight checks.

Does the rewards program do anything meaningful?

Yes. My Chili’s Rewards offers free chips and salsa every visit with a $5 minimum spend and a free birthday dessert at participating locations. Those two benefits are consistent across Spring Valley and Lexington.

Pick the store that fits your route for the night and the one detail that matters most to your table, whether that’s the 4–7 p.m. happy hour, the $10.99 3 for Me baseline, or rewards chips and salsa hitting the table right away. With the two sides running the same playbook, the choice usually comes down to which turn lane you need.

Published: September 8, 2026