Bernie’s Chicken
No Grease, All Juice: Why Bernie’s Broasted Chicken is a Columbia Institution
If you want a taste of history in Columbia, SC, you don't look for a trendy new storefront or a sleek downtown bistro. Instead, you take a short drive out toward Williams-Brice Stadium to 1311 Bluff Road.
There, sitting in a building that looks like it hasn’t been touched since the Carter administration, you’ll find Bernie’s Chicken. Family-owned and operated since 1979, Bernie’s serves what is arguably the juiciest, crispiest, and most consistently incredible chicken in the area. But don’t call it "fried chicken" to them, they’ll gently correct you. Bernie's specializes in Broasted Chicken—a unique process that has earned them a multi-generational, cult-like following.
Here is why this retro joint is a mandatory stop for locals, students, and tailgaters alike.
The Secret to the Crunch: What is Broasting?
The magic of Bernie's comes down to how the chicken is cooked. "Broasting" is a specialized method that essentially deep-fries the meat inside a commercial pressure cooker using hot peanut oil.
The process cooks the chicken from the inside out, sealing in the natural moisture instantly. The result is a piece of chicken that is impossibly moist and juicy on the inside, delicately crisp on the outside, and while their definitely is grease, it’s not a heavy, dripping grease you get with standard frying.
When Bernie’s opened in the late '70s, they leaned heavily into the official, patented Broaster Company equipment and recipes - which is where the term “broasted” came from. Over the decades though, as technology evolved, the family adapted. They upgraded to a different brand of pressure fryers, changed their flour blends, and fine-tuned their house spices. But they never compromised on freshness: this chicken is cut in-house, marinated, breaded, and fried so fresh it was likely slaughtered the night before it hits your plate.
The Vibe: Pure Unapologetic 1980s Retro
Stepping inside Bernie’s is like stepping into a time machine. The dining room is old-school: tile floors, yellow laminate tables, faux-wood laminate booths, and classic acoustic foam ceiling tiles.
It is completely unpretentious and filled with nostalgia. On any given weekday, you’ll see the entire spectrum of Columbia dining here: college students, blue-collar workers, families, and groups of lifelong friends in their mid-80s who have kept a weekly lunch date here for decades.
The Menu: Just Order the "Special"
While Bernie's has expanded its menu over the years to include solid drive-in classics like double cheeseburgers, hot dogs, BLTs, and chicken club sandwiches, 99% of the people walking through the front door are there for one thing: The Special.
The famous 3-piece Chicken Special is an absolute steal. It comes loaded with:
Three pieces of perfectly crispy, pressure-fried chicken.
A pile of hot, golden crinkle-cut fries.
Fresh, house-made cole slaw
A classic dinner roll.
A massive, ice-cold cup of their legendary, house-made sweet tea.
You can customize your dinner to be mixed, all-white meat, or all-breast meat, with combos generally ranging from an insane value of around $10.50 for mixed up to $14.50 for the all-breast option. Although if you don’t want a sweet tea, or would prefer a 2-piece or 4-piece dinner, they have several chicken combos you can choose from. When you do decide, order at the counter and wait for them to call your number, when they do, head to the register, pay, grab your tray, head to a booth and dig in. I definitely recommend enjoying some with their hot sauce too (located on every table).
The Verdict
Bernie's Chicken is a legendary Soda City staple because it keeps things simple and treats chicken like a craft. They are open Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. However, if it’s a University of South Carolina home game Saturday, the schedule shifts: they open at 10:00 AM and run full throttle straight until kickoff, making it the ultimate Gamecocks tailgating tradition. Pull up, grab a booth, and experience real-deal comfort food.
