I was in Columbia the other day for work and took the opportunity to visit the recently-opened World of Beer. The pub is located in The Vista, a sort of shopping arcade located on Gervais Street, just a few blocks from the Supreme Court of South Carolina. It features an outdoor seating area, and plenty of TVs inside. WOB is said to carry more than 500 beers, and I'm sure this is true.
There are several coolers like this one in the pub. Hard to tell from the photo, but underneath the shelves, there are labels that say "Ireland," or "Germany," or whatever country's name the beer above comes from. Not particularly helpful when one's focus is on southern beer. WOB also has about 40 taps, and these change regularly.
I went for lunch, but soon learned that WOB doesn't have a kitchen. The deal is that you can order food from any of several restaurants that are also located in The Vista, and WOB lets those restaurants deliver to its patrons. I ordered a burrito from Salsarita's, and it showed up about 10 minutes later. The only real bad part is trying to eat out of a styrofoam takeout container while sitting at the bar.
The verdict? Well, there certainly is plenty of beer at WOB. I suppose they've figured out how to get decent food in there, too, in a roundabout way. All in all, WOB felt a bit .... corporate. Ultimately, it's about what you can get to drink, but I would prefer to do that at someplace that felt less touristy. Next time I'm in Columbia, I think I'll try the Flying Saucer. If you've visisted WOB in Columbia, let us know what your experience was like.
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