January 2015 - Columbia South Carolina. Legends are born by word of mouth. One hears a story, passed from another about a person, a thing, or a place. A place of goodness. In our case, a place of great satisfaction. The wife was at work bemoaning the fact we couldn't find a good bacon place in our part of North Carolina (which is kinda ironic when you learn our region is the largest hog producing area in the country) when word of just such a legend caused us to drive more than 150 miles from our home in Fayetteville North Carolina to the Sizzle Bacon Eatery & Pub in Columbia South Carolina

Sizzle Bacon Eatery & Pub perched on the edge of the University of South Carolina was located in an unprepossessing building on Hardin St and looked like just a typical seedy college bar from the outside. Little did we realize just what was waiting for us when we stepped into a porcine paradise on earth.

While clearly geared towards a college age - later in the evening drinking clientèle (with lots of room for a crowd), there where plenty of tables available when we arrived inside their clean, well organized and well lit interior.

With lots to choose from it was hard to find a "right" choice to make. I ended up scarfing down a bacon cheeseburger with extra bacon while the wife tucked into a Panini style B.L.T. loaded with Buffalo Mozzarella, and a side of best ever gold standard cheddar bacon grits dusted with a perfect cloud of ground bacon for a topper and a bacon swizzle stick as a garnish (see photos above). Man was it good.

We were especially tickled by a couple of things. First off their toaster "brands" all their rolls. We thought that was cool. And second, every side comes dusted with ground up bacon! My fries had it, the wifes' grits were covered with it... and if we'd of had enough room for dessert their ice cream comes with bacon too! I know, I know. Phew.

If we didn't have so far to drive back home the Mrs. might even have tried one of their bacon flavored drinks (who knew). They featured something called a Blue Bacontini which is a Classic Martini made with Van Gogh Blue Vodka, Vermouth and a bacon stuffed olive to top it off. They also had something called a Bacon Bloody which included a homemade Bloody Mary Mix, Tito's Handmade Vodka, with a thick cut bacon strip and Sizzle bacon dust around the rim.

Seriously, this place deserves to be a legend.