Sunday is Mother’s Day and you can expect a lot of activity at some dining hot spots in West Columbia. And they are not all indoors. 

Brookland Brunch is an effort between Soda City and West Columbia’s new Brookland development. It’s the first and only riverside brunch. It’s conducted every Sunday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the West Columbia Riverwalk Amphitheater.

Brookland Brunch’s motto is “Eat, drink and be merry, or eat, drink, exercise and be merry. The choice is yours when you’re given a brunch made for anyone and everyone.”

Jean-Louis Ledent operates The Belgian Waffle with his wife Yvette. The two are regulars at the Brookland Brunch.

Ledent said with the warming of the weather, activity increases, and more people come to the Brookland Brunch. Mother’s Day is expected to be a Sunday with brisk business.

“As summer hits, there are more and more people,” said Ledent. And he said the Riverwalk is a very inviting setting to have a Sunday brunch.

“It’s a really nice atmosphere,” Ledent said. Ha added that the number of food customers increase as tubing activity picks up on the Congaree River.

“You can eat, and get something to drink,” said Ledent, referring to the recreational users of the river.

Ledent also said he expects the brunch crowd to get better when the multi-million-dollar Brookland development – across the street from Riverwalk Park- is completed, and starts adding residents.

There are also indoor locations for Mother’s Day dining. 

Grecian Gardens on Sunset Boulevard in West Columbia has been providing a warm welcome for more than 30 years.

“Our customers are like our family,” said Vivi Koutrakos Li of Gercian Gardens. “So many come in two or three times a week. We have become friends with them and their families.”

Li said she is sure to see many mothers being brought to Grecian Gardens on Mother’s Day and she said it’s an honor that so many families share the day at the restaurant. She said some of the favorites on the menu are turkey and gravy, lightly battered fried flounder and of course Greek salad. But the restaurant’s most popular dish is roasted chicken with Greek potatoes. 

Hosting one of the busiest Sunday brunch crowds in the region is Cafe Strudel on West Columbia’s State Street.

“People love our brunch,” said Cafe Strudel’s Brandt Hulteen. He also said the popular spot will get its share of Mother’s Day celebrants.

“We have lots of traffic every Sunday,” said Hulteen.

And all you have to do is drive by Cafe Strudel to see the number of people who line up to get in and experience some of the restaurant’s popular fare.

“The hangover hash browns, the Hawaiian pineapple French toast, eggs Benedict,” are some of the most-ordered dishes, said Hulteen.

While brunch will be a popular event Sunday, the lunch crowd will be active in West Columbia, too.

JackSon’s Southern Kitchen is celebrating Mother’s Day at JackSon’s Southern Kitchen.

Make plans to bring mom to JackSon’s Southern Kitchen for Mother’s Day at 1213 Sunset Boulevard, West Columbia.

JackSon’s Southern Kitchen is known for its large crowds of Sunday diners and its regional favorites, including: fried chicken, and fish, barbecue, pork chops, turkey, mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, fried green tomatoes, biscuits, cobbler, and chocolate pie.

From brunch to lunch, you will be able to dine on Mother’s Day. A scenic site beside the river or an historic site on State Street, and something in between, you can find it in West Columbia.