Great place to relax, get a good cup of coffee, and enjoy great atmosphere. Friendly service from a staff whose consistently low turnover rate over the last few years guarantees quality food and drink. Low-key, folksy music provides a quiet atmosphere appropriate for a coffee-house situated slap-dab in the middle of the USC campus. On the weekends, the place can be VERY crowded in the evenings. A nice, warm seat for reading or working on any rainy day. The art on the walls is usually dominated by one artist, who seems to use CoolBeans for an unofficial gallery, but the quality of the work is outstanding and is rotated somewhat regularly, adding to carefully-cultivated artsy-folk setting.

Monterrey's seems to share the same menu with every other mexican restaurant in the United States. While not contributing to any sense of originality, it does mean that there will be few surprises. The beer is cheap, the margaritas are good, and if you stick to the ala carte menu, you can come away with a decent mexican meal to fill you up before using the rest of your cash to going bowling across the street. Don't count on great decor. In fact, with the dim interior, you might want to watch your step in places where the carpet is torn or rolled up. The air conditioning sometimes works, which means that the all-most hidden patio is a better bet on fall or spring days.

Bar-b-que is difficult to screw up. It isn't fine dining by any stretch so if you are looking to get your fingers dirty and the front of your shirt messy, this is the place for you. With selections seemingly all over Columbia, there will be ample opportunity for you to feed your need. A word of warning, the sauce is mustard based, which may be an entirely new experience for the uninitiated.....and of course, no review would be complete without mentioning the absolute PHENOMENON of Maurice's blatant racism. Beyond flying the confederate flag like he personally fought the war, Maurice sells tracks and books in the "heritage" section of his stores which are only one hood short of a cross-burning. Visitors from the north routinely take pictures of his stores and send them back above the Mason-Dixon as evidence to family that yes, ignorance and stupidity like this really DOES exist. There is a fine line between veneration of cultural heritage and hating not only your neighbors but the vast majority of your customers. Maurice took a running leap over it.